Ashland VA 08.17.19: Man, Mist & Machine
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- Опубликовано: 24 авг 2019
- There were no 4-8-4s wheeling fruit blocks or priority manifests through town. There were no E-Units spiriting loads of vacationers away to Florida, either. There weren't even any flamboyantly-colored U-Boats to lead the way for their owner's new twist on train travel. I would not have been surprised if any such ghosts of RF&P past had appeared before me in the morning fog in Ashland on August 17th, but in their absence, their modern-day successors still produced some poignant imagery.
0:04 - When I arrived at the station at 5 I could see the moon and stars, but as sunrise approached the fog settled over the town. The weather looked like something out of a Sherlock Holmes novel as Q438 appeared out of the gloom at 6:27, powered by ES44AH 742 on point and sister unit 714 on the tail.
3:48 - It seemed like the fog would be short-lived as the sun rose higher. Northeast Regional 164 arrived in brighter surroundings at 6:47, led by P42 97.
6:14 - The brightness was deceiving, as the fog closed in from both directions. Visibility reached its low point as Northeast Regional 82 materialized at 7:49, led by P42 87.
8:19 - The northbound Auto Train was running a bit late as it loomed large out of the mist at 8:03, led by P40s 835 and 832.
10:17 - Half an hour later, the fog was finally in retreat as Q415 thundered past behind ES44AH 3195 and C40-8W 7774. ES44AH 743 provided an assist from about two-thirds of the way back as the DPU.
12:30 - The passengers waiting for Northeast Regional 88 had crossed over prior to Q415's passage in case the freight blocked the Regional's arrival, but it turned out to be an abundance of caution. P42 22 and train pulled up to the platform at 8:40.
15:20 - The fog had retreated further down the street as Northeast Regional 65 arrived at 9 o'clock behind P42 117.
16:42 - Visibility increased along with the passenger count at 10:40, as Northeast Regional 194 arrived behind P42 77. The train spent more than 20 minutes in the station, but not because of those waiting to board. A scene unfolded near the head end as two Ashland police officers had a lengthy discussion with the train crew and a passenger before boarding the train to remove an elderly woman traveling with two dogs. The officers let the dogs get out and exercise a bit prior to loading the lady, her baggage, and her four-legged companions into one of the patrol cars.
19:49 - Northbound manifest Q410 had been waiting behind 194 as the police removed the passenger, and finally got its chance to move at 11:13 after the Regional got a head start. Tucked in behind ES44AH 3218 was GMTX GP38-2 2340, a former Norfolk Southern unit headed to work for a new lessee. The Geep was along for the ride, as ET44AH 3360 provided additional power from further back in the consist. As the train marched away north, the first pockets of blue sky and sunlight appeared.
23:21 - After a pleasant break for lunch with friends at the Ironhorse, I returned trackside in time to capture the passage of a monster. Facing a lack of available crews, CSX had decided to combine loaded coal drag T315 and manifest Q439 into a single 174-car, multiple-DPU mammoth. ET44AHs 3314 and 3279 and AC4400CW 56 led the way for T315's consist of SCWX rapid-discharge hoppers, followed by ES44AH 897, a block of trash loads, ES44AH 3077, and a block of mixed freight.
27:14 - After a long lull - and maybe missing one or two trains through tragicomic circumstances - Northeast Regional 195 pulled into the station to conduct business at 5:15, led by P42 142.
29:25 - The southbound Auto Train was 11 minutes behind 195 on track 2, with the power in reverse order from its appearance on the northbound edition earlier.
31:26 - The Silver Star was behind the Auto Train by a wider margin, passing at 6:01 with P42s 196 and 181 on point.
32:19 - The timing seemed just a little too coincidental. Mrs. FFV messaged me to ask how long I planned to be out, to which I responded that I would leave as soon as Q409 showed up, expecting that it would pass around 8-8:30 like it had done on past weekends. Within minutes, I heard Q409 call the signal at North Ashland, and it hurried past the station with ET44AH 3341 leading and ES44AH 3123 shoving from further back as the DPU. Clearly, someone wanted me home before sunset. 
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Weather does start out a little moo who who dee. And the white sky can be a troublemaker. But ya pulled it off nicely. And were rewarded with some nicer weather later on. Sweet video my friend. Nice catches on the leaser and the Maryland Midland hoppers. To name a few. Great job.....Craig
I frequently visit Ashland Railfan Live to watch trains but I've not seen it from your perspective, so thank you very much for sharing your video with those railfans who are unable to be there with you. Excellent video!
Thanks Raymond, glad you're enjoying the videos!
GREAT shots! I'm sick of all the sun shiny shots these views with the mist and fog are OUTRAGEOUS! VERY well done! You have vision!
Thanks! I like the mood it sets, and I enjoy the challenge of getting a good picture out of less-than-ideal weather conditions.
Me gusta ver los trenes llegar, a las estaciones en los diferentes Estados de Estados Unidos.
I love the look of this town!! I live in the uk and discovered it on a railway cam!! So when I come to the states one day this is where I will come!!👍👍
It is most definitely worth a visit. After I discovered just how close I live to Ashland, it quickly became my adoptive railfanning home.
@@FastFlyingVirginian thanks for replying!! It will be my first stop when we are all free again!!👍👍
Man that was some wicked fog. Made for good shots
I see the tables were till at the depot then.
Yup. Last weekend I saw them. Hopefully I can take more advantage of the clearer view of the station from the north side looking south before they really start tearing things up.
Q414/Q413 are back, now just ask them to stay like two good dogs
Awesome shots with the fog!
Thanks!
BIG LIKE
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it!
Great video!
Thank you sir!
ligne tres frequenttée !! belle video ! un fan des trains USA ! dédé de Deauville.... France
Merci!
Nice Action!
Thanks! A little down from years past, but it's still a solid day of railfanning any time I'm out there.
Sherlock holmes novel?, what about a terrifying zombie movie?