A train for Belmondo

[Tom W]

Caught this one on my way to the lake today. Nothing special, just had to snap one:

http://www.pbase.com/photosbytom/image/40069795/large.jpg

There wasn't much railroad activity today, at least not when I was by the tracks. However, after I got home to sort through today's shots, I must have heard at least 8 trains go by (I'm about 1 mile from the tracks).

[belmondo]

Hey, Tom. Here's something we have in common. We see lots of NS engines out here in California. The Union Pacific is currently suffering a motive power shortage, so they're leasing some engines from NS which has a surplus.

I really think they look good. My wife, the fashion maven, tells me that basic black is always very stylish (and according to Ilya, faster.)

Nice shot. Thanks.

[Tom W]

Oddly, NS is leasing engines from Conrail (or maybe they've merged - I can't keep up). I also see mixed Burlington-Northern Santa-Fe engines with NS, though they usually run on their own.

Haven't seen a B&O for a while, though. :)

BTW, my black lenses are, for the most part, faster than my white ones so Ilya may be on to something. ;)

EDIT: PS - while I posted this, 2 more trains have passed. Why don't they run like this during the day. Actually, I know why - they're doing heavy track maintenance so they are probably holding everything up until the end of the work shift.

[belmondo]

Haven't seen a B&O for a while, though. :)

I think the B&O was swallowed my the C&O in 1961, and they officially merged in 1962. Eventually, it became the Chessie System sometime in the seventies. Actually, here's the whole chronology:
http://www.csx.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=history.heritage

[Tom W]

Thanks for the information, Tom. I remember B&O from my childhood, but I believe it was from my Dad's conversations rather than from actually seeing the railroad in action. Perhaps a couple of older B&O engines were still in service under C&O's control. It would have had to be the late 1960's before I was cognizant of these kinds of things anyway. In 1961, I was very happy to have learned to use the toilet!

[stoneylonesome]

Nice shot. I think Conrail is gone forever, CSX and UP bought up most of the lines from what I understand. could be wrong.. :confused:

[Tom W]

Nice shot. I think Conrail is gone forever, CSX and UP bought up most of the lines from what I understand. could be wrong.. :confused:

I've seen CSX engines mixed in with the Norfolk&Southern engines as well as Conrail. Maybe they bought them and are too cheap to paint them. Which is OK, since I like the CSX colors, and Conrail blue is a very familiar sight, given that I lived near Conrail tracks in the Cleveland area a few years back.

[RJSorensen]

Trains of any make, model or color are all welcome here . . . nice shot.

[DWilkin]

Who the devil is the Pekka fellow you speak so highly of? Good picture.

[belmondo]

Please....

That name is spoken only in reverence around here. I'll send you an email explaining who he is and why he is much loved.

(for starters, though.....he is the administrator [owner] of this forum.)

[Tom W]

Well here's another from the same area. I was talking to the engineer of a stationary Norfolk & Southern when this odd couple rolled by on Track #1:

http://www.pbase.com/photosbytom/image/40395465/large.jpg

Turns out that Conrail was divvied up by both CSX and Norfolk & Southern, according to the engineer. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe engine is being leased by N&S due to a shortage of motive power at this end of the system. I suspect that NS is profiting from the simultaneous leasing out and leasing in of engines.

[CyberDyneSystems]

Hey, Tom. Here's something we have in common.....

You mean other than your first and last names? (well almost all of your last names anywyas)

:lol:

[marie]

beautiful to see the trains Tom
very nice shadows in the first shot too

[belmondo]

Well here's another from the same area. I was talking to the engineer of a stationary Norfolk & Southern when this odd couple rolled by on Track #1:

Turns out that Conrail was divvied up by both CSX and Norfolk & Southern, according to the engineer. The Burlington Northern Santa Fe engine is being leased by N&S due to a shortage of motive power at this end of the system. I suspect that NS is profiting from the simultaneous leasing out and leasing in of engines.

There's no doubt that BNSF has had some of the best paint schemes in recent years. We see very few of them out here. We do have BNSF track within an hour's drive, so if I really want to see them, it's not that far to go.

It does seem ironic that I see quite a few non-UP engines here....CSX, NS, and others. We also get the occasion nondescript leased engines that defy description.

NIce shot, Tom

[sparker1]

I have enjoyed this thread, both the good photos and the discussion.

[RJSorensen]

I have seen the same here, foreign motive power on the UP mainlines heading north to Portland. I posted a CSX a month or two ago that had a NS in tow. Also I am seeing a few UP yellow and grey with odd reporting marks. These start with L and I will have to look up the rest.