Eastern Railroad Discussion > 3 Hours & 5 Trains on a Sunday .... 13 Nov 2022

Heads up from a fellow rail-fan gives Intel on a 159 car freight coming east out of Grafton, WV. passing Mountain Lake Park, MD. I head out to catch them coming off 17-Mile Grade.

2:29 pm ....

1) M316 with a C999-13 re-crew in charge descends 17-Mile grade crossing the Potomac River between Bloomington, MD and Beryl, WV.

2) and 3) some good size steel on these cars...

... More to Follow ....

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1) DP Units in the middle of the train.

2) and 3) A selection of some "Uncle Sam's Fireworks" in the train behind the DP's

.... More to Follow ...

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C999-13 / M316 stopped at Piedmont, WV while other trains work ahead at Keyser, WV. while the head-end is at Piedmont, the rear of the 159 car train is still back at the Potomac River crossing.

1) Empty hopper train E792-11 comes westbound with 99 empty hoppers passing the stopped C999 at Beryl, WV.

2) and 3) E792-11 passing the rear of the stopped C999

... More to Follow ....

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Head back to Keyser, WV to catch L165-12 come west. He'll have a set off today at Keyser.

1) L165-12 westbound over the Main Street crossing in Keyser, WV

2) L165 making their 6 car set off to reduce tonnage at Keyser.

3) Westbound at Piedmont, WV. L165-12 would struggle on the mountain due to wet leaves and rail....

... More to Follow ....

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1) Now at Keyser, WV C999 (left) has to set out their DP units and their leader to be left here before the continue east to Cumberland. On the right E791-12 another empty hopper trains prepares to depart out of the east yard.

2) E791-12 westbound passing the rear of C999-13 at Keymont, WV.

3) E791-12 heading west thru Piedmont, WV

... More to Follow ....

 

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1) and 2) Finally at 5:29 pm.... another C999 crew on a loaded coal drag comes to a stop at Piedmont, WV while the earlier C999-13 / M316 finishes doubling their train ahead at Keyser.

Thanks,
Tim W.
 

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Tim,
Lots of interesting stuff. That ceratinly was some heavy "I" and "H" beams. Makes me wonder who is building what that needs such hefty structural shapes. 
Thanks for the post!
Go

Good Stuff Tim !  Happy to see all the action still on the Mountain Sub. Looks like Keyser can get crowded at times.

Thank you Tim for all your photos on the old B&O.  They are always very interesting and appreciated to view.  Stay safe, stay well, and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
John in White Marsh, Maryland

Tim - Is the West End getting busier these days?   From your last couple posts it looks busier than it has seemed for awhile. 

dwatry Wrote:
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> Tim - Is the West End getting busier these
> days?   From your last couple posts it looks
> busier than it has seemed for awhile. 

Since your last visit, instead of a Freight (Q316 / Q317) each way with a local (B772) doing the honors between Keyser and Grafton handling the over tonnage cars. We now have 2 locals westbound (L163 and L165) they all but eliminate the need for over tonnage cars to be set out at Keyser. Eastbound we have M316 and L162 again with these two there is no reason for tonnage reduction cars to be picked up in Keyser. The only reason L162 or M316 stops at Keyser is to pick up the empty park cars or loaded MoW cars.

Empty hoppers train, the standard was 130 cars with two motors.... now we can see 200+ car empty hopper traisn coming west that split into two trains at Keyser. Since the DP caused derailment last spring, rarely if ever will DP units go west with empty hoppers. The new standard over the mountain is 3 units and 100 empty cars..... so the split at Keyser westbound is something new.

Loaded Drags.... 100 cars with 2 units on the headend and 1 DP unit 50 cars back arrive at Keyser from the west..... New operations is to pull the DP unit at Keyser, put the train back together and put the DP unit on the headend. Second drag comes along and does the same "DPU Dance" at Keyser and doubles with the 1st train. The combined 200 car train goes east with 3+ 3 power split.

Crews die at Keyser doing the DP Dance so it's not unusal to see trains going east departing Keyser as C999, C998, U159, or some other version of recrews.

Mettiki and Mt. Storm trains are still pretty much as they were when you were last here.

Tim W.




 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/22 18:42 by DTWilson.

Nice pics!!