Classic “good ole boys” radio chatter and their expert train handling makes me proud to be from WV and before the time of computer controls, just man and machine

This is a great film and features some "good railroading". I'm glad the radio discussion between the pusher and head end was included and really enjoyed the scene of the pusher cutting away on the fly.

An absolutely awesome video! Love that Chessie paint scheme and the nice Nathan K5LA Air-Horn! Also love the classic SD50’s and the loaded coal trains!

@JRossHunter

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks

I always did like those Chessie locomotives, that horn sounded pretty good too 😊😊

My favorite video on KZread! My favorite locos, SD50s, my favorite railroad, man I wish I could go back in time!! There was just a purity to railroading ( and life in general) back then that has just seemed to fade a lil over time.

@JRossHunter

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Steve. I wish I had taken more videos.

@scotabot7826

Ай бұрын

Yep, Sadly, it's all gone.Nothing but history today.

Those oldheads knew how to railroad

Classic mountain railroading in my Great State of West Virginia!

These Chessie Sd50's sound Great! I've seen this video mulitple times and love it every time!

Very enjoyable. That is the first time I have seen a pusher uncouple from a train, I have often wondered how they did that. Thanks for sharing, I loved every minute of it.

The engineer on the pusher sounds like Boomhower from King of the Hill lol

@floridianrailauto9032

4 жыл бұрын

The dispatcher is going to kick his ass if he doesn't get that train over the hill fast enough

Nice to see these in action. Thank you and thanks for the memories,

Great old vid!

@JRossHunter

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks

WOW!! That has to be the best you tube train video I've seen. You can contact CSX online about heritage schemes. Myself and others already have. The more people we get asking for it the better the chance of seeing some fresh Chessie paint again!!

@coasterodyssey

4 ай бұрын

This didn’t age well. 🫤

My how that helper engineer does ramble on! LOL. Thank you Ross for the trip back in time for a bit!

Makes me wonder who the 11 dislikes are... How can you possibly dislike this trip down memory lane?

@JRossHunter

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the kind comment.

@scotabot7826

Ай бұрын

Jerks and a-holes. They are everywhere my friend. Stay safe!!

Great video! I love the human element...especially the scanner chatter at the beginning!

Thank you for posting this video (and part II). Some of the best footage I have seen of Chessie SD50's and the radio exchanges were a great touch!

I wish I was around when the chessie system was operating that's been my favorite railroad since I was 7 years old

@Galaxy2517

3 жыл бұрын

They were in their last days when I got the train bug... There were even some old B&O units still in service when I was growing up... I live pretty close to the original B&O mainline.

@RsRj-qd2cg

3 жыл бұрын

I barely missed the years where CSX was operated with Chessie and Seaboard as separate railroads.

Good catch. A little "poetic license", if you will. That's the one place where I used a "stand-in" train because I couldn't be on both sides of the tunnel for the same train. It is the same pusher on both trains.

I like that you included that radio chatter! Excellent video!

Thanks for the comments. I edit video on a Macintosh. The program I used is iStabilize. One of these days I'll redo and stabilize the whole video.

I worked up there for a few weeks after hurricane katrina and its VERY pretty country. Not much in the way of Chessie System stuff anymore but theres a large C&O presence. If you have anymore Chessie System videos p;ease post them. This one was excellent!

this is better than Pentrex ever put out. The radio chat makes the video.

Now THAT'S mountain railroading! Great clip, thanks for sharing.

Awesome video. I love the way the pusher cuts away on the fly! Happy railroading!!!

Sounds like Squirrel has a sick motor. LOL

RIP the sleeping cat

Great Video! Just spent two days in that area following the line from Clifton Forge, Va. back to Thurmond, Wva. Like seeing the old Chessie units. Thanks Again for sharing.

Thats Alleghany Tunnel, and the one the train is passing through is the old one, the newer one being on the left. Great video!

This is back when the good old boys just got shit done, worked hard, plenty of work to do, and the company wasn't breathing down your neck about wearing a reflective vest or tying your shoelaces the right way

@3006USMC

5 жыл бұрын

Is it that bad now?

@bholberg561

Жыл бұрын

I worked as a trainmaster in St. Albans back at that time, and if we heard that lack of following proper radio rules, those crews would have a stern discussion when they tied up on what was the correct way of conversing in the book of rules. Also, it made the train crews aware that mgt. was listening and watching them...

Nice to know that C&O 8572 became CSX 8572

Beautiful classic American railfanning in the "Almost Heaven" state.

What a GREAT video! Thank you.

The 80s were good times. Plenty of work with good pay, and a lot younger.

Excellent clip of old school railroading at its best.

thats a nice horn!

Excellent footage! Always loved the Chessie. Liked the way the pusher breaks away on the fly.

This is a really great video, I only remember seeing chessie in and around Chicago when i was a kid but this is great I love to see helper videos.

Wow! I did'nt know that George Strait was a helper engineer before he made it big. It is a small world afterall.

I did and remember it as a kid when trains still ran on it.

If I remember correctly, I think the smaller tunnel is newer. I think the larger tunnel was originally double tracked and when C&O went about improving clearances on the line, they built the smaller tunnel, moved one track over there, and single tracked the former double track tunnel, moving its line into the middle of the tunnel where the roof is taller so bigger railcars could go through. I think that's the story I read in Thomas Dixon's C&O Allegany Subdivision book.

ty for posting.

Great video for 85!

@formidable38 a common problem with SD50s, as well as crank case related issues.

@ble643 Sounds like the generator on the pusher would not go into "feild weakening" or "transition". Its basicly an electrical version of changing up a gear but without the gears! and happens, or should happen atomaticly as speed rises. On alot of loco's this happens at 25 mph (ish), and again farther up the speedo. If it wont transition or go into weak feild its like someone pulling the plug on the generator and she'l lose power.

Great video. Not much out there of " in-era " Chessie System video`s. Nice getting the radio chatter in there too.

Dang ol boomhaur , dang ol 8 and sand.

Great old video. Love the radio chatter.

i missed those old cabooses

Love it...especially the good ole K5!

That horn😍

Sure wish, they still used cabooses. What a shame, to do away with the Chessie paint scheme. It was great.

Outstanding! If you have any more old Chessie movies, git'em on here.

I think it was 92 the last time I saw the old yellow Chessie System locomotive in person after that they were strictly CSX and they were changing over to the locomotives used today

@terryboyer1342

6 жыл бұрын

Whoever made the decision to replace Chessie with dull gray block CSX should be SHOT!

@ohioandnortheastern

6 жыл бұрын

terry boyer agree

@dsmith9964

5 жыл бұрын

+terry boyer There are literally tons of rolling stock out there with the Chessie cat, Seaboard System and Family Lines heralds on them. Most of them are covered hoppers.

Man that radio talk!👍👍

@Galaxy2517

3 жыл бұрын

That was definitely the "icing" on the cake!

that's quite the power

Nice video.

Ronceverte (with an 'e' on the end) is French for Greenbrier, the river nearby.

@JRossHunter

7 жыл бұрын

You are correct. I wish I could fix that typo, but I'd have to remove and re-upload the video.

Nice catch from 85. I wish I heard more K5LA’s like that in person, but typical 2023 doesn’t have many of those. One’s CSX and NS have don’t sound the same.

@JRossHunter

9 ай бұрын

Thanks. As I might have written elsewhere, this was not a planned video. A few railman's ventured into West Virginia for a day of train watching. Only later did I realize the footage could be edited into something coherent. We had just one camera and VHS was all we had. Technically, it would be much better today, but the subject material is gone.

I do have some more video from that same day and I'll post them as soon as I can get them edited.

Dang a chessie engine? In 2023 it’s now extin- Gets reminded of csx: nvm

Well that's good... it must have been from the video compression. I was going to say, it's pretty unusual to find a meathead engineer. Most of the B&LE guys I film are usually up to something when they go by!

Look at that old Nathan K5 on top of the engine! Perfect match for an SD40-2

@Galaxy2517

3 жыл бұрын

And it sounds damn good too... Wish mine sounded that good!

@RDC_Autosports

3 жыл бұрын

those are all SD50s

@ejdsndnj

6 ай бұрын

All those are SD50s not SD40-2s

Thank you, sir. I'll have to see if they have the same (or similar) program for Windows Vista. Your videos are great. About once every 5 years, I get enough time off to explore the area around the VA/WV border of the (now CSX) main east west line. So much of that area remains untouched over the last 50 years, it seems....just more vegetation each time I go back. Later!

cutting off on the fly 😎🤙🏻

I really enjoyed this video!! The scanner conversation was cool and seeing the helper cut off at the end on the fly was a first for me. I miss seeing Chessie engines I wish CSX would come out with some Chessie heritage engines!!!

@dsmith9964

5 жыл бұрын

Yes! I would like to see CSX launch a fleet of heritage locomotives including Chessie, B&O, C&O, NYC, WM, L&N, SCL, Clinchfield, Monon, ACL and SAL

You are correct. I wish I could fix that typo, but I'd have to remove and re-upload the video.

@640Radio I think you have to go out of WSS on State Route 311 toward Va. top of the mountain.

Last days of the caboose 1985-1988, in Virginia at least

@seanvance5969

7 жыл бұрын

MrJacMac1986 92-93 in my area of WV

Great video, Ross. Thanks for sharing!

WOW GREAT!!!! love Chessie System! what was that smoke from at the begining? ANd taht was a great END!!!!! Funny conversation too! 5***** and a definate FAV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Very Cool - especially the scanner chat between the lead engine and the helper! Also neat to seen the helper cut-off on the fly like that. Now all I need is a way to do that in HO scale!

Appalachian railroading at it's best.

@arrowguy173 no kidding only 20 years ago in 1991 was it still common to see Chessie Seabord system and grey Family lines engines and B&O/C&O but not anymore

I wonder what the engine's issue ended up being

Truly the 11th hour for the Chesapeake and Ohio as an independent company, before they and the other Chessie railroads (and Seaboard) were folded into CSX.

Last new locomotives ever built for the Chesapeake & Ohio Ry.

similar to the horseshoe curve

Coolest video!

@JRossHunter

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you.

Excellent video. I'm curious, what program did you use to stabilize the hand-held video (6:45)? It seems to work pretty well.

I just noticed something. Where in the mix did they change cabs? When they left they had a northeast style cab and then when the helper cut off it was a wideivision.

Anymore of these old videos you still need to upload?

@JRossHunter

7 жыл бұрын

I think I've edited all my old VHS tapes. I have hundreds of slides I should do something with.

This is great. Miss the Chessie.

One of the guys quotes Robert Dinero at 3:07

What tunnel goes where? Did they renovate the tunnel (at 5:33) on the right? I see in other videos renovation, and homes built up on top, is this the same spot?

Awesome horns on those units! I think the SD-50 was the last nice looking EMD model. How did they change cabooses during the push? LOL

@JRossHunter

4 жыл бұрын

The video is of two trains. I had only one camera and could only be in one place. I suspect you are seeing both trains. If I ever get time to redo the video I'll try to make the change clear.

@forrestwright5981

Жыл бұрын

Well the standard cab sd60 wasn't all that much different!

Was that smoke from those Passenger cars coming from a steam locomotive

Without doing some research, I don't know the tunnel dates. The top of the ridge is the Virginia-West Virginia state line just east of White Sulphur Springs, WV . The smaller tunnel is the original, the one on the larger one is newer. You might check with the C&O Historical Society for more information. The last time I was at the location, no homes were above the tunnels. Look on Google Earth 37 44' 51.13" N 80 14' 24.46" W

Beautiful K5LA

NICE!!

Ole boomhower Havin engine troubles!!

CSX's paint schemes look so bland compared to Chessie.

Love the Chessie, what horn did they use on the lead unit?

@Galaxy2517

3 жыл бұрын

Old cast Nathan Airchime K5LA... I have a newer cast version and it just doesn't sound quite the same.

SWEET!!

Great old time railroading cvgeeps

What's so rude about that? My guys honk, bell or click the lights when they go by, they're pretty cool. Only jerk I ever ran across what a maintenance guy at the B&P yards. I was standing on the pedestrian walk way of the rt68 bridge and he was giving me grief. Engineers all waved though.

Great video, but please tell me the engineer wasn't giving us the finger as they went by...

@edwinglover9459

3 жыл бұрын

I know this video is from a while back but i thought he was giving the middle finger as well lol

Guy kinda sounds like Boomhauer from King of the Hill

It' s a K5la

Sounds like the amtrak K5LA. I can't wait to get myself a trio of Athearn RTR SD50's in HO Scale for the Chessie and install Soundtraxx Tsunami decoders for them. These babies are awesome.