Today's Train of Thought- Out On A Limb; Nov 5th, 2010

With less than a month of road service under it's belt, brand new Norfolk Southern SD70M-2 #2656 finds itself on the point of Norfolk Southern's Frisco to Big Stone Gap, VA local, train symbol #T-74 as it makes its way east through Gate City, VA.

Railpictures.net contributor Chris Starnes caught the brand-new Thoroughbred making it's way past some peak foliage in October 2005, making good use of some of the trees in the foreground on this former Norfolk & Western line some 50 years after photographer O Winson Link travelled from Brooklyn, NY to that part of Virginia to document the final days of big steam on a major North American railroad..

Iron Horse Roundup: Week of October 20-26

(railpictures.net/Brandon Kilgore)
Canadian National announced that it was purchasing 35 new 4400 HP ES44AC 'GEVO' locmotives from General Electric and 35 new 4350 HP SD70M-2 locomotives from EMD. The GEVOs are expected to arrive in late 2010 while the SD70M-2s are expected to be on the property by January 2011. Here, CNR ES44AC #2305 is seen with another GEVO on the former Elgin, Joliet & Eastern trackage in West Chicago, IL in September 2009.


(Dean Sauvola/Railpictures.net)

Tourist hauler Wisconsin Great Northern got a substantial increase in horsepower last month with the acquisition of former Wisconsin Central SD40-2 #6006 and Duluth Missabe & Iron Range SD38AC #200 from Canadian National. The railway already owns a 1940-built SW1 and a 1949-built EMD F7A primarily used for their excursions. However, with the recent downturn in traffic on many Class 1 railways, Wisconsin Great Northern agreed to store idle tank cars along its line and in it's Spooner, WI yard. Here, WGN employees are inspecting #6006 shortly after arrival in Spring Brook, WI. It's believed the #6006 and #200 will handle the stored freight cars while the 1940s-vintage diesels will continue with the tourist trains.

(railpictures.net/Jeff Faherty)

The New York, Susquehanna & Western has reportedly put their fleet of GP18s, GP20s and sole operating F45 up for sale. NYS&W F45 #3636 was thought to be one of the last F45s operating in revenue service in the country. Here, the #3636 is seen snaking though downtown Port Jervis, NY with Little Ferry NJ-Binghampton, NY freight SU-99 in June 2006. This would leave NYS&W with their former Denver, Rio Grande & Western and Southern Pacific SD40T-2 'Tunnel Motors' as the backbone of their locomotive fleet.

An Australian baby cheated death when his carriage rolled off a platform and in front of a Connex commuter train in Melbourne earlier this month. The incident was caught was caught on the Ashburton station's CCTV system. 6-month old Saurish Verma survived with some cuts to his face after being dragged roughly 30 meters before the train came to a stop.

*Workers for the largest union representing tranist workers from Philadelphia's SEPTA have voted unanimously to strike if no contract is reached with management this week. A walkout by SEPTA workers could take place when the Phillies are slated to host the Yankees for games 3, 4 and 5 (if neccecary) of the World Series. The strike would include the Broad Street subway line, which links Citcizen's Bank park and Lincoln Financial Field with downtown Philly. SEPTA's suburban commuter rail service wouldn't be affected, as those workers are represented by a different union.

*Authorities in Egypt have filed charges against three railway workers in a deadly 2-train collision that killed at least 18 people over the weekend. The two trains collided at Girzah south of Cairo after the first train hit some livestock that wandered onto the tracks before coming to a stop and the second train plowed into the rear of the stopped train at full speed. One of the rail workers is charged with abandoning his post.

Today's Train of Thought

Today's Train of thought was partially inspired by the earlier Iron Horse Roundup. Hurricanes, alligators, swarming mosquitoes, high humidity or invasive species of pythons notwithstanding, Florida remains a popular destination. The Florida East Coast railway operates entirely within the Sunshine State, from Jacksonville to North Miami [along the east coast, appropriately enough!]. In fact, the railway used to extend all the way to Key West but the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935 and the advent of US Route 1 was the end of the presence of any railroad on the Florida Keys.

But even without the line to Key West, there's still plenty of bridges and trestles on the present-day FEC. Sticking to the mainland, railpictures.net contributor Bob Pickering caught FEC SD70M-2 #101 and a trailing former Union Pacific SD40-2 crossing the Cane Creek Trestle in Melbourne, FL on Tax Day 2008 with a trademark palm tree prominently in the foreground and some intermodal freight in tow.