I returned to the NS Pittsburgh Line for this long weekend and a couple of friends tagged along this time: Mike (6000csx), Nate (Conrail Rail Videos) and Mitch (MSC Rail Videos).
We began Saturday morning at the Fostoria, PA grade crossing with the automatic signal 227 in the PRR position light style still stands. Morning action was fairly busy and I will point out a couple of eastbounds. Hotshot NS 20W had the S&A unit on the point, and coal drag NS 400 brought along two BNSF ACe's behind an NS M-2.
After the action died down after 8 PM, we got a heads up that the 9-1-1 "Honoring First Responders" SD60E and the UP DDA40X #6944 are visible from the side of a street looking at the Juniata Locomotive Shops. So we went to check it out and there they were. We also swung by the turntable at the east end of the shops and saw one of the Triclops SD60M (used to be in BN green paint, I saw this unit during my last trip last year) as well as an ex-CSX SD80MAC already repainted.
Next it was off to Horseshoe Curve, which I haven't been to in a while. Train action remained slow until past noon when things are picking back up. Inside the curve, NS empty tankers 65Z came by with the Wabash unit #1070 at second of two, but was blocked by coal drag NS 534 coming east. Intermodal NS 26T came by with an ex-UP SD90MAC at third of three on the middle track but was blocked again by loaded oil NS 64V coming first on the close track.
We then decided to search the path to go up to the spot on the outside of Horseshoe Curve and found it. Train action did not disappoint us at all either. Mixed freight NS 12G came through with a monster consist, followed by hotshot NS 20W with a Citirail GEVO and met westbound hotshot NS 21E. We ended the stay at this spot with ethanol NS 64T with the Penn Central unit #1073 at second of two.
It's time to move on to the next spot, and the next part will continue from there.
**Note: I'm really really NOT GOOD w/ train symbols. I try to get as many as I can through my scanner or asking other railfans around me (if any).**
