Alabama East End / Georgia Division January Trains

[NSSpike]

With the start of every new year one can expect to see today's modern day version of the mechanized "Gandy Dancers" invade the Alabama East End District. This year is no different and for the last few weeks of January and into early February we saw curfews a plenty with Amtrak's Crescent only running three days a week down to New Orleans. Each day after a parade of early morning east bound trains made it into Austell JCT, T&S gangs would get their track authorities and multiple crews would enter the mainline from Austell to Tallapoosa Georgia. Over the weekends I was able to capture a few on the East End and a couple on the Georgia Division that included a quick trip to the Atlanta South End to capture a very clean Virginian Heritage unit.

NS 154-13 (BIRMINGHAM, AL - LINWOOD, NC) with two CP AC4400 units works its way through the S curves at MP661.6  West Douglasville Georgia


NS 154-17 (BIRMINGHAM, AL - LINWOOD, NC) rolls east on the mainline at MP658.5 after setting out four cars at Douglasville Georgia. MoW cars with T&S equipment occupy the siding and will be staged to begin their work on the East End between Austell Jct and Tallapoosa Georgia


NS 944 with a pair Operation Lifesaver SD 40-2 units NS 3499 & 3500 (former CITX / BNSF / BN) holds the siding at Bremen MP684.7 and will continue west taking the MoW cars to Anniston Alabama.


NS 22G (LONG BEACH, CA (UP KLBNS) - ATL, GA) with a single SD70 ACe UP 8764 in the lead at Waco MP687.9.
This train typically runs with a single unit in the lead and a single DPU unit.


NS G66 (Georgia Div. Carrollton local) with "shoving platform" NS555703 holds storage track 1 as NS 27A (BRUNSWICK GA - VANCE ALA) heads west on the Alabama East End mainline MP685.1 Bremen Georgia.


NS 276 (JAX FLA – GEORGETOWN KY.) at CP Stockbridge on the Atlanta South End district MP171.5H with Heritage Unit 1069 Virginian leading the train north.


NS 047 RBBX Circus Train with CSX power heads east on the mainline MP677.4 Temple Georgia. It is rare to see CSX power leading trains on the Alabama East End district and as rule usually happens once a year when the train is handed off  to the NS in Birmingham. This train is headed to Greenville SC.


NS 047 RBBX Circus Train at the West Douglasville S curves MP661.6


NS 26A (VANCE ALA - BRUNSWICK GA) Loaded Auto Rack east bound with NS9500 in the lead meets NS 27A (BRUNSWICK GA - VANCE ALA) Empty Auto Rack west bound with SD90Mac NS7260 in the lead in downtown Temple Georgia  MP677.4


NS 24E (DALLAS, TX (KCS IDAAT2) - ATLANTA, GA) east bound into Austell Jct at MP651.0


NS 363 (CHATTANOOGA, TN - MACON, GA) southbound off mainline #1 to the run-a-round with CIT Rail 6017 SD60 just past the southbound Austell signals MP133.7H

[Matt L]

Nice shots! The wide variety of power is very enjoyable.