@ScoutingDad posted:@Apples55 Clock looks good but maybe perhaps too many week days in there?
I had the same thought re the GG1, but then thought at least it still exists waiting for someone to invest in her. The alternative is far worse
Jeff, then you need the variety that has 6 Saturdays and 1 Sunday!
In my last scramble to snag Pittsburgh's unique trains before moving, I tried my hand at a solo chase of the Brewster to Rook road freight. Of course, I forgot the memory card for my mirrorless, so I had to use my phone, and I was sufficiently scrambled that I botched the Morgan's Run shot. On the plus side, I proved that I can in fact beat the train to Bridgeville if the traffic is favorable. For a more interesting chase of 218, see the recommended video at the end.
Consist: WLE SD40-2 6997, SD40-3 3043
Avella, PA (1:04)
Rea, PA (2:11)
Hickory Tunnel (2:46)
Morgans Run viaduct
(3:44) Clip from the afternoon's abortive chase of 618 Traffic was sufficiently terrible, and my judgment so off, that this was my only catch of the train before I had to head to a family engagement.
(3:58) Photos
Opened in 2003, NJ Transit’s Secaucus Junction station provides passengers the ability to transfer between the agency’s Newark Division trains operating along Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor Line and Hoboken Division diesel powered trains destined principally for former Erie Railroad points. Northeast Corridor trains pass through on the upper level of the station while the Hoboken Division trackage is at ground level. The eastern spur of the New Jersey Turnpike and its Exit 15X are located immediately adjacent to the facility providing easy motoring access. With multiple bus lines calling at the station, Secaucus Junction is a true transportation hub
Yesterday was the occasion of our family’s annual holiday season trek into New York City. Walking to the car after getting off the train, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to photograph NJT GP40PH-2B 4208 as it made the station stop with a westbound headed for the North Jersey suburbs. The 4208 was built as Penn Central GP40 3191 in 1968. The unit was later rebuilt for passenger service under contract by Conrail’s Juniata Shop.
Bob
Here are a few photos and a video I captured last Sunday, December 10th along the NYS&W (Susquehanna) lines around Binghamton, NY. Unfortunately, it was a gloomy day.
Court Street, just south of downtown Binghamton…
Former Delaware & Hudson freight station in downtown Binghamton…
Back to Court Street…a 3-unit consist either making up—or breaking down—its train. I didn’t stay long enough to find out. Great sound as it accelerates south!
Amtrak and Maryland Area Rail Commuter (MARC) action at the NoMA-Galludet University Metro station. The platform is located right next to the throat of Washington Union Station, a hundred feet north of K tower. From this vantage point, there's a near-trackside few of the several dozen passenger trains that use this terminal daily, from Acelas and Northeast Regionals to the MARC trains of three different lines (Penn, Camden, and Brunswick) and even equipment deadheads and the long-distance trains.
On this particular day, an unusually heavy portion of the MARC afternoon trains seemed to be relying on the older IIA and IIB single-level coaches, many of which were supplanted by Bombardier multilevel cars. Additionally, one of Amtrak's B32-8WH units (the former "Pepsi Cans") made an appearance on what was either an equipment move from Amtrak's Lorton terminal or the power for one of the Florida long-distance trains.
@Dan
Great video, thanks for posting.
@CNJ #1601 posted:Unfortunately, it was a gloomy day.
To paraphrase many a fisherman: "Even the gloomiest of days trackside is better by far than a nice day anywhere else."
Mike
@Mellow Hudson Mike posted:To paraphrase many a fisherman: "Even the gloomiest of days trackside is better by far than a nice day anywhere else."
Mike
Very true, Mike!!
December 18, 2023 - In this rail-fanning trip we will start by having lunch at Greene’s Hamburgers.
There is a sign that states, “Ask for the bathroom key” - Being an old man I ask for the key before going out rail-fanning. The key is attached to a red spatula. How cool is that?
CN had a crossing gate.
CN Auto-rack Train on it’s way to Canada.
The same photo enhanced with Adobe Photoshop. Changing the sky to a dramatic lighting with clouds.
Auto-rack train passing an Amtrak.
Containers & Amtrak at a crossing.
A light snow.
The snow and wind picked up as the train from Chicago approached the station.
Thanks for taking a look. Hope to see you out rail-fanning & Merry Christmas 🎄• Gary from Michigan 🚂
@trainroomgary posted:Christmas 2023 at Pontiac Michigan
December 18, 2023 - In this rail-fanning trip we will start by having lunch at Greene’s Hamburgers.
Do you happen to know if Greene's is an old White Castle? It sure looks like one from way back in the day (like the ones built around here in the 1920s). Thanks!
@Up & Down the Monon posted:Do you happen to know if Greene's is an old White Castle? It sure looks like one from way back in the day (like the ones built around here in the 1920s). Thanks!
Not a former White Castle 🍔
Green’s looks like a good place! I’m seeing those CN engines down here in Butler, Pennsylvania all the time on the old B&LE. Nice photographs and photoshop work, Gary!
Remember guys....these are supposed to be pictures YOU have taken. The last post was a copyrighted picture and not taken by the poster. That poster is no longer with us now...sorry but we take copyright seriously per our TOS.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all 
Driving through Hawley, PA yesterday, I passed the Hawley station of the Stourbridge Line (which runs tourist trains up to Honesdale, PA) and saw this parked next to the platform…
I am back in central New York for Christmas for the first time in many years. My son and I went to look for some still existing stations along abandoned lines.
Cazenovia NY. Lehigh Valley freight and passenger stations, LV caboose, and a diamond crossing sign.
New Woodstock NY West Shore station and caboose.
Hamilton NY NYO&W freight and passenger stations.
A few more:
Bouckville NY NYO&W station
Georgetown Station NY West Shore station
Eritown NY West Shore (it's been moved from it's original site)
Earlville NY NYO&W
2 final finds for this jaunt.
Earlville NY former DL&W, now owned NYS&W.
Lebanon NY West Shore.
Christopher, how old is that second picture of the "D" train? Was that a museum special trip?
After riding the Saturday morning freight train, I stuck around for two of the day's out-and-back passenger runs. As with the freight runs, the EBT crew's handiwork made the day enjoyable, e.g. the clear-cut shots at the Big Fill and access to a bunch of great angles.
(0:00) Intro
10 AM excursion:
(0:16) The Big Fill
(2:05) Water St., Orbisonia
(3:20) Hosting moves at Rockhill Furnace
(4:15) Crossing Blacklog Creek
12 PM excursion:
(4:53) EBT sign, Croghan Highway
(6:04) Private farm bridge
(6:43) The Big Fill/Runks Road
(8:16) Runks Road
(9:07) Blacklog Creek
Additionally, I made a trailer for stuff I'll be posting in 2024. There's a few decent snapshots in here. I'll caveat that this year, I couldn't seem to get a more acoustic melody to work when I was composing the soundtrack, so I used a more electronic beat that not all might like (FWIW).
Very nice job, Dan!! I missed it, what does Stick Season mean?
The Wisconsin Great Northern RR in Trego Wisconsin ran Santa Pizza Trains during November and December.
I had the opportunity to play Saint Nicholas on several of the runs.
Northwoods Flyer
Greg
Dan
Fantastic job filming some beautiful equipment.
@Christopher2035 posted:
Excellent photography!
@Mooner posted:Excellent photography!
Thank you so much!
* To see the photographer’s description. Check the page number.
January 2023 • Two23 - Kent • Page 25
February 2023 • endless tracks Page 29
March 2023 • Mellow Hudson Mike Page 30
April 2023 • Chojanower, Chris Page 32
May 2023 • Erik C Lindgren Page 33
June 2023 • Leapin Larry, Page 35
July 2023 Just Havin’Fun (For a Friend - CM Franklin), Page 36
July 2023 • P51, Page 36
August 2023 • pittsburghrailfan, Page 37
September 2023 • Mooner, Page 39
October 2023 • Scouting Dad, Page 39
November 2023 • prrjim Page 41
December 2023 • Christmas Trains
Christopher • Eastern Rails Photography & Greg J. Turine• Page 42
Your OGR Rail-fanning Host -Train Room Gary - Page 29
What are your favorites for 2023. Please feel free to ad to this “Review” We should all be proud of our images, because they were all done by members of the OGR Forum. “Congrats”
I would like to thank all the OGR Members that post photos & videos, this gives us a wide variety of exciting rail-fanning images. Thanks for taking a look. Hope to see you out rail-fanning: Gary 🚂
First railfanning trip of 2024 was a Wednesday morning jaunt up to Longmeadow Flats, a birding hot spot just north of Enfield, CT. The nature area is split in two by an Amtrak line and there are several railroad crossings in the park area. The trains in the video were caught between 10:11 AM and 12:30 PM. I used a BC125AT scanner (horrible battery life) to listen mostly to Amtrak dispatcher for movement of the trains and in between runs spent time at the marsh nearby watching wintering waterfowl and a bald eagle. Great start to the new year.
Trains in order were:
Amherst Train Show billboard a bonus! Can't wait for the show - always a fun day.
Jan 4, 2023, in Buckhannon, WV - were 3 of the Appalachin & Ohio’s diesels parked & ready. The “ground crew” was on break while replacing a switch during a snow squall. (Wasn’t there a famous A&O model RR before this 1:1 scale version came along ?)
Rich
Francis is a huge celebrity in England on the rails. He started his TikTok train channel during COVID and has 3.1 million followers. He wrote a book. He is entertaining.
On a gray Friday afternoon, I elected to head down to the NoMA Metro station in hopes of catching some MARC HHP-8s. You'll find out whether or not I was successful in a future video, but first, the day's unexpected surprises. I was probably the only one out of the loop, but @RiverRailPhoto and company were on Webb Rail's Pacific Union and Babbling Brook attached to Amtrak's Silver Meteor. The Union Station switch crew, using a former Montour Railroad SW9 rebuilt into a 2GS12B, would turn the cars on the Ivy City wye for a return trip north on the Vermonter.
(0:00) Intro
(0:10) Amtrak Silver Meteor/VRE 303 MP36PH-3C V65
(0:54) Amtrak NE Regional 125 ACS-64 642
(2:07) PV switch move Amtrak 2GS12B 792
(3:32) MARC 573 - Penn Line Unknown power
(3:48) Meets MARC 846 - Camden Unknown power
(4:17) Unknown Acela express Power cars 2011, 2022
(5:41) Unknown Penn Line MARC MP36PH-3 33
(6:15) The return of the PV move Amtrak 792
(7:59) MARC 428 - Penn MP36PH-3C 32, GP39H-3 74
I had to do an errand over in Canyon, Texas, about 20 miles from home, so I threw my camera into the car. My first thought was to try for some long view shots, but conditions did not permit. So, I headed to Umbarger, an additional 10 miles to the west. Umbarger used to have a siding when this part of the railroad was Santa Fe and was single track, but ATSF added a second main around 1990. It's 70 MPH for freight (no passenger service) but -- westward -- it's about a 1% ascending grade and that limits most trains to 25-30 MPH, all except the premium intermodal trains, which make 45-50 MPH westbound. Eastbound, they all scream past, in dynamic braking, at 70 MPH (55 MPH if they have any empty cars in the train), even the 12,000-15,000 foot double stack trains.
These are just grab shots, showing our treeless plains, and what our railroad looks like: heavy rail, heavy rock ballast, CTC with modern color light signals. John McCracken was my boss, and when he retired, they named this control point after him.
BNSF 5414 West approaches McCracken, with a grain train, making about 30 MPH in Run-8, with a single-unit GE helper on the rear.
A mile to the east, an all-NS consist led by 4231 (a former DC locomotive rebuilt to AC) drags a long J B Hunt double stack train. J B Hunt is a partner, not just a customer, and furnishes the railroad a lot of traffic. These are all J B Hunt containers!
BNSF 5414 West splits the signals at the double 50 MPH crossovers at McCracken.
Gary, I tip my hat to you for posting your favorite photos of the month (and a few more) for 2023. It takes time to review and select them, and you picked out a nice selection. We do have some talented photographers on this Forum.
And I tip my hat to everyone who had a photo included in Gary's favorites of 2023. 
It’s always encouraging to see unused tracks that have not been torn-up, there’s still hope then ! This shot is looking south at Beverly, WV (south of Elkins) along side the (rising) Tygart River. A switch stand in the distance marks a former passing track ? The Randolph County, WV map alternately labels this track as Western Maryland or Central West Virginia.
Rich
Rich, I agree. I like to see old track too. I looked up on the map, and I think I missed the section of Rt 250 that goes through Beverly. I have been in Elkins, and farther South/East if there. Great country, and lots of former Western Maryland sites.
This picture was taken about a week before they moved the Big Boy from Pomona CA before the restoration.
Here are some shots I grabbed 6 days apart in Bellows Falls, VT. You can click on the photos to enlarge them.
New Year’s Day- Monday, January 1st…
A Vermont Rail System (VRS) local job—with a GMTX Leasing locomotive—had just come south on the former Green Mountain/Rutland main and entered the yard. The crew tied down their train and went inside the yard office.
The building in the left background houses an Amtrak station. Amtrak’s “Vermonter” service between Washington, D.C. and St. Albans, VT makes a daily stop here both northbound and southbound.
The track arrangement and overall picturesque setting in Bellows Falls looks like a model railroad. Bridges, a tunnel, signals, switches, a yard, old brick railroad buildings, stub siding with a bumper and a diamond crossing are all packed into a fairly small area. It’s so cool!!
The VRS line crosses the Amtrak line on a diamond crossing just out of view to the left in the photos below.
6 days later-Sunday, January 7th, 2024 at the start of a nor’easter snowstorm…
Yard office/crew building…
Amtrak station…
What a difference 6 days can make in New England!
Joe, is the ball signal still there at the diamond crossing? It was in use governing movements over the crossing by Vermont Railway last time I was there, and it had an actuator connected to it so that it would actuate the searchlight signals governing conflicting movements on the line used by Amtrak.
@Number 90 posted:Joe, is the ball signal still there at the diamond crossing? It was in use governing movements over the crossing by Vermont Railway last time I was there, and it had an actuator connected to it so that it would actuate the searchlight signals governing conflicting movements on the line used by Amtrak.
Great question, Tom. I don't recall seeing the ball signal (and I'd like to think I would have noticed something as cool as that!)...but I will definitely look for it on my next visit to Bellows Falls. This is the second winter that my wife and I have a seasonal ski rental house in southern Vermont. We're up there nearly every weekend, so I've been doing some railroad exploring when I'm not skiing. Thanks for mentioning the ball signal!
The flurries forecast for Sunday Jan 14th at Elkins, WV turned into 4+” of snow. Here at the Elkins station is today’s run of the Tygart Flyer. In a departure from usual practice, the Flyer is set up in a push-pull arrangement, perhaps to make it easier for the crew up at the turnaround point. Snowy or not, any day is a good day for a train ride 😊.
Rich
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