December 27th: The Last Trip of 2017

With 2016 coming to a close, and a week off from school, my dad and I took December 27th as a day of railfanning. We got up early, well before sunrise. A friend with ATCS noted a trio of westbound Norfolk Southern trains on the Lake Erie District. We raced to North East, PA to intercept.

We got to North East around 6:45am, arriving at a car repair shop on Washington Street, with some street lights to shine the rails. At 6:52am, the cantilever signal activated, and NS 205 raced by us under the command of a D9-44CW and an ex-Conrail D8-40CW. After 205 cleared, the defect detector at QD 68.2 on CSX read off a “No defects” and 35 mph train.

We raced over to the opposite side, and at 7:00am, a CSX manifest slowly hobbled through North East, with a CSX ES44AH and ex-Conrail D8-40CW slowly building speed. By the time the train cleared, and we returned to the other side, NS 145 was within range. At 7:12am, 145 raced through North East with a Canadian Pacific duo.

From there, we moved up a mile or so to Bort Road. An old wooden bridge, soon slated for demolition and no replacement, stands to guide vehicles over CSX. This leads directly to a crossing with Norfolk Southern's Lake Erie District.

We were only there for a few minutes, when at 7:39am, CSX’s Q090, the Salad Shooter, as local railfans call it, raced by with UP ES44AC #5395 leading UP AC4400CW #6488 and UP SD70M #3974.

Amtrak 48 had left Erie at 7:47am. By the time he came to North East, NS 23K could be heard a couple miles up. I set up on the opposite side of the NS tracks, by the grapefield. I pressed record on the camera in time to get Amtrak’s passing as 23K rounded the bend with a Canadian Pacific ES44AC leading a BNSF ES44C4 and BNSF D9-44CW.

Things quieted down for a little under an hour before L227 came around with SD40-2 #8181 leading D8-40CW 7730. Things went quiet again until an eastbound CSX intermodal raced by at 9:29am with CSX AC4400CW #376 leading SD70MAC #4795 and AC4660CW #660.

Thirty-one minutes later, Q393 dragged itself down the Erie West Subdivision with AC4400CW #560 leading D8-40CW #7697.

We lingered for a few minutes, then went to Cemetery Road on the west side of North East in hopes of catching NS local C62. At 10:36am, we saw Q022 race by with ET44AH #3310 leading ES44AH #721 and AC4400CW #215. Q020 promptly followed about ten minutes later with a duo of ES40DCs.

We went to lunch, then while stopping at Subway to grab some dessert (their cookies are amazing!), we heard a crackle on CSX with a train coming through. We sped back to Washington Street and just made it for a westbound manifest. CSX ES40DC #5121 was leading ES44AH #834 and D8-40CW #7364. After, we promptly returned to Cemetery Road.

We were at Cemetery Road for a good half hour, when at 12:06pm, CSX S256 came through with SD50-2 #8565 leading SD40-2 #8135.

We began to make our course up to Westfield, when we heard a train trip the Ripley Defect Detector. We swung in at a crossing at the state line with plenty of time. It was Q127, enroute from South Kearny, NJ to North Baltimore, OH, with ES40DC #5211 leading AC4400CW #537.

We went to Westfield but saw nothing. Then, we heard the dispatcher tell NS 316 to go in the hole for some NS eastbound action. NS 309 was up in Silver Creek as well, and NS 287 was leaving Bison Yard. We raced to Rogerville Road, at hamlet called Forsyth.

At 1:17pm, Q158 raced east with ET44AH #3321 leading ET44AH #3281. Five minutes later, NS 206 raced east with a D9-40CW duo.

At 1:47pm, CSX responded with Q264, eastbound autoracks from Toledo to Framingham, MA with a D8-40CW duo, #7840 and #7753. NS 26R was chasing his tail end with BNSF ES44C4 #6628 as the lone power.

After a little bit of lingering, NS 316 finally dragged out of the siding at Whitehouse and passed us at 2:10pm, with NS ES44DC #7702 leading UP SD70M #4118.

Around twenty minutes later, CSX K142 passed us with BNSF “Fakebonnet” #758 leading BNSF SD70ACe #9146.

Our stay at Rogerville Road continued when a westbound CSX intermodal passed at 2:54pm with a CSX ES40DC, CSX AC4400CW, CSX ET44AH, CSX AC4660CW and a CSX ET44AH. NS 22K promptly followed 10 minutes later with D9-40CW #9432 leading D8-40CW #8408.

We proceeded back to Gale Street in Westfield, our usual spot. Q119 passed at 3:24pm with ES44AH #874 leading AC4660CW #665. Eastbound manifest NS 14M passed at 3:39pm with D9-40CW #8963 and D9-40CW #9325. He went in the hole at Pomfret for 309 and 287, so we sped to Pratt Road.

At Pratt Road, we were quickly greeted by Q008, with SD70MAC #4708 leading ES44AH #890. NS 309 passed three minutes later with SD60E #6999 leading SD70M #2631.

NS 287 would be our last train, and he passed at 4:58pm with NS D9-40CW #8904 (with a very awesome Nathan P5), NS D9-40CW, 9373, and ES44DC #7605.

That would finish off our final planned outing of 2016. Here’s to 2017!

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JRRxyk-uRMI

~AK

Bernie Baker: Q & A Session With The Man Behind Streamliners 2016

Bernie Baker is the man who was responsible for Streamliners 2016 which occurred this year in Australia.  He has been working with streamliner locomotives for decades and has a passion for them like how car guys are with Mustangs and Camaros. RPJ had the wonderful opportunity to have an interview with him about his work with streamliner locomotives, his background and some plans for the future!

RPJ:
So what drove you to create the streamliners event?

Bernie:

I Love the design and with so many of them still in service Down Under in various paint schemes it was a case of I had better do something before all the high tech shit sees them out the door. The company I work for have seven on the books.

RPJ:

How hard was it to coordinate everything to make it all happen?

Bernie:

It was not that bad as I have a pretty good network of contacts in the industry and that made it easier.

RPJ:

So you can say you had a lot of experience with these streamliners?

Bernie:

I started on the job in 82 and they have been a staple diet through my career.

We were all EMD until 1984 when through working started from interstate. That meant I worked the ALCO's as well.  So, I'm hooked with Streamliners in the blood.

RPJ: Now what's your opinion of American streamliners?

Bernie:

They're Gods! Without them and Dick Dillworth we wouldn't have them. With what the Poms had on offer thank goodness we swayed towards US technology and engineering.

RPJ:

If you had to pick a favorite streamliner from an operating perspective. What is your favorite?

Bernie:

An original B class with a 16-567B or BC. Many of the B's that are left have C blocks in them and they just don't sound the same.

RPJ:

So would you consider yourself  a railfan or more as a railroader?

Bernie:

Both. I googled Idiot Railfan. I'm a few things on the list, but not 10 of them. Being a railfan railroader means I'm in the box seat. The job must come first. Having said that I'm fortunate the company I work for roster me whenever possible to work the Streamliners, especially the one they named after me - B61.

RPJ:

That's amazing that they named one after you! How did that all happen?

Bernie:

I had just returned from the States in 2014. Two weeks later I had two heart attacks. It was while I was recovering they surprised me with the naming. They said they named it because of my dedication and input into preserving and recoding Australia's railway history and being a dedicated employee.

RPJ:

So what was your thoughts on the North Carolina Transportation Museum's 2014 Streamliners event?

Bernie:

If not for the social aspect of it, I would have been out of there in a couple of hours. It was lacking things to keep me there. This is why I had loco and horn sound off's and of course the fireworks.

RPJ:

So was your intent for your event to make it more attractive to those from outside the railroad world?

Bernie:

No it was to make it more attractive to those inside the RR world and to make it an event to remember. Mission accomplished!

RPJ:

Do you plan on running another event like this (Streamliners) in the future?

Bernie:

In 2018, but it will be a New South Wales Railways weekend, past and present. Fireworks included and at the same roundhouse.

Modern Day Railfanning: Does It Really Suck or Are People Not Looking In The Right Places To Film Trains?

Editorial By Ian Cole

GE dominance, cab signals, only 7 class one railroads to railfan in the United States, yeah those all definitely suck. These are only a few things playing into why railfans don't go out as much as they used to. I've heard some railfans even resort to being so picky that they haven't even filmed or photographed a train in over a year! Yeah, I get it I hate trash 9's too they suck, but are you looking for trains in the right places? Here's a list of why you need to have some adjustment's made to your shitty attitude

• There are several shortline railroads with good power.
• Wheeling and Lake Erie hasn't been bought out by Genesee and Wyoming and has one of the most colorful fleets of locomotives ever.
• Alcos run everywhere on railroads like Western New York and Pennsylvania and Delaware Lackawanna.
• Bessemer and Lake Erie has awesome orange locomotives as well as Illinois Central power.
• Brier Hill on the north side of Youngstown still has maroon and yellow Ohio Central locomotives, and not to mention some P & LE boxcars.
• Union railroad in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania uses freaking cabooses still
• Roadrailers still run in Indiana!
• Larry's Truck and Electric has tons of old locomotives from Conrail, Burlington Northern, Wisconsin Central, among others
• If you head out west wig wag railroad crossings are still in use all over out there!
• Railroad museum's are in most area's and can really take you back in time
• Amtrak's northeast corridor has several passenger trains that you can easily get your fix on.
• People are building a f*cking Pennsylvania Railroad T1

Instead of complaining, plan a visit to one of these locations. Better yet, why not help restore the stuff you miss?  The point is the stuff is still out there (at least somewhat) the question is are you willing to go out and get as much of it as you can or are you going to piss and groan about it?

Anyways if you liked this article, please share it with your friends, and feel free to comment your thoughts.

You Might Be A Foamer If... #2

The second edition of you might be a foamer if. Hopefully these are just as good.

YOU might be a foamer if…

You’re scheduled to work at 6:15 but you clock in at 6:11.

Your favorite locomotive is the EMD SD70ACe.

You downloaded the Heritage Units app.

You check Heritage Units before you go to railfan.

All of your Facebook heads-ups include a photo and military time.

You wear a vest when you go trackside

You have two cameras with you

You also have a scanner with every single railroad frequency

You chase the same set of Illinois Central SD70s on the Bessemer & Lake Erie every chance you get.

You railfan no matter what the weather is outside

You railfan on holidays

You went to watch trains instead of your homecoming dance...or prom

Your girlfriend likes trains

You think a Nathan K5LA is gay (they are though)

You foam over a P5 or RS5T

Your first model engine was a heritage unit (guilty)

You had a trackside seat at the Berea Union Depot so you wouldn’t miss any train action

Your off-days from work include railfanning

You railfan on your birthday

You know what a foamer boner is

You refer to CSX 5286 as the “Spirit of Generic Foamer”

You follow Generic Foamer

You comment on popular YouTube channels to fish for subscribers and views (sort of guilty)

Your YouTube channel includes some version of “Railfan Productions” (guilty, please subscribe to Red Raider Railfan Productions :^)

You foam over NS 1030 and 1111 (THEY’RE BASIC ACES FOR CHRISTS’ SAKE!)

If your Instagram profile shows how many heritage or special units of each railroad you have, you might be a foamer.

12 Days Of Foaming (A Parody Of 12 Days Of Christmas)

Lyrics by Ian Cole (If you steal them I will find you and hurt you...)

On the first day of foaming the railroad gave to me
A Gevo built by GE

On the second day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Two hours of nothing
and A Gevo built by GE

On the third day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

On the fourth day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

On the fifth day of foaming the railroad gave to me
FIVE EMD'S
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

On the sixth day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Six hours delaying
FIVE EMD'S
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

On the seventh day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Seven solid lash ups
Six hours delaying
FIVE EMD'S
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

On the eighth day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Eight trains derailing
Seven solid lash ups
Six hours delaying
FIVE EMD'S
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

On the ninth day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Nine fines for trespassing
Eight trains derailing
Seven solid lash ups
Six hours delaying
FIVE EMD's
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

On the tenth day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Ten Ferromex's
Nine fines for trespassing
Eight trains derailing
Seven solid lashups
Six hours delaying
FIVE EMD'S
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

On the eleventh day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Eleven defects detected
Ten Ferromex's
Nine fines for trespassing
Eight trains derailing
Seven solid lashups
Six hours delaying
FIVE EMD'S
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
nd a Gevo built by GE

On the twelfth day of foaming the railroad gave to me
Twelve heavy coal trains
Eleven defects detected
Ten Ferromex's
Nine fines for trespassing
Eight trains derailing
Seven solid lashups
Six hours delaying
FIVE EMD's
Four Tim White threats
Three trash 9s
Two hours of nothing
And a Gevo built by GE

10 Reasons Why Trains Are Better Than Dealing With Your Significant Other

Article By Ian Cole

Admit it, if you've been in a relationship with someone you get tired of the nagging, the procrastinating, etc. At times we wonder why on earth did we want to even get together with them, and is there something out there that might be easier to deal with than them?
That's why at RPJ we created this list, to show you how trains may be better than dealing with your significant other.

10. Trains can't procrastinate for six months: Yes they do run late, yes they are slow most of the time, but have you ever seen one be put off for six months?

9.  TRAINS CAN'T CAUSE YOU TO HAVE TO PAY CHILD SUPPORT

8. They don't take twelve damn hours to decide where the hell they want to go for dinner: And they don't say anywhere, whatever, or I don't care either.... they simply go to the fuel pad, coal shaft or water tank to get what they need.

7. Trains won't put nasty icy feet on your back while you try to sleep: They may wake you up if you live close enough but at least they don't have feet to give you hell while you sleep.

6. Trains can't have an affair: When was the last time you saw a train on Jerry Springer, The front of People Magazine, or was named Bill Clinton?

5. They don't tell you to go cut the grass or do the dishes 10 times in one hour.

4. Trains don't give a rats ass if you decide to watch every football game that's being played on Sunday.

3. Trains (unless they derail on your property) don't force you to do home improvement projects: That's right, you can sit back and enjoy a nice  cold beer or beverage, and some chicken wings.

2. They can't nag you to take them to the mall or movies: But you may end up wanting to go to the hobby store to get some.

1. Trains can't be physically or verbally abusive

Think there's something we missed or should've covered.. comment them below... Thanks for reading!

You Might Be A Foamer If

Article by Ian Cole

Today at RPJ we have decided it would be a good idea to make a list of things that would classify you as a railfan or foamer. If you find yourself to match up with any of these things, it may be a good idea to  reevaluate what your life has become... (Just kidding)


Anyways you might be a foamer if:

• Every time you see a blue locomotive you automatically assume it's an ex conrail
• Ex con does not mean prisoner to you
• You are more likely to go out to get a heritage unit instead of attending a family gathering
• Your I-pod contains nothing but songs like Wabash Cannonball, Orange Blossom Special, or any song that has to do with a train
• You cried when one of your favorite railroad lines was abandoned (Guilty)
•  Memory foam means a flashback of a good train to you
• When a derailment happens you are concerned about the crews well being AND the locomotives well being
• You call a dash 9 a trash 9
• You freak out over gevos
• your name is Ian Cole
• You've ended up on tosh.0 for all the wrong reasons involving trains
• You've threatened to shank vandals with railroad spikes
• When someone says they want foam insulation put up in their house and you tell them to hold a picture of NS 8114, 611, or a Ferromex locomotive in front of where they want the foam installed
• You cussed someone out who cut in front of your photo line
• You've been asked if you're gay for trains 
• Your entire wardrobe is nothing but shirts from daylight sales
• Your definition of a "drive by shooting" is riding down the highway closest to the train yard and shooting every damn piece of train equipment from the road while flying by at 45 miles an hour or more.
• You take home a railroad spike from every railroad line you visited
• Your spouse sends you with $300 to buy a Christmas tree and says you can keep the rest for trains (Buys a 10 dollar tree gets $290 worth of trains)
• Christmas time is the only time you seem perfectly normal to society
• If the numbers 611 765 8098 or 4014 mean anything to you
• You've been called in by some oblivious passerby who thought you were a psychotic maniac
• You can remember the best damn day of railfanning you've ever had but you can't remember your mother's birthday
• You name your kids Connie (for conrail) Chessie (chessie system) Casey (Casey Jones) Willard (Railroad town and last name of former B & O Executive) or Wheeling (Wheeling and lake erie railway)
• Your alarm clock is a train whistle
• You could care less if you're in a dangerous neighborhood as long as there are awesome trains in the area
• You walked over five miles to go shoot trains
• You go out railfanning when its below 0 degrees F
• Your kids first pacifier was a wooden train whistle
• Your vacation destination is to a place like Horseshoe Curve, Fostoria, or Folkston

See one that we are missing? Comment them below. Thanks for taking your time to read this list!

A list of questions railfans don't like to be asked

Article By Ian Cole

I often have to deal with people who are unfamiliar with the railfanning hobby. People who may not even have a clue at all about the railroads. This is a good opportunity to spread some awareness and shed light on a subject, that doesn't get talked about all that much. But there are some questions that absolutely drive us nuts.. Today at RPJ, we have compiled a list of questions that just drive us nuts, and we will actually do our best to answer them through here (we may get sarcastic on some).

Q:Do you know the schedule of the trains?

A: For the most part no. Railroads in North America (Outside of passenger trains) Don't have schedules because so much can go wrong. (Locomotive breaks down, maintenance issues, auto router screws things up) Passenger schedule you can pretty much look up on the internet for almost every railroad that offers it.

Q: Is there a steam train coming?

A: Most of the time no, but there may be something interesting coming like a rare locomotive, or an unusual freight load, etc

Q: Are you a terrorist?

A: Does it look like I got a damn bomb on my chest?

Q: What are you doing by the tracks?

A: I'm waiting for a boat to show up....  I'm filming trains...

Q: What's a heritage unit?

A: A heritage unit is a specially painted train that either Norfolk Southern or Union Pacific made.

Q: Are you a hobo?

A: No (Proceeds to shave beard) 

Q:  How many engines does it have?

A: some have one others have 2 others have 7 others have 30

Q: do you do this every day?

A: I wish

Q: Why do you like trains?

A: Why do you like football or pizza?

Q: Why is there no caboose

A: Why don't you ask F.R.E.D.? (Flashing Rear End Device)

Q: Don't you have a life?

A: I sure do but judging by your search history on your computer I should be asking you that question.

Q: Are you gay for trains?

A: f*ck you

Chances are railfans don't like to be asked a lot of these questions, and results of asking these questions may result in anything from a simple answer to being punched in the face or worse.. 

A Night At The Museum

This years theme was "40 Years of Conrail"
Article and Photo by Ian Cole

Back in June 2016 Sam Zitello and I headed up to the Lake Shore Railway Museum's "Night At The Museum" event. Along the way we made short stops at both Conneaut and Erie, where we would run into A Norfolk Southern local parked in the yard at Conneaut, Nickel Plate Road 755, and a Ferromex GEVO locomotive awaiting to be shipped from the GE in Erie.  When we arrived in North East, Pennsylvania we got to witness both Canadian Pacific trackage rights trains pass through. Shortly after we were given a tip from a few railfans in the Buffalo, New York area regarding a mixed freight on CSX that included power from Dakota Minnesota and Eastern Railway, Iowa Chicago and Eastern, Canadian Pacific, and CSX! What a start! Throughout the day before the night photo shoot would begin, we saw power from Norfolk Southern and Union Pacific as well. The museum also provided speeder rides for all to enjoy that got you up close to the New York Central signal bridge towards the edge of the museum property. Once the night photo shoot began things got even sweeter. The museum patched their New York Central 2500 a GE U25B Locomotive to look just like a former conrail locomotive before they started painting them blue. Rick Rowlands also brought his Hi-Railer truck coined "spongebob" to the event and added a nice compliment to the photos. The museum also had a Conrail transfer caboose that they would use for the event and provided plenty of nice photo opportunities. That night when everyone was off to rest a number of us had the opportunity of a lifetime to sleep in a Great Northern Railway sleeping car used on the "empire builder" train back in the day. When we woke up, we were greeted by Amtrak's 48 "The Lake Shore Limited" shortly after that, we all packed our things and headed our separate ways. All in all, the event was a great experience I will never forget!

A Long Railfanning Day

Any railfan who’s been to Ohio knows Berea is a must stop site for railfanning. Berea is basically the funnel for CSX and Norfolk Southern as they head west. Both Norfolk Southern’s Chicago Line and CSX’s Short Line Subdivision are former New York Central and Conrail trackage. Norfolk Southern is Milepost 194.0, and CP 194 is right here. CSX is at milepost QDS 21.7. Berea Tower still stands in the middle, as does the Berea Union Depot (more on that later).

It really started in Harborcreek, PA while trying to find breakfast. As we pulled up to a crossing, Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited blazed out of its Erie, PA stop eight minutes late, and that was all we would see until we got to Ohio.

Nearly two hours later, while driving down I-71 to head into Berea, we noticed a train on Norfolk Southern's Chicago Line near the Brook Park Metro Stop. It was 34N, with NS ES44AC #8100, the Nickel Plate Road heritage unit, leading a former ATSF SD75M. 8100 was having cab signal issues and would need a leader with cab signals to bring the train to Conway. After a quick U-Turn, we went back, took a few shots, then went off to Berea.

We rolled over the Front Street bridge to see a headlight appear on Norfolk Southern, so it was a frantic race to the tracks. After a few minutes, it was NS 205 from Buffalo heading to Chicago, with D9-44CW #9934 leading ES44DC 7686 and SD60E 7006. Moments later was Q393 from Selkirk to Chicago, with CSX 829 and CSX 359 at the helm. Q393 was a massive 177 cars on this day.

It was a 34 minute wait before NS 27R with NS D9-40CW 9380 rounded the bend under the Front Street bridge. After a few minutes, CSX Syracuse to Columbus Intermodal Q123-14 rounded the bend with CSX ES40DC #5265 leading ES44AH 727 and ES40DC 5316. CSX furthered their parade with Q022-15 from Columbus to Worcester with ES40DC 5360, AC4400CW 323 and its L&N emblem, and ET44AH 3258, followed by Q378 from Columbus to Selkirk with D8-40CW 7710 and AC4400CW 381.

It didn’t take much longer for more traffic to appear. At 11:03am, NS 26R, from Toledo to Buffalo, cleared CP-194 with NS ET44AC #3630 flying solo, sounding its horn for the foreman who was inspecting switches. Six minutes later, CSX sent another eastbound, this time an unidentified manifest, with ES44AH 953 leading ES40DC 5223. Less than ten minutes later, NS sent an intermodal westbound, with a six unit consist. D9-40CW 9959 lead D9-44CW 9913, SD70M-2 2758, D8-40CW 8347, and D9-40CW twins 9267 and 9190.

It was an eighteen minute wait for NS 21G-15, enroute from Harrisburg to Fort Madison, Iowa to round the bend. The power tapped for this one was NS ES44AC #8043 and ES44DC #7643. After this, it was off to lunch, which wasn’t far away.

Our lunch was at the Berea Union Depot, now converted into a restaurant. We requested a trackside seat. And sure enough, 15J, which had sat in Brook Park most of the morning, rolled west. It met 22K a few moments later. A third train came, a westbound NS manifest, with a NS Dash 9, UP SD70M, a UP ES44AC, and another NS Dash 9 rolled by. After lunch, it was time to go back trackside.

It wasn’t too long of a wait, at 12:39pm eastbound Fostoria to Doremus, NJ Autorack train 18N rounded the corner with SD70M 2617 leading ES44DC 7704 and D8-40CW 8375, the engineer giving us a horn salute as he went towards Rockport Yard. Sixteen minutes later, it was NS 20R, enroute from Chicago to Elizabeth, NJ with SD70ACe 1117 leading D9-40CW 9430. As soon as 20R cleared Berea Tower, NS 23K, enroute from the Pan-Am Southern in Ayer, MA to Chicago, rounded the bend with ES44DCs 7507 and 7567 sandwiching D8-40CW 8365.

It would be a thirteen minute wait until NS 414, oddly a westbound, rounded the bend with SD70ACe 1096 leading D9-40CW 9088, and a good sized train of loaded coke.

Around 1:15pm, NS 145 pulled up and stopped short of the tower to wait for 24W. Meanwhile, CSX Selkirk to Cincinnati Autorack train Q225 rounded the bend with SD50-2 #8616 leading D8-40CW 7708. Not too much longer after Q225’s passing, 24W, running from Chicago to Croxton, NJ, rounded the bend with SD70ACe 1146 and D9-40CW 9104 doing the honors, with a short train in tow.

After 24W’s passing, 145 was given permission to proceed west towards Kansas City, MO, its final destination. At the helm were Kansas City Southern ES44AC #4793, in the Southern Belle scheme, leading KCS Gray Ghost #4578.

It would be nearly an hour before CSX Q166 finally appeared. This is the Canadian Pacific’s Chicago to Montreal intermodal that uses CSX tracks as a faster route. At the point was CP ES44AC 8859, and CIT Equipment Finance Corporation (CEFX) AC4400CW #1031. This then opened the floodgates.

Moments after Q166’s passing, NS 206, a Chicago to Mechanicville, NY intermodal, rolled by with SD70ACe 1079 and D9-40CW 9868 at the point. The engineer gave us a horn salute as he passed. As 206 rolled by, Q357, enroute from Dunkirk, NY to Willard, OH, snuck up on us with ET44AH 3308 leading ES44AH 704, AC44CW 159, D8-40CW 7305, and rebuilt GP38-3, 2027. Moments after, Conway, PA to Decatur, IL manifest 35N headed west at CP-194 with NS 9415 leading NS 9354 and NS 3386, a freshly painted SD40-2.

Nearly a half hour later, high priority Chicago to North Bergen, NJ intermodal Q010-15 shot by with CSX ES40DC twins 5489 and 5263 leading ES44AH 3093. Adding on another half hour of waiting, NS 20E rolled towards Rockport Yard with SD70ACe 1091 leading D9-40CW 9595, and D9-40C 8812. The NS standard cab Dash 9s are becoming a rare sight, as most are being retired, pending a rebuild into AC44C6Ms. As 20E rolled by, CSX loaded ethanol train K662 flew by with UP SD70M 5147 and AC6000CW 7337.

At quarter after four, NS 21Q came by as it went to Chicago from Harrisburg with SD60E #7009 leading SD70M-2 2676, and SD70ACU 7286. 7286 was rebuilt from UP SD9043MAC 3511 (formerly UP 8058, per NSDash9.com). Finally, 16G, from Elkhart to Allentown, PA rolled by with a Dash 9 trio of 9444, 9937, and 9885. After that, it was off to dinner, then the long drive home.

On the way back home, we made a stop to Madison, OH. This is CSX QD142.6 on the Erie West Subdivision, and NS B143.8 on the Lake Erie District. We were preparing to leave when we heard a crackle on the radio. After a short wait, it was Q157, intermodal from Kearny, NJ to Chicago, IL. At the helm was AC4400CW 560 and ES44AH 3086. Shortly after, our final train, NS 316 came into the picture. We set up so that we had the former Nickel Plate Road depot in out shot. The depot was slated for demolition, and was in very rough shape. Our wait was not long, as ES44AC 8149 and D9-40CW 9624 rocketed by Madison with NS 316, heading to Buffalo.

That would do it for this amazing trip, which saw 29 trains, a personal record for a single day outing. A total of 15 hours including the drive to and from home.

You can view my YouTube video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RNwZzyXfjc

You can follow my channel on Facebook: www.facebook.com/redraiderrailfanproductions

EPILOGUE:

About two weeks after our visit to Madison, the former NKP passenger station and freight depot were demolished. A sad ending to two historic structures.

Reasons Why Thomas The Tank Engine Would Make A Better President Than Trump Or Clinton

Article  By Ian Cole

2016 has been a very depressing  and dissapointing year in terms of presidential  politics.
So much so that some people are often looking to write in presidential candidates  and throw away their vote on ridiculous  candidates like "deez nuts" "harambe the  gorilla" among others. This is largely  in part to the fact that Americans feel like neither Democratic Candidate  Hillary Clinton  nor Republican  Candidate Donald Trump are good fits for President of the United States. In fact these two are so bad that I was certain  Thomas The Tank Engine  would be better than them.  Here's  a list of reasons  why I feel he is more qualified than those two buffoons.

1. Has Donald or Hillary ever been a useful engine that rescued another train from danger? Didn't  think so.

2. Thomas can run right over almost  any problem  or obstacle without issue.. Unlike the two dingleberrys that are taking up all of the spotlight.

3. Thomas couldn't  possibly  cause  as much confusion and delay as Trump or Clinton would.

4. Thomas has better memes and song remixes  than Trump or Clinton ever will.

5. Do children love Clinton  or Trump? Unlike Thomas I highly  doubt it.

6. Have you ever heard of A Day Out With Donald or A Day  Out With Hillary? Didn't  think so... but Thomas has his own day out on railroads  everywhere.

7. Has Thomas ever had a major scandal? Didn't  think so.

8. Thomas has never committed  sexual assault.

9. Thomas  doesn't  kill people unless  it was an accident, chances are the person  who was killed was standing  in the tracks and putting themselves  in danger anyways.

10. Thomas  has never threatened to declare  war on anyone..

These all make Thomas  a better candidate  than either of the two dissapointments.  I'm  sure Thomas  could cause our nation  to have minimum  confusion  and delay, and will make America really  useful  again..

The Benefits Of Using Drones While Railfanning

Drones have become immensely  popular  for doing video and photography. They provide views  that one would not be able to get on the ground. Drones are an excellent  tool but they also must be used responsibly, and they also must be registered  on the FAA website. But despite  the hassle and regulations it is worthwhile  to look into getting  one especially  if you are a railfan. There are many reasons to get one and drones can help railfans do tasks that only a drone is capable of.  RPJ has compiled a list of reasons  for railfans to get a drone.

1.  Drones  can fly above train yards: Railroad management  is normally  hostile  to railfans that are in the ground on foot. Railfans are always looking for specific engines and sometimes the only place you can see them by going through a train yard. Unfortunately this is Illegal to do on foot and can result in trespassing charges. However,   a drone can solve this problem as long as it is no lower than 80 feet in the air. So if you have a hard time with getting  a particular  locomotive  and you know it's  in that yard it's  possible  to get it now thanks to drones.

2. They can prevent  a meet blocking  a desired train. One of the biggest  pains a railfan  can run into while railfanning is being blocked  by another train. Just ask the railfans who got blocked  from seeing Nickel Plate Road 765 at Berea and Horseshoe Curve! A drone could  have easily  solved this problem  for any railfan who had to deal with this dilemna by being above the problem.

3. Another thing they can do is remove the annoyance of having  objects or people in the way of your shot:
Let's  face it, most of us have had to deal with the jackass lady with the ipad before that cuts in front of your  shot to get her lousy photo. With a drone you don't  have to really deal with that as you are above everything. It also prevents conflict breaking out thanks to ones ignorance.

4. Also, drones  can take video and have still photos taken out of it: This is very useful  for flying drones above areas with lots of trains such as LTEX, NREX, or museums that have too much equipment  to record  in one  shot.

5. Drones can make shots much more interesting  for your audiences. Let's  face it, I run a page called Worldwide  Railfan Productions  as well and our viewers are always  looking  for something  new and different  than what the competition  puts out. If they get bored because  our  material  is getting  stale we try to do stuff differently  and it tends to gather their interest back into railfanning. Drones  can be an excellent  source of changing it up by providing  unique  views that you can't  normally  get.

Have any other reasons using  a drone is beneficial  for railfanning?  Comment them below!

Gone But Not Forgotten: New York's Southern Tier

A Chautauqua County native knows of Jamestown, NY as a capital for comedy. Lucille Ball was born in nearby Celeron. But, in its early years, Jamestown was an industrial catalyst. It was once the furniture capital of the world.

You drive on Route 60 and roll down under a bridge. “Erie Railroad” is inscribed on the center of a concrete bridge - with New York and Chicago on the bridge as well.

The Erie Railroad had passed through Jamestown as early as 1909. Passenger and freight trains passed through on the daily.

In October 1960, the Erie merged with the Delaware, Lackawanna, & Western to form the Erie-Lackawanna. The EL eventually merged into Conrail in 1976.

Meanwhile, the Jamestown, Westfield, and Northwestern served as an electric interurban railroad between the largest city in Chautauqua County and Westfield, a point on the former Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Water Level Route of the New York Central. The line went north from Jamestown and went all the way to Westfield, with stops in small communities such as Bemus Point and present-day county seat Mayville, as a connection with the Pennsylvania Railroad. The JW&NW began operations in 1914 and ran passenger service until 1947, and eventually shut down completely in 1950. The track no longer exists, but the roadbed and several bridges still operate on bicycle paths.

As for the city, the only relic of the Erie-Lackawanna that’s left is the former EL station, known as the Jamestown Gateway Station. The final passenger train passed in January 1970, the Lake Cities route between Jersey City, NJ and Chicago, IL.

Today the station stands and will be used partially by the new National Comedy Center, which is set to be a major tourist attraction in Jamestown.

As for the railroad, today the track between Meadville and Olean, rather, Hornell, still stands. It serves as the mainline of the Western New York & Pennsylvania, who is controlled by the Livonia, Avon, and Lakeville Railroad (LAL, LA&L). Up until the early 2010s, the line served daily Norfolk Southern coal trains. Nowadays, the line serves two WNYP trains a week - both on Thursday. One goes from Olean to Meadville, the other is Meadville to Olean. The WNYP has an impressive collection of ALCO Century Series units, which are still getting it done today.

You can view my video shot in December 2015 of the WNYP here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MY02BSiepns

Today, Jamestown’s industry is a mere shell of its former self. With retail skyrocketing, it’s not likely industry will make a huge comeback in Chautauqua County. One can only hope that one day, maybe an industry will pop up that will develop Jamestown back into the industrial city it once was.

Shortline Spotlight: The Youngstown and Southeastern Railway

Article By Ian Cole

Not a lot of shortline  railroads can say they started out as an interurban route. But that is actually the case of the Youngstown  and Southeastern, whose predecessor  the Youngstown  and Southern was created in 1903 and ran interurban  passenger service from 1907 to 1948. The railroad ran from the steel giant Youngstown, Ohio  to the small town of Darlington, Pennsylvania.

The Y & S also had two other branch lines, one that went to the village of Leetonia, Ohio, and the other to the town of Smith's  Ferry, Ohio and both lines  would become abandoned later on. The railroad exchanged owners a handful of times, at one point being jointly owned by the Pittsburgh  and Lake Erie  Railroad and the Pennsylvania  Railroad.
In 1996 the local owner at the time illegally  closed the line at the time and repairs were blocked by the company. The line then went on to become the Central Columbiana and Pennsylvania  Railroad, however that operation  would only last two years. Ohio Central went on to operate  the line until 2006 when the modern day Youngstown  and Southeastern  Railroad  Company was founded.

That railroad  became a hauler of garbage to the Negley, Ohio landfill, however operations to the landfill would only happen for a few years as the landfill and railroad  never came to terms in 2012. However the railroad continues  to haul steel pipes and fracking sand down to Signal, Ohio and Darlington, Pennsylvania.

The railroad also has a modest locomotive  shop down in Negley, Ohio. However  beware railfans, security  is tough so it's  virtually  impossible  to get in unless you know somebody. The railroad  also boasts Two depots that are still standing. One in Columbiana, Ohio that serves as an office, and the other in North  Lima, Ohio where the engines are normally  parked. The line also has a 10 mile per hour speed restriction  so it is fairly easy and convenient  to do chases of.  Locomotive  power that the railroad  uses consists  of all EMD power including GP 18s GP 10s and GP 9s. The railroad also has a nice variety  of paint schemes including one based on the Paducah  and Louisville railroad.

If you are ever in the Youngstown  area this is a great railroad to take some time to railfan. They typically  run every other day to the south of North  Lima and vice versa to the north on days that they are not operating south of North Lima.
One final  note for horn fans. A couple of the engines use RS5T and S5T  horns.

Ask Me Anything: Railroad Edition

How I got into trains? I can credit this to four things My great grand parents, Connellsville, Pennsylvania, watching conrail trains in Salem,  Ohio, and Youngstown  Sheet and Tube no. 301 aka the canfield fair train.

Favorite  Railroads? I'd  definitely  say four for sure Baltimore  and Ohio, Chessie System, Conrail, and Ferromex.

Favorite  paint scheme on a locomotive? I love the 8114 heritage  unit because  of the paint, however  that is ironically  one of four  heritage  units i have yet to catch.

Favorite  Place To Watch Trains? It's  hard to say one place as I have been to many. My top three would have to be North  East, Pennsylvania Rochester, New York and probably  Connellsville, Pennsylvania.

Worst day of railfanning  ever? A lot of my friends  know that I am not a fan of the Norfolk  Southern  Dash 9 widecab whatsoever, in fact some days I downright  hate the stupid things. Anyways  one day i was out railfanning  at Salem, Ohio and I had gotten 8 trains in 2 hours which seems pretty good right? Well, there was a problem  with that. EVERY  ENGINE  on EVERY  TRAIN was a Dash 9!!! No variety  whatsoever! I would take a day where i only got one train over this..

Best memory while railfanning? Probably  the weekend where I got The Wabash  heritage  unit, The central of georgia, Bessemer  and lake erie, Illinois  central, a millitary train, and probably  a ton of epicness I'm  forgetting  in those two days...  Berea Railthon 2013 was amazing  too.

Encounters  with police while railfanning?
Yeah every now and then there is an instance  where someone  will think I am suspicious and call me in. Typically  nothing  bad has happened  because  of this, never got a fine or asked to leave by them, in fact one of Salems police  officers will occasionally  watch trains with me and has gave me some train dvds for Christmas  before. So there is definitely no hard feelings by me or them.

Weirdest thing that has happened  to me while railfanning? I witnessed  a mama bear and two cubs cross the tracks in North Springfield, Pennsylvania  this year. Does that count?

Have you ever been in the cab of a locomotive  before? Yes a handful, Ive been in the cab of  the south shore commuter  trains in chicago twice, two different  alco rs3 locomotives , a GE 60 tonner, a couple of Youngstown and Southeastern  locomotives and a bunch of ones that don't  run.

How long have you been photographing trains for? I've  been at it for four years, a decision  I ultimately  regret as I wish I  was born with  a camera in my hands. I missed  a ton of cool stuff growing up.

GE or EMD Trains? How about Alco or Lima instead!

Least favorite  thing about the railroads? Cab signals  no question  as beneficial  as they are for railroaders it was mostly the death of variety, other than mega mergers

Thing you miss the most while railfanning? I'm  actually  sad they don't  run roadrailers on the fort wayne line any more.. I used to hate the things when I was young, but then i learned my line was one of two that had them... glad I got what I did.

Your typical railfan squad? I normally  hang out with my good friends  Roger Chamberlain, Lee Kemmer, Sam Zitello, and Enoch Hamilton. Occasionally  I'll  do it with Ben Craft or Brian szemon, but I'm  typically  down with doing it with just about  anybody.

Pick your poison Dash 9s for the rest of your life or no trains the rest of your life?
Probably  no trains, I'm  sure I can find something  else to do.

Favorite  steam  locomotive? Nickel  Plate Road 765 would probably  be the one! Although  I wish B & O  had an EM1 still..

Funniest  memory  while railfanning?
Probably  when my friend Ben cussed out some trespassers in Rochester, Pennsylvania.

How many rail museums have you visited? 13 so far.

What hot spots have you visited? Chesterton, Berea, Fostoria, Altoona, Cresson, Rochester (Pennsylvania and New York), Elkhart, Conneaut, Alliance, Bellevue, Connellsville, North East, Erie, Toledo, Buffalo, Philadelphia, and Willard

Favorite  short line? Youngstown  and Southeastern  for sure.

Favorite  rail museum? Either Mad River and NKP or Lake Shore  Railway Museum.

If you could go back to one decade to railfan and you got to take your camera with you  what decade would you choose? The 1950s you get literally  the best of everything then. 1990s would be a close second.

Favorite Railroader? Either my Great Grandfather  or Chris Ratini.

Sketchiest spot you railfanned at? Youngstown  or Philadelphia...

Advice  for younger railfans? Don't  wear the vest, please just don't wear it. You'll  thank yourself later.

Gone But Not Forgotten: Kinzua Bridge

Many structures are not what they used to be, and the Kinzua Bridge is no exception. Having been built in 1881 thanks to the advocation of General Thomas L. Kane seeing a need for a through railroad route to Buffalo, New York. The cornerstone of the bridge  was placed in August of 1881, and was the largest railroad bridge  in the world at the time.  Ironically,  the original  bridge was replaced roughly 20 years later due to the fact railcars were now being made with heavier steel and other dense materials. Due to this matter,  the bridge  needed rebuilt to support these cars. The replacement  weighed 3,500 tons and was 2,100 feet  long. While the bridge was used quite  frequently  by trains,  The Erie Railroad decided  to operate the last freight train over the bridge on June 21, 1959. It was then turned into the Kinzua Bridge State Park in 1963. In 1977 the bridge was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, and in 1982 the Knox and Kane Railroad began operations from Knox to Mt. Jewett, Pennsylvania with the option  to go out onto the bridge by train. In August  of 2002, the operation  was closed due to the deterioration  of the bridges  structure. The State of Pennsylvania   hired a contractor to do the necessary  repairs  to the bridge, but on July 21, 2003 an F1 tornado travelling at 94 miles per hour destroyed 11 of the 20 towers  on the bridge. In 2009, the bridge was envisioned  to become the Kinzua sky walk allowing the visitors  to walk across the remains of the railroad  trestle and look down at the aftermath  of the tornado through a glass floor. The Kinzua Bridge  Sky Walk opened  on September  15, 2011 and is free to visit and view what the wrath of mother nature  can do. While the Sky Walk  is an excellent  landmark, it is only a shell of it's  former self. The bridge  was considered  to be the "8th wonder of the world" and before the collapse was the 4th largest railroad bridge of all time, and the 2nd largest in North America. She may be partially gone, but certainly  not forgotten.

10 Little Known Yet Devastating (And Somewhat Disturbing) Railroad Accidents.

Article By Ian Cole

Sept. 29, 2016

Train accidents  are a fairly common occurrence, with one happening every 90 minutes in the United States alone according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Most of them don't  even make the news due to the lack of severity, however a couple of them every year make national news due to their severity.

The goal of this is to bring little  known train accidents  that were devastating to light. This list is not based in any particular order, and all accidents will be viewed as equally sobering and tragic. We must always remember that while trains are fun for enthusiasts like myself and others, they are massive machines that can be deadly if not used properly and should always be treated with respect as such.

10. April 11, 1935 The Williamsport High School Bus Disaster Williamsport, Maryland: On a dark damp night, a school bus carrying 27 students returning from Williamsport High School after a chemistry fair was struck by a Baltimore  and Ohio express train traversing from St. Louis, Missouri to Washington DC. Unfortunately, 14 of these students were killed, and to make matters worse 6 of them were high school  seniors with essentially  a month to go before they would experience  the adult life. Another note is that senior class shrunk from an already modest 33 to an unfortunate  27. A relative  of one of the students killed in the tragic accident stated "Even the World War didn't  do that to us. Only five from Williamsport were killed then." The city of Williamsport, Maryland  had to endure 14 separate funerals, then built a library in memory of those who had died.  A prominent  Williamsport  doctor who delivered many of the students as infants was the same one identifying their lifeless bodies. A very tough tragedy to deal with that could've been avoided between a combination of better crossings and better judgement by the bus driver. Thankfully Franklin D. Roosevelt vowed to improve railroad crossing safety, and was willing to pledge up to two-hundred million dollars for this cause. These grants did improve the crossing where this tragedy occurred.

9. July 31, 1940 The Doodlebug Disaster Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio: On a rather hot summer night in 1940, a Pennsylvania Railroad Dispatcher told the single car passenger train's engineer to hold on a siding. Likely due to a lack of proper communications, the engineer of the train, Thomas L. Murtaugh continued onward, not following any directions his dispatcher gave him, or attempted to give him whatsoever. Around 6 PM the doodlebug ran head on into a freight train near Hudson Drive.  Conductor's Harry B. Shafer, and Tod E. Wonn, both jumped and were the only two that survived.  All the others either were killed upon impact, or were unable to escape the flames, as flaming gasoline was sprayed upon the victims almost instantly, burning them to death. Today a memorial has been erected for future generations to know about the devastating accident that had occurred. 

8.January 8th, 1902 The Park Avenue Tunnel Tragedy: During the steam era, two commuter trains were running their typical routine routes taking commuters to and from work. One train was on what was known as "The New Haven Line" and the other was on a perpendicular route called the "Harlem Division Line". Apparently the engineer on the Harlem Division  Line train was unable to see his traffic signals due to the darkness of the tunnels, as well as the lack of visibility due to the steam clouds dwelling in the tunnel. The result of this problem was by far worse than a lack of visibility, it ultimately took 17 lives, due to the fact that the train on the New Haven Line's last car was stopped on the diamond of the two lines. 

7. August 15, 1919 The Parkersburg Streetcar And Switcher Collision Parkersburg, West Virginia: 

A church group from Reno, Ohio were headed to a picnic at the City Park, in Parkersburg, West Virginia. The Streetcar was approaching a junction near the Baltimore & Ohio line and the local silk mill, when it collided with a Baltimore and Ohio Steam switcher, rupturing the boiler and ultimately killing 8 People (mostly children) The cause of the accident was reportedly due to a lack of control of traffic by the flag man responsible for maintaining safety at the junction.  Something truly ironic but also very tragic at the same time is that a janitor from the silk mill died of a heart attack while helping remove the injured victims from the accident and the heart attack was reportedly due to a weak heart condition he suffered from and the excitement and trauma probably triggered it. 

6. September 2, 1919 Man Refuses To Save Himself, Dies With Wife Who's Foot Was Caught In Rail Chicago, Illinois: Mr. and Mrs. William Fitch Tanner, both got killed by a Chicago and Northwestern train. While Mr. Tanner had the opportunity to save himself, he refused to leave his wife's side who became trapped after her foot was caught on the rail. Ironically, Mr. Tanner worked for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, and it can be assumed that he didn't necessarily expect to go out like this. Tragically he left behind three children.

5. February 4, 1977  The Loop Crash Chicago Illinois: This accident could've likely been avoided if the motor man was paying attention and carrying out his responsibilities. The Motorman of the 8 car Lake-Dan Ryan train, completely ignored his cab signals and struck the rear end of the Ravenswood train. 11 people were killed and 180 were injured in what is the worst accident to this date on the Chicago Elevated Rail. Coincidentally it was found that the motorman of the Lake-Dan Ryan train was in possession of marijuana, however there was no evidence found showing that he had actually used it while operating this train. 

4. October 31, 1903 The Purdue Train Wreck Of 1903, Indianapolis, Indiana: Purdue was taking a train to a neutral location to take on their arch rivals the Indiana Hoosiers in a football match. Unfortunately that match would never happen, as there was a  crucial mistake made by a railroad dispatcher outside of Indianapolis. The engineer unaware of the dispatchers awful mistake chugged on as if there were no issues or obstructions.The oncoming train and the Purdue train collided with such force that the wooden coaches splintered like kindling sticks used to start a fire.  Tragically 18 people were killed, including most of Purdue's football team. The tragedy led to the rivalry's burning passion to simmer down and cool off a bit, but that's essentially the only good thing that came out of this horrific accident.

3. August 28, 1991 The Union Square Crash New York, New York: This particular subway train that derailed had many problems throughout the night well before the derailment. The motorman missed several stations to let passengers off, was speeding excessively (which played into the derailment), and was also asleep at the time of the accident. The reason behind all of this? He was drunk, on top of that after he reported the accident to the police he had the nerve to drink 3 more beers before being hauled off. He was responsible for five deaths in the accident, however he later only got 5 counts of 2nd degree manslaughter which led to only 10 years in jail. 

2. June 24, 2011 Semi Truck Driver VS Amtrak Reno, Nevada: Once again another accident that could've been avoided had someone been paying attention! A semi truck driver struck the side of an Amtrak train, even with all proper warning devices in place. The resulting consequences were the death of six people, the trucker, the conductor, and four passengers on the train. It is unclear as to why the truck ran into the side of the train. 

1. January 6, 2005 Graniteville Train Disaster Graniteville, South Carolina:  When 10 people die due to a freight train accident, you know you have something devastating on your hands. When the derailment was caused by a misaligned switch which causes a mixed freight hauling chlorine gas, sodium hydroxide, along with other hazardous materials you have something beyond devastating. Not only did this take human life, it resulted in the injuries of 250 people, contaminated waterways, Led to the bankruptcy of Avondale Mills displacing over 4,000 people of their jobs, and required a two week clean up by Hazardous Material crews. It was later cited that the crew of the local train had failed to realign the switch to mainline operations. The NTSB did not expect alcohol or drugs to be a factor in this accident. 

                                                           Works Cited: 

10. Keyser, Tom. "After 60 Years, Small Town's Tragedy Remains Vivid "THIS WAS OUR WORST DAY"" The Baltimore Sun (1995): n. pag.The Baltimore Sun. The Baltimore Sun. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

9.Ed, Mr.. "The Doodlebug Tragedy." The Doodlebug Tragedy (n.d.): n. pag. The Doodlebug Tragedy. Blogger. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

8."Http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~nywestch/NewRoc1902/." Web log post. 1902 Park Avenue Tunnel Collision- A New Rochelle Tragedy. Ed. Cathy Horn. Ancestry, 15 June 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

7."Collision Leads To Tragedy." The Parkersburg News (1919): n. pag.The Parkersburg Journal and Sentinel. 14 Mar. 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

6."Wouldn't Leave Wife, Both Die Under Train." New York Times (1919): n. pag. New York Times. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

5."Chicago ''L''.org: Mishaps & Unusual Occurrences - The Loop Crash."Chicago ''L''.org: Mishaps & Unusual Occurrences - The Loop Crash. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

4.Slutzky, Jason. "Indiana University Bloomington." Indiana University Archives. Indiana University, 25 Nov. 2013. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

3.N.Y. Police Say Subway Motorman Was Drunk; Charged With Manslaughter. N.p.: Greenfield Recorder, n.d. PDF.

2."Federal Officials Investigate Cause of Deadly Amtrak Crash." CNN. Cable News Network, 28 June 2011. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

1.Rep. No. 916304 at 68 (2005). Print.