Eastern Railroad Discussion > NS Train 18N question

This past Thursday I spent the night at Cove Pa along the NS Pit Line west out of Enola/HBG Pa. Seeing how I didn't hve a trlr with me,( in Bob Tail Mode, ya can't or are not supposed to drag a 53ft trlr north on US11/15 out of Marysville Pa and Duncannon) I took advantage of my time and a rather nice spot to shoot at. Got up around 0700 and started shooting trains as they came by.

 One of the more interesting ones was NS 18N. I passed it at Banks early that morning, around 0130 or so. Looked to be having some issues as it sat on the CS there at Banks. Saw a crew van down alongside it. Didn't really think much of it. As the day went on, NS sent SD80MAC 7217 West on Main 1 on what the crew told HBG Terminal was a "Marker" Run.  Wasn't real sure on what they were referring to but after awhile I figured it out.  7217 went west twds Cannon on Main 1 then back east on Main 1 to G Track at Banks, which is what it came out on to run west. Running LHF along the way, it crept quite slowly. From working at UP and Rock & Rail, I knew that if a unit didn't have ditch lights on the leading end, it was restricted to, I believe 20mph. (I know NORAC and GCOR are slightly different in some rules, but I think this one is universal)  After it passed me EB it made it's way to Banks and then over onto the Controlled Siding for a WB move again. And once again, it crawled along. Listening in, HBG Term Disp made mention of 20 cars at the Cove ahead.  After 7217 went west, and came back east is when I figured out what the  "Marker" run was about.  This is what they hooked into. The rear 20 cars off of 18N. Running as an H15, NS 7217 pokes it nose around the curve at Cove, MP 116. The other shot is  the WB Light Eng move.

 My question is.  Is this a common occurance with 18N?  18N btw was still at CP Mary waiting to go when I left abt 1/2 hr later. Not sure where H15 went or if it picked up a new symbol when it hooked into the 20 cars here at Cove Pa.  This was the only train on the CS while I was here. Did see some others, incl 20K run east on Main 2 tho  Help this ex Central Pa/HBG native understand what was going on with the 18N here.  Thanks for looking and any replies.   All shots on Sept 15 2016 at Cove Pa.      Ben



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/16 14:24 by ns2557.

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Last year, 18N began dropping off autoracks for either Baltimore or Delaware on the CS, with a yard job normally coming out to get them.  One of the times, they had 18N take the block of cars in, which was at the front of the train.  Ended up taking several hours and a recrew.

Thank you ns2557 and to dan.

In the past they used to have 18N make a cut at BANKS, run the cars into Enola, then come back to BANKS, tie on, and cross the river to the Harrisbug pad to refuel and relay crews.  That stopped a few years ago and the Baltimore and Delaware cars come in on 36A.  I think there was also a 28N which was loaded racks into Enola, but I'm not sure if that is still running, I'm pretty sure there is still a 27N with empties which runs to points west with racks out of Enola.

It looks like this now has become standard practice for 18N to cut cars at BANKS (and I heard COVE once or twice too), then proceed with the rest of its train across the river and on to Jersey.  H15 or another HOnn yard job comes out to fetch the cars and bring them into Enola.

As an aside to this, 18N usually rates 3 untis now, even if it's a small train to Jersey.  Two units return on either 11J or 15J, and 1 unit on the other.  Lately it seems 11J has been rating the one unit, in the past it seemed that 15J would be the one-unit wonder.

sscannella Wrote:
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> In the past they used to have 18N make a cut at
> BANKS, run the cars into Enola, then come back to
> BANKS, tie on, and cross the river to the
> Harrisbug pad to refuel and relay crews.  That
> stopped a few years ago and the Baltimore and
> Delaware cars come in on 36A.  I think there was
> also a 28N which was loaded racks into Enola, but
> I'm not sure if that is still running, I'm pretty
> sure there is still a 27N with empties which runs
> to points west with racks out of Enola.
>
> It looks like this now has become standard
> practice for 18N to cut cars at BANKS (and I heard
> COVE once or twice too), then proceed with the
> rest of its train across the river and on to
> Jersey.  H15 or another HOnn yard job comes out
> to fetch the cars and bring them into Enola.
>
> As an aside to this, 18N usually rates 3 untis
> now, even if it's a small train to Jersey.  Two
> units return on either 11J or 15J, and 1 unit on
> the other.  Lately it seems 11J has been rating
> the one unit, in the past it seemed that 15J would
> be the one-unit wonder.

Thank you, I wondered about that.

The layout of the Doremus Ave facility in Newark NJ usually has power cut off an inbound, eventually run around, and hook on to an outbound auto train. There's no place to turn the power there, although they can run it over to Oak Island, etc and turn it there. But that's a chore.  So, if there are three units inbound, two will often face west, and one will face east and lead.  That lets the teams make an easy move when they need to set up a westbound.

Doesn't always happen that way, but I've seen it much more often than not.

Lackawanna484 Wrote:
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> There's no place to turn the power
> there, although they can run it over to Oak
> Island, etc and turn it there. But that's a
> chore.

Actually, the west end lead for Doremus yard happens to be only a couple hundred yards away from the "Northern Connection," which is the east end of the wye at FRAN (formerly PN).  It's actually quite easy to spin power there.

bioyans Wrote:
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> Lackawanna484 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > There's no place to turn the power
> > there, although they can run it over to Oak
> > Island, etc and turn it there. But that's a
> > chore.
>
> Actually, the west end lead for Doremus yard
> happens to be only a couple hundred yards away
> from the "Northern Connection," which is
> the east end of the wye at FRAN (formerly PN). 
> It's actually quite easy to spin power there.

Thanks for that info.  Does NS spin power there very often? 

All three carriers (NS, CSX, and CR) use the wye at FRAN several times per day to spin power. It is actually the preferred place to do so in the vicinity of Oak Island, Port Newark, and Erail.

NS has its own wye at Croxton, and CR has one at Pt. Reading. Bayonne yard has one, but getting over to use it can be a bit involved.

Posted from Android

sscannella Wrote:
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> I think there was
> also a 28N which was loaded racks into Enola, but
> I'm not sure if that is still running, I'm pretty
> sure there is still a 27N with empties which runs
> to points west with racks out of Enola.

28N is now the symbol for a Bellevue, Ohio-Ayer, Mass. autorack train. Its westbound counterpart is 287.