A few from this week in Moneta

[jhicks7]

It's been almost a month since the last time I got out to the tracks near my house. On Monday I had some time before work, and no one else was home, so why not, right? I went out for just over an hour and shot three trains. The first was a nice surprise, and I couldn't have been luckier with the timing. No more than 2 minutes upon my arrival, NS 68K was calling the clear signal at V224.4 right in front of me. This is a loaded ethanol train for Selma, NC, a nice change of pace from the usual line up of coal, coal, and more coal on the ex-Virginian. Next, I heard NS 76A, with a loaded train for the power plant in Clover, VA, talking to the dispatcher as it was heading east toward me. 76A would end up holding the main right before Goodview tunnel and the approaching westbound would go into the siding. I didn't catch the symbol on the westbound empties, but ended up getting in touch with a guy that passed it earlier in the day on his train. NS 749 was coming through with empty coal hoppers from the power plant in Belmont, NC. You can clearly see the two EMDs behind the lead doing some work. After 749 was through the tunnel, it wasn't long before 76A got going and was passing by me. I got my shots of it and hopped in the jeep, just as it began to pour rain. (This location isn't very good for shots of westbound trains, so shot 2 doesn't show much.)

Thanks for looking!
Josh

Picture 1 - 68K headed east, bound for Selma, NC
Picture 2 - 749 headed west, headed back to the coal fields from Belmont, NC
Picture 3 - 76A headed east, bound for Clover, VA