NS 68Q and Port Reading

Nice pictures.

That's a real good way to spend a few hours on a nice day. Right place, right time.

Great shots. It is difficult to beat the variety that can be seen around Port Reading on a daily basis.

Rob

Saw a CP engine waiting to back into Motiva at about 5pm today from the NJ TRPK.

I was in Bethlehem, PA yesterday afternoon around one o'clock and saw an eastbound ethanol train. I don't know what is was and didn't catch the lead engine, but the last two engines were BNSF (orange & green) and BNSF (BN green/cream). I just saw the engines and didn't catch the engine numbers.

Yeah, I know I'm old-fashioned, but I still get a kick out of an old EMD unit leading two much newer GE's on a train, even if she's been tarnished with black paint.......

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPi ... id=2759043

No, not the best shot, but the best image available from this location, until she comes back out tomorrow morning. Ex-ATSF Warbonnet, ex-Burlington Northern '40-2, ex-Chesapeake & Ohio '40-2....a very cool lashup...

http://njtwom.rrpicturearchives.net/sho ... id=2793922

Real sweet set of power!

Stopped at Port Reading and Motiva yesterday and was not dissapointed!
CSX Ethanol at Motiva with SD50 leader!
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv14 ... C_1286.jpg
Power from another CSX ethanol going to be wyed.
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv14 ... C_1316.jpg
OI-16 arrives
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv14 ... C_1320.jpg
OI-16 departs after dropping cars off at Port Reading yard.
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv14 ... C_1353.jpg
The ethanol power coming out of the yard on the other leg of wye it had a CITX ex UP SD40-2 number 2804 and a CSX SD70ACe number 4839!
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv14 ... C_1375.jpg
A closeup of CITX SD40-2 2804!
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv14 ... C_1379.jpg
A closeup of CSX SD70ACe 4839!
http://i677.photobucket.com/albums/vv14 ... C_1381.jpg

The reason the CSX power gets spun is becasue the CSX K trains usually only run with a single spacer on the head end and no spacer on the rear. So in order to get the train to Motiva they hold on the the spacer car and spin at CP-PD to get behind the train to shove it down. Conversely now when the CSX train is mty its cover car and power is in position to get pulled north.

NS trains operate over pusher territory and thus is required to have a spacer on the rear end. But since 99% of the time they come in via the Port Reading Secondary the train is already in a position to get shoved to Motiva. The process is just reversed to get the NS train to depart, the power is usually spun with a cover car when the train arrives at Port Reading to get the power back to the south end.

Thanks Wolf, I wondered why the CSX trains didn't have rear spacer cars...no helper district on the Water Level Route!

Just missed you again, Chris, got there a little later than you; nice shots. Interesting tidbit about that CITX leaser...it was built as an SD39 for Southern Pacific in 1968, one of only 26 of that model on the roster (later upgraded to '40-2 specs)! Many of these leasers have very interesting histories.........
Chris

wolfboy8171981 wrote:The reason the CSX power gets spun is becasue the CSX K trains usually only run with a single spacer on the head end and no spacer on the rear. So in order to get the train to Motiva they hold on the the spacer car and spin at CP-PD to get behind the train to shove it down. Conversely now when the CSX train is mty its cover car and power is in position to get pulled north.

NS trains operate over pusher territory and thus is required to have a spacer on the rear end. But since 99% of the time they come in via the Port Reading Secondary the train is already in a position to get shoved to Motiva. The process is just reversed to get the NS train to depart, the power is usually spun with a cover car when the train arrives at Port Reading to get the power back to the south end.

Thanks I never knew that I wondered why some trains had 2 spacers and some had 1.

RailsEast wrote:Thanks Wolf, I wondered why the CSX trains didn't have rear spacer cars...no helper district on the Water Level Route!

Just missed you again, Chris, got there a little later than you; nice shots. Interesting tidbit about that CITX leaser...it was built as an SD39 for Southern Pacific in 1968, one of only 26 of that model on the roster (later upgraded to '40-2 specs)! Many of these leasers have very interesting histories.........
Chris

I traced that CITX heritage too it was nee SP 5314 and ex UP 2804 only 54 SD39s where built in total by EMD making them pretty rare engines!

No pics or loco info but there was a UP widecab sitting under West Ave. this evening...

Heads up there is a 68Q coming Thursday, Friday or Saturday with a Warbonnet SD75M and a BNSF D9,he is on the layoff track in Bethlehem now because there is another 68Q at Motiva.