by CPSK
Well, I missed it this time. That's not to say I didn't try!
I was down at Ridgefield Park in the parking lot of now abandoned former Frickie's by about 7:30AM. Great view of the bridge over the Overpeck. I was hearing that the train was on the "Greenville pocket" at OI, and the power had yet to couple up to it. I had no idea it could take another 4 hours for the train to move out of OI.
There was a problem with a switch, so that took some time, but finally the power was shoving against the train.
During my wait, I caught two CSX southbounds. The UPS train, and a stack train.
I waited around until about 10:15 and hadn't heard a peep from "P..." whatever, so I decided to go back home and do my run around the track at Votee Park, Teaneck with my radio, and the camera in the car.
While I ran, I listened to the CSX River sub, the NI dispatcher, and the CR NJ channels, but heard no mention of the "P" train. I figured they must be watering the animals or whatever.
When I was finished with my 8K run (a very short run for me), I heard that there was a southbound, and a northbound headed my way, but no circus train.
I caught both CSX freights, but decided to go home because I hadn't heard anything else.
So what happens? I get home, plug the radio into the roof antenna, and there's the "P.." whatever at CP5. I guess I could have gotten back in the car and gotten trackside, but I wouldn't have had time to set up the camera on the tripod (it's an old VHS-C camcorder), and that would be if I were lucky. I think the train was booking north, so I probably would have missed altogether.
Now tell me that I am wrong, but I believe that CSX takes great pains to "cloak" the circus train. Maybe not just CSX, but Ringling Bros as well. After all, there are a lot of people out there who don't approve of the use of animals in the circus, and some of those people might be crazy enough about their cause to try to block the train's passage. That would be bad for CSX and for RB. So CSX makes it as difficult as possible within their operating rules for a railfan to track the train.
The only way I knew the train was going through is the report of signal state at CP5 and CP7.
So, the train was routed over the Greenville branch to the National Docs, then through the old Erie tunnel to CP whatever over what Conrail used to call the Nave runner?
I never put two and two together to figure that out, but I should have. They were talking Greenville, and I know where that is, so I should have figured it was going to be a long time before the train would be heading north on the RL.
I was so frustrated by all of this, that I vowed never to "chase" another train. If I just happen to hear that the train is coming through and have enough time to get trackside and set up, then I will go for it. But no more sitting/standing around waiting for hours. IMO, the circus train (at least not this one) is not worth the time I spent trying to catch it on video. But I am sometimes quite the obsessive, especially when it comes to trains... at least until today!
Maybe I'll catch the blue train on the River Line on its trek from Charleston WV to Albany on May 3-4 (assuming it takes that route), or maybe I'll catch the red train coming back south from Hartford to Trenton on May 9-10. But I am not going to make any dedicated effort for it this time. I'll just find someone else's video on YouTube and enjoy!
FW
I was down at Ridgefield Park in the parking lot of now abandoned former Frickie's by about 7:30AM. Great view of the bridge over the Overpeck. I was hearing that the train was on the "Greenville pocket" at OI, and the power had yet to couple up to it. I had no idea it could take another 4 hours for the train to move out of OI.
There was a problem with a switch, so that took some time, but finally the power was shoving against the train.
During my wait, I caught two CSX southbounds. The UPS train, and a stack train.
I waited around until about 10:15 and hadn't heard a peep from "P..." whatever, so I decided to go back home and do my run around the track at Votee Park, Teaneck with my radio, and the camera in the car.
While I ran, I listened to the CSX River sub, the NI dispatcher, and the CR NJ channels, but heard no mention of the "P" train. I figured they must be watering the animals or whatever.
When I was finished with my 8K run (a very short run for me), I heard that there was a southbound, and a northbound headed my way, but no circus train.
I caught both CSX freights, but decided to go home because I hadn't heard anything else.
So what happens? I get home, plug the radio into the roof antenna, and there's the "P.." whatever at CP5. I guess I could have gotten back in the car and gotten trackside, but I wouldn't have had time to set up the camera on the tripod (it's an old VHS-C camcorder), and that would be if I were lucky. I think the train was booking north, so I probably would have missed altogether.
Now tell me that I am wrong, but I believe that CSX takes great pains to "cloak" the circus train. Maybe not just CSX, but Ringling Bros as well. After all, there are a lot of people out there who don't approve of the use of animals in the circus, and some of those people might be crazy enough about their cause to try to block the train's passage. That would be bad for CSX and for RB. So CSX makes it as difficult as possible within their operating rules for a railfan to track the train.
The only way I knew the train was going through is the report of signal state at CP5 and CP7.
So, the train was routed over the Greenville branch to the National Docs, then through the old Erie tunnel to CP whatever over what Conrail used to call the Nave runner?
I never put two and two together to figure that out, but I should have. They were talking Greenville, and I know where that is, so I should have figured it was going to be a long time before the train would be heading north on the RL.
I was so frustrated by all of this, that I vowed never to "chase" another train. If I just happen to hear that the train is coming through and have enough time to get trackside and set up, then I will go for it. But no more sitting/standing around waiting for hours. IMO, the circus train (at least not this one) is not worth the time I spent trying to catch it on video. But I am sometimes quite the obsessive, especially when it comes to trains... at least until today!
Maybe I'll catch the blue train on the River Line on its trek from Charleston WV to Albany on May 3-4 (assuming it takes that route), or maybe I'll catch the red train coming back south from Hartford to Trenton on May 9-10. But I am not going to make any dedicated effort for it this time. I'll just find someone else's video on YouTube and enjoy!
FW
They don't try to cloak anything. If they don't need to have a radio conversation, they won't. And the train moves when the crew is ready. Photographers have an old saying that slightly applies here..."f/8 and be there". Sometimes you just gotta go sit and wait.