Monday, December 1, 2014

Black Friday 2014, Syracuse NY

Journeying south to Syracuse and Watertown NY for Black Friday weekend, I found myself trackside around CSX's DeWitt yard on Friday, November 28, like Black Friday 2013 and Black Friday 2012 while retail therapy was administered elsewhere in stores nearby! A minor snowstorm descended upon the area in the lee of Lake Ontario. Hashtag snowbelt. Undaunted, Amtrak Empire Service train No 280 edged eastbound, with 716-82711*-82607-82645-82xxx-48173** at 0720:
An eastbound CSX freight with a leaser and five CSX units as the skies cleared after an hour-long lull at 0820: HLCX 8174-3053-602-2548-7614-8343 made (what I humbly consider) a TRAINS magazine cover-worthy photo (top photo) which quickly turned to mush as the lead unit and succeeding units entered the shadow of a Berkshire bank building.
A sneaky westbound slunk stealthily out of the back of the yard behind two units with an assortment of containers, boxcars and tank cars. Fresh show sintered off some Procor tank cars on the tail-end at 0830.
With only a hint of activity at 0830, cash registers called. This westbound intermodal was likely being attended to in the yard, behind CSX 809 and another unit. Notice the ex-UP-looking Geep just to 809's left? It had CEFX letters in each numberboard and remained stationary throughout the day.
A westbound Empire Service train No 63 hustled westward at 1245: 201-82805-25019***-25015-25094-82618-28170:

Then the eastbound Lake Shore Limited, train No 48 appeared, with a long Thanksgiving consist: 151-203-1701****-62025*****-25105-25039-28018******-25095-25064-25113-25006-25004-8521*******-62037-62000-1750.
Amfleet:
Full diner 8521:
Viewliners:

Tail-end baggage:
Leaving town on bypass Interstate 481, we passed CSX's expansive yard: blue arrow-intermodal yard; white arrow-locomotive set; red arrow-incoming westbound freight (sure, after we left town!)
During another retail therapy session in Watertown on November 29, I visited the interesting Afgritech feed mill (watch for an upcoming post) and positioned myself at CSX's Coffeen Street crossing, hopefully but perhaps in vain. No! A quick bleat of an air horn led to this sight - a southbound CSX freight with 5274-7842 which then triggered the crossing protection at about 25 mph. Hauling double-stacks, a CSX boxcar, a tank car, and Canadian lumber loads: Resolu aboard TTZX 866927, Arbec aboard TTZX 866962 and Chaleaur from Belledune NB aboard TTZX 861288.
 Lumber lumbering southward:
Running extra...

Amfleet car types included in this post (in order shown):
*82500-82999 Amfleet push-pull coach
**48160-48197 Amfleet club dinette
***25000-25124 Amfleet coach
****1700-1764 Heritage baggage car
*****62000-62091 Viewliner sleeping car
******28000-28024 Amfleet diner lite conversion
*******8501-8559 Heritage dining car (8521 is ex-Southern Railroad)

Some Watertown industrial archeology along the Black River:


And an end-of-post train. In-camera 'Painting' setting!

4 comments:

Canadian Train Geek said...

That's a great lead photo, Eric! Definitely Trains-worthy IMHO.

Nice catch of the Amtrak trains too..

Hopefully Black Friday didn't make too much of a dent in the wallet.

Eric said...

Thanks, Steve. There was some wallet-denting. Mine was scant - some Woodland Scenics green clumps at Hobby Lobby, camo duct tape and a few books at Ollie's!

Crowds were manageable and I didn't see anyone KO'd for a large-screen TV. Next year, I predict sales will start at noon on Thanksgiving day and the US will have largely lost a holiday!

Eric

Michael said...

Now this is a Black Friday tradition that I can get behind. Great shots of the Amtrak and good on you for hanging around to catch the baggage car at the end. I shot the same type of consist in Kissimmee earlier this year and was rewarded with a shot of an old baggage car at the end of the train.

Eric said...

That was a good baggage car catch too, Michael.

I was hoping for a gusher of oil trains through Syracuse, but had to be content with what passed me trackside. And the unpredictable Black Friday weather!

Eric