Predicting trains?

Get yourself a scanner, (if they're legal in your state; find out first), then do a Google search to get the name of the subdivision of the line you're interested in. (Use the town names you mentioned, which should help to narrow it down). A little more searching should also turn up the radio frequency used on that line, use this info to tune your scanner accordingly. This sounds like a little-used branch line, with local service only, which may present more of a challenge.

Good luck!

Just to clarify what Dorian said on scanners: there's no problem having one at home. The legal issue is that some states do not allow them to be operated in vehicles. To overcome this obstacle, some people advocate getting a ham radio license.