Computer Problems, Clouds, and Severe Weather

[cmherndon]

A few weeks ago, I got a call from a friend of mine who was having computer problems.  After telling him I'd fix it, he said he'd just come up to Lawrenceburg after he got off work to save me from driving a 170-mile round trip.  It turns out the problem was nothing more than a simple registry issue.

Since it's almost a two hour drive from here to Tateville, we figured that we'd just leave his house kind of early and watch trains until he got called.  We made a quick stop at the Somerset Mall to pick up the latest issue of The Railroad Press, which in my opinion is the best magazine for railroad photography.  After leaving there, we catch 264 doing battle with Norwood Hill.

Andy asks me where a good place to get a picture would be and I suggest going to Fairy Curve. It's cloudy, so shooting a northbound there wouldn't yield the usual backlit results. I took which sucked horribly, but at least it wasn't backlit. Luckily, 167 is heading south, and we manage to catch their head end come around the curve just as 264 clears.



We also caught 283 and 132 in a headlight meet while we were there.  After the monstrous 283 passes, we start heading north.  There's some action around South Fork, but cell phone service isn't good there.  So, we go on and head up to the wye and catch 276 pulling away.  264 was next.  Being the crazy fool that I am, I step out of the truck to try a blur shot in the rain.  It didn't turn out half bad, but if you think it'll be shown here, you've got another thing coming.

116 came by a few minutes later and I comment on how 264's having a good trip already after hearing "Norfolk Southern, milepost one-zero-nine-dot-zero...no defects" on the radio.  At one point, the Burgin defect detector was notorious for catching Triple Crowns with dragging equipment...usually near the end of the train.

Over an hour passes and nothing moves.  Finally, 235 informs Danville Tower that they're ready to leave.  We head up on to the bridge and wait for it.  As it turns out, 235 had a warbonnet leading, although it looked ratty as usual.



235 has to meet 133 at Faulkner, so we hang around and wait a few more minutes for the southbound to arrive.  It's not a long wait as 133 comes around the curve about the same time 235's last car clears the Faulkner Rd. crossing.  Seeing blue off in the distance and then hearing a sick Leslie RS-3L horn only meant one thing.  133's lead unit was an ex-Conrail SD60M, seen here with a monster of a train.



Since it started being combined with 197, 133 has not been its usual short self and has been running with a good number of 86' hi-cube cars.  Looking south as the train passed under us, I decided to shoot the long string of hi-cubes.  Whaddya know...one of them even had the Southern "green light" logo on it.



After 133 passed, Andy and I figured it would be in our best interests to head back to Lawrenceburg and hang out here until he was called to go to work.  Thus ends the trip of March 31, 2006...but wait, there's some bonus material if you keep reading.

The next day, my dad I went to North Carolina for the weekend to visit my sister who lives in Winston-Salem.  On Sunday, we went up to Mt. Airy.  If you weren't aware, Mt. Airy is Andy Griffith's hometown and is the basis for the fictional town of Mayberry, NC.  Being fans of The Andy Griffith Show, my dad and I both thought this was a neat experience.  You can view the pictures by following the link below.

Mt. Airy, NC

Last Friday (April 7), a line of thunderstorms ripped through Kentucky and Tennessee.  I was down in Tateville at the time, and two storms hit there.  A rainbow appeared after the second, and I took a few photos...







Thus ends the complete trip report with bonus material  Until next time, I hope y'all enjoy and thanks for looking!

[ccaranna]

Nice report!  Wanna come up to Ohio and fix MY computer?  

Chuck