A Holiday Railfanning Tip

[MeowRailroad]

If you can, try to railfan on or the day after Christmas, or at least drive by train tracks where traffic is frequent when going shopping, to the relatives, etc as there are lots of stopped trains. I think they are stopped because the when the crews leave for the holidays, they just leave the trains there. When going to the relatives houses both on and the day after christmas I saw four stopped trains. I didn't see the engine on one, one the engines were hard to see, I forget one of them, but one had a CSX engine, a NS engine with PRR reporting marks (Ex-Conrail?), and an NS engine with marks ending in X, I think it was FURX. Sadly I wasn't able to get pictures.

 

[JCitron]

The trains were stopped, perhaps not for the holiday, but more likely the crew outlawed, which means they ran out of time under the hour of service act. When that happens, they lock up the trains and nothing moves until a new crew comes along.

John

 

[MeowRailroad]

I know that, but what I was thinking is that they were still there because no crews came during the holidays. Anyways, was the PRR NS engine an Ex-Conrail? I remember hearing somewhere that when conrail was being split, stuff that went to NS had PRR marks and stuff to CSX had NYC marks.

 

[Enzo1]

I know that, but what I was thinking is that they were still there because no crews came during the holidays. Anyways, was the PRR NS engine an Ex-Conrail? I remember hearing somewhere that when conrail was being split, stuff that went to NS had PRR marks and stuff to CSX had NYC marks.

Yes the PRR NS mark unit is EX-Conrail considering that CR took them over. If you see one with SOU under the number, then it is pretty good chance it is ex-Southern.... I can't confirm if NYC marks all went to CSX, but don't forget the PC ones as well. I do believe there are a few that run around with PC marks.

 

[MeowRailroad]

Yes! I am starting to show Railfan Skillz! Also, today I saw an train only w/ tank cars. It had a CN unit on point and one of those blue and white leasers. CITX or CEFX, I think.

 

[AMTRAKwannabe]

CITX, that would most likely be a crude oil train. Also, PRR would mean ex-CR, NS means ex-N&W or it's a fairly recent re-paint/purchase(2011 is when they started consolidating everything I think), and SOU is ex-SOU, there are some CoG running around but they aren't too common. The crew probably dogged/hogged/outlawed, if it was the day after christmas they would be in a rush to get trains moving. And the NS with FURX marks would be a unit FURX bought from NS and leased out(probably to CSX, BNSF, or CP).

 

[MeowRailroad]

CITX, that would most likely be a crude oil train. Also, PRR would mean ex-CR, NS means ex-N&W or it's a fairly recent re-paint/purchase(2011 is when they started consolidating everything I think), and SOU is ex-SOU, there are some CoG running around but they aren't too common. The crew probably dogged/hogged/outlawed, if it was the day after christmas they would be in a rush to get trains moving. And the NS with FURX marks would be a unit FURX bought from NS and leased out(probably to CSX, BNSF, or CP).

I read in an issue of Railpace…FURX (loco number) was seen coming for work in Buffalo in NS paint. I think the loco number was 7450, but I am not sure as we quickly drove past it.

 

[cascaderailroad]

It must have been a pretty high priority for a NB empty trash train, to go north, back to NYC on Christmas day ... What is that, Quadruple time pay ?

 

[MeowRailroad]

That wasn't all today, I just remember reading that it is possible to have a FURX in NS paint.

 

[jfriedrich]

The NYC Reporting mark went to CSX, as far as i know. The FURX units that look like it was NS was indeed a NS, possibly a GP38-2 in the number range 5501-5580. They were leased to NS by first union rail (FURX) who financed their rebuild. They have since been returned to FURX and are off their lease to NS.

 

[MeowRailroad]

5501-5580 seems about right for the one I saw, although we went by the train pretty quickly and I didn't really see any of the numbers except a fleeting glimpse.