Buffalo & Pittsburgh SD60 Trio Stalls FOUR Times up 1.5% Grade! | Chasing BPRR SIRI 10/17/22
Ойын-сауық
Filmed on: 10/17/22
No TLDR, sorry!
On the morning of October 17th, 2022, our cameras are located in Salamanca NY, along the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad’s main line. Me and a few friends had picked out this date a few weeks in advance to chase Salamanca to Puxatawny manifest train SIRI, and when we arrived, we were more than delighted to find ourselves a trio of orange and black SD60 wide cab locomotives. Built in the mid 1990s, the SD60 locomotives are a rare treat to see, as most were thrown off of the Class 1 rosters and sold to leasing companies during the Precision Scheduled Railroading frenzy. The B&P acquired these locomotives in early 2020 from LTEX and have been operating ever since. As of recently, these workhorses are starting to show their age and the rumor of replacements coming is in the air. At 0900 the crew gets onboard and at 0910 they pull forward to begin their work in the yard. As they do this, we jump to Carrollton, NY; to get our shots set up. Carrollton NY is where the Buffalo & Pittsburgh railroad goes overtop of the Western New York & Pennsylvania railroad. B&P 3883s Leslie RS3L breaks the silence and lets us know that SIRI is on its way through town. B&P 3883 was built in 1995 for Conrail, originally numbered 5630. Second in the lineup is B&P 3888, built in 1993 as Conrail 5521. CSX removed this locomotive's marker lights in early 2009, making this the only SD60 that does not have marker lights on the nose of the unit. Last but not least is B&P 3889, built in 1993 as Conrail 5543. Racing the train on State route 291, we cross into the state of Pennsylvania. We set up again south of Tuna Cross Road as SIRI flies into town to make its pickups at Foster Brook. After cutting away from its train, the locomotives pull forward to the end of the switching lead in order to reverse into the oil refinery. Still standing here are vintage Baltimore & Ohio Railroad CPLs, although their heads are turned as of now. After making its pickups, SIRI gets his track warrant to continue south as he passes over Main Street. Starting in Lewis Run, the Buffalo & Pittsburgh mainline ascends into a steep 1.5 % grade that lasts all the way to Mt. Jewett. Trains can usually make it up this grade, but today they would just so happen to stall. Not once, not twice, FOUR times. There were multiple reasons for this to happen. The major one being mother nature. With the skies being wet and gloomy, and fall leaves on the ground and rails, it would already be a tough tackle up the hill. To make matters worse, of the three units, they only had one operational sander. These mechanisms drop sand on the rails in front of the wheels in order to increase traction when going up grades. We have our cameras set up just north of Droney Road, In Lewis Run Pennsylvania, where we can see SIRI just barely peek its nose around the corner. After the first stall, the crew cuts the engines away to run light up the hill in order to sand the rails without a heavy load behind them. After sanding the hill, the crew would move to the third unit, 3889, and run the power back to their train. Once the power is re-attached, they would reverse a short distance then proceed to take on the grade again. Alas, Attempt number two would once again be unsuccessful. Attempts Three and Four went similarly, as they backed down and started up again. The problem was resolved by the crew doing a maneuver known by railroaders as “doubling the hill,” where the train is cut into two halves, and is taken piece by piece up the hill, until it can be re-assembled. We move to Mt Jewett Pennsylvania, at Control Point Boyer. This is home to one of the few remaining active CTC blocks on the B&P system, being installed in the 1950s and still going strong in late 2022. Once at the other end of the siding, SIRI will drop its cars into the siding, and then reverse down the hill back to Lewis Run to grab the rest of its train. On our return, we stopped back in Bradford to get some lunch, where we found the Bradford local, BR-1, returning from switching out Georgia Pacific’s location on the south end of town. Leading the train north would be B&P 3119, originally built for the Penn Central Railroad, and on the rear would be B&P 2177, originally built for the Southern Railway. After BR-1 glided past our cameras, we headed back west for home.
Mason: / @westernpennsylvaniara...
www.flickr.com/photos/1891190...
Ron: / @ns_5350
Sebastian: / randomrailadventures
Joey: www.flickr.com/photos/1862295...
Paul: / norfolksouthernmodel
Aidan: / acvtrain
www.flickr.com/photos/1450232...
Thanks for watching! If you are new to the channel please feel free to check out my other videos and subscribe!
Also Check out my Flickr Page: www.flickr.com/photos/1927043...
Пікірлер: 72
Thank you for the criticism down here in the comments. I’ve been utilizing your advice and critiques to help better perfect my new videos. I’m still learning, and every bit helps!
Ironically enough I was within radio range of Buffalo Creek Yard around the time that this happened, and at one point the yardmaster told the yard crew that was building that night's BFSI to not exceed a certain length and weight. It all made sense when I found out this happened lol. This is definitely something you seldom, if ever, see so you sure got lucky with this! Awesome video dude, and I loved the different angles from the "regular" shooting locations!
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! Yeah now that I’m gettin the hang of these chase routes I’m gonna try and go for some more less shot locations. And yeah I can see why they wouldn’t want them going over a certain length lol.
@mattygunn693
Жыл бұрын
@@northernohiorailfanningpro8899 I hear ya there man, I'm actually planning another chase next week of WNYP's Falconer turn with the intent of filming them at new locations. And of course for the Century Alcos lol. But the B&P is such a scenic line, and it seems to get more scenic the farther south you go!
@nicholmansgarage3501
Жыл бұрын
@@mattygunn693 absolutely!!! I live about an hour north of Pittsburgh and the Scenery is amazing. I personally think the B&P could make a hefty profit running fall foliage excursion trains, but that could just be a railfan fever dream ;)
@bhproductions1061
11 ай бұрын
@@nicholmansgarage3501do you live in Butler? Cause Butler is an hour north of Pittsburgh
@tonyromano6220
11 ай бұрын
Was there a surge in traffic?
PSR, B&P Edition! Great video and it was fun getting to catch this train with you guys!
Great videography…..Thanks for the Marker Light info and history on the B&P SD60-M’s (previously SD60 I). As a rail-fan, collector and modeler your informative video is highly valued. Keep the great work!
Sweet! When I went with Ron they tacked on a GP40 to make sure they didn't stall, then RISI was doing 3 mph up the hill to Jewett and one of the 40s quit
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Yeah he was telling me about that
We definitely had an interesting day
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
For sure!!
Great to see young people railfanning! Keep the passion! New sub here.
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Hey thanks! I've always been fascinated by trains and trucks since I was just a small kid. The kind words mean a lot to me!
Excellent work. True art.
Excellent presentation
What a wonderfully done and informative video. I learned a lot about these SD60I's from this video, and I appreciate the information. I live right along the B&P, about an hour north of Pittsburgh. Tracks are 100 ft from my house, porch railfanning is a favorite activity of mine.
So glad Billy could make it
This is a well done video. I really like the narration and the footage. I like videos that give you a good background and history of the railroad/locomotives. Definitely on my like video list
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! It means a lot to me, I’ll keep trying my best to make more videos like these!
Great work fantastic editing:)
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Thank you!
Nice catch buddy and awesome Leslie rs3l sd60i trio
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
The second two locomotives are actually SD60Ms but yes
@joshrhine6780
Жыл бұрын
@@northernohiorailfanningpro8899 thanks it sure was
Bruh, your lucky. Sweet Catch!
Great video Anthony! Crazy they stalled 4 times.
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Dom! It was really neat
The ubiquitous Northern PA sports bar.
That was a very well produced video. Great to see some former Connie units out and about. Thanks for sharing the chase with us. Oh, by the way, in the blooper reel at the 23:45 mark, that noise your scanner picked up is a pager signal. As in the little beepers that people used to clip to their belts back in the 80s and 90s. Scanners can pick up those signals, and the data stream comes out as the buzzing sounds, along with the alarm tones.
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! And thank you a second time for the info on that paper signal. I never knew about that and just thought I would throw the clip in for fun. It’s very neat to learn what that is though.
Great video! Lots of great extra stuff in it like the rare positional signals. And that old steel trestle in the bonus footage. I'm curious about the history of that.
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
The trestle was a part of the Knox & Kane Tourist railroad, which in 2003, was unfortunately got taken out by a tornado in the valley. www.dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/KinzuaBridgeStatePark/Pages/default.aspx
@music100vid
Жыл бұрын
@@northernohiorailfanningpro8899 Thanks for the info. I thought maybe some disaster had happened to it by the looks of it but I wasn't thinking tornado!
8:13 what kind of signal is that? I have never seen one that flashes "wait".
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
That’s more or less a pedestrian light, I would imagine it would be fairly obvious to not walk into a train but the lights are there on one side of the sidewalk and the gates have separate arms for the other side. It’s really cool imo
@coryburris8211
Жыл бұрын
@@northernohiorailfanningpro8899 I have seen dedicated crossing gates for sidewalks, many of those were installed along the "high speed" Amtrak corridor between Chicago and St. Louis, but I have never seen specific pedestrian signals like that
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
@@coryburris8211 I’ve seen a couple around, there’s a few in Fostoria Ohio
Fantastic video. Excellent narration and details. Also, I thought the conductor might ask you guys to help push...
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Thanks! I mean while we were waiting around, we did get some sand from nearby and in our own way help them sand the hill 😂
We forget so easily in California how the seasons are at least six weeks in front of us out East. I really enjoyed the leaves being disturbed by the passing train.
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
It was pretty cool to see that! I’ll definitely have to come back here and shoot out here again earlier next fall when the colors are at their peak, We were a little bit late on getting there this year lol.
Awesome video! What was the fire in the beginning?
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Thanks Andrew! I assume you mean at the beginning of the random clips I put in, that is the American Oil Refinery Co. located in downtown Bradford PA. 7:37 the big tower can be seen again in the daylight towards the right of the screen.
@RailfanAndrew
Жыл бұрын
@@northernohiorailfanningpro8899 Ah, Cool!!
Awesome video! When are the 60’s supposedly gonna be gone if you can get into detail? If not, completely understandable.
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
I’ve been told not to release much about them so I can’t really give out much on the situation, so if you’re going to come up here I would do it sooner rather than later.
Excellent video and narration ! sometimes 11,400 HP just isn't enough. Question is this the line they used in the film "Unstoppable" ?
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Thank you! And no, almost all of the filming took place on the Western New York and Pennsylvania Line east of Olean.
I've never seen a crew sand a hill at that speed before. You gotta take your time putting the sand down, so you can get a good build up ground onto the rail. Not to mention, you need to be laying that sand down in both directions.
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
They were laying sand both directions, and yes I agree they were going quite fast
Brilliant video 9/10 Would have give you 10, but you just need to slow your narration down a little bit. To much to take in, in a milli second. But do keep up the good work. I will be following.
Awesome stuff! Have you ever railfanned in Buffalo on other railroads or just the B&P?
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Well I've never been to Buffalo, so really I haven't! The B&P I usually chase out of Salamanca.
@davidcoleman958
Жыл бұрын
@@northernohiorailfanningpro8899 Lots of good spots. Not as busy as it used to be. The Canadian traffic used to be much more busier in CR days.
24:00 I hate when that happens lol
The SD 60 was never the “power locomotive “ EMD thought it would be, in my opinion. 35 loads 51 empty cars wasn’t a disproportion of weight for 3 locomotives. Maybe with one locomotive on the rear as a pusher, there’s a better possibility that the got over the top of the grade. My experience operating SD 60’s on a coal drag was they bogg down on the ascending grade, then enter “short time ratings” too soon when you’re ready to get the tractive effort to pull the remainder of the hill. There wasn’t enough tractive effort from a running start as seen in the video. Engineers can’t remain deep in short time ratings if they still have a significant portion left to pull the hill, without burning up the traction motors. The turned B&O signal mast, means it’s out of service, scheduled to be torn down.
3:34 Peter ❤ I have a slight suspicion that was added because of me Even if not I feel like it was.
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
😉
Just imagine if you did not see those trains going by because railroad workers went on strike.
Star filter I'm gessing
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
?
geeez, you make the sd60 sound as bad as the sd50!!! and the PSR craze didn't start until the 2010's!!
@northernohiorailfanningpro8899
Жыл бұрын
Well I never said they were *that* bad, but everything gets old at one point in time and tends to not work as well as they used to.
@bhproductions1061
Жыл бұрын
Definitely when you see them so much
@rearspeaker6364
Жыл бұрын
@@northernohiorailfanningpro8899 if the sanders were working properly those 60's would have no problem! its lack of mainteince that caused this issue. all of those SD/GP 50's were problem Childs, esp. the engine block. the 16-710 in the SD/GP60 was the best single improvement in this series introduction. next time they should have bought a UP SD60M, they we're rebuilt in 2015-19, up just started seeing them off last year.
@bhproductions1061
Жыл бұрын
@@rearspeaker6364 the SD60s would need to be rebuilt to work properly not just the sanders
@DJmcRUSH
Жыл бұрын
@@rearspeaker6364 sorry mate, those 60s are rubbish. When it comes to the B&P, nothing slips more than a trio of 60s. Nothing beats a 4 engine set of 40s in the mountains.
I left Cleveland Ohio in the mid-1980s it seems there is no real change in the “rust” belt. Pennsylvania really needs Trump! There is no reason this area is not thriving other than bad government and corporations not supporting the USA.
Your voice is too slurred. It is hard to understand your words.