Retirement Party

[PolyesterMafia]

The Nikon D50 that I have is getting long in the tooth and short on megapixels. So, I decided to take it out for one last trip before relegating it to the grandchildren's toy bin.

I'm just hanging about Dalton, Ga, not expecting anything special (huh huh, railroad humor), and I hear an unusual horn. At first I figured it to be either broken, or one of the many SD40-2's that NS has seemingly pulled out of retirement recently. However, seeing ten or twelve people suddenly appear all around with cameras raised suspicions that I might actually get my first glimpse of an NS heritage unit. What rounded the curve though was even better.

2014-0208-081.jpg

Not bad for an old camera on an overcast day where nothing was really expected.

[buzz456]

[DrewG]

Looks amazing!

[NSrailfan6130]

Nice, what luck

[PapaXpress]

The right place at the right time. You couldn't ask for more.

[PolyesterMafia]

The right place at the right time. You couldn't ask for more.

Well, actually, i've never seen an NS heritage unit, and just glimpsing it though the trees with a long angle lens I at first thought it was the Wabash. My wife's jaw dropped when she saw it come around the back side of the Southern Crescent passenger car sitting on the siding.

I did photograph some other unusual locomotives today as well: SD60E #6915, Operation Lifesaver SD40-2 #6167, Spartan Cab C40-9 #8879, and SD40-2 #3544, which looks as if it were recently acquired from a lease company and the numboards and call numbers are hand-written. And as I mentioned before, there are a lot of SD40-2's heading up trains, which is unusual around here.

I'm posting all of these photos, along with the ones i've taken in years past, at http://saxmusickman.rrpicturearchives.net if anyone is interested in checking them out.

And at the end of the day, I acquired the ultimate shot: a new Nikon D3200 24MP camera. Chasing season is going to be fun fun fun this year!

[Bananarama]

Chasing season is going to be fun fun fun this year!

Girls or trains?

[PolyesterMafia]

Chasing season is going to be fun fun fun this year!

Girls or trains?

Well, since the wife usually accompanies me on my trips, I had better stick to the trains!

[Ericmopar]

Sweet! Trains look good in Tuxedos too.

[Chacal]

It mus be special for engineers to be assigned to a F-Unit.
I suppose it's mainly older guys who have driven them before.

[PolyesterMafia]

It may also be employees who have good work records or for special recognition as well. A few years back a business train came through that was headed up by a polished high-nose GP38-2, and the engineer was a woman, which is very rare on the AND. I'm sure that with the Big Heads on board, they pick the best of the best; someone that won't spill the wine if they have to take a siding.

[Rich_S]

It mus be special for engineers to be assigned to a F-Unit.
I suppose it's mainly older guys who have driven them before.

I was told NS has only one or two engineers who are qualified to operate the OCS train. It's not because of the locomotives, they have a standard Dash 2 AAR control stand installed in them. It's because of the passengers

[imphantum]

Sorry if this is a bit off topic, but I remember going to Maryland from New York over the summer, along the highway there is a rail facility, with tracks that parallel the road. I had to look twice when I saw the Wabash Heritage unit accompanied by an ES44 parked behind a few bushes right next to the road. Some things are just about right place right time.

[GSkid]

Nice picture. Where are some pics from the new cam?