T.G.'s Photography Blog

 Last Saturday, after catching CSX train X626-18  led by Union Pacific locomotives at Memphis, New York, I caught CSX intermodal train I004-18 further to the east at Warners, New York.  I004-18 eastbound at Warners, NY. CSXT 3087 leading I004-18 east of CP300 at Warners, NY. Above, I004-18 is eastbound on Track 2 of the Rochester Subdivision and is cresting a small hill. This spot is just to the east of control point (CP) 300 (milepost (MP) QC 300.7), near Warners Road. Through the trees and brush on the right side of the photograph you can see a red signal on one of the westbound control point block signals . The westbound signals are about 3,100 feet from me.  The old NYC milepost 300 still stands about 500 feet east of Warners Road. Across the tracks and about 300 feet east of my position is the old New York Central milepost for mile 300. The Rochester Subdivision was once part of the NYC's Water Level Route. The miles on the Rochester Subdivision count up going ...

 We've had snow on the ground here in Central New York since early January. With the forecast calling for a series of warmer days, before another round of snow, I decided to head out on Monday to capture a few railroad photographs before the current snow melted.  Lake Shore Limited at Warners, New York I wound up photographing two trains this past Monday. The first train was Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited, led by AMTK 108 and AMTK 121. AMTK 108 is one of Amtrak's 50th Anniversary locomotives, and it's painted in Amtrak's Phase VI paint scheme. The Lake Shore Limited is eastbound at MP 298 of the Rochester Subdivision. I caught the Lake Shore Limited, train P048 on CSX, at Pottery Road on the eastern edge of Warners, New York. Above, P048 is rolling east on Track 2 of the Rochester Subdivision, at milepost 298 . MP 298 is just to the west of Pottery Road. The train is about ten minutes away from arriving at the Syracuse train station. The other train I caught this past ...

 With some snow still on the ground, I decided to head out a catch a few trains before the great thaw occurs over the next few days. For the first time in almost a month, our temps are supposed to get above freezing for a few days, plus some rain on Wednesday.  CSXT 7252 and CSXT 4535 leading I004 I heard I004-30 (the 30 represents the day the train originated on) calling out block signal indications as it made its way east along the Rochester Subdivision. The train was rolling east at a speed of between 50 to 55 MPH, according to the defect detectors along the line. I caught the train as it headed east at milepost 298 . This view is looking north from Warners Road, as I004-30 rolls east, just west of Pottery Road. I004 is a daily priority intermodal train that originates at Bedford Park, Illinois, near Chicago, Illinois, and runs to South Kearny, New Jersey. Between Bedford Park and South Kearny, the train passes through Garrett, Indiana, Deschler, Ohio, Cleveland, Ohio, Buf...

On Tuesday, my youngest and I went over to Memphis, New York, to try and catch a train or two in the snow that had fallen from a recent storm. Initially, we headed there to catch Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited. While waiting for the Lake Shore Limited,  CSX train I009-17  passed through Memphis. As I009 was approaching our position, I heard the Amtrak crew call out clear at milepost QC 317. We were at milepost QC 302.6. Instead of photographing the Lake Shore Limited at Memphis, I decided to head over to one of my favorite spots along the Rochester Subdivision at Pottery Road in Warners, New York.  AMTK 112 leading the Lake Shore Limited at Warners, New York As we left Memphis, I heard the defect detector (DD) at milepost QC 313.7 give an all clear to the Lake Shore Limited (LSL). The LSL was closing the distance to us quickly. The DD reported a speed of 70 plus MPH for the LSL. We managed to get to Pottery Road, near milepost QC 298 just as the headlight of the LSL appeare...

With a bit of snow still on the ground, from a light snow fall the day before, I headed out to Warners, New York, to catch intermodal train I162-02 coming by the old New York Central (NYC) 298 milepost.  Train I162-02, led by CSXT 7233, is east bound on Track 2 at MP QC298. The old NYC milepost is just to the west of Pottery Road and sits on the south side of the tracks. These old mileposts count the distance from Grand Central Terminal, which was built by the NYC, in New York City. There are many of these old mileposts (see the fifth photo linked post) still standing along the Rochester Subdivision, which was part of NYC's old Water Level Route through New York.  I162-02 starts to lean into the curve, west of Pottery Road. I162 is a daily intermodal train that runs from North Baltimore, Ohio, to Port Newark, New Jersey. I162 works Collinwood Yard at Cleveland, Ohio, Frontier Yard at Buffalo, New York, and DeWitt Yard at Syracuse, New York. Photograph taken on January 3, 202...

While out and about today, I heard a CSX "K" train call out over the radio feed. A  "K" train  on CSX is a bulk commodity train, such as a  tank car  train carrying oil or ethanol. When the crew called out for a clear signal, they called out BNSF 5192 as the train's leader. Foreign power (another railroad's locomotive) is fairly rare these days on the CSX Rochester Subdivision due to CSX trying to limit foreign power on the railroad, so I decided to try and catch it. BNSF 5192 leading CSX train K636-12 The youngest and I headed over to Warners, New York, and wound up getting to the Herman Road crossing just as the headlight of BNSF 5192 was just beyond the bridge in the background. Within a few minutes, K636-12 rolled east on Track 2 of the Rochester Subdivision. This stretch of track is between milepost (MP) QC299 and MP QC300. K636 is a loaded ethanol train that runs from Bensenville, Illinois, to Linden, New Jersey. The train is handed off to CSX from Ca...