Midweek Photos 4/18/2012

How about lazy space shuttle fanning? From my front yard this morning... (click the pic to enlarge)

NASA brought the shuttle Discovery to Dulles airport on the back of their 747 this morning so it could be put on display at the Smithsonian, they took it a victory lap and a half around the area this morning. Flew by my house 3 times.

Here's a related picture of a train (that I didnt take)

Dropped over to Piedmont, WVA, old B&O territory, now CSX, and at the foot of

17 mile grade.

I stood at the lower part of the crossing in town, watching coal move as I had

almost 70 years ago, except then it was most likely an EM-1 with a mike on the

rear, baywindow caboose and 70 ton offset side hoppers!

All photos 4/16/12 at Piedmont.

In the old days, there was a watchman here, and his little building sat just about where I was standing when I took this photo. On the other side of the train, and next to the brick building was the old B&O tower, now gone of course, which protected the crossover tracks just east of here, and the crossover west of here, and also the small yard in Piedmont which had a few spurs and a wye.

The train is westbound here, not the usual direction for coal here. In this case, this coal is on the "Piedmont Interchance Track" which would, in the old days, interchange west of here with the Western Maryland's Hampshire Yard at Beryl, WVA. The train will pass thru that yard, and travel out on the ex Western Maryland Thomas Sub, and take the coal to the Mt Storm WVA power plant, 55 miles west...and steep, therfore the four GE's.

The old clapboard building here is over 100 years old, and was the old Cumberland and Pennsylvnia depot, since the C&P interchanged with the B&O here. The town owns it, and uses it for storage.Back in it's day, it was a two story building.

Two more GE's on the rear of this loaded westbound train.

The large warehouse building on the left is a newer addition, back in my young days it did not exist. There was a large set of steps from the street in back of these buildings, and a big plot of grass next to them. But the old B&O passenger and frieght station (with the boarded up windows) was there when I was a kid, and I sat on the stoop at the door there and watched a big parade of B&O passenger and frieght steam!

Those were the days, EM-1's, the pretty Cinncinatian, and mikados galore.

And occasionally one of the compound articulateds, with those enormous front cylinders.

All of it just awesome, and plenty of traffic then.

We are lucky to see six trains a day here, now.

Ed Mullan

One of the new DCTA (Denton County Transit Authority, Texas) Stadler GTW in front of the Swiss Factory in Bussnang

Something different heading up a CSX mixed freight train through Berea.

The elephants are awesome!!!!

Some pics from my railfan weekend!!

I went to the NS Pittsburgh Line & CSX Cumberland Sub

I love the elephant train--I've always wanted to catch a circus train but so far have missed.  Also like Ed's shot with the old building.  Dang, I wish I had something like that out here!  I talk my way in there and shoot from a window, at night. 

I have something a little different this week--a few shots of some foamer celebrities!  First shot is of Steve Barry, Railfan & Railroad editor, showing me how to attach a flash to my camera.  I can do some night shots now.  Thank you, Steve!  Next shot is of Joel Jenson, writer/photographer who had last month's cover shot (b&w steam engine) and article for TRAINS magazine.  I played hooky from work and we went chasing trains & depots in eastern South Dakota.  Here's a shot of Joel with his admiring fans!  Final shot is of the Mennonite couple that owns the old depot in Osceola, SD which they converted into a chicken house.   Nice folks!  You'll likely see Joel's shot in his next book on depots.  OK, I couldn't resist including a shot of the only train we saw that day, of a DME train e/b through Ree Heights, SD as night began to fall.

Kent in SD

Quite a variety, fellows . . . thanks.

I'll second... er, third that! 

Always wanted to catch that but so far only have seen an

elephant through a window at 40 mph, lol. 

Great shots!

/Mitch

"I played hooky from work and we went chasing trains & depots in eastern South Dakota."

Looks like each chick wants her picture taken and entered in a train photo contest ... lol

Maybe they are saying forget the trains for a day...

Prairie

Foggy morning...

Levittown, PA  4-20-12

/Mitch

Great photos everyone!

Here are some links to interesting train photos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/w...3196/in/photostream/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/63733107@N06/6835362332

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51143328@N04/5539573845

http://www.flickr.com/photos/50125487@N04/5626551083

http://www.flickr.com/photos/51143328@N04/5789621044

http://www.flickr.com/photos/45893094@N02/6048570637

http://www.flickr.com/photos/c...0062/in/photostream/

Prairie