Eastern Railroad Discussion > 24 hours on the S-line: The Report

The slower change of pace was intended. I usually reserve my 24 hour railfanning marathons for the likes of uber-busy locations such as Folkston, GA, however, for too long have I neglected the mainline in my own backyard, the CSX Wildwood Sub. Commonly referred to as the S-line, the Wildwood Sub runs straight through the heart of the Sunshine State and is by far the busiest mainline into peninsular Florida. Due to the recent SunRail changes in Orlando, most of the freights from the paralleling A-line has made the Wildwood Sub busier than ever. Sure this line’s traffic pales in comparison to BNSF’s Transcon, UP’s Overland route, or NS’ ex-NYC Chicago Line, but remember that this line is virtually a dead end street…so to speak.

Because Florida is a consumer state, trains are mostly loaded heading south and empty going north. The Wildwood Sub’s average of 25 trains a day help feed Florida’s large appetite for goods, fuel, and materials. That average train count should surely rise along with Florida's ever booming population.

On Tuesday August 19th, I witnessed 25 of those trains within the heart of the S-line. My first locale was at the Subdivision’s namesake town, Wildwood. At Wildwood, CSX still operates a small crew base, houses MofW equipment, and has a small yard where a local freight calls home. A couple of rock distribution yards and a few local industries still line the tracks here, but still, Wildwood is a mere shell of its former glory from its Seaboard days. The second stake-out was in Dade City. (More about that location in a bit.)

The following is the full report of all of the trains that I saw during my 24 hour stretch along the S-line. A total of 25 freights were seen plus one lite engine move and the local. I also included a few details of the various happenings from throughout the day. Traditionally, I start my 24 hour clock at midnight and go ‘til the following midnight, but again came another intentional change. I started at 21:45 on Monday evening and stayed until 21:45 Tuesday evening. Having to go back to work on Wednesday morning required the bump in the start time. This way I could get a full night’s rest Tuesday night.

-Wildwood-

21:50 K657-13 (Cicero, IL BNSF - Tampa, FL) ethanol loads
CSXT 255 CW44AC
CSXT 7562 C40-8
78 cars (1 buffer covered hopper, 77 tankcars), 4721 ft.
Southbound track 1

22:35 Q613-18 (Waycross, GA - Winston, FL) mixed freight
CSXT 4680 SD70M
CSXT 4799 SD70AC
CSXT 8008 SD40-2
95 cars, 5498 ft.
Southbound track 2

22:42 Q188-18 (Tampa, FL - Jacksonville, FL) intermodal
CSXT 9029 CW40-9
CSXT 801 ES44AH
82 platforms, 5557 ft.
Northbound track 1

23:22 Q604-18 (Winston, FL - Waycross, GA) mixed freight
CSXT 7737 CW40-8
CSXT 7676 CW40-8
CSXT 736 ES44AH
112 cars, 6654 ft.
Northbound track 1

00:37 Q652-18 (Tampa, FL - Waycross, GA) mixed freight
CSXT 5388 ES40DC
CSXT 5441 ES40DC
71 cars (62 mixed freight, 9 auto racks on the rear), 4614 ft.
Northbound track 2

01:10 Q187-18 (Jacksonville, FL - Winter Haven, FL) intermodal
CSXT 5451 ES40DC
CSXT 5009 CW46AH
46 platforms, 3181 ft.
Southbound track 1

02:10 Q603-18 (Waycross, GA - Winston, FL) mixed freight
CSXT 7711 CW40-8
CSXT 7818 CW40-8
73 cars, 4430 ft.
Southbound track 1

02:30 K803-13 (Cicero, IL BNSF - Mulberry, FL) phosphate empties
CSXT 369 CW44AC
76 cars, 4536 ft.
Southbound track 1

02:53 Q442-19 (Winston, FL - Waycross, GA) empty autoracks / mixed freight
CSXT 7310 CW40-8
CSXT 7784 CW40-8
-Arrived on a yard track with 42 autoracks (4008 ft.) at 02:53. Q442 picked up 12 cars of mixed freight from Wildwood Yard. Departed Northbound at 03:36 with 54 cars and 4668 ft of train. Later, Q442 had another scheduled pick up at Starke, FL.

03:05 Q178-19 (Winter Haven, FL - Jacksonville, FL) intermodal
CSXT 7670 CW40-8
CSXT 7389 CW40-8
52 platforms, 3577 ft.
Northbound track 2

05:58 Q441-18 (Waycross, GA - Tampa, FL) mixed freight
CSXT 7714 CW40-8
CSXT 7378 CW40-8
CSXT 2523 GP38-2
CSXT 8004 SD40-2
CSXT 2294 Road Slug
CSXT 6460 GP40-2
129 cars (23 loaded autoracks on head end, 106 cars mixed freight), 8828 ft.
Southbound track 1
-This train would become famous...or better yet, infamous. The crew hoglawed in Dade City and was instructed to take the siding. The train blocked multiple crossings for 90 minutes.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/publicsafety/csx-angers-dade-city-officials-when-train-stops-on-tracks-8212-again/2193615
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?2,3498938

06:09 K820-18 (Mulberry, FL - Bensenville, IL CP) phosphate loads
CSXT 2 CW44AC
CSXT 8073 SD40-2
CSXT 5453 ES40DC
85 cars, 5209 ft.
Northbound track 2

07:05 E092-18 (Indiantown, FL - Erwin, TN) ICXX coal empties
CSXT 674 CW44AH
CSXT 753 ES44AH
109 cars, 5888 ft.
Northbound track 1
-E092 made a brief 5 minute stop to pick up ice.

At 07:54, three motors running lite arrived at the south end of Wildwood using the train symbol of V206-12. The the motors turned onto the Wildwood Wye, which is the now abandoned Florida Central line from the Orlando area, and were tied down. My guess is that this was the power from a grain train billed for Lacoochee. The three motors were:
CSXT 330 CW44AC
CSXT 5458 ES40DC
CSXT 8599 SD50-2

Around 08:00, Wildwood became a beehive of activity. At least a dozen or more CSX employees loaded their trucks in preparation of their upcoming work day. A couple of hi-railers were dispatched, one in each direction for routine track inspections. A truck was sent down to Bushnell to repair a malfunctioning grade crossing. Another crew took off to repair some bad ordered cars that were set out in the yard. And finally the crew for the day’s Wildwood Local got set for their day.

At 09:45, A782-19 (Wildwood Local) began its work. First, A782 shoved three rock hoppers to nearby Conrad Yelvington to be emptied. After the hoppers were emptied, they were taken to the north end of the yard to be set out. At 10:55, A782 went south towards Coleman and Bushnell engine lite for further work.
A782’s power
CSXT 4318 GP39-2
CSXT 4314 GP39-2

11:15 Q452-19 (Miami, FL - Waycross, GA) mixed freight
CSXT 7346 CW40-8
CSXT 7354 CW40-8
43 cars, 2689 ft.
Northbound on track 2

At 12:45, A782 returned to Wildwood Yard from its work in Coleman and Bushnell. A lone empty centerbeam flat was the only car retrieved. The centerbeam was then coupled with the three empty rock hoppers. A previously bad ordered empty coal hopper was then added to the other four cars. The crew then parked the power.

13:10 Q740-19 (Tampa, FL - Greenville, NJ) Tropicana Juice Train loads
CSXT 973 ES44AH
CSXT 8442 SD40-2
19 cars, 1357 ft.
Northbound track 1
-Note: Recently, the northbound Juice train Q740 has returned to running all the way to New Jersey. No intermodal is added in Jacksonville. Q140 and Q740 are now two separate trains north of Jacksonville.

13:30 K876-13 (New Orleans, LA UP - Mulberry, FL) molten sulfur loads
UP 7604 ES44AC
UP 4780 SD70M
79 cars, 3936 ft.
Southbound track 1

At 13:41, the crew of A782 fired up the three motors from V206-12 which was sitting on the Wildwood Wye and brought them into the yard. This short movement was also given the train symbol of A782-19.

With no impending movements to be heard on the scanner, I decided to have a change of scenery. With my scanner still on and paralleling the tracks most of the way, I migrated south about 40 miles to Dade City. As luck would have it, no trains were missed during the drive. Why Dade City? Dade City is the closest point on the S-line from my home, 35 miles distant. After my 24 hour marathon was completed, Dade City would be an hour closer to my bed than Wildwood.

Here’s an interesting tidbit about Dade City: Even though the CSX mainline from Callahan, FL to Lakeland and Tampa is affectionately known as the S-line, the current tracks next to the Dade City depot is in fact of ACL heritage, not SAL. After the merger, SCL began pruning itself of duplicate routes. The ACL line was chosen in the Dade City / Zephyrhills area because its tracks bypassed the cities’ downtown areas whereas the SAL went right through. As a result, the ex-ACL trackage from Owensboro, just north of Dade City, to Zephyrhills and the entire Vitis Sub from Richland (Vitis Jct.) to Lakeland adopted the S-line moniker.

-Dade City-

15:56 Q453-19 (Waycross, GA - Miami, FL) mixed freight
CSXT 7892 CW40-8
CSXT 7859 CW40-8
CSXT 6044 GP38-2S
80 cars, 4601 ft.
Southbound

16:37 N172-13 (Carlisle, IN - Taft, FL) OUCX coal loads
CSXT 7575 C40-8
CSXT 66 CW44AC
CSXT 5107 CW44AH “W. Thomas Rice Special”
97 cars, 5321 ft.
Southbound

16:50 Q235-17 (Louisville, FL - Taft, FL) loaded autoracks
CSXT 5241 ES40DC
OFOX 2788 SD40M-2
59 cars, 5569 ft.
Southbound

17:40 Q170-19 (Winter Haven, FL - Jacksonville, FL) intermodal
CSXT 5009 CW46AH
CSXT 5451 ES40DC
71 platforms, 4834 ft.
Northbound

18:18 N158-11 (Taft, FL - Evansville, IN) OUCX coal empties
BNSF 1116 C44-9W
CSXT 707 ES44AH
CSXT 8530 SD50-2
CSXT 659 CW46AC
110 cars, 6079 ft.
Northbound

19:05 Q177-19 (Jacksonville, FL - Winter Haven, FL) intermodal
CSXT 8780 SD60M
CSXT 7389 CW40-8
28 platforms, 1990 ft.
Southbound

19:54 K709-18 (Junction City, GA - Taft, FL) rock loads
CSXT 936 ES44AH
CSXT 474 CW44AC
100 cars, 4633 ft.
Southbound

21:10 Q045-19 (Jacksonville, FL - Tampa, FL) intermodal
CSXT 7329 CW40-8
CSXT 223 CW44AC
48 platforms, 3312 ft.
Southbound

21:20 Q188-19 (Tampa, FL - Jacksonville, FL) intermodal
CSXT 551 CW44AH
CSXT 417 CW44AC
93 platforms, 6282 ft.
Northbound

Of all the scheduled trains that run on a Tuesday, Q237 (Louisville, KY - Tampa, FL) and Q443 (Waycross, GA - Winston, FL) were no shows. I did, however, see a Q237 when I was driving north to Wildwood Monday evening. Q443 may have been annulled that day, or was badly delayed throughout its trip south. Other scheduled trains that run on the Wildwood Sub on other days include:
Q214 (Tampa, FL - Waycross, GA) empty autoracks Su, We, Fr
Q741 (Jacksonville, FL - Tampa, FL) Tropicana Juice empties We-Su
Q742 (Tampa, FL - Greenville, NJ) Tropicana Juice loads Mo only
Other various unit coal, ethanol, rock, and grain trains run as needed. Various northbound empty L200 series autorack trains run out of Winston Yard as needed.

I hope you enjoyed my report on the CSX Wildwood Sub and hopefully it will give a better idea of the line’s operations that occur on a typical weekday.

Andrew


The following picture is the power for the Wildwood Local as they bask in the morning sun.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/14 16:38 by florida581.

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You always do a great job with your reports, that was great!


Jay

Andrew,
appreciate the detailed report, used to foam Wildwood a lot on visits to Walt Disney World.
Mark Mautner

Fantastic detailed reporting.
John

Thanks for sharing your detailed list!!! I enjoyed reading through it.

What a great report. I moved to The Villages a few months ago and Wildwood is 5 min from the house.
This report sure helps me understand what's going on.
Jim