By: | Philip M. Goldstein |
Dates: | 3/9/2017 - 3/9/2017 |
Album Info: | Norfolk Southern
Harrisburg Division
Freight Line
MP HA611.50 - Phelps Street gc
Port Dickinson, New York, USA
09 March 2017 - 12:14 EST
What a day! I went to Delanson, NY to catch the 905 Geometry Train, getting there at 07:00. I waited until 08:45 only to hear the Dispatcher give track authority to Inspector Wetzel(?). When he happened by, I walked over to ask the status of 905. He said it went through like 6 am, checking siding. It should be in Oneonta by now, heading for Afton.
FFS! Waiting for something only to find out it passed hours before. So I thanked him, and took off south. I made it to Afton just in time to see it pull out. So I drove ahead to Harpursville Trestle, only to realize I overexposed the shot.
I raced ahead to Belden tunnel to miss it by 3 minutes. So I now was going to drive to Terrace Drive in Conklin, to get him coming south on the Sunbury Line, only to listen to him talk with the Dispatcher that informed him he would have to sit and wait behind other trains waiting to clear CP-BD and CP-QD in Binghamton.
So I jumped off I-88 and drove to the Phelps Street grade crossing to see the hind end of 23K which was sitting waiting for the congestion to pull through and forward to CP-QD allowing 905 - Geometry Train to creep up slowly to take his spot. It took about 45 minutes, but I was finally rewarded with up close and personal images of NS 34 & 33.
NS 905 (sb Geometry Train)
NS #9826 [GE Dash 9-44CW]
NS #34 [ex-EMD SD35; c/n 31162; 10/1965; ex-NW #1530, converted to slug]
NS #33 Geometry Car [Pullman Standard; built 1950, ex-Union Pacific]
© 2017 - Philip M. Goldstein |