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railroad crossing |
| Description: |
OK, I normally don't take pictures of railroad crossings by themselves, but these are unusual. The guy in the orange shirt is my buddy Colin, also a railfan |
| Photo Date: |
9/13/2008 Upload Date: 11/15/2008 8:09:52 PM |
| Location: |
Suffolk, VA |
| Author: |
Joey Gattuso |
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155 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
railroad crossing |
| Description: |
Man, these are true relics! You can't really read the writing on the casing, but it says "U.S.&S. Co. MADE IN U.S.A." |
| Photo Date: |
9/13/2008 Upload Date: 11/15/2008 8:10:07 PM |
| Location: |
Suffolk, VA |
| Author: |
Joey Gattuso |
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90 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
railroad crossing |
| Description: |
Look at these things! If the CSXT ever comes out here and replaces this crossing with newer hardware and this old system is still working, I want to take it home with me as a souvenir and hook it up in my bedroom! |
| Photo Date: |
9/13/2008 Upload Date: 11/15/2008 8:10:46 PM |
| Location: |
Suffolk, VA |
| Author: |
Joey Gattuso |
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80 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
railroad crossing |
| Description: |
Being an old crossing as well as being gateless aren't the only features that stand out from this crossing. Look at this! It's a half-mast/half-cantilever signal! It doesn't have mast lights, either, only on the cantilever! I'd estimate this system to be from the old Seaboard Air Line days. |
| Photo Date: |
9/13/2008 Upload Date: 11/15/2008 8:11:12 PM |
| Location: |
Suffolk, VA |
| Author: |
Joey Gattuso |
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270 Comments: 2 |
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| Title: |
CSXT Portsmouth Sub track view |
| Description: |
The tracks may be fairly shiny, but don't let that fool you. This is not a very active line at all. This line only gets 8-12 trains a day, not all of which come down this way. Three locals (F734/F763/F774), two rock trains (Q759/Q760), two intermodal trains (Q130/Q139), and two manifest trains (Q446/Q447, run as L446/L447 on Sunday only). Also, as-needed grain trains for Portsmouth in the G800 series and T650 coal/hopper trains for Franklin traverse this line, but they are very rare. If you're going to railfan this line, I would recommend a weekday. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday would probably be your best bets. I made a mistake on this day by coming on a Saturday. One train did come, but I was at the NS Norfolk District nearby, so I missed it. Chances are that the line was much more active when this line was owned by Seaboard Air Line (pre-CSXT). |
| Photo Date: |
9/13/2008 Upload Date: 11/15/2008 8:12:12 PM |
| Location: |
Suffolk, VA |
| Author: |
Joey Gattuso |
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153 Comments: 2 |
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| Title: |
CSXT Portsmouth Sub track view |
| Description: |
Looking east from the aformentioned railroad crossing showing another crossing, and the Main Street station, formerly owned by SAL. The crossing in the distance is also unusual in that there are two different crossing bells. One is an old WCH/WRRS mechanical bell, and the other is a Safetran Type 1 electronic bell, or a General Signals electronic, I'm not sure. It would be interesting to hear in action, although I have heard this kind of setup quite a few times before. I just wish I could've gotten a train here, but it's just not very active. |
| Photo Date: |
9/13/2008 Upload Date: 11/15/2008 8:12:47 PM |
| Location: |
Suffolk, VA |
| Author: |
Joey Gattuso |
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164 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
CSXT Portsmouth Sub track condition |
| Description: |
HOLY CRAP, CSXT actually USES these tracks?!? They're shiny, but look at all of the grass in the rail! |
| Photo Date: |
9/13/2008 Upload Date: 11/15/2008 8:13:17 PM |
| Location: |
Suffolk, VA |
| Author: |
Joey Gattuso |
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127 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
CSXT Portsmouth Sub absolute block signals |
| Description: |
CSXT actually went out of their way to install new "Darth Vader" absolute block signals on this line. Before that, this was "dark territory", and was controlled by DTC track warrants. They probably did that since Q759 and Q760 had that head-on collision at Franklin (imagine that, the only two rock trains on this line, and they met head on! Go figure!). Still, I could understand this if the line got about 20-24 trains daily, but there are only 8-12! It just doesn't make sense, these signals are just wasting electricity, plus the red lights will probably be the first to burn out, because that's the color that these signals will be most of the time, at least until intermodal traffic increases on this line, which is what's supposed to happen. You can also see a DTC block sign (the rectangular white sign on the post), along with an old crossbuck crossing that consists of a crossbuck and a wooden post. It's a private crossing. You can also see another track going overhead on a bridge, which makes an s-curve downward onto a siding. What kills me is that CSXT went as far as to put block signals on the siding, too! Kind of makes me think that the company needs some thinking over. I just don't get CSXT's logic sometimes... |
| Photo Date: |
9/13/2008 Upload Date: 11/15/2008 8:13:44 PM |
| Location: |
Suffolk, VA |
| Author: |
Joey Gattuso |
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249 Comments: 2 |
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