NS Alabama / Georgia District Train Activity July 2016

[NSSpike]

Below are some photos taken during the month of July on multiple track side visits made on the NS Alabama / Georgia Divisions.

It is not everyday that one finds an EMD GP40-2 unit leading a main line daily manifest. On the Alabama East End District NS train 153 (LINWOOD, NC - BIRMINGHAM, AL) with a sizable lash up of NS units is captured with the #3054 leading the way on the main line west bound at Villa Rica Georgia MP669.7


Like other members of this board I am most fond of unit "Coal Drags"!!! As each day goes by it becomes increasingly more difficult to capture one and we all know the reasons why! Living about 24 miles to the west of Austell and the North Atlanta main line to a degree limits the opportunities to do just that. But on Sunday July 3rd I managed to catch a southbound loaded PRB, Memphis interchanged off the BNSF to NS, coal drag.  Leading NS 738 (PRB WYOMING - GP JULIETTE GEORGIA) with a  pair of  BNSF SD70ACe's the #9035 seen here south bound just past the north Austell signal bridge MP135.0H.


A few days later another trip to Austell was in order. This time I decided to make a late afternoon early evening run and was able to capture two Scherer unit coal trains. NS 737 (GP JULIETTE GEORGIA - PRB WYOMING) empty northbound with the BNSF #6259 ES44AC (GE) leading this train on the main line between CP Austell and CP England MP 133.4H


In the early evening with the BNSF #9107 SD70ACe on the point NS 732 (PRB WYOMING - GP JULIETTE GEORGIA) loaded southbound on the mainline by the crossovers to the run around track at MP135.0H. The signals in the background CP England are at the south entrance to Whitaker Yard.


Former CR #4015 1996 Built EMD SD80 MAC #7203 leads NS 220 (DALLAS, TX (KCS IDAAT)- ATLANTA, GA) east bound on the mainline between Bremen and Sewell on the Alabama Division East End District. As each days passes NS power leading on these east bound stacks off the KCS is becoming the norm. Less KCS Belle units leading these trains east bound these days. So much for the East End being the "FPF"...Foreign Power Funnel.


Following the train / truck collision resulting in derailed cars and a locomotive in west Chattanooga on the North AGS, NS sent two lengthy manifest trains south down the North Atlanta District to CP Green and on to the C-Line south to Cedartown and Bremen Georgia. After running the north leg of the Y in Bremen the trains ran west on the storage tracks to the Alabama East End main line toward Birmingham Ala. Here out of the early morning fog the #8144 GE ES 44AC leads train 101 west bound off the siding to the main at Tallapoosa Georgia.


An hour later another long manifest M01 lead by the #9486 Dash 9-44CW works its way through the ally way on the north leg of the Y off the C-Line in Bremen. A train master is seen here flagging the cross buck road crossing at Tallapoosa Street. The track in the foreground is the Alabama East End main line.


Holding the Bremen / Sewell siding is NS A46 with the #5820 EMD GP 38-3  (Rebuilt GP50 Unit) in the lead. The night before this train operated as A43 and it cleared out the #2 storage track so trains 101 & M01 could make there way over the jointed rail storage tracks to the Alabama East End main line.


Things became a tad confusing as on Saturday a 101 was heard holding at CP Green on the Atlanta North End District only to continue south to Atlanta and onto Macon. Then on Monday here comes a manifest east bound from Birmingham ID'd as 101 with the #8148 ES 44AC GE through Temple Georgia.


NS train 173 (LINWOOD, NC – SHEFFIELD, ALA) heads west at CP Taylor MP675.3 on the main line with the UP #5576 in the lead.


Two days later another east bound 101 with the #9031 GE Dash 9-44CW in the lead heading into downtown Douglasville GA on the Alabama East End main line.


As previously indicated on another post under Motive Power and within this post it appears that NS is providing more and more of the power required for the east bound stack trains off the Kansas City Southern into Atlanta. However, every now and then one just might see a "Gray" KCS leader. Out of Temple, west bound 23D  (ATLANTA, GA - SHREVEPORT, LA (UP) with the #4599 GE AC4400CW in the lead.


East bound 298 (MCCALLA, AL - ATLANTA, GA) auto rack runs through downtown Villa Rica on the East End main line with the Heritage #1069  Virginian   EMD SD70ACe in the lead.


The first NS GE Evolution Series Tier 4 #3623 locomotive to run the Georgia Division C-line leads southbound 708 (EASTERN COAL -  GP WANSLEY) under the VAN WERT Street wooden bridge at MP C329 in Buchanan Georgia.


After running over the  Alabama / Georgia division diamond in downtown Bremen, the #3623 continues south past CP South Bremen with 108 loads of eastern coal. The second unit is CP #9736 a GE Dash 9-44CW for this coal drag that also includes two units in DPU at the rear.


Heading east on the Alabama East End District NS 22G (LONG BEACH, CA (UP KLBNS) - ATL, GA) is lead by a single GE SD70ACe #8527 see here passing CP Bremen at the connection track to the Georgia Div. C-Line. This east bound train  also includes a single ES 44AC #7694 in DPU at the rear.


Heritage unit # 8100 Nickle Plate Road ES 44AC leads east bound NS 24E (DALLAS, TX (KCS IDAAT2) - ATLANTA, GA) on the main line through Temple Georgia.


Hope everyone is having as safe summer and good luck track side!!!
NSSpike
Phil Maton