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.
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.
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!
That's a great lead photo, Eric! Definitely Trains-worthy IMHO.
ReplyDeleteNice catch of the Amtrak trains too..
Hopefully Black Friday didn't make too much of a dent in the wallet.
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!
ReplyDeleteCrowds 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
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.
ReplyDeleteThat was a good baggage car catch too, Michael.
ReplyDeleteI 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