Railfanning Chester, VA 8-21-18 (feat. Amtrak 184, CSX SD40-2, and more)

I was invited by Virginia Railfan Productions to railfan with him in his neck of woods, which is down in Chester, halfway between Richmond and Petersburg and over by Centralia where the CSX A-Line meets the Bellwood Subdivision. So after school today (I started school again yesterday), I headed straight to Thurston Road at Milepost 10 to meet up and railfan with Caleb. I'll say Chester is really nice. This is where the Bellwood Sub joins the North End Sub, also where Route 288 joins I-95. We had a pretty good afternoon overall, and I'm glad I got to experience this cool place! Enjoy!
Train #1: Sometime after getting to Thurston Road, I saw some headlights and was able to catch a CSX coal train switching onto the Bellwood Sub. After a bit of filming, I chased it to the Brinkley Road crossing and caught it moving smoothly along.
1. CSX AC4400CW #575
2. CSX ES40DC #5454
3. CSX ES44AH #840
Train #2: After going back to the A-Line crossing, CSX Q439 went through with a pair of GEVOs. The funny thing is that while not shown in this video, someone wrote this on the side of one of the crossing gates: "CSX Rocks But GEVOs Suck". Even though I don't think GEVOs are all bad, I got a kick out of that.
1. ET44AH #3435
2. ES40DC #5364
Train #3: At one point, Caleb told me that Amtrak P080 was down by Collier Yard (later stopped at the Petersburg Amtrak station in Ettrick) and that P079 was at Staples Mill Road Station. Later on, it began raining, even to the point where I decided to sit in my car for a bit. When I got out, the gates were activating, and Amtrak Carolinian #80 rushed by. It was thrilling to get a train in the midst of a rain shower.
1. P42DC #123
Train #4: Amtrak P079 heads south through Centralia with a surprise leader. Amtrak Phase IV heritage unit #184 does the honor of leading the train! I already caught 184 leading P098 in 2013 and leading P080 earlier this year, but it was cool to see it again.
1. P42 #184
Train #5: If we thought 184 leading P079 was today's best catch, we can think again! A CSX work train (which I later found out to be W084) passes through Chester with an SD40-2 leader! CSX SD40-2s aren't too common to see leading, and the last time I caught a CSX SD40-2 leading something other than a yard job was back in May 2015 when I caught #8811 leading H775 through Providence Forge (that was also my first CSX SD40-2 leader catch that wasn't a yard job). But to catch my favorite EMD locomotive type leading, that was a treat! We got a wave from the engineer too. I kinda wonder how it was on the North End Sub, because someone on the ODR group said that it apparently switched onto the Bellwood Sub at Rivanna Junction in downtown Richmond, but the Bellwood Sub doesn't meet up with the North End Sub until the junction just beyond 288 in the distance.
1. SD40-2 #8006
2. AC4400CW #61
Train #6: CSX Q415 passes by with a K5LA leading four engine lashup. The conductor waved to me too, wasn't he kind? He's definitely nicer than Lacus from Eight Marbles, who takes pleasure in defeating everyone. After this train went by, the signal on the other track changed. Looks like we're in for one more train...
1. CSX ES44AC #731
2. CSX AC4400CW #101
3. CSX AC4400CW #293
4. CSX ES40DC #5374
Train #7: Our final train of the day. After a bit of waiting, another (short) southbound CSX manifest (probably Q401 or something of the sort) came into sight with Dave from Rails of Highland Valley trailing! Funny thing is that earlier, Caleb kept saying he hopes Dave doesn't lead anything, but we coincidentally caught him trailing! This is my second time to catch him trailing, after he trailed on Q141 at Collier Yard back in 2016. After this train, it was time for me to head back to Richmond after a good day's worth.
1. ET44AH #3321
2. ES40DC #5265

[@ColeMHusky]

Nice catches Nicholas, especially the SD40-2 leader and Dave trailing, haha!

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thanks Brandon!

[@ColeMHusky]

no problemo! ;)

[@Major_Tom98]

Nice catches! Looks like a typical summer day with the sun shower.

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thanks!

[@umitergul4618]

IYF DALIAH!!!!! AWESOME AND AMAZING WITH THE SD40-2 LEADER NICK!!!!!

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thanks man!

[@Reading3412Studios]

Nice catches man

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thank you

[@Reading3412Studios]

CottonBeltSD40T no problem

[@emmittbunn181]

awesome video

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thanks.

[@nwrailfan7302]

Awesome!!

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thanks!

[@jdrailfan5424]

Nice catches Nicholas And IYF Daliah XD

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thanks Jake

[@haaseshouseoscience6377]

Ha in your face DALIAH this is even better when I caught YOU (daliah) trailing in metropolitan grove in 2017

[@newlibertyphotographyinc.8115]

ATK 184 Was running the downeaster from boston to portland maine

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Interesting.

[@newlibertyphotographyinc.8115]

Well when you have a heritage unit app and a friend who goes railfanning pretty much know

[@theravenq673]

noice i'm gonna go to the SVR Tomorrow in the UK

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thanks, and cool

[@coltonstigall32]

Awesome catches! GOD DAMMIT THAT FIRST CROSSING'S MECHANICAL BELL IS DEAD. Now CSX is gonna fucking replace it...
also in the first clip
Crossing: Train coming through!
Crossing: Well, nope, it turned onto the other subdivision
that's just my thought on the confused crossing in the first clip

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thanks Colton! I thought the same thing on the first clip.

[@newlibertyphotographyinc.8115]

Quick throw dave burgers

[@NassauandSuffolkCountyRailfan]

HAHA DAVE IS TRAILING LMAO

[@awvr777cpAC44]

18:02 IN YOUR FACE DALIAH HAHAHAHAHAHA THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR BEING A BAD ENGINE DALIAH

[@anthonystrains1672]

What road did you film this at?

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Thurston Road.

[@dontstressem2281]

I am from the Petersburg area not far from there

[@TheNWClassA1218]

Sweet, I railfan there a lot.