Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS Rockville Bridge Detours via CSXT-AVR

Sorry for the lateness in getting around to post this. I was fortunate enough to catch one of the 2 reported detours that ran via the CSXT-AVR-NS connection via CP Bloom in Pittsburgh as a result of the high wind derailment on the NS Rockville Bridge last week.
1. While waiting for the detour train to show up, I took advantage of the opportunity to capture a shot of the low winter light illuminating the B&O herald on the bridge of the now abandoned Pittsburgh Branch that broke off towards downtown at Laughlin Jct. The branch is now a bike trail.
2. Running as CSXT Z-002-28, NS's hot 21Z train rolls west past the CPL's at Laughlin Jct just east of downtown Pittsburgh on December 28th. It had been sunny for a good hour, but naturally the sun dipped behind a wall of clouds when the train showed up. The CSX crew will take the train to the NS connection at BLOOM, where a NS crew will take over to head the train west to Chicago over home rails.
3. 21Z's trailers are a reminder of the Chessie System "Trailer Jets" of days gone by that used to roll over the hilly P&W Subdivision, even well into the CSX era. Interestingly, the homes signal for the Pittsburgh Branch still stands, complete with one working red lens, gaurding an entrance to the mainline that has been gone for years!

Thanks for looking!



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/11 21:27 by PittsburghMike.

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Semi-stupid question... is this still going on? That may be an interesting photo op.

MH2198 Wrote:
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> Semi-stupid question... is this still going on?
> That may be an interesting photo op.

No. They ran only 2 trains via this route as far as I know, and opened the mainline shortly after this shot was taken. I'm pretty sure the other train ran under the cover of darkness.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/04/11 19:51 by PittsburghMike.

Great shots!

That last one could have been taken in 1975!

If I remember correctly, CSX does not even keep their T&E staff qualified on the P&W anywhere west of Glenwood. I presume the train would have required an AVR pilot from the yard to the connection.

CivE

CivilEngineer Wrote:
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> If I remember correctly, CSX does not even keep
> their T&E staff qualified on the P&W anywhere west
> of Glenwood. I presume the train would have
> required an AVR pilot from the yard to the
> connection.
>
> CivE

I don't know if there was an AVR pilot or not, but CSXT does have some crews qualified to Field for the occasional work trains they run, mostly when they end up with any rain related problems related to the approaches to Schenley Tunnel and need to fdump ballast (AVR's lease from Glenwood ends at East Schenley, and uses trackage rights between there and Field to reach the leased portion of the P&W west of Field)

So Laughlin Jct. is on the AVR?

Jon