NS in Georgia

Hi. Just visiting to Georgia and I see a set of tracks that run through Buford GA... Is this NS or CSX or both? i can hear the trains running at night in the distance from where I am staying but have not been able to head down there yet to railfan-from what i can hear at night it sounds like a lot of 2nd generation power-SD40's, GP38's and 40's......very few wide cabs so that is nice!.I am a fan of power that you can actually hear!.. Where does this line come from and go.... Also, what railfan hot spots are there in GA? Any info would be great.

Thanks

I used to live by this line..It goes from Atlanta to washington DC... It is NS owned and is former southern. The track on this line is and always has been impeccable.

I work the line. And the only jobs using Sd40's and the like are locals. We use mostly Dash 9's and GEVO's
Larry

Larry,
What "Milepost Station" is A251?

Bri

SOU2645 wrote:I work the line. And the only jobs using Sd40's and the like are locals. We use mostly Dash 9's and GEVO's
Larry

Well i wouldnt brag about that..Gevo's and Dash 9's make me yawn.. A real mans loco is the SD40-2 =) Hey I actually saw alot of GP60's working this line. Not bad!

True that the SD-40-2 IS the greatest locomotive ever built in North America,but ask almost any NS Crew/Engineer what they prefer on the head-end and you'll get an NS C40-9W almost everytime.
For comfort,reliability,power,etc. the Dash-9's are far better than the SD-70M-2's which IMHO are "Junk".Railfans don't like the Dash-9's because there are soooooooooooooo many of them.Personally,I can't stand the CSX GEVO's(5200-5501)!!! That's all you see on the CSX Philly Sub.

Long live the NS Dash-9W's!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bri

I've actually ridden in a dash 9 and a GP40. The dash 9s are smooth and quiet and on the GP40 ya need ear plugs after a while. So I can see both views from inside the cab and from a railfans perspective. I just love the sound externally of a few GP/SD 40s on notch 8 roraing upgrade with tonage. The new GE units are too quiet and making a humming sound. The classic chug chug sound has been muffled considerably since the U series. I am just a huge fan of 2nd generation EMD power when it comes to railfanning. You can just hear the power and that makes railfanning so much more enjoyable.

Sent from my BlackBerry on the worlds fastest 3G network.

I've actually ridden in a dash 9 and a GP40. The dash 9s are smooth and quiet and on the GP40 ya need ear plugs after a while. So I can see both views from inside the cab and from a railfans perspective. I just love the sound externally of a few GP/SD 40s on notch 8 roraing upgrade with tonage. The new GE units are too quiet and making a humming sound. The classic chug chug sound has been muffled considerably since the U series. I am just a huge fan of 2nd generation EMD power when it comes to railfanning. You can just hear the power and that makes railfanning so much more enjoyable.

Sent from my BlackBerry on the worlds fastest 3G network.

I too am a big Fan of the EMD 645E3 Turbocharger! Nothing,and I mean nothing says "Railroad" better than an EMD 645E3 Turbo in Run-8!!!
GE has been using the 7FDL power plant since the 70's.We sometimes call the GE's "purculators" because of the burbling sound they make.And they don't load-up anywhere near as fast as an EMD.Yet,NS and CSX do use the GE's in fast Intermodal service.
Being as since I live in former Conrail country,nothing commanded a TV train better than 3 GP-40-2's back in the 80's and early 90's.They flew back then.

Bri

GE is 4 stroke and EMD is 2 stroke motors wich is why EMDs rev higher and sound like a drag car on notch 8. The accellerate better too. GE units slip a lot. Yea back when railroading was good. All used GP40s on pig trains. Chessie System always had 3 or 4 GP40s on their cumberland to chicago trailer trains.

I remember the B&O Trailer Jets hauling TOFC between Philly and Chicago.
And B&O had a cool practice of always running their GP-40's "Elephant Style" just in case the leader had a problem.
What a sight seeing 3-4 GP-40's all facing the same way.And what a sound!!

Bri

I totally agree. About the sound. Its what got me into railfanning. When I was a kid I'd visit my. Cousins down in MD and they lives about right down the road from a B&O mainline that had a slight grade and the sound of the 40 and 38s amzazed me.
Hey I have some good videos of the SP out in CA on 2% + grades with about. 12 SD40 and 40Ts. On full throttle. You wanna talk about a sound! PM me ur email and ill send them. They aren't available on any u-tube or anything.

ItaliDe,
Speaking of sound..........feast your Ears & Eyes on this vid!!!!
http://www.rail-videos.net/video/view.php?id=5214

Now that's a slice of 645E3 Heaven!!! Front and Back!!

Bri

[Quote-Well i wouldnt brag about that..Gevo's and Dash 9's make me yawn.. A real mans loco is the SD40-2 =Quote)

I don't think anyone was bragging....or trying to be a "real man" It's not like engine crews have a choice. When I worked in engine service on the EL we didn't show up for work and walk to the ready line and tell the roadhouse foreman " We'd like to have 3 SD-45's for our train tonite....they sound cool and the railfans like them". In the 60's we could get anything from 4-5 GP-7/9's or RS-2/3's to 4 C-424-425's to 3 SD-45's to a mixture of anything and everything when called for a road freight. We were happy when we got units that were warm in the winter and would be trouble free over the road. The cool sounds of SD-40's is great when you're on the ground listening to them for 2 or 3 minutes as they pass by, but when you're inside one for 10-12 hours, between the vibrations and the constant roar by the time you get where you're going you can't wait for a bit of peace and quiet. Comparing an SD-40 to a new GE unit is like comparing a '73 Volkswagon bug to a new Lincoln town car. It might be fun to go for a ride down to the corner store in the VW, but you sure wouldn't want to have to drive it cross-country.

Hey whats teh story with that 10N video. The lead helpers were only on notch 4 and the rear ones were on notch 6. I noticed when I was at Cresson PA the SD40 helpers often were not at full throttle . can anyone answer this? its like being cheated! I want notch 8 man! ha! =)

In response to TrainWayne 1 .. Yes I know they are loud. I have spent 10 hours in a GP40 so I know what you mean. I guess the railfan in me just hates Wide Cabs. Not only did they replace the "Balls out" sound but they also replaced 2 older units. Now adays all ya see mostly are 2 wide cabs on a train opposed to 4 or 5 Geeps of years ago... I liked railroading in the 1970's and 80's.. it was good times for power.