There were no more barking dogs after we moved west to Cassandra on the afternoon of August 16th - unless you count the ones I had been standing on for most of the morning. The ample shade and benches of the Overlook Park were most welcome as I took the load off my feet with the camera set up in easy reach - you know, in case another train or two passed by. And pass they did:
0:00 - Westbound Light Power
We opened with a pair of ACes, in a manner of speaking. The 1016 and 1047 cruised light westward on track 2, presumably to bring a loaded coal train back east from one of the loadouts nearby.
0:22 - NS 61N
Half an hour later, I decided to try shooting 61N from the footbridge, as I thought the solid consist of empty slab gons would look neat approaching through the cut from Portage. Instead, it turned into an ill-timed cloudscrew of massive proportions as SD70M 2637 and C44-9W 9673 double-timed it up the hill with their train.
1:40 - NS 49A
I decided against any further shots from the bridge and returned to the park for the next train at. The engineer of empty grain train 49A greeted the crowd with an enthusiastic horn salute as the train rolled west behind SD70ACu 7234 and C44-9Ws 9900 and 9943.
3:25 - NS Y90
Not quite close enough to 49A for a meet, eastbound coal drag Y90 roared out from under the footbridge less than a minute after the last grain hopper rolled by. SD60E 6956 and C44-9W 9445 led the way, assisted on the rear by SD40Es 6323, 6307, 6313, and 6326.
8:01 - NS 38Q
Eastbound manifest 38Q followed in Y90's footsteps a few minutes later, accompanied by its own chorus of EMD and GE power: SD60M 6786, C44-9W 9111, AC44C6M 4045, and SD60I 6742. The 4045 had yet to visit the paint shed after its recent rebuild from Dash 9-40C 8858. The train also sported a quartet of SD40Es on the rear - 6311, 6333, 6315, and 6312 - although it appeared only the first two were online. The crowd held its collective breath and prayed that 38Q would clear in time...
11:47 - NS 39Q
The SD40E quartet on 38Q shoved away around the curve as westbound counterpart 39Q rounded the curve from Lilly behind 'Honoring Our Veterans' SD60E 6920, C44-9W 9533, fresh-as-a-daisy SD70ACu 7254, SD70M 2631, and SD40E 6302. After catching the 6920 going east 2 days before ( • PA Railfanning 08.14.1... ), it was nice to get another look at it in much better weather. SD40Es 6310 and 6301 hung onto the rear for extra braking power.
13:48 - NS 22W
The rails - and railfans - took a break until 2:26, when eastbound intermodal 22W (at least I think it was 22W) marched upgrade behind ES44AC 8109 and C44-9W 9059. No helpers necessary.
18:14 - NS 25V
The pace picked up again as westbound intermodal 25V rounded the curve at 2:37, led by C44-9W 9482 and SD70Ms 2628 and 2594. This time, the consist was large enough to warrant an assist from SD40Es 6329 and 6300 on the rear.
20:56 - NS 20Q
C44-9Ws 9417 and 8911 bookended C40-8W 8321 as the trio chugged upgrade with stack train 20Q at 2:46. I don't know if there was a mechanical issue or if traffic was backed up ahead at MO or elsewhere, but 20Q's pace slowed noticeably shortly after the power disappeared around the curve, and the train eventually ground to a halt. I took the hint and packed up to return to base.
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