Saw a few real trains today on my way to pick up a few model trains

[ACY]

This was in Columbus Ohio where NS has a 2 track mainline parallel to a CSX mainline. Sorry the photos aren't better but there was a torrential downpour at the time so I stayed in my car.

[jward]

unusual to see a cp sd90mac. last i heard they were out of service and for sale.

[BaltoOhioRRfan]

I see trains every day I go to work, I work near the Canton Rail yard and the Norfolk Southern coal docks in Baltimore. the coal trains can hold up traffic for up to an hour(luckily there are signs for detours around the grade crossing) one day I saw a bunch of Canadian Pacific box cars,

[ACY]

The NS train in this photo later in the day yesterday actually held up my brother at a crossing for 2 and a half hours. It was extremely long, which is probably why it required 12 locomotives on the head end.

[jward]

not in ohio. 12 units is a power balancing move. there is no need for 12 to move a train in the flatlands. they probably were short on power somewhere and had a surplus somewhere else. I caught one to-day taking 10 units to Altoona, including the ns veterans unit.

[ACY]

not in ohio. 12 units is a power balancing move. there is no need for 12 to move a train in the flatlands. they probably were short on power somewhere and had a surplus somewhere else. I caught one to-day taking 10 units to Altoona, including the ns veterans unit.

I am not an expert on train lengths but it was around 150 cars according to my brother. And most appeared to be under power, he said 3 may not have been under power, he couldn't tell for sure which locomotives the smoke was coming from.

[NarrowMinded]

Looks like NS bought some of these in september, maybe they are getting some use out of them before they are rebuilt.

NM-Jeff

[Ray Dunakin]

So that's what rain looks like. Been so long since we've had any here I was starting to forget.   

[NarrowMinded]

Ray,
Are you in california?

We had some during the night in torrance ca. A couple weeks ago.

[jward]

Looks like NS bought some of these in september, maybe they are getting some use out of them before they are rebuilt.

NM-Jeff

ns has not bought anything directly from cp. the sd90s you refer to are former union pacific, and they are running in up colours   not all are on ns yet, but they have been trickling in for about a month. 

[Doneldon]

The railroads' heavy use of power pools, leasing, heritage paint schemes and such-like means you might see almost anything pulling a train nowadays. I guess that's great for railfans who keep a life list like birders do, but the purist in me expects trains to be pulled by engines from the company that runs 'em. Call me old fashioned but that's my preference. Now, will I avoid an opportunity to watch trains just because there might be a Chessie System loco pulling a train on what was once the Great Northern mainline? No way. I find I can make allowances for what the railroads need to do to stay solvent.

[RAM]

I have not seen a train, in the town that I live in, in over a year.  They run two trains a day, but both of them are at night.  About 30 years ago we had two railroads, MKT & ATSF.  The MKT ran 5 days a   week and the ATSF ran 7.  The ATSF kept a local switch engine here 5 days a week.  then  the ATSF got trackage right on the BN.  The UP took over the MKT and the local switching.  The UP sold the line to SKOK, and shortly after the ATSF sold it line also to SKOK.  The old MKT line was ripped up, and the local plant closed  We no longer have any local traffic.

[jward]

that's ok. I live 100 feet from a busy mainline, with 2 more within a mile. I see enough trains for both of us. matter of fact, there is almost always at least one within earshot at all times.