T.G.'s Photography Blog

   At CP-282, CSXT 3261 is the rear DP on westbound intermodal train I157-05. In the background the Fremont Rd. bridge (1.4 miles to the west) is mostly obscured by the wildfire smoke.   On Tuesday, June 6th, and Wednesday, June 7th, Syracuse, New York, and the surrounding Central New York (CNY) area were blanketed with smoke from wildfires in Nova Scotia and Québec, Canada. Initially, early Tuesday morning, the air just looked to have some moderate haze and smelled of smoke. By midmorning, at times, it was difficult to see structures beyond a mile and the air at times had a yellowish cast to it.  Looking west from the  "Green Bridge" at Minoa, NY. , yellow tinted smoke surrounds CSXT 4090, which is stopped in the distance on the North Drill Track at DeWitt yard.     Compared to some parts of the Eastern US and Canada, the Syracuse area didn't get the worst of it. The Air Quality Index (AQI) considers good air quality to be in the range between 0 to 5...

CSXT 3185 leads I004-06 east at Auto 282/CP 282 by DeWitt Yard. Priority intermodal train I004-06 is eastbound on Track 2 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision (STS). I004 is about to pass the Automatic (Auto) 280 block signal (left) on the eastern edge of DeWitt Yard. Auto 280 sits next to Control Point (CP) 282 . CP282 only controls Track 1 (middle) into DeWitt Yard. Photograph taken on May 7, 2022, at Minoa, New York.

CSXT 6538 pulls east down the Departure/Outbound Lead, nearing CP282. At the " Green Bridge " in Minoa, New York, CSXT 6538 is switching intermodal cars at DeWitt Yard on the Departure/Outbound Lead . The cars are being switched in the Departure Yard to the west of the Green Bridge. I115, with CSXT 3056, is stopped on Track 1 just east of CP282. Left, a train switches on Track 4. Right, the end of M364-26 rolls east on Track 2. While, CSXT 6538 switched the block of intermodal cars, intermodal train I115  (Worchester, MA., to Syracuse, NY.) arrived and stopped on the east side of CP 282. I115 had to wait for the switching operation to clear before entering DeWitt Yard via CP282. CSXT 6538 begins shoving its cut of cars down the Departure/Outbound Lead. Photographs taken on July 27, 2022, at Minoa, New York.

A CSX welder works on a switch frog on the eastern side of DeWitt Yard.   On Tuesday, I came across a CSX welder repairing a switch frog on the eastern side of DeWitt Yard. The switch is where a track from Track 1 at CP282 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision merges into the end of Track 4 and leads to the Departure Lead. Trains entering DeWitt Yard that needed to work the Departure Yard were entering via CP283 to the west.

  CSXT 4554 was the lead the locomotive on CSX train Q212-16 last week on Tuesday. My youngest and I were over in Minoa, New York, and saw the train from the Green Bridge. We came upon Q212-16 as the crew was preparing to cut the locomotives from the train and run into DeWitt Yard to pick up a cut of intermodal cars. CSXT 4554, an EMD SD70MAC CSXT 4554 and Q212-17 sit on Track 1 at CP282.   CSXT 4554 is an EMD SD70MAC. The locomotive was built and delivered to CSX in January 2000 as CSXT 754. According to the Conrail Historical Society, the SD70MAC weighs 415,000 pounds and has a 4,000-horsepower rating. In late 2007, the locomotive got renumbered as CSXT 4554, due to CSX receiving a General Electric ES44AC-H numbered as CSXT 754.  Autorack train Q212-17 at DeWitt Yard Looking west at CSXT 4554 on the point of Q212-17. Q212 is stopped on Trk. 1 at CP282. To the right, the end of I009 is westbound on Add-A-Block.   Q212 runs daily from Buffalo, New York, to...

 While hanging out on the "Green Bridge" in Minoa, New York, last Sunday, I captured some photographs of CSXT 2561 switching a block of intermodal cars on the east end of DeWitt Yard near CP282. The locomotive had pulled the long cut of cars onto Track 1 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision (STS) at CP282, since Track 4 was going to be blocked by a track inspector.  CSXT 2561 CSXT 2561 was built as Louisville and Nashville (LN/L&N) 4051. The locomotive is a GP38-2 and was built by Electro-Motive Division (EMD) in 1972. The L&N became a subsidiary of the Seaboard Coastline Railroad (SBD/SCL) in 1971. In 1982 the L&N was fully absorbed into the SBD/SCL. Sometime between February 1983 and May 1984, the locomotive was re-lettered as SBD 4051.  CSXT 2561 is shoving a block of intermodal cars from Track 1 (to the left) of the STS at CP282. In 1980, the locomotive became part of CSX Corporation's railroad family when the SBD/SCL merged with the Chessie System of ra...

Canadian National (CN) 3115 and CN 2830 made some appearances on CSX's Water Level Route across New York in April 2022. I was able to see and photograph the locomotives leading trains Q212-22 and Q212-27 last month. Train Q212 is a daily autorack/intermodal train. The train runs from Frontier Yard in Buffalo, New York, to Oak Island, New Jersey. Between Buffalo and Syracuse Q212's train consists of only autorack cars. At DeWitt Yard in Syracuse the train picks up a set of intermodal cars.  CN 3115 and CN 2830 at DeWitt Yard CN 3115 and Q212-27 are stopped on Track 1 at CP282's eastward absolute signal (EAS). Just like when I caught Q212-22 , Q212-27 stopped on Track 1 of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision at  CP282  so that the crew could cut the engines off and run lite into the yard. Depending on congestion in the yard and on the mainlines, Q212 will make this move and leave the autorack cars on Track 1 while picking up the cut of intermodal cars. Running lite,...

The "Green Bridge" is a nickname for a pedestrian bridge in Minoa, New York. The bridge crosses over the eastern edge of CSX's DeWitt Yard and Syracuse Terminal Subdivision between North Main Street and South Main Street. There is no road crossing connecting the two streets, so the bridge allows pedestrians to cross safely over the tracks. It also gives railfans access to safely watch and photograph train movements on the eastern end of DeWitt Yard.  The "Green Bridge" at CP282 Looking at the north access ramp, as an ex-Wisconsin Central boxcar on train Q626-06 begins to roll under the Green Bridge. The Green Bridge earned its nickname because it is painted green. Though these days, the green color is faded, and reddish-brown rust seems to be more prominent. The bridge crosses directly over the top of control point (CP) 282 of CSX's Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. The bridge is a popular railfan hangout, even though the bridge can make photography difficult. ...

CN 3115 is one of the Canadian National Railway's (CN) heritage locomotives. Heritage locomotive paint schemes usually honor railroads acquired by present-day railroads . CN 3115 honors BC Railway, whose railroad operations were acquired by CN in 2004. BC Rail began life as Pacific Great Eastern Railway (PGE) in 1912. In 1918 the British Columbia provincial government took over the PGE. In 1972 PGE was renamed British Columbia Railway, and then in 1984, that name was shortened to BC Rail.  Q212-22 arriving at CP282 Nearing CP282, CN 3115 leads Q212-22 slowly east on Track 1. CP283's signals are in the background. I heard CSX's NF dispatcher, who controls the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision (STS) tell Q212-22 that it was going into Track 7 to hold for some traffic coming west. Track 7 runs between CP286 and CP291 of the STS. NF was making room for I017-21 to run west on Track 2 while I009 worked the Departure Yard Lead and tied up Track 1 at CP285. CP285 is on the western end ...

Earlier this month I was over at the "Green Bridge" (a pedestrian bridge) on the eastern edge of CSX's DeWitt Yard. While there, I caught CSX train Q626-07, led by CSXT 5447, working at the yard. While Q626-07 was working the yard, intermodal train I004-07 (formerly train Q004) came through on the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. CSXT 5447 leading Q626-07 at DeWitt Yard Q626 is a daily manifest freight train that runs from Frontier Yard, in Buffalo, New York, to Selkirk Yard, in Selkirk, New York. Q626 makes stops at Goodman Yard in Rochester, New York, Waste Management in Fairport, New York, DeWitt Yard, in East Syracuse, New York, and Utica, New York. CSXT 5447 leading Q626-07 at DeWitt Yard. When I got up to the top of the Green Bridge, CSXT 5447 was pulling a string of rail cars from the yard tracks on the north side of the yard, that are along North Central Avenue. The train moved east, and after passing the Green Bridge it continued down Track 4 of the Syracuse Termi...