Eastern Railroad Discussion > Classic EMD's lug Hurricane Earl Evacuation Train

As described in the video, CSX cleared out its Newport News, VA terminal in fear of Hurricane Earl. First to go were train after train of empty coal cars, both ones that were just unloaded and others that were stored. Then, two trains of 'junk' cars - everything else left in the yards - were run just to Richmond. I caught one of these returning to Newport News with a GP38-2/GP40-2/SD40-2 trio lugging 7,000 tons.

Also in the video is one of the first coal trains to go to NN after the threat cleared. The train is 20,000+ tons flying at 50 mph.

Finally, there is a clip of a coal train before the Hurricane leaving Richmond with extra engines meant to assist in getting all of the empties out.

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Interesting post, inRVA. I wonder if the moth, at about 4:44 into the vid, survived whatever you got from Earl...

In Richmond, just 80 miles from Newport News, we didn't get a drop. I don't even think NN got much. We don't have rain in the forecast for the next ten days, and haven't had it for at least a week.

It's funny to see a railroad clear out an entire terminal...and then nothing happens. This whole train went on a 160 round trip just to be shoved back in the yard!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/10 09:20 by inRVA.

To beat that, the threes old EMD's look like they are the NN yard engines for all of them had the yellow strobes of remote units.

Sharon Evans
Glen Allen, VA

And no headlight burning. . . .

Nice video - thanks for sharing. Looks like CSX learned their lesson after Katrina.

the junk train was shot at what CSX calls "Fort Lee" signal. The power for U282 came back on E500-04...was spotted by railfans in the field both at Fulton and on the BBRR between Doswell and Beaverdam. 205 lead the 912 elephant style.

Truly, why did CSX move this equipment at all? I have no idea about the intensity of the storm, but it is only some rain and wind. Even at 40 mph, in NPN, it would be only a good heavy rain. So what!

Why did they really move those cars?

The only theory I have heard is there is an FRA requirement to inspect cars in some sort of tedious way if the roller bearings are submerged in water. I have no idea whether requirement is true, what it really means for the railroad, and whether it applies to this case... but I sure haven't heard anything else.

Also, to clarify - they really did move cars that had no reason to move. Note that half of this train is empty coal cars going *east* . The 60' boxes I've seen carrying paper rolls that either go to or come from a port loading dock. (I suspect they are rolls of paper from the Mead-westvaco mill in Covington, VA, for export. Again, those cars were already at their destination if in NN.

there's an ex-MP hopper at 0:59...HLMX 582293!! Glad that Earl didn't do more damage to the area.

Thomas Austin
Centralia, IL
Joppa Sub Layout Site

I always find this stuff funny, in that railfans always think they know better and like to second guess the railroads no matter what they do. Its called being prudent and cautious because no one REALLY knows what a hurricane will do. If Earl had been WORSE than advertised, and they'd left the yard at N News stuffed with cars, some of you same guys would have scolded them for leaving the the cars there to get flooded out.

To clarify, I just meant to indicate that it is an interesting operation to witness. I don't second-guess the reasoning for doing it; in fact, I'm somewhat surprised it happened. I did hear that it was a bit last minute, but then again it would be a tough decision to be made.

Neat video. I especially like the signals in the first clip. Classic.

To Pittsburgh Mike,

i do not think there is any doubt CSX seriously ove-reacted to the known threat of Hurricane Earl. True, it would be prudent to move hoppers away from the coal loading facilities right at the docks. Of course, the waether channel as usual dramatized every possible effect of this storm, at the same time showing all models had it veering off the coast. A 15 or 20 foot storm surge might have gone as far inland as a mile or two had the hurricane aimed directly at NPN and kept it's original strength. But it was obviously weakening long before that. Hurricanes cannot regain strenght in cooler waters even if they do change course. At the height of the storm I looked at weather stations on the Bay Bridge tunnel, gusts around 50 knots, and at a buoy 26 miles offshore, and maximun sustained wave height there was 22.6 feet. You get that in the typical Nor'easter. I think CSX would have done well enough to protect their rolling stock if the had just moved it several miles west and used one of the two mains for storage.

And they could have run Amtk until it was known things would get bad, if they did, because the station and wye are at the very west end of NPN yard. I bet in the old days the C&O would have done just that. I know 'inRVA' and am a close advisor, and a career railroader.

Will ex-New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin ask why those trains left without taking any of the stranded people on them?