It has been said
that trackside motels are a double edged sword for railfans.
(If no one else has said that, I just did) On one hand, their perfect -
you're near rail all the time that you're there. A railfan near rails
is a happy railfan. At the same time, if you are a railfan and are
close to the tracks, and you are either a light sleeper, or just
excited about your trip - this is often a bad thing, since all night
long you keep having the desire to get up out of your bed, wearing your
Casey Jones pajamas, put on your steam engine slippers, and Pullman
Company robe and head outside to look. This does of course, defeat the
purpose of sleeping. To sleep. Perhaps one day I will determine the
solution to this problem.
Anyway, after waking up at the Palantine Bridge Rodeway Inn (its on TracksideMotels.com) and hearing at least four trains rolling by during the time I took to get up, get a shower and get dressed, I headed for the tracks. Like my previous excursion out of New England, we brought videography equipment along for the ride. The difference this time, was that I was in charge of one camera. This would mark the second time I'd ever run a camera trackside, and we'll see what can be done with my raw footage. For those up here in Maine, check your local public access cable channel for a listing of 'TRAIN TIME' It is a production of the Great Falls Model RR club, and features Maine railroading and beyond. Leaving Brad with one video camera, I took the other and headed for track level. Brad remained at the top of the driveway to the Hotel, to catch a different angle.
Before I got down to Trackside level, at 6:45 AM the first of a couple of Westbounds rolled through, shot from where Brad would be shooting video:
Anyway, after waking up at the Palantine Bridge Rodeway Inn (its on TracksideMotels.com) and hearing at least four trains rolling by during the time I took to get up, get a shower and get dressed, I headed for the tracks. Like my previous excursion out of New England, we brought videography equipment along for the ride. The difference this time, was that I was in charge of one camera. This would mark the second time I'd ever run a camera trackside, and we'll see what can be done with my raw footage. For those up here in Maine, check your local public access cable channel for a listing of 'TRAIN TIME' It is a production of the Great Falls Model RR club, and features Maine railroading and beyond. Leaving Brad with one video camera, I took the other and headed for track level. Brad remained at the top of the driveway to the Hotel, to catch a different angle.
Before I got down to Trackside level, at 6:45 AM the first of a couple of Westbounds rolled through, shot from where Brad would be shooting video:
Q27920, with 5459 on the point
Extra 625 / 647 West
Next I got trackside - and a wonderful power line up showed up for my lens:
Q39019, Extra UP 4132 East
Extra 625 / 647 West
Next I got trackside - and a wonderful power line up showed up for my lens:
Q39019, Extra UP 4132 East
Next up was a Westbound stack train
Q16319, Extra 9023 West
Q16319, Extra 9023 West
Then, another Eastbound in perfect light
Q38617, Extra 7306 East
Q38617, Extra 7306 East
5374 with Q15919 West in tow was next in line
Soon 7729 East came through
with Q11819 behind it.
Next, 5396 with Q11320 West rolled by.
Soon 7729 East came through
with Q11819 behind it.
Next, 5396 with Q11320 West rolled by.
Last shot at the Hotel for the day was Amtrak 712 East, which I think
was a late running train 280
We left the Hotel about 9 am, and headed for Fonda, a few miles to the East.
Ideal light for Eastbounds greeted us, and soon Q38618 with 7718 rolled by, just before 10 AM
Next through was a Personal First - a BNSF Swoosh, 7630, rolled by Eastbound with Q36619
About 10:10 AM, we rolled, and it would be two hours before we saw another train.
Just after noon we saw Q28120 with 8448 West leading at Herkimer.
Rolling East, it was back to Fonda for us, where a gourmet lunch ala SubWay awaited.
On the way there, we caught an 'Outfit Train' - W03316:
When we got to Fonda, while Brad was grabbing his lunch, I remained with the cameras, and with the luck of the hungry railfan, a train rolled by while Brad was inside at 1:15 PM
This all BNSF lashup lead the second section of S38120.
Next up was Q62620 an Eastbound with 4743 leading. The interesting part of this train was not the head end, but what appeared in the middle:
From Left to right, the complete set of boxcars of CN owned railroads: DW&P, CV, CN, GT and WC
Next up was Q11120 a Westbound with 7759 leading
After that the Westbound Amtrak Rolled by at 2:30 PM, 706 in the lead with train 283 in tow.
Next up, another Westbound at 2:35, this time Q16920 with 7816 leading
Another westbound 15 minutes later - Q38120 - with 8472 in the lead
Expecting a lull in the traffic, we packed up the cameras and prepared to roll - only of course, to find another Westbound right as we jumped in the car
Q16520 with 5212 west rolled by just after 3 PM.
We had arranged previously to meet up with Ken Buckman formerly of Broken Knuckle Video Productions. Ken suggested a location approximately two miles to the west of Fonda, at MP 188.
Brad and I arrived moments before Ken, and after introductions, sat down to the all important matter of waiting for the next train.
Luck was still with us, and I had another Personal First on this first train, just after 3:20 pm, BNSF 6232 rolled passed with Q39320.
The personal first being a pair of Swooshes leading. The units had no visible road grime on them - and this may have been their first revenue trip.
Next up was Q22720 with 697 doing the honors on the head end
Next up was V80614 which, according to Ken, is a once a week train, that runs without a set schedule. Once again, the catch wasn't on the head end, but mid train - a couple of rare hoppers:
Rolling past next was Q29320 - with 5471 rolling by westbound
Another catch, a CN Draper Taper lead Q62019 eastbound
Rolling past MP 188 next, was the Eastbound Lakeshore (I think) with AMTK 77 leading.
Looking at the timetable, I think the next train by was #285, a WB Amtrak with 107 leading. In any case, it crossed over right at 188:
The only local we saw at 188 rolled by next, 6217 (mismatched number boards) leading B760, eastbound:
As the light for Westbounds got better and better - 5287 rolled by with Q62720, the trailing unit being BNSF 7630, another swoosh:
Eastbound Amtrak 65 rolled by next,:
As day faded into night - the video cameras kept rolling, and I ramped up the ISO on my digital - to the point where the shots don't look all that great....
Three more trains passed as the cameras rolled - First up was 5254 East with Q14019, then 7784 West with Q37720 and finally 5368 East with Q11419.
We packed up our gear, thanked Ken repeatedly, and made our way east. One more day, and a few trains between us and home.
We left the Hotel about 9 am, and headed for Fonda, a few miles to the East.
Ideal light for Eastbounds greeted us, and soon Q38618 with 7718 rolled by, just before 10 AM
Next through was a Personal First - a BNSF Swoosh, 7630, rolled by Eastbound with Q36619
About 10:10 AM, we rolled, and it would be two hours before we saw another train.
Just after noon we saw Q28120 with 8448 West leading at Herkimer.
Rolling East, it was back to Fonda for us, where a gourmet lunch ala SubWay awaited.
On the way there, we caught an 'Outfit Train' - W03316:
When we got to Fonda, while Brad was grabbing his lunch, I remained with the cameras, and with the luck of the hungry railfan, a train rolled by while Brad was inside at 1:15 PM
This all BNSF lashup lead the second section of S38120.
Next up was Q62620 an Eastbound with 4743 leading. The interesting part of this train was not the head end, but what appeared in the middle:
From Left to right, the complete set of boxcars of CN owned railroads: DW&P, CV, CN, GT and WC
Next up was Q11120 a Westbound with 7759 leading
After that the Westbound Amtrak Rolled by at 2:30 PM, 706 in the lead with train 283 in tow.
Next up, another Westbound at 2:35, this time Q16920 with 7816 leading
Another westbound 15 minutes later - Q38120 - with 8472 in the lead
Expecting a lull in the traffic, we packed up the cameras and prepared to roll - only of course, to find another Westbound right as we jumped in the car
Q16520 with 5212 west rolled by just after 3 PM.
We had arranged previously to meet up with Ken Buckman formerly of Broken Knuckle Video Productions. Ken suggested a location approximately two miles to the west of Fonda, at MP 188.
Brad and I arrived moments before Ken, and after introductions, sat down to the all important matter of waiting for the next train.
Luck was still with us, and I had another Personal First on this first train, just after 3:20 pm, BNSF 6232 rolled passed with Q39320.
The personal first being a pair of Swooshes leading. The units had no visible road grime on them - and this may have been their first revenue trip.
Next up was Q22720 with 697 doing the honors on the head end
Next up was V80614 which, according to Ken, is a once a week train, that runs without a set schedule. Once again, the catch wasn't on the head end, but mid train - a couple of rare hoppers:
Rolling past next was Q29320 - with 5471 rolling by westbound
Another catch, a CN Draper Taper lead Q62019 eastbound
Rolling past MP 188 next, was the Eastbound Lakeshore (I think) with AMTK 77 leading.
Looking at the timetable, I think the next train by was #285, a WB Amtrak with 107 leading. In any case, it crossed over right at 188:
The only local we saw at 188 rolled by next, 6217 (mismatched number boards) leading B760, eastbound:
As the light for Westbounds got better and better - 5287 rolled by with Q62720, the trailing unit being BNSF 7630, another swoosh:
Eastbound Amtrak 65 rolled by next,:
As day faded into night - the video cameras kept rolling, and I ramped up the ISO on my digital - to the point where the shots don't look all that great....
Three more trains passed as the cameras rolled - First up was 5254 East with Q14019, then 7784 West with Q37720 and finally 5368 East with Q11419.
We packed up our gear, thanked Ken repeatedly, and made our way east. One more day, and a few trains between us and home.