The big picture at Foley on CSX sandpatch grade

I made a quick trip to Foley yesterday morning to see what was left of the foilage. I had a previous commitment that prevented me to getting any other pictures Sunday but this one was well worth the 64 mile trip to FO. The train had a helper ahead added and the standard one on the rear of the 144 car train added after the rear helper wan't enough. It took over 9 minutes from the time the train came into view far right of the photo until the helper was out of site in the far left. What a long slow grind to the summit at sandpatch.

Enjoy, Tom

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=256274

Hey, thats a good one. Looks like you used a fisheye. Very valuable lense to have. The road to that spot is rough to say the least.

Would the Conrail unit be a SD40-2 numbered 8844 by any chance?

The Conrail unit is an SD40-2, but it is the 8803, the UGLIEST loco on the CSX roster. It is the former Conrail 6373 and still carries the Juniata Shops 2 Million Man Hours with out an Injury decal (white octagon just below the radiator). The unit was in a wreck a couple of years ago and the nose was damaged, they repainted the nose, poorly with some type of powder blue paint, and then they stenciled on a small "Conrail Quality" over that using what appeared to be frieght car truck stencils. To top it off some of the handrail stanchions are painted yellow, and the ditch lights were moved from below the anticlimber to the front of the anticlimber. Just a wonderful piece of equipment. This unit also wore the Olympic Cycling Road Time Trial scheme in the early 1990's...

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=250175

The unit has been in and out of Cumberland the last couple of weeks, it seems to be running back and forth between there and Willard a lot.

Here is a better look at it in all of its glory...

http://railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=255873

Scooter