Ashland VA 10.29.22: After The Ramble

Having said my goodbyes to the Autumn Leaf Rambler in Dillwyn, I headed back east to Ashland where I would spend the rest of the afternoon.
0:00 - Francis St. - CSX C742
Ashland's station is a fine railfanning spot, but I really like the residential area to the south and the juxtaposition of nicely-landscaped houses with a busy 2-track mainline running down the middle of the street. A dash of fall color added to the scene as ET44AH 3305 joined with ES44AHs 3076 and 3184 to bring a loaded coal train south, symboled C742 under CSX's latest naming scheme.
2:22 - CSX I031/Amtrak Northeast Regional 158
The sounds of suburbia returned to the foreground for about 30 minutes, when ET44AHs 3268 (lead) and 3272 (DPU) rolled down the street with intermodal hotshot I031. As tends to be the case often, the DPU was positioned close to the head end. As the last container faded into the distance a northbound Amtrak blew for Ashcake Road - Northeast Regional 158, led by P42 113.
7:55 - Station - Amtrak 90, Palmetto
I relocated to the station area in time to catch the northbound Palmetto, led by Phase II heritage P42 130.
8:29 - Amtrak Northeast Regional 195
P42 112 announced its approach with Northeast Regional 195 a few minutes shy of 5 PM.
10:29 - Amtrak 91, Silver Star
The shadows hadn't yet overtaken the trees across the street as P42s 183 and 132 led the southbound Silver Star past the station. I had hoped to catch the southbound Auto Train at its customary time, but it had still not departed Lorton and wasn't expected to for another couple of hours. With no CSX trains on the radar, I called it a day, packed up the gear, and pointed the FFVmobile towards home.
#train #trainspotting #railfanning #railroad #ashland #virginia #travel

[@op6883]

That intermodal is chugging