The cyclic US itch has returned and looking through my photos, realized how many I hadn't processed, so, here we go, one day rail fanning in central Florida.
The day starts at 04:00 a quick breakfast and load up the hire car with food and more importantly water...oh and a toilet roll
and we're off rolling down the road at 04:30. First stop is Mulberry Yard which is just over 70 miles away, so foot down on the I4 and keeping to the fat side of the speed limits you can just do it in 50 mins if you catch the lights down County Line Road...gotta love the names of their roads
Sun up is just after 06:00 so you get 30-45 mins of night and dawn shots, this morning we bag a couple UP SD70Ms double heading elephant style.
There isn't much to dislike about this shot, it's night time, well lit, breaking dawn colours, tank train, UP and SD70M, if I had to order a train for a photo shoot this'd be it, I might ask them to swap out the power for a couple of AC44CWs but I'd take either over the other. The day is already worth the early start.
Before the sun gets too close to the horizon it's back in the car for a quick dash to Vitis, I'd scoped out a place that only gets good light as soon as the sun is up. Back up the county Line road to the I4 and backtrack one junction to pick up the 700 at Lebanon Heights, the 700 is straight, fast, wide open flat and hardly any traffic the 40 miles take 30 minutes and just in time for the sun up at 06:17. It's not along wait before the first train comes off the Lakeland line and joins the S Line at Vitis.
A monster empty coal train begins the slug up the grade to Clinton Heights about a mile behind me, it's not long nor particularly long, but with 120 hoppers on your tail it'll give the loco a bit of a work out especially as the other two engines in the consist are cut out for this leg. With that one in the bag it's into the car and heading south now along the Plant City leg from Vitis toward Zephyrhills. This is the old ACL line and there used to be a diamond crossing at Zephyrhills where the ACL crossed the SAL, when the SAL and ACL were merged this junction was removed during the line rationalizations and the new SCL took the route from one line north and the other south, the diamond being ripped up a link curve between the two built.
Its only just over 6 miles away to the south so a steady drive down with the odd explore down the odd road here and there for possible photos shoot locations. On arrival it's not long before the first train arrives and by good luck it's heading south into the sun.
The engines are on the new link curve, the autoracks in the trees at far left are still on the old ACL alignment, the diamond would be about 300 yards to my left rear in the trees. The other reason I wanted to visit Zephyrhills was the old ACL station building and what a stunner, beautifully restored it's a tribute to the staff.
Out front a restored SCL caboose so another item to have a mini photo shoot on.
The ACL main line is just behind me but the sun is getting up and the angles are not conducive to good photos, late afternoon might be better. Anyway, next stop is Plant City, I'd been before (several times) but the weather was crap and today it was nice, so a quite relaxed drive down the Paul-Buchman Highway where it parallels the now called S line but the old SAL line, hopefully pick up a chase but it wasn't to be. There quite a few roads in this area which run parallel with the tracks for miles on end, so pan and pacing shots are pretty easy to do if you have patience waiting for a train....more later.
Setting up at Plant City it isn't long before the first trade turns up, basically there are two parallel lines through downtown Plant City, they come in from the west and on the east side the southerly one makes a 90° turn north and crosses on a flat diamond...and they don't hang around!
Coming down the S line (old SAL) a mixed manifest sweeps around the 90° curve to head north, it's a 120+ manifest so over a mile long and over 10,000 tons and it's doing a good 40 through the middle of town
Sadly the cloud monster decided to rain on my day, fortunately not for long
A short while later another train, this time heading south down the S line and round the curve toward Tampa.
This time a full loaded coal train, again over a mile long and 120 cars long tips in at roughly 14,000 tons, it ain't stopping! There are no rail greasers here and the squeal of flange on rail is deafening, but it's impressive and it's another in the bag. The A line diamond is just under the first wagon and Plant City depot behind the loco.
It's not long after that the bells start to ring and another S line train makes it's self known, it's about the only regular freight train you can be sure to see each day, the famous CSX juice train, it only stops for crew changes and runs from Tampa to New York every day with fresh juice for the city.
Up front a virtually brand new GEVE Tier 4, again it isn't hanging around and soon sweeps through town heading north, the juice in these cars will be on peoples breakfast tables tomorrow morning. Sadly the juice train is no more, later that year it went over to a double stack operation and the trusty old reefers were retired, shame as it was impressive and everyone you spoke to rail side were proud of their juice train. Virtually everywhere I stopped town folk would ask if I'd come to see the juice train.
Time to move location and pick up some stuff on the A line, it's only 200 yards away so not much of a trek. you don't get much warning here, speed is 45mph and the crossing bells give you about 45 seconds notice. Almost right off the bat a pair of light engines rip Eastward, probably heading to Winston Yard.
The diamond is just behind me to the right.
Up in the tower we find another set of light engines swinging off the A line and heading north and up the S line toward Zephryhills and Vitis, these have almost certainly come from Winston Yard.
These soon clear to be followed by one of the four Amtrak trains that run through this area.
This is the Silver Star and running a little late so not hanging around at all.
Having bagged the Amtrak thoughts turn to a new location and Wildwood is nearly always good in the afternoons so a quick drive back up the Paul-Buchman highway and well lookee here the light loco set seen earlier is tucked into a siding.
Looking over my shoulder I can see green lights and the switch is set for the siding and sure enough after I've done a quick U turn the engines are out on the main line, speed is slow to start with and rather than become a mobile chicane I let it get a bit up the line and up to speed before some pacing shots. I nearly missed out as it didn't take long to get up to speed so it was a bit of a dash to catch up.
Set to auto cruise at 53 mph, window down, camera in crook of arm and just bashed away for the next six miles
, just fantastic.
The crew didn't mind at all and we parted with a friendly wave on the out skirts of Plant City as he slowed for the limits.
Not the best shots in the world but my first chase and panning whilst moving so I'm happy, I was more happy at just listening to those big GE's chug along
So a quick out and back from Plant City, total of twelve miles and now again, another U turn to head north to Wildwood, normally I'd stop for 30 or so minutes at a few known spots like Vitis, Dade City or Bushnell and there's some cracking locations around Lacoochee I want to explore but those'll be another day. The early start is catching up so it's a nice but brisk drive to Wildwood 65 miles away and I decide to set up camp in the northern burb of Moreland Park......in part 2
I read on the Amsted site that the single wear wheel was the most common type used versus the double and multi-wear versions. I also have no idea if the same specs apply to loco wheels.
These shots were taken just west of Glenwood Springs. I had hoped to catch this in the Canyon east of Glenwood Springs (the last shot - the train would have been across the river from the highway, behind the trees
