Pacing CSX 4601 SD80MAC Through Central Alabama

March 5, 2009

Thanks to a fellow railfan that has a online scanner feed set up in Montgomery, Al I overheard a track authority go out to Q-612. I didnt think that much of it until I heard the lead locomotive ID, CSXT 4601, one of the few SD80MACs that CSX inherited during the joint takeover of Conrail. Seeing that Ive never seen one of these monsters I knew I wanted to get trackside for this thing. After work I picked up the little one from daycare and began heading south on Highway 14. I intercepted the train in Notasulga and decided since any camera angle I took of the train coming at me would be backlit a pacing shot would be best.

We pick up the train just outside Loachapoka and follow them into the south end of Auburn. You can see the affect of the nearly 2% grade the train is climbing at the beginning of the shot and how much the line levels off and their speed picks up once they make it into Auburn.

Enjoy!

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• CSX
• A&WP
• Atlanta
• West
• Point
• WofA
• Western
• Alabama
• Train
• Railroad
• RR
• Q-612
• Q612
• Loachapoka
• Auburn
• SD80MAC
• CSXT
• 4601

[Tjsingle14]

got to love the SD80macs

[hoolg]

These things are beasta man. Definatly bigger than any non steam locomotive I've ever seen.

[o00o00ozy]

Nice catch and good pace, truely a one-of-a-kind SD80MAC video. Too bad 4601 was repainted in October, I wish CSX was not such a heritage killer.

[hoolg]

Agreed, it would have been nice to see blue & white coming down the home rails. Is this the origional horn on this unit? I thought they a different tone thin this one.

[ilikebandsthatscream]

@o00o00ozy well csx does keep the marker red lights

[k750iL]

Alright emd 80 mac leading this fast Q, I still can't believe that this is a loco that came out in the 90's it still looks more modern than the AC's and the sd60's

[kmillard]

Man, the SD80MAC's are awesome!! Too bad only 28 were ever built. From all accounts, they really were/are outstanding locomotives didn't have any of the bugs that plagued the SD90MAC's. They were extremely unlucky in that they were considered TOO powerful. Railroads would try to replace FOUR SD40's (12,000 HP) with just TWO SD80's (10,000 HP) but half the power would be lost if one of them were to eventually fail like all locomotives do. Not sure how that is the fault of the locomotive.....

[sixriversrail]

Fantastic job of getting this EMD on the road!

[broken4813]

living in Texas i know little of Conrail or it's inheritors. can anyone tell me how many SD80's were built?? since they are once again the most powerful locomotives in north america & are the only units other than the SD45 (& variants) to be built with a 20 cyl. prime mover they have peaked my curiosity.

[pengapop12]

all conrail engines execpt for a few dash 8s had s3ls some of the dash 8s had p5s

[NewEnglandRailfan79]

that's sad :(

[iJandiN2727]

Nice. 5*

[conrailforever1999]

conrail had 28 sd80macsin 1996 for altoon PA

[conrailforever1999]

SD80MACS 1995 they were born I think