03-01-1999 CSX, UP, Guilford/HATX, NS Motive Power + Rolling Stock

As late as March, it is still possible to railfan CSX's Gentilly Yard. It runs east-northeast (railroad north) to west-soutwest (railroad south), so the sun is still low enough at mid-day to shoot. I was able to catch this power in the yard before the sun's height made the shadows too prominent.

 CSX #8143 SD40-2 idling at north end of CSX Gentilly Yard in New Orleans La 03-01-1999

UP #445 C30-7 side view idling at north end of CSX Gentilly Yard in New Orleans La 03-01-1999

  

UP #445 C30-7 idling at north end of CSX Gentilly Yard in New Orleans La 03-01-1999

HLCX #5059 X-Guilford/MEC nee-Detroit Edison SD40 idling at east end of CSX Gentilly Yard New Orleans 03-01-1999

HLCX #5059 X-Guilford-MEC nee-Detroit Edison SD40 rear view idling at east end of CSX Gentilly Yard New Orleans 03-01-1999

At the west end of CSX Gentilly yard I caught these cylindrical hoppers being moved as a UP train was being set up to be run over the Huey P. Long bridge to UP's Avondale Yard.

CSXT #225327 ACF 3-bay cylindrical hopper at the west end of CSX Gentilly Yard New Orleans La 03-01-1999

 CSXT #226045 ACF 3-bay cylindrical hopper at the west end of CSX Gentilly Yard New Orleans La 03-01-1999

I moved just west of CSX Gentilly Yard and caught the train heading west to UP's Avondale yard. Much to my surprise, it stopped and sat on the main immediately east of the Louisa Street crossing. While it was very common to see eastbound trains pausing west of the crossing to get clearance to proceed into Gentilly, it was VERY unusual for a westbound to stop short of  Louisa Street. This move blocked several streets including westbound Almonaster Avenue, which handles a lot of 18-wheeler traffic.

UP #3190 SD40-2 idling just east of the Louisa Street crossing parallel to Almonaster Avenue on CSX with a westbound train heading for UP's Avondale Yard New Orleans La 03-01-1999

UP #509 C30-7 idling just east of the Louisa Street crossing parallel to Almonaster Avenue on CSX with a westbound train heading for UP's Avondale Yard New Orleans La 03-01-1999

SSW #9641 GP60 idling just east of the Louisa Street crossing parallel to Almonaster Avenue on CSX with a westbound train heading for UP's Avondale Yard New Orleans La 03-01-1999

 LMS #733 C40-8W idling just east of the Louisa Street crossing parallel to Almonaster Avenue on CSX with a westbound train heading for UP's Avondale Yard New Orleans La 03-01-1999

CSXT #25672 3-bay cylindrical hopper on CSX along Almonaster Ave in New Orleans 03-01-1999

AEX #4183 covered gondolas in glass service on CSX along Almonaster Ave in New Orleans 03-01-1999

 AEX #4183 side view covered gondola in glass service on CSX along Almonaster Ave in New Orleans 03-01-1999

TILX #610018 Trinity 4-bay centerflow on CSX along Almonaster Ave in New Orleans 03-01-1999 

After waiting for the UP train to move on (which it did now while I was there) I moved on down Almonaster Avenue to Florida Avenue where I found the engine and cars below sitting on the RIP track on the north end of the yard along the west fringe, just north of the car shop. I don't know if the engine had trouble or had pushed the cars there and then been shut down.

NS #8514 X-NW C36-7 sitting dead on the RIP track on the west side of NS Oliver Yard in New Orleans La 03-01-1999

NS #8514 X-NW C36-7 sitting on the RIP track on the west side of NS Oliver Yard in New Orleans LA 03-01-1999

NS #8514 X-NW C36-7 rear view sitting dead on the RIP track on the west side of NS Oliver Yard in New Orleans La 03-01-1999

 MSDR #1101 50' sliding door interior-post box car stretched from 40' box car on the RIP track in NS Oliver Yard New Orleans LA 03-01-1999

HTTX #93850 60' flat car with large CAT load  on the RIP track in NS Oliver Yard New Orleans LA 03-01-1999 

CNW #182118 PS 4750cf PS2-CD on the RIP track on the west side of NS Oliver Yard in New Orleans La 03-01-1999

SOU-NS MOW Wheel Car-New Orleans 05-14-1997

Norfolk Southern's Oliver Yard has a small shop for repairing cars. Part of that role is replacing wheels as needed, and that means that occasionally a car has to journey to New Orleans with a load of wheels to supply the shop. 

The car on this day was SOU #911268, and the build date for this flat car was September, 1938, so it was in its 61st year of service when I shot this picture at Oliver Junction, just north of Florida Avenue and Oliver Yard. If there is one thing that railroads (at least well-run roads) can do, it's squeeze 25 cents out of a nickel. Long after this car stopped earning revenue for the Southern and then NS, it's still providing a vital MOW service. 

SOU #911268 MOW wheel car on the NS at Oliver Junction NOLA 05-14-1997

SOU #911268 MOW wheel car B-end on the NS at Oliver Junction NOLA 05-14-1997

SOU #911268 MOW wheel car wheelo load and rub rail on the NS at Oliver Junction NOLA 05-14-1997

SOU #911268 MOW wheel car COTS stencil on the NS at Oliver Junction NOLA 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.