Well, I went out with a couple of my friends from the club. Neither of them had really fanned the area before, so we started off at Kenwood, which would need to be passed anyway if we were headed to Selkirk or Voorheesville. We also decided to take advantage of the fresh 2-3" of snow we had picked up overnight. First thing we saw as the yard came into view was Lightning Stripe, so we got off the highway and went over to the yard. It was about 10 and overcast and we waited on the east end of the yard to wait. We had waited about twenty minutes, then decided to shoot from the street that parallels the yard. We headed over there, and low and behold, it was D&H 7303, which I haven't heard from in a while. We got a few shots, then it started to move, pulling a cut to the south (west) end of the yard. We drove down to that side, and got some nice long-end shots from the crossing of it kicking cars. We left the yard around 11:00. It was starting to clear, blue skies to the west. From there it was down to Voorheesville. We decided to set up on the Rte 201 crossing, which is actually one crossing west of the (former) location of the diamonds, in Guilderland. We were looking for an eastbound, as the sun was better for it. Finally, around 12:26, we got our first train, and it was an eastbound. CSX 636 and 9025 led 101 mixed cars past our spot at a good clip. The signals indicated another eastbound behind it, so we shot over to the diamonds for a different shot. As we're pulling in, a westbound is heading out (luckily slowly) not quite at the crossing. We pulled in to take a quick passing shot, and just our luck, power was CSX 661, GCFX 3072 (in the Alstom scheme) and FURX 3031 pulling 131 mixed cars. It would have been nice to get a good shot of this train, as this unit is unique. We then set up for the next eastbound, and at about 1:00 it came barreling down the track, led by CN 5770 and 5774. This train also blew by at high speed, with another 96 mixed cars. At this point we were frozen, as the wind was incredible, coming from the west. At least the sky was clear. Next we headed to Selkirk, and pulled in down by CP-FB at the west end of the yard. Our CN train from before was holding the main at CP-FB waiting for a track in the yard. It finally pulled in at 1:30. We took a few shots under the Rte 32 bridge looking east, and it looked like there was some activity on the receiving yard lead. Lots of trucks were surrounding an engine. Another eastbound came through (1:43, CSX 7740, 8634, 3896, about 60 covered hoppers), and didn't take the receiving yard track, but went to the Top End. We then went to Ben's Bridge and took a few shots, then decided to return to the west end to see what was up. We asked for and received permission (as long as we didn't cross any tracks) to go down the access road on the south side of the yard from FB and got shots from about 50 yards of a locomotive on the ground (CSX 7542, a C40-8). We got down there around 2:40 or so. The front truck was on the ground, and the unit was facing east, probably the trailing unit of a three-unit set (CSX 75, 8386 and the above). Those two were cut off and moving. It appears the unit jumped the tracks on a switch around receiving Track 3. The crane was out with the end lifted up so they could realign the trucks, we watched for about fifteen minutes, then roaring around the corner came a hot stack train on Track 11, a mere 3 feet away. CSX 653 and 760 provided power, trailing 125 cars (individual wells). We were frozen, so we headed to back into the car and to head out, but there was another train at FB. We drove down that access road to see it, and shot CSX 8208 waiting, then we waited for it to move. Finally we turned to head out about 3:25, and coming out of the top end were four Geeps. CSX 6246, 2762 (in fresh paint, I had seen it in CR paint in the fall), 6235, and 6241 appeared to be switching. We still had enough light so we took some shots. Then it was back to home. We decided to head home by way of Kenwood again, and 7303 was still there, so we hoy a few more shots in softer light at 3:55. As we got on to I-787 to head north, we spotted a train heading in to Kenwood from the north, so we quickly jumped off and headed back, but we missed the train at the entrance, but noticed a pair of NS C40-9Ws (9027, 9369) getting fueled on the back side of the facility. A couple of soft-light glint shots were taken, then we went to the south (west) end of the yard, where we were earlier. It was now 4:15, and there was still enough soft light. As the train came down, we made a startling discovery. The power was CP 5916, 6504, and D&H 7312!!! TWO Lightning Stripes in the SAME YARD!!!! Too bad we didn't catch them on the front (I-787) side together. We got a few shots, then headed back to the front side. 7303 was sitting there all alone in perfect light, so we got a few more shots, this time roster-style. Then we finally packed it in. A good full day of Railfanning with a couple of good finds. I will add pictures to my website as I get them in, and I'll put a couple here. I'll let you guys know when I get the pics. ------------------ Corey Lynch Pres - Rensselaer Model RR Society, NEB&W RR http://www.rpi.edu/~lynchc/Railfanning/railfanning.htm - My Site http://www.union.rpi.edu/railroad/ - NEB&W [This message has been edited by Harron (edited 22 January 2001).]
Now that's what I'd call a day well spent! Harold ------------------ Harold Hodnett Fan of NS, CSX, and their predecessors! Coming soon: The North Carolina Railfan Web Site http://www.trainweb.org/ncrail/
Look forward to seeing your images and I hope you will let me use the D&H related shots on why web site too. ------------------ Stourbridge Lion stourbridge_lion@yahoo.com Delaware and Hudson Virtual Museum
