No, I did not take this today, but I did go railfanning last week before things started to shut down (those videos will be online in June/July). On my way home for fall break, I was fortunate enough to get caught at downtown Williamsburg's grade crossing for something other than Amtrak. Two year-old ET44ACs are bracketed by CW44AC 407 (steel bell) and ES44AC 3244.
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Are those empty cars? If so, from where do they originate?
Pingman posted:Are those empty cars? If so, from where do they originate?
They are indeed empty, originating at the piers in Newport News 45 minutes down the line. I suspect, given that most of the trains I've observed have what appears to be two dual-unit sets (i.e. one loco facing north and another south in each pair), CSX combines two trains at Richmond, and that northbound empties are split for runs to the mine. Based on the CSX train symbols Wiki, loads originate as far away as Rockwood, PA, or even Indiana. I didn't have my scanner then, so I haven't been able to catch symbols. Next year, when we go back to campus, maybe I'll have a chance to go trackside again.
If someone with more knowledge of the CSX system would chime in, I would appreciate confirmation or refutation of my train theory.
Dan, I recently relocated to Newport News and many years ago I did some work at the coal terminal in NN. This past summer and fall, I rode my bike on an overpass above the (presumably) CSX line and on two such occasions observed very long lines of empty cars like those you videoed, except when viewed from above there is no way to see the car markings.
Had no idea where the tracks led; so now I know.
Thanks, again, for the video.
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