2023 Prototype Photos Thread

[SimRacin14]

Some from last Thursday:
NS 61P, High Bridge,KY 5/11/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
NS 376, High Bridge,KY 5/11/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
NS 28C, High Bridge,KY 5/11/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

[SimRacin14]

A busy day Thursday, saw quite a few trains on three different railroads. I think there were five on CSX, two on R.J. Corman, and three on the PAL. Of those, these are the ones I caught:

I started out just missing M574 at Munfordville, but managed to get to Cave City in time for I140. Leader CSXT 972 is nowhere near as shiny as it was when I first photographed as brand new in December 2011.
CSX I140, Cave City,KY 5/18/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
After passing on a local north of Bowling Green, I caught this other local working at Memphis Junction on the south side of town. CSX 4303 is a GP39-2, one of the more unique locomotive models on CSX's roster, with just 20 examples total.
CSX Local, Memphis Junction, Bowling Green,KY 5/18/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
I headed down R.J. Corman's Memphis Line, the northbound freight train from Russellville had already arrived at South Union and the distribution center there, but the southbound ALCAN (aluminum ingots) was waiting for it to clear. I sat at Auburn for a little while until I heard it coming into town, then managed two shots of it at Auburn and one in Russellville as it made the turn onto the former Owensboro & Nashville for the short trip up to Logan Aluminum on the north side of town.
RJC Alcan, Auburn,KY 5/18/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
RJC Alcan, Auburn,KY 5/18/2023 (2) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
RJC Alcan, Russellville,KY 5/18/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
After leaving Russellville, I drove up to Central City and worked my way back towards home following the PAL from Beaver Dam north. Local train LML was coming south, with a slightly overpowered train. I'd shot this location at Steff earlier this year and wanted to get back to it after the leaves had returned.
PAL LML, Steff,KY 5/18/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
My last shot of the day was just south of Leitchfield near a place called Black Rock. The southbound LG train had three PAL SD70MACs up front, and for once it seems, all green/white. I usually see at least one of the three University paint schemes on these trains.
PAL LG1, Leitchfield,KY 5/18/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

[badlandnp]

A pall of smoke fills the sky here at Sentinel Butte, and all of this area, which adds a certain drama to the view of this empty racing by,
PIC_0165.jpg

[SimRacin14]

I spent today up on Norfolk Southern's Southern East District in southern Indiana (That's a lot of southern in there). The primary chase target was NS 168 with a KCS Belle leading, fresh UP rebuild second out (and a BNSF unit as DPU on the rear). NS 375 came first and I got a backlit photo of it at DePauw but decided to wait for 168 at Birdseye. NS 125 was also coming east with a leased ex-BNSF SD70MAC in trail, one of 30 on lease by NS at the moment (because they sold off excess power a few years back, all thanks to PSR).


125 rolling into Birdseye. They had a hot wheel on a car and spent 90 minutes dropping it off in the siding at Birdseye. I should've used a telephoto here but didn't realize he was going to stop about where I parked. I also wanted a shot of the leaser.
NS 125, Birdseye, IN 5/21/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
WFRX 8915, Birdseye,IN 5/21/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

168 finally came late afternoon through Birdseye. I don't usually post multiple shots of one train at one location but I really liked these.
NS 168, Birdseye,IN 5/21/2023 (1) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
NS 168, Birdseye,IN 5/21/2023 (2) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

I followed 168 west to Huntingburg. The shot I had planned was impossible due to 167 waiting (with UP motors) at the east end of Huntingburg siding. So I headed about 10 miles further west to Velpen. At this point 168 kept running into red and restricted signals and was down to restricted speed, which made getting ahead of the train much easier.

NS 168, Velpen,IN 5/21/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

[SimRacin14]

More from my vacation this week:
RJC Z544-22, Midway,KY 5/22/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX I141/M580, Sonora,KY 5/24/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
Hoosier Southern 468, Evanston, Indiana 5/25/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
HOS 468, Buffaloville,IN 5/25/2023 (1) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX I025-25, Empire,KY 5/25/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX M648, Mortons Gap,KY 5/25/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
Chicago Metra SD70MACH #506, Mortons Gap,KY 5/25/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX M580-24, Lebanon Junction,KY 5/26/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
RJ-01, Deatsville,KY 5/26/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

[russtrnmn]

flatbed.jpg goose.jpg Snow train F units.jpg

Some Picture from my recent vacation.

[Jugtown Modeler]

I also wanted a shot of the leaser.

Assuming 8915 is the leaser...(?)

WFRX 8915, Birdseye,IN 5/21/2023

Quite a well photographed locomotive. Assuming WFRX kept the BNSF number 8915, built June 1999:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Loc....aspx?id=21836

Some Picture from my recent vacation.

Fun vacation!

[SimRacin14]

Assuming 8915 is the leaser...(?)


Quite a well photographed locomotive. Assuming WFRX kept the BNSF number 8915, built June 1999:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/Loc....aspx?id=21836



Fun vacation!

WFRX 8915 is indeed the lease unit. I don't have any info on them other than they are obviously ex BNSF.

- - - Updated - - -

Today I went out to NS in central Kentucky, drone and DSLR with me for whatever I felt like doing. I made it over only just before noon so I wasn't out the entire day, but I knew a decent number of northbounds were coming and decided to use them as "practice" with the drone.

First train I shot was 219 but my timing was completely off and the train was too far back to make the shot interesting. 188 came north with two engines 1x1 and a three car train, two of those articulated autoracks. 55T was up next and was the first train I got a decently centered shot with

NS 55T, Milledgeville,KY 5/30/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

I shot one more train at Milledgeville before moving down to South Fork, missing 168 in the process. 61C was the next northbound, and my timing was just still slightly off. I'd preferred the lead unit to be over the next span of the bridge to really make this shot "decent" in my book.
NS 61C, South Fork,KY 5/30/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

I began to think that my approach to taking pictures might be the issue, and after practicing on 167, I felt my issue was that I wasn't pressing the shutter button on the controller down enough to get it right. I rarely if ever have mashed buttons on my DSLRs over the years so I guess it was habit from that. I caught 279 at Geneva just as the clouds rolled in.
NS 279, Geneva,KY 5/30/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

My last train of the day is undoubtedly my best shot of the day, 171 crossing the bridge at South Fork, headed south.
NS 171, South Fork,KY 5/30/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

[russtrnmn]

I spent a week In the Greeley Colorado area. Got lots of pictures

[russtrnmn]

I video I made earlier today from my boat.

[badlandnp]

Had a good catch today, between Rider and Medora, ND. I even got a horn salute!

[badlandnp]

And to russttrnmn, that was a neat perspective! And the bridge lift was elegant!

[SimRacin14]

R.J. Corman's My Old Kentucky Dinner Train this evening:
RJC RJ-01, Bardstown,KY 6/3/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
RJ-01, Deatsville,KY 6/3/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

[ranulf]

Looking a little extra railroady Memorial day weekend

Unfortunately, 493 broke a trailing truck spring hanger on Sunday, requiring a motorcar trip to repair it. Still, not the ugliest place in the world to make a repair:


493 patched up and on its way home, and our motorcar waiting to jump on the main right behind her:

[SimRacin14]

CSX M576-08, Elizabethtown,KY 6/8/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX M576-09, Lebanon Junction,KY 6/9/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX M203-09, Lebanon Junction,KY 6/9/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
NS 29A, Bowen,KY 6/10/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
NS 29F, McKinney,KY 6/10/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
NS 54G-09, Danville,KY 6/10/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
NS 279/123, Danville,KY 6/10/2023 (1) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
NS 279/123, Danville,KY 6/10/2023 (2) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

[SimRacin14]

Today's photos, all CSX (including the OLS unit on a coal train on PAL)

CSX L391-15, Crofton,KY 6/15/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX 4568 South, Dawson Springs,KY 6/15/2023 (1) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX 4568 South, Dawson Springs,KY 6/15/2023 (2) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX G253-14, Nortonville,KY 6/15/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr
CSX I025-14, Crofton,KY 6/15/2023 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

[pwh70]

Happened to be in downtown Portsmouth (NH) yesterday and caught this local coming into the yard.

[railohio]

I don't take many railroad photos anymore, but when I do, I go really far to do it:

MeetTarragonaSpain6-15-23 by The Official Railohio, on Flickr

[Maurice]

Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there. Stopped by Steamtown National Park in Scranton, Pennsylvania on the day after Railfest 2023. All they locomotives were still out on display but hardly any crowd.
20230618_110400.jpg
The Alco PA-1 in Nickel Plate paint scheme is pretty but I would love to see it Delaware & Hudson or Erie Lackawanna paint schemes. That is not something we are likely to see anytime soon as it was painted in it's current scheme by the man who rescued it, Doyle McCormick. The current owner, Delaware Lackawanna Railroad (part of GVT) has said it will remain in current paint for years to come as a tribute to Mr. McCormick. They do hope to restore it to operational service. The D-L is known for it's stable of Alco locomotives. The white and grey locomotive is an Alco RS32 they have recently restored.
20230618_110413.jpg
This weathered former Eire Lackawanna Caboose was on display as well. One thing that I found interesting was the trucks were two slightly different castings. One was D.L.W. and the other was Erie. Unfortunately, I couldn't get a decent photo showing the casting of the letters. It is a new phone and I am still learning to work with it.
20230618_111005.jpg
The lone locomotive in the roundhouse was the D.L&W. 2-6-0 steamer. Notice that they tender is actually backwards. Last I heard they were doing a cosmetic restoration on her. I believe she is the only D.L.&W. steam locomotive in the collection and one of only 3 (?) in existence. They do have at least one D.L.&W. diesel switcher in the collection. It was not the only occupant of the roundhouse though.
20230618_111041.jpg20230618_110702.jpg
This Lehigh Valley boxcar and a couple of passenger cars, that I could not get a good shot of, were in there as well. One more unusual item outside was not actually in Steamtown but in the part of the yard used by D-L.
20230618_113613.jpg
A former Conrail gondola in a string of Norfolk Southern Gondolas. Cheers all. Maurice

[railohio]

Must be something wrong in the world if I'm posting in this thread again so soon...

CSS803UnionIL6-24-23 by The Official Railohio, on Flickr