CSX Valdosta Yard 04-15-2013

When passing by Valdosta northbound on I-75, Mrs. HOI and I noticed a small yard on the east side of the interstate. We took the exit and were delighted to find a small CSX yard. Even better, a public street (W. Savannah Avenue) parallels its entire length on the south side. Unfortunately the loco storage tracks leave the line toward the northwest. To photograph the engines would require trespassing, something the HOI family does not do.

A Google Earth view of the yard:

ADMX #52374 3-bay centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

AEX #7808 4-bay centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013 

CEFX #10632 3-bay Thrall centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013 

CEFX #10647 3-bay Thrall centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

AEX #8179 4-bay centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

ADMX #52374 3-bay centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

UELX #6201 X-CR B-65A insulated box car  in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

SIRX #100168 X-AM 60' ACF  box car  in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013 

AEX #8120 4-bay centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

CEFX #13087 3-bay Thrall centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

SIRX #100177 60' X-AM nee-SP B-100-39 1.5  door box car in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 02-15-2013

SIRX #100177 60' X-AM nee-SP B-100-39 1.5  door box car in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 02-15-2013

TILX #291292 tank car in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

NRLX #5942 3-bay Trinity centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

NRLX #5971 3-bay Trinity centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

ADMX #52341 3-bay centerflow hopper in CSX pocket yard on south side of Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

NS #407294 BS-169 50' PS waffle SDR box car in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

NS #407136 BS-169 50' PS waffle SDR box car in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

TBOX #666799 XHN60 60' double plug-door box car in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 02-15-2013

TILX #150041 heavily-patched tank car in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

NS #111209 FB-42B in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

TBOX #662231 XGH61 60' double plug-door box car in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 02-15-2013

 EQUX #632135 4-bay covered hopper in CSX pocket yard in Valdosta GA 04-15-2013

In addition to the CSX yard, we found a modified GP40 of unknown provenance. It is "Cater Parrott Railnet" #7000. Cater Parrott has taken over the former OmniTrax GFRR (Georgia Florida Railnet) 43-mile line. The STB has this document showing the Georgia DOT and GFRR have subleased the line to CPR.

Unfortunately it was in such a position that we could not get a sun-side shot of the engine. A business owner next door was kind enough to let me get these through-the-fence shots.

AKZO/NOBEL, Filtrol, FCC Covered Hoppers

Englehard (now part of BASF) regularly shipped Filtrol and related petroleum catalyst products into and through New Orleans via NS; I seldom saw them on CSX. AKZO NOBEL cars often traveled with the Englehard and Filtrol cars. One NS train had these cars all traveling in a group.

NAHX #550383 FCC Catalysts-AKZO-NOBEL  pressure differential covered hopper B-end on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

NAHX #550383 FCC Catalysts-AKZO-NOBEL  pressure differential covered hopper on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

NAHX #551231 FCC Catalysts-AKZO-NOBEL cylindrical pressure differential covered hopper on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

NAHX #487333 Filtrol Catalysts  3-bay 4750cf covered hopper on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

NAHX #487347 Filtrol Catalysts  3-bay 4750cf covered hopper on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

30 Minutes At CSX Boyles Yard and ABC Coke

My wife and I were passing through Birmingham two weeks and decided to drop off I-20 and take a quick look at CSX (nee-L&N) Boyles Yard. We were there less than thirty minutes, but got quite a little show. We started at Boyles, heard a honk from the switcher at ABC (Alabama Byproducts Company) and rushed the three blocks to shoot it, then back to the corner of Seaboard and Cedar to shoot Alabama Tennessee and Northern SD40-s. We then hopped back into the Element and headed north up I-65. It was 20-30 minutes well-spent.

CSX Boyles Yard Sign 10-13-2012

CSX facility direction sign at entry to Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

CSX trespassing sign at entry to Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

CSX Security Sign at Seaboard Road and Cedar Roads by CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham, Alabama 10-13-2012

Seaboard Road and Cedar St crossing at CSX Boyles Yard in Birmingham 10-13-2012

CSX #2453 SD38-2 moving south from the hump in CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

CSX #2452 SD38-2 moving south from the hump in Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

CSXT #620139C X-Sealand Gunderson well car moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

CSXT #620139E X-Sealand Gunderson well car moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

CSXT #620139D X-Sealand Gunderson well car moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

CSXT #620139B X-Sealand Gunderson well car moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

AIGX #400052 4-bay hopper in coke service moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012




AIGX #400080 4-bay hopper in coke service moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

CSXT #296612 4-bay coke hopper cut down from 6-bay wood chip hopper moving south into CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

CSXT #296612 4-bay coke hopper cut down from 6-bay wood chip hopper A-end moving south into CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

NYC #585032 X-CR 50' gondola in CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

TCMX #898278 X-NS 3-bay hopper converted for coke service CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

AOKX #494082 2-bay centerflow moving south into CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

TCMX #898292 X-NS 3-bay hopper converted for coke service CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham AL 10-13-2012

IFRX #867349 coke hopper X-ICG wood chip hopper moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

IFRX #4104 hopper moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

IFRX #3692 hopper moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

LW #600316 X-CSX coil car moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

PTTX #136276 flat car moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

ASHX #1320 3-bay centerflow moving south at CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

IFRX #867288 coke hopper X-ICG wood chip hopper moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

IFRX #867287 coke hopper X-ICG wood chip hopper moving south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

ABCX #1500 SW1500 X-SP shoving cars back at ABC Coke 10-13-2012

ABCX #1500 SW1500 X-SP switching ABC Coke 10-13-2012

ABCX #1500 SW1500 X-SP switching CSX coal cars at ABC Coke 10-13-2012

WAMX #4120 X-UP SD40-2 light move south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

WAMX #4120 X-UP SD40-2 light move south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

WAMX #4115 and #4120 SD40-2 drifting south through Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

WAMX #4115 X-UP SD40-2 light move south through CSX Boyles Yard Birmingham Al 10-13-2012

ABC Coke Next To CSX Boyles Yard in Birmingham in a screen grab from Google Earth.

ABC Coke in Birmingham overhead view courtesy of Google Earth.