Eastern Railroad Discussion > First time catching DPU on CSX Mountain Sub - 31 July 2020

Q317 normally goes on duty late at night and passes thru Keyser, WV in the wee morning hours. They have had DPU power on occasion but we have never had the opportunity to photograph one.

This morning for reasons I'm not aware of, a late Q317 came west out of Cumberland putting them coming thru our area in the early daylight hours..

1) Rain..... Q317-30 westbound at Dawson, MD with 82 cars.

2) DPU on the rear of Q317 at Dawson, MD

3) 317 stopped at Keyser, WV to pick up power from a N998 coal drag that terminated in Keyser to return it to Grafton...  We caught the extra power at Bloomington, Md on 17 Mile Grade.

.... More to Follow ...
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/20 14:36 by DTWilson.

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1) 317 DPU at Crabtree crossing on 17-Mile Grade

2) Q317 at Mountain Lake Park, MD

3) A Wet DPU.... at Mountain Lake Park, MD

Would been nice with a little better weather.... but you work with what they give you....

Tim W.
 

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Dave Had a friend said he saw a west bound  this morning with a large ammout of tank cars was this it?

westmdrr Wrote:
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> Dave Had a friend said he saw a west bound  this
> morning with a large ammout of tank cars was this
> it?

yes, he had a fair amount of tank cars ....

Nice rainy pics...

Good report !  Thanks Tim

Rain is a natural phenomenom, I'm not sure why so many photographers consider it a problem? Adjust and shoot. Get what you see, it is really all normal. Just look at Andrew Wyeth masterpieces. They are not Kodachromes!
These are great posts, thanks!
I've been watching NS dPs pass my house now for decades. Well there was a pause for a while. When I first moved trackside here, about 1989, there were Conrail ore trains with 3 GEs pulling and two more DPs about 2/3rds back. they would return east with all 5 on the head end. When the Bethlehem Steel shut down the DPs ended.
Then about 6 months ago NS started PSR and the trains to Pittsburgh got DPs. So like years ago I hear the headend power roll by followed by the DPs roaring by several minutes later.
Glad you could catch the DP action on CSX.
Go

Thanks Tim as always, great report and terrific photos.  Thanks for keeping us up to date with the Cumberland area.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

The "smoke" in the hills really accentuates that first photo. Lot of childhood memories brought back. Thank you!

Nicely done as usual. The last shot is my favorite. Happy to see you are not a Sun or nothing guy. Much more drama in the bad weather.

Bill Rettberg
Bel Air, MD

Roadjob Wrote:
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> Nicely done as usual. The last shot is my
> favorite. Happy to see you are not a Sun or
> nothing guy. Much more drama in the bad weather.

I'm a former Newspaper Photographer ..... "get the shot, regardless"