Saturday, August 16, 2014

Lightning Stripes

UPDATED: 10/05/2014

The NYC made a surprise return visit on  a cool bright Sunday morning on the 16T. I saw on HU.com that the NYC was in Asheville yesterday on a train that ends up in Knoxville. I then heard the dispatcher give a TA to a 106-something to proceed to Piney Flats. I knew the 106x series were all SD70ACe's with the coolest horns out in the fleet, so when I heard the train horn in Jonesborough I took a chance and made a quick run to Johnson City Metals ... Jut in case.

My efforts were rewarded with the following two pictures of the NYC leading 16T eastward toward Bristol.


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It's been a while since one of the Norfolk Southern Heritage engines came through the area. The fine folk on the Facing Book posted about the New York Central coming east from Chattanooga on 16T which meant a daylight opportunity for a shot at a new Heritage motor for me. The reports had it trailing 2nd of three so I knew it wouldn't be a great photo opportunity. And I wasn't sure when 16T typically moves eastbound from Knoxville so it was going to be a wait-by-the-scanner day.

I heard the dispatcher give a track warrant to a westbound 29W which would meet some unknown eastbound at Telford, so I went to Jonesborough to wait on the eastbound, just in case. I got a few shots of the SD60 leading the westbound 29W - which was kinda cool - then I heard the dispatcher give a track warrant to 38Q coming into eastbound into Telford ... bummer ... not the train I thought the NYC was on. But it was only 10 minutes away so I decided to wait and take a few pics because 38Q usually has 5 or more engines so it's always cool to see and hear that.

I snapped a few pics of the whole consist as it came toward Jonesborough, and imagine my surprise when I saw the lightning stripes of the NYC trailing 5th of 5. I had already lowered my camera so I had to quickly get back on task. I got off six shots, the best three are below.




Trying to get a good shoat at an engine that far back in the consist is hard enough when you have time to plan for it, so I'm pretty happy they turned out as well as they did given the hastiness of the shooting.

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A new heritage engine for me, I'm at 15 of 20.

#00  1030 The Forgotten Heritage Engine
#13  1065  Savannah and Atlanta
#15  1066  New York Central
        1067  Reading
#12  1068  Erie
  #1  1069  Virginian
  #8  1070  Wabash
        1071  Central RR of New Jersey
#11  1072  Illinois Terminal
  #4  1073  Penn Central
        1074  Lackawanna
        8025  Monongahela
  #2  8098  Conrail
#10  8099  Southern
  #5  8100  Nickel Plate Road
  #7  8101  Central of Georgia
  #9  8102  Pennsylvania
 #14 8103  Norfolk and Western
  #3  8104  Lehigh Valley
  #6  8105  Interstate
        8114  Norfolk Southern
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This is not a new Special Interest engine for me.
#1 6920 Honoring Our Veterans
#2 6963 GoRail
#3 Southern 630