CSX River Line questions: unusual locomotive+coal+ES44AC

Hello all. I was out photographing on the River Line today between MP 41 and MP 43. It was busier than I had seen in quite a while, 15 trains between 7 AM and 4 PM. Not a bad day. I saw some interesting things that I was wondering if anyone had further info on.

1) Around 1 PM a mixed freight came through. I didn't catch the symbol. It was strange because I could hear as far north as MP 49 and as far south as CP 33, but did not hear this train call any signals. It was led by 3 engines, the first a CW44AC, the second either an ES44DC or another AC44 and the third a freshly shopped Metro North GP40FH-2. I assume it was being delivered to MN by CSX. Does anyone know where these come from and how they are routed to MN? Why aren't they delivered down the east shore?

2) Around 10:15 V806 made a coal run to the power plant at Tompkins cove then headed back north light. I have never gotten a chance to see this movement so I thought it was pretty cool. I had heard that the plant will be switching from coal to oil this year, and that will be the end of coal on the River Line. Does anyone know if this is true? Also will the oil be delivered by rail?

3) Around 4 PM Q439 came through with one of the new ES44AC's leading. I had thought that they were pretty much confined to the Boston Line while they are being broken in. Are they out and around on the rest of the system now? This is the first one I have seen.

Thanks in advance for any answers or comments!

The Metro North GP40FH-2 is going to NJTransits MMC facilities, its used on West of Hudson services run by NJT.

tapper13 wrote: 3) Around 4 PM Q439 came through with one of the new ES44AC's leading. I had thought that they were pretty much confined to the Boston Line while they are being broken in. Are they out and around on the rest of the system now? This is the first one I have seen.

They're around, though they're generally sticking to the plan of breaking them in on the Boston Line and then moving them into the coal fields. This one could be heading South, or they just needed power for the train and that's what was available.

"2) Around 10:15 V806 made a coal run to the power plant at Tompkins cove then headed back north light. I have never gotten a chance to see this movement so I thought it was pretty cool. I had heard that the plant will be switching from coal to oil this year, and that will be the end of coal on the River Line. Does anyone know if this is true? Also will the oil be delivered by rail?"

Don't forget the coal trains to Blue Circle at Ravena. Anskammer/Roseton takes an occasional train as well.

catch the v-806 while you can, the end is near for topkins cove. the track dept may be starting to pull out the switches. i noticed a speed restriction for the middle crossover, and rail taken out by the frog.
theres been talk that tompkins cove would be going away for quite some time, but hopefully another utility company might step up and modernize it.
the power plant in roseton just got its 'annual' delivery, did anyone catch that?