Heritage Visits / An OCS / Mid Train Helpers / A High & Wide

[NSSpike]

After close to five weeks dealing with site access issues and building a raised bed garden in time for
spring planting, it is time to catch up on west Georgia NS train activity for late March and April 2016.

East bound NS 290 ( MCCALLA, AL - CROXTON, NJ ) with the NS 8105 Interstate Heritage unit heads
east through Douglasville Georgia at MP 659.4


West bound NS 153 ( LINWOOD, NC - BIRMINGHAM, AL )  with the NS 911 First Responders unit
heads west on the main line at CP Sewell as NS 26A ( VANCE ALA - BRUNSWICK GA ) holds the siding.


In early April the annual visit of the BNSF OCS train operating as NS 956 on its way to the
Masters in Augusta, reaches the top of Iron Mountain in the Talladega National Forest east
bound on the Alabama Div.East End District at MP 720.


A week later on its return trip the BNSF OCS  now heading west through Douglasville,Georgia
as local NS A25 with NS 5107 GP38-2 high hood holds the siding.


NS 22N (MEMPHIS, TN - ATLANTA, GA)  "22 Naocho" as it often called by the dispatcher
with the NS 1069 Virginian heritage unit heads south on track #2 behind Barnes Hardware
store, Mabelton Georgia MP 138-H


A new west bound manifest on the Alabama East End NS 173 ( LINWOOD, NC – SHEFFIELD, ALA)
heads west on the East End mainline at 10,100 ft. between CP Carroll / CP Winston.


NS 980 High & Wide heads east out of CP Taylor MP 675.5 with three loads and four spacer cars.
The large boiler on the first loaded car required over 38 tons of counter weight. The other two
loads were covered and identified an SIEMENS manufactured commuter transit type units.


NS 24E (DALLAS, TX (KCS IDAAT2) - ATLANTA, GA) right, tied down on the siding at Lithia Springs
Georiga as NS 220 (DALLAS, TX (KCS IDAAT)- ATLANTA, GA) heads east on the East End main line.
The crew on the NS 220  after arriving at the Atlanta terminal would return to take the 24E on into Atlanta.


NS 154 (BIRMINGHAM, AL - LINWOOD, NC) heads east through downtown Douglasville Georgia
with three of the four head end units on line. For the better part of six weeks this train has run
with as many as 170 cars to a low of 144 cars with lengths running over 9,600 ft. What is not
known is the tonnage of these trains. Cars are often set out in Bremen and Douglasville Georgia.


NS 154 Mid-Train Helpers roll through Douglasville Georgia with both units on line.