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

CSX Coil Car Mystery

Hi all----I have a mystery about a coil car that I am seeking to solve with your help.

Back in 2000, I shot a brand-spanking-new CSXT Thrall coil car in mineral red, CSXT #496329.

(photo above copyright, Patrick Harris, 2013)

I didn’t recall seeing any of these mineral-red cars again after my time in Jackson, so I went to RRPictureArchives to see when/if they got repainted. Imagine my surprise when I found the exact same car #, but the car not only was painted in the more traditional blue and yellow of CSX coil cars, but was in fact now an NSC coil car:

Photo is courtesy of RRPicture Archives. See it on the site below:

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=104302

A look at the page listing this number series (CSXT #4963XX) shows them all to be NSC cars.

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/rsList.aspx?id=CSX&Page=184

Can anyone tell me if the mineral-red cars were returned to lessor, sold, or re-numbered to another series? It may not be a mystery to someone who knows, but it certainly is to me!

Early Morning Visit to the NS in Gainesville, Georgia

On our way to Helen, Georgia, we dropped in on the NS in Gainesville at 8AM. Several units were sitting completely shut down instead of idling. Because it was so early I dealt with a lot of shadows, but an okay photo is better than none! Also nearby were a string of SOU-NW-NS PS 3-bay covered hoppers in various schemes.

Across the street were nearly thirty CSX Trinity 3-bay centerflows, but the light was such that I could only take one photo. I need an excuse to go back to Gainesville soon! All shots can be had from public property in both the morning and the afternoon.

NS #2764 SD70M-2 sitting shut down in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #2764 SD70M-2 sitting shut down in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #9947 D9-40CW sitting shut down in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #1748 SD40-2 Logo Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #9947 D9-40CW NS #2583 SD70M sitting shut down in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #9947 D9-40CW NS #2583 SD70M Cab Shot sitting shut down in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #3371 X-CR SD40-2 sitting shut down in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #3371 X-CR SD40-2 sitting shut down in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #3209 SD40-2 X-SOU sitting shut down in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NW #177405 4750cf PS2-CD in post-NS merger 'Claytor' font Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #255505 4750cf PS2-CD in full NS paint in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

SOU #88145 4750cf PS2-CD in mixed Claytor and classic SOUTHERN lettering Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NS #254175 4750cf PS2-CD in full NS markings in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NW #178647 4750cf PS2-CD in full 1970s NW markings in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

NW #176664 4427cf PS2-CD in full 1970s NW markings in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

 CSXT #262344 3-bay Trinity covered hopper in Gainesville GA 10-20-2012

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.