Local With A Heritage Unit And A Caboose?

[NSSpike]

To capture a local with a heritage unit in the lead is not that common around these parts. To have a former NS caboose, now as a shoving platform in the mix is darn near impossible to capture. But it did happen last Thursday morning for A25, the Douglasville / Bremen local on the Alabama Division East End District. Early Thursday morning east bound NS 172
(NEW ORLEANS, LA (UP QLINSL) - LINWOOD, NC) was heard setting out an engine in Douglasville. Could only pick up the OSS operator confirming the move on the scanner. Didn't think much about it. However Travis, #1 son, on his way to work called (can't believe he didn't text  ) to advise that the Norfolk & Western NS 8103 was nose coupled up to A25 in downtown Douglasville with a caboose to boot. Turns out A25's assigned engine NS 3280 had less then 500 gallons of fuel so thus the reason for setting out a unit at Douglasville instead of Bremen. Needless to say A25's crew had plenty of conversations with other crews and maintainers through out the course of the day given the fact they had a "throwback" unit, as one track inspector called it, for their power. But their day running with the "Big Dogs" as they called it would be short lived. Later in the day M54 (BIRMINGHAM, AL - LINWOOD, NC) would have a unit with engine oil failure problems west of Tallapoosa and A25 had to give up their ride. We tagged team this event with Travis capturing the action in Douglasville while I covered the Waco and Tallapoosa Georgia activity.

A25 heads west out of downtown Douglasville with the Norfolk & Western in the lead.


A25 rolls west past the intermediate signal at MP 559.9 with caboose NS555703 on the rear.


After setting out the train on the Bremen storage track #1 the NS 8103 heads west at the Waco curve toward Tallapoosa to pick up four cars and then head back east to Douglasville.


Before they could complete the pick up of cars instructions came down to continue west to give up their ride to M54.
The 8103 crosses over the Tallapoose River en-route to the Muscadine Alabama siding.


When the day started the NS 8103 was east bound, 3rd out on NS 172, 11 hours later now finds itself 3rd out on M54 seen here about to enter the Tallapoose / Hubbard block with NS 27A holding the siding.


NS 27A (BRUNSWICK GA - VANCE ALA)heads west out of the siding at Tallapoosa with the NS 7260 SD90MAC in the lead.

[florida581]

Excellent series!  I guess no job is too small for novelty power!

[thpbears]

Very nice.

[Matt L]

It's always fun to catch a heritage unit on a local.