Sightings On The West Virginia Secondary. Round 2!!

[SRR3204L]

It has been too long since I've updated you guys on just some of the goings on along the West Virginia Secondary. Sorry, I have kept you guys waitingbut what can you do when your computer goes on teh fritz.

First up is two Norfolk Southern work trains on the Secondary on two seperate days in July and August. On July 14th, NS train 92Z proceeds south with NS 8308 as the leader on the upper end of the Secondary at Cedar Grove, West Virginia. On August 11th, the 92Z was captured heading north through the Capitol City of West Virginia with SD60 #6571 leading.

The video to go along with it.

Chasing the 92Z, Quincy to Cedar Grove, WV

92Z at Charleston, WV.

The video that goes with it.

The 92Z North At Charleston, WV.

The following photos are of KCS 4103 and TFM 1636 that I shot at Dickinson Yard in Quincy, WV back on August 29th of this year. These two units came in on NS 380, Columbus, Ohio to Charleston, WV, that morning before returning to Columbus the following day. Along with the two KCS units was UP 8582 setting all by its lonesome at the fuel rack.

TFM 1636


I went back over the very nest day to see if the KCS units were still there. By the timeI got over there, the KCS units were already gone. Leaving this former CONRAIL unit alone on its home rails.


On October 2nd, I ventured over to the Secondary once again just to see what was going on. When I arrived, Norfolk Southern train 90J was putting to gether its lite power move together on yard track three. At first I thought it was power for a southbound coal train, but I just happened to notice that there was barely anything setting in the yard.

NS 6073


The 90J with its power assembled and ready to go.

Video of
NS 90J assembling its power.

A few minutes later, they received a track authority to head northbound towards Hobson Yard at Middleport, Ohio. So I decided to make the run down to Port Amherst, WV and get set up alongside the tracks. After about ten minutes of waiting, it finally showed up at around 5PM.

The
90J thundering through Port Amherst, WV. At the end of the video, I catch the old CONRAIL "Speak & Spell" defect detector giving off the usual.

In these series of photos, we have a set of CSX power setting on the fuel rack at Dickinson back on October 4th. These units, CSXT 428 & 128, brought in NS 070 to Dickinson the previous night. The reason for the move is due to a structural issue on CSX's Gauley River Bridge at Belva, WV. Rumor is that these moves are going to go on for at least a year.




The final photo is of NS 380 at Belle, WV just north of the Dupont Plant along old U.S. Route 60. This train was not stopped to work the plant, it was actually stopped due to striking a tree that had been blown over by the high winds that day. If you look closely, you can see one of the tree branches sticking up in front of the plow.


I have more photos from the Secondary here.

Thanks for looking!!

[steveiez]

Nice pictures. Where does the WVA Secondary start and finish?

[SRR3204L]

Thanks!!!

The West Virginia Secondary begins at South Columbus, Ohio, a.k.a. Bannon, on the Lake Division's Columbus District. The line ends two hundred and fifty three miles southeast of Columbus at Cornelia, Nicholas County, West Virginia. Also of note, at one time CONRAIL/Penn Central/New York Central and the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway/Chessie System/CSX shared the line between Swiss, West Virginia and Peters Junction, West Virginia. As for whether or not it is still set up like that, I believe that CSX gave up their portion sometime back in the mid-1990s.

I almost forgot to include this in the post.
CONRAIL Columbus Division Zone Track Spots

Go down to where it says, "CR Zone 24 Page 02 - Map." That is the starting point of the West Virginia Secondary.

[SRR3204L]

My father and I ventured over to Dickinson early Wednesday afternoon to see if BNSF 4059 was still there. It wasn't there since it had left out on a northbound earlier in the day. Seeing as to how this day was starting to turn out to be for nothing. We decided to run down to the overpass that overlooks the pit tracks and the north end of the yard. Needless to say that I was surprised to find UP 9287, a C40-8, sitting on the north pit track with an ex-CONRAIL unit sitting behind it.

[ssmith1627]

Those are some great locations.  Thanks for sharing.   

I've only seen KCS engines twice -- one on Sevier yard and once out in west Knoxville.  The KCS engine was actually the leader on the train but I was north of the tracks and wasn't actually railfanning so not in a spot to get a good shot.  I've never seen one in person in this paint scheme.  That's a great pic.

Steve

[SRR3204L]

Just one reason of the many  as to why I love to railfan the West Virginia Secondary. I just never know whose units are going to show up on a given day. In reference to the KCS unit, not to rub it in but those two were the third and fourth KCS units that I have seen up here on both CSX and NS. Just so happened to be that I was meeting up with two fellow railfans that Sunday and I informed them that it was there. So we drove over and caught them.

For another example as to what exactly I can see on the Secondary.
I shot this pic of 381 at Nitro back in 2008 with a Canadian "invader" leading.

[SRR3204L]

Went back over to the Secondary yesterday and this afternoon to catch the 380 coming in on its southbound run from Columbus. Yesterday's 380 was being led by NS 9157 as it comes into the north end of the yard.

NS 380 From Tuesday

Today, the 380 had HLCX 5948 leading this "massive" eleven car train passes through the town of Belle, West Virginia.

HLCX 5948 leads the 380 through Belle, West Virginia.

[SRR3204L]

Went over to the Secondary this past Saturday and caught the J3A road switcher taking a string of empty coal cars through Dickinson Yard at Diamond, WV and at Dupont City, WV. This time it had NS 5034, ex-Southern 5034K, leading instead of the SD70M that had been working over there.


NS J3A At Dickinson Yard

The J3A At Dupont City, WV

Enjoy the videos folks!!!

[SRR3204L]

Dickinson Yard Report for Friday December 17, 2010.

BNSF 748 (Dash 9 in the BNSF Warbonnet)
NS 9337 (Dash 9)
NS 6690 (SD60)

BNSF 748 was sent northbound on the 381 Saturday morning.