Eastern Railroad Discussion > Railfanning the Music City Star commuter train

Anybody have suggestions for shooting the Music City Star operation in Tennessee?

I haven't seen much coverage on this operation.

From what I recall, extremely hard to chase. You have to pick your spots and wait for the next train. The good news is that it is scheduled so you can plan ahead.

I was in Nashville in March but the weather didn't cooperate until the weekend. Their storage yard is fenced but you can probably grab a shot of one trainset by shooting over the fence (bring a small step ladder), morning light.

I wouldn't dream of trying to chase a commuter train.  Mostly looking for info on photo locations, cool looking stations, which end of the train the power is on, etc.

march_hare Wrote:
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> I wouldn't dream of trying to chase a commuter
> train.  Mostly looking for info on photo
> locations, cool looking stations, which end of the
> train the power is on, etc.

Power was facing East

Here are some shots I took in Nashville earlier this month. The Riverfront Station is at the site of the former Tennessee Central terminal. The bridge in the picture can be seen in many historic photographs of the TC.

Tom Coughlin
Stow, MA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/10/18 06:54 by tomcough.

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These are some of my best shots on that right of way with the Star and the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. Hope these help.

1. South Junction Yard - Stanley St.

2. Old Horn Springs Road - Hamilton Springs, between Martha and Lebanon.

3. Lebanon Quarry Lake. Better with morning light

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All good suggestions! Here are three more from my own visit in late March.

If you have a scanner the road channel is 160.365 simplex but also listen to 161.370 which is a road channel repeater. The trains call all signals.

Download the schedule as a PDF from their website http://www.rtarelaxandride.com/Middle-TN-RTA-schedules.asp

Photo 1 = Running empty in the morning on the way back to the yard from the Lebanon passenger station, this train is passing the Nashville & Eastern depot in Lebanon at the corner of South Maple and West Spring streets.

Photo 2 = In the afternoon along West Division Street about 3/4 of a mile west of the Mount Juliet station at the intersection of West Division and Highway 171. A nice big open space for both directions.

Photo 3 = There is a short CTC passing siding just east of the Donelson station close to the intersection of highways 24/70 and 255. All the inbound and outbound trains meet here. The first to arrive usually takes the siding. Other than the yard this is the only spot to regularly catch two trains in the same photo.

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Thanks for the info, folks. 

Is that really a no - horn crossing without gates and lights?  Never seen that before on a line with passenger traffic. 

Yes it is. There are lights at the crossing, you just cannot see them from the angle of the photos, but no gates. There are two zones on the line.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/17 18:12 by kenfl9.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/03/17 11:07 by darkcloud.

Thanks for posting these interesting photos.

Did I read somewhere, that an expansion of service is being considered?