'Birthday' railfanning - January 26, 2019 at Amsterdam, NY

For my 'birthday' trip this year, we headed up to Amsterdam, NY along the Mowhawk River and CSX's aptly-named Mohawk Sub. Temperatures in the teens and twenties and a coating of snow made for a pleasant wintry scene trackside. Ups and downs in traffic throughout the day resulted in us seeing 24 trains before throwing in the towel at the day's end.
Train 1: (EB) Amtrak 280 Empire Service (0:15)
Amtrak 716 P32ACDM (Ph. IIIb)
Train 2: WB Gondolas (2:33)
CSX 3454 ET44AH (YN3b)
CSX 5345 ES40DC (YN3)
(Rear) CSX 3431 ET44AH (YN3b)
(Rear) CSX 8335 SD40-2 (YN3)
(Rear) CSX 6544 GP40-3 (YN3b)
Clocked at ~62.37 mph
Train 3: (WB) Amtrak 63 Maple Leaf (4:47)
Amtrak 100 P42DC (Ph.V)
Train 4: EB Autorack (8:48)
CSX 9019 C40-9W (YN2)
CSX 8383 SD40-2 (YN3)
Clocked at ~53.56 mph
Train 5: WB Oil (12:52)
BNSF 7616 ES44DC (H3)
CREX 1414 ES44AC
Clocked at ~57.57 mph
Train 6: WB Manifest (15:44)
CSX 5470 ES40DC (YN3)
CSX 8141 SD40-2 (YN3)
Clocked at ~43.61 mph
Train 7: (EB) Amtrak 284 Empire Service (19:45)
Amtrak 702 P32ACDM (Ph. IIIb)
Train 8: WB Autorack (24:00)
CSX 8881 SD40-2 (YN3)
CSX 5371 ES40DC (YN3)
Clocked at ~53.46 mph
Train 9: (WB) Amtrak 281 Empire Service (27:18)
Amtrak 704 P32ACDM (Ph. IIIb)
Train 10: EB Manifest (30:14)
CSX 296 AC4400CW (YN2)
CSX 439 AC4400CW (YN2)
CSX 3117 ES44AH (YN3b)
CSX 400 AC4400CW (YN2)
CSX 459 AC4400CW (YN2)
CSX 5430 ES40DC (YN3)
Clocked at ~57.96 mph
Train 11: EB Intermodal (32:46)
CSX 872 ES44AH (YN3)
CSX 716 ES44AH (YN3)
Clocked at ~58.70 mph
Train 12: WB Intermodal (36:03)
CSX 5237 ES40DC (YN3)
CSX 3249 ES44AH (YN3b)
Clocked at ~61.10 mph
Train 13: (EB) Amtrak 48 Lakeshore Limited (37:54)
Amtrak 123 P42DC (Ph. V)
Amtrak 109 P42DC (Ph. V)
Clocked at ~52.29 mph
Train 14: WB Manifest (39:44)
CSX 5306 ES40DC (YN3)
CSX 5469 ES40DC (YN3)
Clocked at ~49.90 mph
Train 15: WB Intermodal (43:24)
CSX 743 ES44AH (YN3)
CSX 749 ES44AH (YN3)
(Mid-train) CSX 5278 ES40DC (YN3)
(Mid-train) CSX 3390 ET44AH (YN3b)
Clocked at ~63.70 mph
Train 16: WB Autorack (46:34)
CSX 5475 ES40DC (YN3)
CSX 706 ES44AH (YN3)
Clocked at ~51.62 mph
Train 17: WB Autorack (50:04)
CSX 3019 ES44AH (YN3b)
NS 6800 SD60M (HH)
Clocked at ~49.21 mph
Train 18: EB Manifest (53:00)
CSX 412 AC4400CW (YN3b)
CSX 7832 C40-8W (YN2)
Clocked at ~48.36 mph
Train 19: (WB) Amtrak 283 Empire Service (58:10)
Amtrak 707 P32ACDM (Ph. IIIb)
Train 20: WB Manifest (1:02:43)
CSX 7x7 (?) ES44AH (YN3)
CSX 4074 SD40-3 (YN3b)
CSX 2022 GP38-3 (YN3b)
CSX 4xx9 SD40-3 (YN3b)
Clocked at ~50.74 mph
Train 21: (EB) Amtrak 64 Maple Leaf (1:06:08)
Amtrak 98 P42DC (Ph. V)
Train 22: WB Oil (1:10:55)
BNSF 7067 ES44DC (H3)
BNSF 8182 ES44C4 (H3)
Clocked at ~59.87 mph
Train 23: (WB) Amtrak 49 Lakeshore Limited (1:12:59)
Amtrak 77 P42DC (Ph. V)
Amtrak 55 P42DC (Ph. V)
Clocked at ~72.40 mph
Train 24: EB Intermodal (1:13:45)
CSX 5416 ES40DC (YN3)
CSX 550 AC4400CW (YN3b)
Clocked at ~57.96 mph
This video was edited in VEGAS Movie Studio 15.0 Platinum. All footage belongs to me, and in order to be used, permission must be gotten by emailing me at [e-mail].

[@MetroSouthRailVideos]

ah you caught 100 before midnight blue lol

[@MassRailfan776]

I know that Freights don't have a schedule, but do you know If freight will run on Saturdays?

[@MetroSouthRailVideos]

9:45 does 9019 have a K5H?

[@janesexton2470]

I’m in Amsterdam

[@kashishkhandelwal4921]

nice video

[@andrews7805]

Awesome! Can you explain how you clock the speed? I also use Vegas

[@NickyDsTrains]

Andrew S I start by deciding the subject I’m going to use to make this calculation, usually a locomotive. Next, after you have decided, roll the footage until the front end/first part of the subject is right about to “hit” the edge of the frame (for locomotives, I tend to use the closest set of front steps/pilot steps). Simply count the amount of frames it takes for the object to pass, then divide that number by your frame rate. For example, if something takes 45 frames to pass and you record at 60 fps, divide 45 into 60 (it’ll be 0.75). The number you get is the time, in seconds the object took to go by. Save this number somewhere. Divide the length of your object in feet (For example, a Dash 9/AC44 is 73 ft 8 in, so you would put 73.66 for the length) by the time - this is the object’s speed in feet/second. Simply multiply this number by 0.682 (the conversion rate between f/s and mph), and you will have your subject’s speed in miles per hour. It is important that you pick a subject that passes when the frame doesn’t move (basically, no panning or zooming; A tripod also helps) for accurate results.

[@drewjl0]

Nice!!! Just Subbed :)

[@NickyDsTrains]

Thanks!

[@h8m31]

Ayy! I think i found the right channel, You were in Amsterdam NY today right?

[@NickyDsTrains]

Yeah

[@h8m31]

@@NickyDsTrains sweet, did you see the dash 8?

[@NickyDsTrains]

Yeah, however it ended up being a wide nose after all

[@h8m31]

@@NickyDsTrains well, still a CN loco, you guys still out there? I head on the radio that a consist just lost a loco

[@NickyDsTrains]

Ex ATSF, too! I’m the only one still out here, everyone else left - traffic has been dead since about 5:40