• What did you see?

  • Discussion of the operations of CSX Transportation, from 1980 to the present. Official site can be found here: CSXT.COM.
Discussion of the operations of CSX Transportation, from 1980 to the present. Official site can be found here: CSXT.COM.

Moderator: MBTA F40PH-2C 1050

  by Matt Langworthy
 
I've ssen this thread in the NS forum, so why not here? That way we can share interesting sights. I live in upstate, NY, but really any CSX sightings would be welcome. Here's my contribution:

My PC at home isn't connected to the Internet, for now. As it happenend I finoshed posting on railroad.net shortly before the Fairport library closed last night. I intentionally parked my car near Fairport Jct, and i'm glad I did! :P

As I walked back to my car, I heard the wail from the horn of an eastbound train on the West Shore Bypass. Before it came into view, I heard another horn and saw the light from a slow moving train headed east on the Chicago line Pretty soon the horns were dueling! The slow mover was a looong merch train led by CSX (NYC) 8658 and one HCLX unit. The cars were hard to count because it rolled into the Main Street crossing just as the fast mover came around the curve and passed it! The fast mover was also eastbound- 79 auto racks led by two Dark Future locos. Meets at Fairport Jct are uncommon, and I'd never seen one involving two eastbound trains before. The slow mover probably had to give up some time so the fast mover could get back onto the Chicago Line. By the time the slow mover passed (it had at least 100 cars that I counted after the other other train went by)- there was a foul-mouthed drunk on the other side of the tracks who was mad that he had to wait! I guess he couldn't live a minute without a bottle in his hand!

As soon as he got across the tracks, the gates came down again. This time for a westbound freight; it was 77 autoracks led by CSX units 436 and 7553. The train was moving pretty fast on the Chicago Line and entered the crossing at 9:11PM.

By the time it passed, I had gotten my car started and turned it around so I could head thru the crossing for the trip home. As locuk would have it, the gates when down for a 3rd and final time, much to the disgust of the wandering drunk who wanted to get back home or wherever he came from. I had to chuckle as another westbound autorack came thru the crossing at 9:17PM on the Chicago Line. It was 46 cars led by CSX 635 and 740- maybe a 2nd section to the train that had just passed? by this time the drunk was furious and I tried to calm hom down by saying "look this is just America at work. We need to keep our country moving!" but he didn't want to hear it. Oh well, I guess he didn't enjoy 4 trains going thru a crossing in less than 20 minutes!
Last edited by Matt Langworthy on Mon May 02, 2005 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

  by AmtrakFan
 
On the BNSF line by me we get a occassinoal CSX Grain Train but we do get a ton of CSX foreign Power.
  by CSX Conductor
 
Matt Langworthy wrote:I've ssen this thread in the NS forum, so why not here? That way we can share interesting sights. I live in upstate, NY, but really any CSX sightings would be welcome.
For a CSXT railfan site for the Northeast click here. :wink:
  by sd80mac
 
Matt Langworthy wrote: Meets at Fairport Jct are uncommon

Two things...

meet uncommon??? NOPE! PLENTY of them! I have seen couple meets of WB and EB trains, inlude train on the Westshore. I also have seen TWO WESTBOUNDS pacing with eachother or one overtakes another. Even one WB on mainline and another WB on Westshore. Same situation for EB trains - have seen that.

EVEN I had seen TRIPLE MEET few times. that is RARE.

With all of these viewings of meets/pace/overtakes, I dont frequently to MP 361.


Your observation of gate staying donw for 4 trains without letting vehicles going through is MUCH RARE. Good CATCH! Just that you were at right place and right time.


2nd thing... Fairport JCT???? I never heard anyone mention that. there is no CROSSOVER or TURNOUT at that location. The crossover is about 3 miles east of Main Street and it was called CP 359, now QC359 but not even "Fairport JCT".

ps... You could have told the drunk driver to take the Tuch Hill Rd bridge, only half mile from grade crossing. LOL

ken
  by Matt Langworthy
 
Ken, the drunken idiot was thankfully a pedestrian. I have seen CP359 referred to as Fairport Jct in a couple of books, including my Conrail book. The gates didn't stay down- they actually rose briefly after the 2nd and 3rd trains passed. Not long, though!

I've never seen a meet there before, although I have seen a few at Chili Jct, which I prefer for the peace and quiet- less drunks and angry motorists.
  by sd80mac
 
Matt Langworthy wrote:Ken, the drunken idiot was thankfully a pedestrian. I have seen CP359 referred to as Fairport Jct in a couple of books, including my Conrail book. The gates didn't stay down- they actually rose briefly after the 2nd and 3rd trains passed. Not long, though!

I've never seen a meet there before, although I have seen a few at Chili Jct, which I prefer for the peace and quiet- less drunks and angry motorists.
there's nice spots at least 200 feet away on either side... u dont have to worry about the drunks and angry motorists....

you need to explore more! :-D By the way, I'm not suggesting you to WALK along the tracks. Use the road and be more observation... you will find regular guys there... Some are great guys.. and some are... I wouldn't say anything. here... again, once u meet people there, be observe and decide whether you want to hang with these people or not.

About Fairport JCT... no one has mentioned that here.. not even train crews.. JCT is actually NOT in Fairport, unless they had old switches there for the spurs that went through fairport north side of mainline. Obviously, it's gone many years ago...

ken
  by Matt Langworthy
 
sd80mac wrote:there's nice spots at least 200 feet away on either side... u dont have to worry about the drunks and angry motorists....

you need to explore more! :-D By the way, I'm not suggesting you to WALK along the tracks. Use the road and be more observation... you will find regular guys there... Some are great guys.. and some are... I wouldn't say anything. here... again, once u meet people there, be observe and decide whether you want to hang with these people or not.


ken
Thankfully, the drunks and angry motorists aren't very common. I like the company of other railfans on my journeys but most often, I am alone. And I do explore quite a bit- I spent some time on 5/1 by the Goodman St yard, saw several LAL runs a few weeks ago, tried to 'fan both OMID and R&S, and met another fan in Fairport back in March. I wish I could get out more but I usually work 50-60 hours a week. The only reason I got a chance on the shortlines was because I was suspended from work for the week. (Long story... )

That's the reason for this thread- so I can live vicariously thru the stories and pics of others who can do what I can't.