Really stupid CSX decision to abandon the St Lous line. There have been several times in recent memory where they said they wish they had not done so.
@meccaturbo Indeed!! I remember an article in "TRAINS" magazine, after the resurgance of rail business in the early '90s, asking CSX......"where is your Washington to St. Louis line now?"
It was indeed sad to watch, videotape, and photgraph the rails torn up.....I was trackside many days of it. And for being trackside, I was given a few mementos of the line.....I have a concrete whistle post, mile marker sign where the tracks were first ripped up, and a brass lock stamped "Monongah Division".
@MOVRMAN Hays Watkins of CSX had the mentality of ripping tracks out whenever possible, without thinking of the long term business potential of lines that were no longer available for use. They did the same thing to the WM back in the 70's, and more recently, they nearly abandoned the ex C&O mainline through Charlottesville until wisdom finally prevailed. I hope CSX has finally learned their lesson not to remove tracks without thinking carefully about how they might be needed someday.
@meccaturbo If they would have left the Athens, OH to Belpre, OH section, they could have kept a connection with NS at Athens.
At least the old line was saved as a rail trail. I can still visit the old spots where we used to watch trains. I've hiked the entire trail once, and differents sections many times. Just not the same as when the "trailer jets" would come flying through the tunnels though!!
CSX has also considered selling the Ohio River Sub, although I haven't heard much as of lately.
@MOVRMAN If CSX wants to effectively compete with Norfolk Southern, they'd better stop abandoning all these lines. I still see pics of the St Louis line's tunnels, and I remember all the money Chessie spent to improve that line for trailer train service, only for CSX to abandon in later. Now when CSX runs trains to St Louis, they have to go on the ex Conrail/NYC Big Four line out of Berea, Ohio...a long way around compared to how short the B&O St Louis line used to be. What a waste.
@dvdferless I use a certain website with a very complete list to identify the CSX locos.....when I looked up that slug it was not in the list, so more than likely, it was a new rebuild.
@foxydn4 At 89 loaded coal hoppers, it might actually be considered a short coal train. Both CSX and Norfolk Southern run much longer hopper trains on a regular basis.
They don't need the mother and slug for power anyway they just use it to keep from doing a double runaround. When they get by the switch the mother and slug cut off and the wide bodies are where they need to be to go on to the power plant
I'm surprised to see that mother/slug using the sand, right after it comes into view, and right at the crossing. That ES44DC and CW40-8 don't seem to be using any.
The first 2 locos are known as a mother/slug set. The second one(the slug) has no diesel motor, instead drawing power to run it from the first locomotive(the mother).
Not only does it not have the vents, you may notice that it has a lot less doors along the sides.
CSX rebuilt a lot of GP30s and 40s in this manner.
Really stupid CSX decision to abandon the St Lous line. There have been several times in recent memory where they said they wish they had not done so.
meccaturbo 7 months ago
@meccaturbo Indeed!! I remember an article in "TRAINS" magazine, after the resurgance of rail business in the early '90s, asking CSX......"where is your Washington to St. Louis line now?"
It was indeed sad to watch, videotape, and photgraph the rails torn up.....I was trackside many days of it. And for being trackside, I was given a few mementos of the line.....I have a concrete whistle post, mile marker sign where the tracks were first ripped up, and a brass lock stamped "Monongah Division".
MOVRMAN 7 months ago
@MOVRMAN Hays Watkins of CSX had the mentality of ripping tracks out whenever possible, without thinking of the long term business potential of lines that were no longer available for use. They did the same thing to the WM back in the 70's, and more recently, they nearly abandoned the ex C&O mainline through Charlottesville until wisdom finally prevailed. I hope CSX has finally learned their lesson not to remove tracks without thinking carefully about how they might be needed someday.
meccaturbo 7 months ago
@meccaturbo If they would have left the Athens, OH to Belpre, OH section, they could have kept a connection with NS at Athens.
At least the old line was saved as a rail trail. I can still visit the old spots where we used to watch trains. I've hiked the entire trail once, and differents sections many times. Just not the same as when the "trailer jets" would come flying through the tunnels though!!
CSX has also considered selling the Ohio River Sub, although I haven't heard much as of lately.
MOVRMAN 7 months ago
@MOVRMAN If CSX wants to effectively compete with Norfolk Southern, they'd better stop abandoning all these lines. I still see pics of the St Louis line's tunnels, and I remember all the money Chessie spent to improve that line for trailer train service, only for CSX to abandon in later. Now when CSX runs trains to St Louis, they have to go on the ex Conrail/NYC Big Four line out of Berea, Ohio...a long way around compared to how short the B&O St Louis line used to be. What a waste.
meccaturbo 7 months ago
Comment removed
dvdferless 11 months ago
I take my grandson to that spot sometimes to watch...The engines look like they just came from the paint shop
dvdferless 11 months ago
@dvdferless I use a certain website with a very complete list to identify the CSX locos.....when I looked up that slug it was not in the list, so more than likely, it was a new rebuild.
Thanks for watching!
MOVRMAN 11 months ago
That is a massive train; I've not seen anything like this in England. How many containers are being pulled? My son enjoyed this video; thanks.
foxydn4 1 year ago
@foxydn4 At 89 loaded coal hoppers, it might actually be considered a short coal train. Both CSX and Norfolk Southern run much longer hopper trains on a regular basis.
MOVRMAN 1 year ago
Diesel rules !!!
gigimanjo 1 year ago
@gigimanjo Thanks for watching!!
MOVRMAN 1 year ago
couldn't be better!
MegaJfan 2 years ago
And, in case anyone is curious......those containers on the right move by truck only. The Ohio River Sub does not have clearances for double-stacks.
MOVRMAN 2 years ago
awesome engines
mikecnly 2 years ago
I really like those ES44DCs.
If the train would have come from the Pennsylvania coal fields, they could have made that climb without the mother/slug units.
MOVRMAN 2 years ago
They don't need the mother and slug for power anyway they just use it to keep from doing a double runaround. When they get by the switch the mother and slug cut off and the wide bodies are where they need to be to go on to the power plant
choochoowv 2 years ago
Nice railfanning video. Like the power!
csxcw44ac 2 years ago
I'm surprised to see that mother/slug using the sand, right after it comes into view, and right at the crossing. That ES44DC and CW40-8 don't seem to be using any.
MOVRMAN 2 years ago
amazing video! why does the 2nd loco not have radiator vents??
RyanSamuelBarry 2 years ago
The first 2 locos are known as a mother/slug set. The second one(the slug) has no diesel motor, instead drawing power to run it from the first locomotive(the mother).
Not only does it not have the vents, you may notice that it has a lot less doors along the sides.
CSX rebuilt a lot of GP30s and 40s in this manner.
MOVRMAN 2 years ago