Petersburg, VA Railfanning 5-27-21 Part 1 (feat. NS 8100, WW GP9, and more)

Описание: Yesterday was my first railfanning trip since my return from Pittsburgh, and my first time back at Collier in two months.

But I'm afraid I also have some sad news to deliver. What else happened yesterday, most of my fellow Virginia railfanners know already, but that same day, Mark Oglesby (Coleman Place) passed away after battling cancer and COVID. And yes, he was a friend of mine, sort of. I wasn't as close to him as many of the other VA railfans, like those also from the Tidewater region, but I did get to meet and talk to Mark a few times since 2016 when he joined me at Collier, and he was a nice guy, so when I checked ODR yesterday sometime between the passing of V822 and that of 23G and heard the news, it did come as a shocker. Don't worry about me, though, I'll be alright. But keep Mark's family in your prayers (or at least be thinking about them), because I know they could really use it right now. So this railfanning trip will be in Mark's honor.

I'm afraid yesterday was full of bad news. Besides that, when I got home, Jeff Allgood also posted on ODR that Barry (the guy who often comes here, who I've told about) lost his stepmom to cancer. She was married to his late father, who worked on the Virginian and N&W until 1960. Ironically he served at the Norfolk Naval Yard, as did Mark and Pete Timm (another VA railfan I've met).

Pray for Barry's family too.

Trains #1 and 2: NS 821 with the NKP 8100 heritage unit leading goes west while CSX F714, heading for International Paper around the bend, passes overhead. Please don't get all over me for the going away shot of 8100. I only got there maybe two minutes ahead of 821, so I didn't have a great window of time to get properly situated. Those two minutes could have made the difference between catching or missing it.

NS 821
1. ES44AC #8100 (Nickel Plate Road heritage)
2. C44-9W #9861
3. SD70ACe #1013 (mid-DPU)
4. SD70ACe #1173 (mid-DPU)

CSX F714
1. GP38-2 #2798

Train #3 (4:13): CSX F778 with two ES40DCs goes up the hill back to the yard while F714 reverses back as well.
1. ES40DC #5397
2. ES40DC #5455

Train #4 (10:05): Amtrak P080 glides by North Collier with a P40DC on point. I've caught this unit leading many times in the past.
1. P40DC #817

Train #5 (12:06): Caught off guard by NS 814 with the usual black and white horses. I really need to check the NS line here more, because I was caught off guard several more times today, and the signal in the distance is now blocked by the trees.
1. AC44C6M #4030
2. C44-9W #9914

Train #6 (13:36): Amtrak P089 goes south. Honestly, Amtrak isn't as aesthetic as streamlined passenger trains in the post-WWII years, when highways and airlines began displacing railroads as the preferred travel method. Still, European and Japanese trains seem fine.
1. P42DC #140

Trains #7 and 8 (14:57): CSX Q416 slowly passes while CSX Q409, my best catch of the day, goes by with a Winchester and Western low hood GP9 trailing! Now this was rare! I never expected this shortline to pass by here! Then again, W&W does have some trackage in NJ, so Q409 might have been taking this engine home. The GP9 is ex-SP, built in 1955. The Tier 4 ACe DPU is the same one I caught leading W060 here back in February. I was also joined by Matt (Southeast Trains)
CSX Q416
1. ES44AH #877
2. ES44AH #3181
3. ES44AH #805 (mid-DPU)

CSX Q409
1. CSX ET44AH #3287
2. CSX AC4400CW #72
3. WW GP9 #445
4. CSX SD70AH-T4 #8907 (DPU)

Train #9 (23:20): While Matt and I were shooting the breeze, we were caught off guard by NS 810. Those of you who watch ROHV may or may not recognize the lead engine..
1. ET44AC #3657
2. AC44C6M #4150

Train #10 (24:53): Amtrak P079 passes by with a SAAHC hornshow and a wave from the engineer. While I've seen P42s so many times, it's still good to see them now, because once the Chargers entirely assume long distance runs, the P42s will be no more.
1. P42DC #203

(26:48): F778 switching in the distance with the two GEVOs.

Train #11 (28:04): CSX V822 passes by with an SD70MAC rebuild trailing. I moved over to the shade when no trains were passing, because it was a hot day.
1. ES44AH #3156
2. SD70MAC #4572

Train #12 (30:44): NS 23G makes its way east on the N&W. Was surprised to hear that symbol at this time of day.
1. ES44AC #8038
2. SD70ACC #1850
3. C44-9W #9493

Trains #13 and 14 (35:42): NS V62 crawls into Collier Yard with a solo ES44AC. As he's coming in, CSX Q031 passes by, though mostly blocked out by the influx of the trash cars. If I'm right about Q031's lead engine number, I caught that same engine leading Q015 in Homestead, PA about a week ago. Concerning the NS GEVO, it shares the same number as the BN Tiger Stripe SD40-2. Bengal tigers are interesting creatures, though they are dangerous.

NS V62
1. ES44AC #8002

CSX Q031
1. ES44AH #3206 (?)
2. ES44AH #3???

(47:31): Slideshow

Music:
CHVRCHES: Make Them Gold (Instrumental)

Stay tuned for Part 2. I'll get working on that.