630: Deadhead Home

[PGupton]

Since it wasn't exactly well covered, here's what I got on 630's trip south to Chattanooga.

We left Oak Ridge at 11:00 (straight from my cross country practice), hoping we'd be able to catch them or at least get near them. We arrived in Farragut's Concord Park at around 11:30, and after listening to the dispatcher call some train movements we learned they were just rolling out of Knoxville. After a short wait, we could hear the whistle in the distance and the dispatcher gave them track authority to MP 161. Shortly thereafter, they flew into view across the lake. After getting the shot, we went off in hot pursuit. At a point where we were almost pacing them along a road, you could hear the stack talk from inside the car! They were moving at around 40mph and I'm not sure if the diesels were even being used. We caught them once at a crossing, and then kept going only to get stuck at numerous stop lights in Lenoir City. We got moving once outside, missed the shot of the large bridge in Loudon, and caught them near Philadelphia at Sweetwater Valley Farms. We caught them two more times near Sweetwater before calling it a day. 630 has never impressed me more! 40mph running with a 16 car train using little to no diesel assistance.

And of course the photos:

[butch]

We need a Like button-good stuff.

[Matt L]

The shots of #630 heading home are just as interesting as the excursion shots, IMO. Nicely done!