Eastern Railroad Discussion > Big blue pulls the blue train

Drove 568 miles yesterday chasing the WBBB blue train on the "great Richmond circle route."

Seems a C&O-SR connecting track was removed, so now to get from NS to CSX in Richmond (circus played last week in Richmond, needed to go to Newport News) it had to go down the old Southern tracks to Burkeville, get on the N&W main to come back to Collier Yard, them go north to get back to Richmond on the SCL tracks, around Acca Y and down to C&O Fulton Yard, and finally out to Newport News ...

Because of the connection at Burkeville, the train was pulled backwards on the N&W to Seacoast (Collier Yard), which according to a couple of WBBB employees is rare. Image is about two miles east of Crew, VA on the N&W with the flats in front of the passenger cars.

Is there a way to get the circus trains' schedules on the net? Some other way? Thanks.

nice picture , thanks.

Dave,

568 Miles???? Now THAT is dedication to the hobby! ;-)

-Eric

Dedication to a hobby......AND.........Retirement...That's how you can drive 500+ miles on a weekday chasing trains. Now David...I always enjoy your high resolution, photo shop enhanced images. Why did you tease us with a thumbnail this time? Bandwidth got you down?

If that had been my wife, Dave, I don't think I would be typing right now, what with the broken arms and all! ;-)

I can't resist. Here is what Dave calls his "good side" at Shenendoah Junction last month. heh heh...

-Eric

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ddavies wrote:

> Seems a C&O-SR connecting track was removed,

The interchange track between the old SR and the old SBD
is operated everyday of the year. It has not been removed.
Many of us at the Old Domionion Railray Museum formerly ex-Southern
Passenger Depot see it go past twice a day.

So there must be another reason.

I saw the train go past my house at about 930 in Bon Air.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?f=2&i=63618&t=63505

Very funny Mr. D. Here is the same train taken from where I was standing at the same approximate moment.

The reasons for the 2 pictures are for comparison. I saw somewhere else here where you increased color saturation so I gave it a try. The top is with no mods. The bottom is with the saturation increase. This works great with CSX! However, I found that trying the same thing with NS does little other than make really colorful handrails.

;-))))

-Eric

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As far as filling the frame...

That was a fun day. It was my first time out with a digital camera and Dave helped me a lot with it. He has created a monster! ;-)))

-Eric

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You guys like AC 6000's eh??

Where did Amtrak95 pass the blue train?

I was not gonna chase after dark (I still had over a 2-hour drive to get home when I stopped), although it might have been cool with the digital video - if I had remembered to bring the tripod - with the van everything is alrady in the back, forgot some of the little things when I switched to the car).

Be carefull with saturation. In the fall, I selected the fall colors and not the train itself to enhance, and only do it a little (10 to a max of 30%) or you begin to get a poster effect.

They were good shots for your first time and that camera that you really couldn't control.

Wonder what the shutter speed it uses is? Have you tried it in less that bright sunlight on a moving subject?

It was a Nikon 775, which had a long delay before firing. My advice was to pre-focus with partial pressure on the shutter button, aiming at the location where you want to shoot the subject, then hold that focus and fire when the suject is composed.

Reduces the delay dramatically on the autofocus digital cameras (which will often cause loss of a good shot).

CSX provided all manner of slow-ups for the Blue Unit's train between Collier Yard and South Acca Wye, rolling back and forth from track to track around several other trains. They even routed the train---which has EIGHT 6-axle baggage cars throughout the consist---over "shallow" 15-mph turnouts with little regard for those 6-axle-sets. The shifting of the train from track to track was one of the delays in the train's progress north to Richmond.

I waited on the Powhite Parkway to watch them pass over the huge ACL stone arch bridge over the James River---it finally appeared, and it was worth the wait. WOW, what a sight---and then pacing the train along with hundreds of other local motorists, who were obviously astonished to see the people in the vestibules close-up, friendly and waving to them in the warm afternoon air.

!!!

The engineer was expecting to get a restricting proceed at S. Acca Wye, but coming around the wye was surprised by a STOP signal. Amtrak 95 was departing the station a few miles away, and preceeded the Circus Train down the hill. The Circus also got a surprise STOP signal at Rivanna Junction, after following P095 down Hermitage Hill at a good clip (CSX does maintain that Amtrak route from Acca to Fulton in a reasonably fair amount of shape). They were expecting the signals there to be stacked up to just follow along in P095's wake, but they weren't. The wait to get a signal into Fulton Yard for the crewchange wasn't long, though.

The train then departed Fulton Yard, east-bound on the former C&O route just as the sun went down, quickly reaching 50 mph, and sustained that speed for the entire journey (except a minor slow-down ascending Toano Hill just west of the Williamsburg Pottery Factory). They didn't slow down again until passing over the Harpersville Rd. grade crossing as they approached the Newport News Amtrak platform.

The train had taken the siding just past Williamsburg, then turned back onto the main at Lee Hall, passing another west-bound train waiting for it there. Lee Hall's two busy grade-crossings were packed with highway traffic, and hundreds of astonished motorists at the two streets watched the Circus Train blowing through... red crossing lights flashing and wheels roaring through the cross-overs. The elephant car doors were open, and trunks could be seen sniffing around the door stops. More jaws dropped at the grade crossings... (I have noticed that this is one particular train that highway mototists don't at all seem to mind waiting for.)

It should be noted that CSX recently performed some much-needed trackwork in this area, and now trains move quickly through there with greater speeds and much-improved safety. The Circus Train was kept moving by the (A.L.???) dispatcher all the way from Fulton into Newport News at top track speed. A MOST impressive display by CSX in the area, on their "Penninsula Subdivision."

All in all, this "Circle Tour of Virginia" by the Blue Unit Circus Train was quite an adventure. God must have known they'd have an interesting day---He smiled on us all with fabulous weather in Virginia. I hope He does so again next year!

By the way, a railfan in Newport News who was following the train's progress down the Williamsburg Penninsula with a radio scanner said the crew was calling signals using the CSX train I.D. "P-949."

FYI

I have found some tricks to using this camera. If you autofocus by pushing the button down 1/2 way to cut the delay, the camera will focus on whatever is in front of it. If this is a mile away, the train will be out of focus when it comes into the frame. What I found was to autofocus on the ground/rails of where you want the train to be when you take the shot. Also, in low light the shutter speed is low enough that it is easy to blur the photo with my unsteady hands. Here is a low light of the 227 in Linden a couple weeks ago. I was able to rest my elbows on the railing of the bridge for steadiness.

-Eric

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In the end, I was at the airport/Ft Lee, and left when the signals were still red 15 min after 95 went past. I was hearing signals being called by a 3100 engine, which I figured was the rental unit.

Rhett,

I spoke to a mutual friends of ours. He suggested the problem was more
likely the 17'1" clearance at the triple crossing between the old SBD
and the old C&O.

RBBB has used this route for 10 or 15 years now. Lately
CSX has been sending long coal drags down that way to
Dominion Powers Electric plant at Dutch Gap. So I wouldnt expect
length of track as a problem.

Bill

I thought about that facit of the move too, Bill, but the highest Circus car, the bilevel flat, even loaded with autos up top, is less height than the locomotives! I have the measurments listed somewhere as to how high all the cars are "above top of rail" (ATOR), and they're ALL less height than any of the nation's railroad locomotives that pull this train.

According to Circus officials it was indeed the cut switching lead being the primary reason for the "Virginia Circle Tour." 5,044 feet of train just won't fit into a 900-ft. siding unless it's split up into at least 6 sections, and the Circus wasn't about to do that and keep 350 people in the cold and darkness for the length of time it would take. Add to that all the electircal (and other) connections between all the coaches (---"nah, just take it across the state and back"). And remember, that portion of CSX (the Bellwood Subdivision) is 10 mph max, and Richmond's "South Yard" tracks aren't in that good a shape anymore either.

Norfolk Southern officials stated that the newer configuration of tracks they've put it the connection there (from behind the 6th & Perry St. freight office) across Hill Street and around the curve to CSX are now too tight to take the Blue Unit's nineteen 89-foot flats (2-COFC cars...one bi-level...16 flats), and were very concerned they'd derail or bind up. That's yet another reason.

But it certainly resulted in a great, fun-filled railfan day as we chased the train across Virginia and back!