You have seen part One, now here is the good stuff...what we went after in the first place.
After a few hours sleep in the Super 8 at Harriman TN, we where up early and Northbound in the cool Tn fog, making our way North to New River. It was a gamble...and BIG gamble, that the fog would burn off before the train got there. Word came from Danville that the OCS had pulled at 0640..it would be close on there even being any daylight by the time they got to our location. My phone had started ringing early with some friends down South that where driving up to intercept, and we did our best to keep them updated.
We sat at new river and enjoyed a muted sunrise. The train was close, calling signals and headed for us at a high rate of speed. The fog would not be gone, but maybe there would be a little light. I had in my mind how the shot would look, that classic EMD bulldog nose in the fog. Here is what I got as the train pounded across the bridge. It would be one of the few locations the entire day where we where the only ones to get the shot...
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JR and his little talking dashboard genius had located a new location the day before that we JUST beat the train to. Here is 951 rolling down the big hill near Little Lancing TN.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13360%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=4e5180254e0ab16df32269e0bb208affe07ef2a1)
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Whats the one thing you dont want to see on a crooked, hilly TN road while in hot pursuit of varnish???
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Another 'must have' shot on my list was at South Roddy TN. We where joined by one other fellow from GA...
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13357%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=80ee7e0cf510b2cace519a5b2fb5e4f663070a85)
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We managed to get ahead of them again near Spring City TN just in time to get slowed down by road construction. The train was right beside us for a few miles, so I grabbed JR's camera (it had a wide angle lens on it) turned it on, pointed it out the window and held the button down...that method seems to work for JR...kinda worked for me :)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13450%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=52d3ba0b927cbfd199c5331911a5db31b762e540)
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Leap frogging again, we whipped into the road crossing at Coulterville TN. Jr Went for the Tight tele shot, and I went strolling through the soybeans to get a wide angel shot.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13259%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=e7c96b9ad223ff43108abdd267f4a4f9fad3e426)
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After the train passed is at Coulterville, we took a 5 min breather, got a cold drink and eased towards Chattanooga. The rest of the chasers headed for Tenbridge, but we decided to bypass that location as there would be plenty of shots from every angle from there. We rejoined the pack in Chattanooga at the Wilcox Ave Bridge, which passes over the Debutts yard. After walking out on what has to be the scariest bridge in TN, we shoot the 951 setting beside the tower.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13420%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=9deceafd1a8bf91e8eb803d0da70c49e2888c6da)
After the OCS detrained it passengers for lunch at debutts, a yard crew took it down to CT tower to turn on the wye.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13417%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=9a958e95a4ebeb3e2f73e1048b5128b364a67223)
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13399%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=c530867197c70f1aad30754ea8261230e9df9dbc)
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After the 951 passed, a coal train with a pair of BNSF units followed it around to Debutts.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13402%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=7d96a59edf8fbee39bbb903a48b31845472d7362)
The last shot of the OCS would be down on the recently Double tracked segment near Cohutta Ga. Many thanks to Mark Wurst for showing us the great spot.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fgallery%2Fmain.php%3Fg2_view%3Dcore.DownloadItem%26amp%3Bg2_itemId%3D13414%26amp%3Bg2_serialNumber%3D2&hash=663e268f062cdd14ca38b4d91b8a07fcdaeb6f8c)
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