IC 2706 and BCOL 4648 on CSX train K684 at Memphis, NY.

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BCOL 4648 is the DPU on CSX train K684-14

Two Wednesdays back, I was lucky enough to catch a CSX train with Kansas City Southern locomotives leading a military train through the Central New York region. As luck would have it, I was able to see and photograph another CSX train this past Wednesday with foreign power. This past Wednesday, I caught K684-14 with Illinois Central (AAR reporting mark IC) 2706 and British Columbia Railway (AAR reporting mark BCOL) 4648 on a loaded ethanol tank car train. BCOL is also known as BC Rail.

CSX train K684-14 at Memphis, New York

Except for a CSX signal maintainer, everything was quite on the railroad when I arrived at my usual spot at the Erie Canal Trail parking lot in Memphis, New York. The signal maintainer was working on the block signals to the west at milepost 303.5 of the Rochester Subdivision. The parking lot is off of Bennetts Corners Road, which is MP 302.54.

A CSX signal maintainer's vehicle is parked to the west at the block signals at MP 303.5
A CSX signal maintainer's vehicle is parked to the west at the block signals at MP 303.5.

I listened as the train's crew called out the signals as it moved east along Track 2 of the Rochester Subdivision using the Broadcastify scanner feed. About twenty minutes after arriving at Memphis, New York, I saw the headlight of IC 2706 come around the corner about a half mile beyond the block signals. 

IC 2706, in CN's paint scheme, leads K684-14 at Memphis, NY
CN owned locomotive, IC 2706 leads K684-14 at Memphis, NY.

Train K684 gets handed over to CSX, from Canadian National (CN), at Chicago, Illinois. It is an as-needed train that runs to Sewaren, New Jersey, however this train had a temporary change of destination to Selkirk, New York. Often, the foreign power gets removed and replaced with CSX's own locomotives, but recently, the foreign power has been staying on a number of these through trains.

Loaded tank cars of ethanol on K684-14
Loaded tank cars of ethanol on K684-14.

IC 2706 and BCOL 4648 are owned by CN. CN merged and took control of IC in 1998. BCOL, also known as BC Rail, is still its own crown corporation. In 2004 all of the railroad's assets, except for the railroad's right-of-way, were sold to CN. The right-of-way was leased to CN for 60 years.

BCOL 4648 works as the DP unit on K684-14
BCOL 4648 works as the DP unit on K684-14.

Photographs taken on February 16, 2022, at Memphis, New York.

Comments

  1. Shelly GFebruary 28, 2022 at 11:43 AM

    Very nice catch! Interesting info as always.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom G.February 28, 2022 at 3:37 PM

      Thanks, Shelly. I think this might be only the second or third BC Rail locomotive I've ever seen in person.

      Delete

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