CSX in Gettysburg

[mu26aeh]

Came home from York county yesterday and went past the DalTile plant on Rt 30 east of Gettysburg and SD40-2 #8020 was sitting in their siding with the 3 cars spotted on the siding. Anyone know why the unit was left there?

[CSX Conductor]

Perhaps the crew out-lawed.

[mu26aeh]

interesting lashup in town right now, SD60 8673 in Dark Future, HCLX Ex-BN SD-40-2, and SD50 in Bright Future.

[mu26aeh]

I tell ya, CSX is damned if they do, damned if they don't. People are involved in accidents at crossings that are malfunctioning for some reason or another. And then there are the crossings that are taken care of and working and people put themselves in harms way by running the lights. Last night while d797 was moving through New Oxford, PA at Hanover Rd, 7 cars went through after the lights came on and 4 did it while locomotive was in sight (train comes off slight curve) with ditch lights flashing and horn blowing. The last one blew right through without even thinking of stopping at 40 mph and train was within 50 ft of crossing. Then if he would have gotten hit, then he or his family would sue the railroad. Absolute BS

[dtiman421]

Gettysburg was a 2-day stop on our family vacation when I was a kid, in October 1980. Our hotel that night was right across from the tracks. During the night we heard 3 trains, then saw a GP-9 powered local early the next morning.

Is this line still an active mainline?

What is it's history. On old maps, it appears to be a former WM line from Hagerstown (?) but I can't see where it went to east of Gettysburg.

Thanks for any info.

[mu26aeh]

It is known as the Old Dutch Line. WM in old days, now operated by CSX as the Hanover Sub. From Gettysburg, travels east to Hanover then southeast to Baltimore. In Gettysburg itself, usually sees about 4-5 trains a day (correct me if wrong). One early morning heading east, one midmorning heading west, late afternoon/early evening back east, and 1-2 overnight depending on traffic. Power usually consists of 3 SD-50's, with sometimes a road slug set, SD-40-2 and CW44-9 on rare occasions. On Sundays will also have additional power for the Rockrunner which runs out of Bittinger, TARMAC Quarry to Baltimore, which is usually a pair of GP-40s or something of the like.

[dtiman421]

Thanks for the info.! I see it now on my 1960s US railroad map, going east to Hanover, then south to Baltimore, as you described.

I am curious.......this route seems circuitous compared to another WM route shown on the map to the south in Maryland that goes directly from Hagerstown to Baltimore. Is that line still used, too? Seems odd for CSX to keep two seemingly redundant routes, rather than selling or abandoning one of them. Must be lots of local business on the Gettysburg line, I'm guessing.

[Guest]

The more direct line was the East Subdivision, now owned and operated by the Maryland Midland. There was probably more online business on the Hanover Subdivision including York, Pa and Reading Co. interchange at Gettysburg. Some interesting operations and loose car railroading on the Hanover Sub, there was.

[mu26aeh]

are trains required to either have caboose, or EOT device on the end of the train? because if so, freight tonight heading west from New Oxford on Hanover Sub had neither. It was strange for train to be heading west so late(730pm), it is usually heading east at that time and that would be early. Had two SD-50 for power, 8502 and 8593.

Also unusual, I now hear whistles coming back through at 9pm heading eastbound. Anyone know reason for the quick turnaround??

[Guest]

How many/what kind of cars did the westbound move have? Eastbound?
(There used to be a passing siding at Camp, just east of Gettysburg. Is it still there?)

[mu26aeh]

train had general freight, covered grain hoppers, box, and a few tankers. went to gettysburg yesterday and the train was sitting in camp siding. today, 10/6/04, westbound picked it up out of siding. the last time something like this happened there was MOW work in the Brunswick area.

[Guest]

Sounds to me like one of the regular westbounds into Hanover, either the rockrunner or the Curtis Bay turn, brought this stuff out of Baltimore and parked it at Camp for the Hagerstown turn. The rockrunner uses SD-50's.

[mu26aeh]

The rockrunner uses SD-50's.

I don't think I have ever seen sd-50's on the hanover rockrunner. i thought it used a slug set. Also, if the rockrunner brought these cars back, why not set them at Bittinger. There is also a large siding area there.

[Guest]

Admittedly, I haven't seen that rockrunner in five years or so but then it always had SD-50's. The Curtis Bay turn out of Hanover had the slug sets. They might need the siding at Elm for other stuff.