Today's Train of Thought- Fade to White, January 12, 2012

Perhaps better known for the infamous Great Flood of 1889, Today's Train of Thought takes us to Johnstown, PA.

Since the 1999 breakup of Conrail, Johnstown has primarily been a Norfolk Southern town, with dozens of trains storming through town in a daily basis on the former Pennsylvania Railroad mainline linking Pittsburgh with Harrisburgh via Johnstown, Horseshoe Curve and Altoona. CSX reached the Western Pennsylvania city long before the breakup of Conrail, via their former Baltimore & Ohio S&C (Somerset and Cambria) Subdivision.

Compared to the former Pennsy line through town, the S&C line has the feel of a much more sedate shortline or regional railway. The old Somerset & Cambria lines links up with CSX's former B&O line over Sand Patch linking Pittsburgh with Baltimore at Connellsville, PA.

Here, railpictures.net contributor Scooter Hovanec catches CSX GP40-2 #6142 leading local freight D703 towards Connellsville on a snowy January 7, 2011 after picking up empties from the Conemaugh and Black Lick Railroad, Johnstown Wire Technologies and Pepsi.