When 23G left Louisville Thursday with the CG leading, us VA boys started watching and planning. For once 23G was running on time out of KY and made a KILLER run to Knoxville Thursday night. He was ordered for 1130p out of Knoxville so we figured by the time they swapped crews, fueled, and did all the normal screwing off that they wouldn't get moving till 1230-0100a. We were very wrong, they were out of Knoxville by 1145p and made the fastest trip on record to Bristol. My phone starte ringing at 500a Friday morning saying that the 23G was out of Bristol eastbound so I rolled out of bed and hit the road to meet Mr. Phillips at Christiansburg. 23G was cursed on this run, the 6664 died just outside of Bristol and had to be swapped out at Roanoke. Just east of Roanoke they started having problems with the DP on the bottom. They replaced the 6664 with the 9837 and then that died just east of Lynchburg. I knew the weather was supposed to be crappy but it wasn't supposed to rain till later I the day, that was also wrong. By the time I got to Christiansburg a December thunderstorm had developed. We shot in everything from rain to fog to sunshine.
Here is the link to the full Hi-Res Gallery:
http://southernrailsphotography.smugmug.com/Trains/Norfolk-Southern-Heritage/NS-8101-Central-of-Georgia/35242864_4bmwBW (http://southernrailsphotography.smugmug.com/Trains/Norfolk-Southern-Heritage/NS-8101-Central-of-Georgia/35242864_4bmwBW)
Here is 8101 leading 23G under the coaling tower at Vicker west of Christiansburg, VA in the pouring rain.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsouthernrailsphotography.smugmug.com%2FTrains%2FNorfolk-Southern-Heritage%2FNS-8101-Central-of-Georgia%2Fi-gCLR3cd%2F0%2FL%2F_MG_1457-L.jpg&hash=dffa054104a29e952d21c762805878bf2b4144bc) (http://southernrailsphotography.smugmug.com/Trains/Norfolk-Southern-Heritage/NS-8101-Central-of-Georgia/35242864_4bmwBW#!i=2956111659&k=gCLR3cd&lb=1&s=A)
From there we headed up and over Christiansburg Mountain to Shawsville, VA. Here is the 23G gliding east past a small cemetery at Shawsville, VA.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsouthernrailsphotography.smugmug.com%2FTrains%2FNorfolk-Southern-Heritage%2FNS-8101-Central-of-Georgia%2Fi-FWtMxdv%2F0%2FL%2F_MG_1465-L.jpg&hash=c8225651dea233e0ca4c548c5196ad0ccc71161d) (http://southernrailsphotography.smugmug.com/Trains/Norfolk-Southern-Heritage/NS-8101-Central-of-Georgia/35242864_4bmwBW#!i=2956112542&k=FWtMxdv&lb=1&s=A)
After picking up racks and swapping power in Roanoke 8101 leads the charge up Blue Ridge Grade as they blast under us at the Blue Ridge Parkway in Roanoke.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsouthernrailsphotography.smugmug.com%2FTrains%2FNorfolk-Southern-Heritage%2FNS-8101-Central-of-Georgia%2Fi-zstQhdV%2F0%2FL%2F_MG_1487-L.jpg&hash=38be966cf4844d1c72c214b3bf0fc4bc37f0ea27) (http://southernrailsphotography.smugmug.com/Trains/Norfolk-Southern-Heritage/NS-8101-Central-of-Georgia/35242864_4bmwBW#!i=2956113516&k=zstQhdV&lb=1&s=A)
We ended up in Crewe before the day was done. Here is 8101 with the last glimmer of sun low in the western sky in the background as the pull east of CP Oaks to get a light to shove back into Crewe Yard.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fsouthernrailsphotography.smugmug.com%2FTrains%2FNorfolk-Southern-Heritage%2FNS-8101-Central-of-Georgia%2Fi-xm4kFMm%2F0%2FL%2F_MG_1552-L.jpg&hash=997a8f37ea815b063f9f815cc2a0ecf72ec81185) (http://southernrailsphotography.smugmug.com/Trains/Norfolk-Southern-Heritage/NS-8101-Central-of-Georgia/35242864_4bmwBW#!i=2956115071&k=xm4kFMm&lb=1&s=A)
Paul
Looks like you had a successful day, even if the train and the weather didn't cooperate with you. The shot in the cemetery is killer!
That Samuels famous spot. He has me a lot of spots since I met him.
Paul