I had to commute to Detroit early this morning for work out near Wayne where my music was required at a church.
I got to Wayne around 8:30 in the morning and decided that I had a little less than an hour to kill before church so I headed down Annapolis road to the corssing just south of Wayne Junction. North of Wayne Junction on the Saginaw Sub I saw a Clear signal and decided to wait a few to see if the signals at Wayne Jct would also change in favor of a Northbound train.
Shortly after parking down the road, Q322 came over the radio at Romulus. I was in luck, a late Q322 to start off the day!! So I waitied and to my suprise I would say Q322 was about 20 cars or so larger than usual, a nice long train with only one unit leading, which was a hard working C40-8W, weathered, but holding its paint. CSXT #7907! The train cleared Wayne Junction around 8:55am
CSX Q322 approaching Wayne Junction with leader CSXT 7907.
After catching Q322 I went to work until around 10:40. I departed shortly after and headed down Inkster road to I-94 / Metro Airport and took a short jog over to Romulus. I was pacing Cp rail train 33T westbound and managed to get a pacing shot off of the exit ramp for Romulus at a stopsign.
CP Rail 33T West near Preston at Romulus.
I did not beat the CP train to Romulus, but Im not real into the parade of constant CP toasters. I miss the SD40s when they ran on the C&O.
In Romulus after a short wait, I caught CSXT 5444 and UP 7622 leading Q392 northbound at Bibbons Road, clearing Romulus around 11:26am. Here is a photo of them:
Q392 North at Bibbons Road, Romulus, MI
After Q392 there was about an hours wait and I used the time to do some studying and eventually I saw CP rail 36T cross the Diamond. I decided to stay put over at Bibbons, I dont see all the hype about sitting over at the Diamond and I usually see other cars trespassing over there as it is. If I really want to see the Wabash Ill sometimes park at the Comerica, but Bibbons is just fine for me.
CP rail 36T Eastbound on the Romulus Diamond.
A short while later, CSXT 5328 came south at the Diamond light with CSXT 8870 to later take an NBS autorack train.
The next train was a CP rail container train and I decided to catch just this one over at Shook Road.
Next was a CSX Freight around 1:30pm or so northbound at Bibbons. CSXT 5243 in the lead kept todays running parade of C&O "Blue" colors and took it's mixed freight North on the Southbound track and crossed over.
CSXT 5243 North at Bibbons.
During all this action there was some radio chatter on the old DT&I I&O Channel 161.220 and it was deffinately time to head down to Carleton and see if I could catch those bad boys in action! The unpredictable I&O has left me confused many a times and I only caught them once, several years back on a morning Southbound. Today I would beat that with two I&O Trains!!
Got down to Carleton and the tower was looking great. Granted it is closed I would say the tower looks "cleaner cut" than Delray and the old broken windows have been nicely sided over with brick red aluminum or some kind of coverings.
Good old Carleton Tower. Theres not too many left sadly. Towers are really cool.
Well the sun had come out but no trains yet so I went over to patronize my favorite southern Michigan Pizzeria "Tiffany's". I strongly reccomend Tiffany's for a snack when railfanning Carleton, Flatrock, or Monroe. Its cheap, close to the tracks, and of good yum factor!
After finishing my pizza, I headed South of town on the C&O and back and upon my return, there was a headlight on the DT&I and the radio chatter was back. It was the mischevious I&O!
First was I&O Train #401 which came North through Carleton around 2:30pm at the diamond. The sun had gone away for a litte while so I opted to do video of this rare catch. Leading was:
VIDEO of 401: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_grO9SJ9sNw
Unpatched CEFX #9392 ! an old true workhorse from the Southern Pacific, an SD45 Tunnel Motor if Im not mistaken. They came screaming by with an erie horn and if anyone else has heard some of those SP horns they give you goosebumps! The train was short, 5 gondolas, 1 empty lumber car, a CN box, 2 oil cans, and a CP rail Autorack.
Enough railfanning yet? That was only train #8 out of 15.. lets continue!
Next we had CSXT 5328 with a New Boston Rail Service Autorack Train heading Southbound.
A beautiful shot of CSXT 5328 in C&O colors at the Carleton Tower. Now, my camera Im using is jsut a point and shoot Nikon Coolpix L3, but on the right day, anyone can get a good shot!
Next we had a light on the DT&I and I was hoping it would be Southbound I&O 400 but it was actualyl a lengthy Norfolk Southern Freight sharing the line. No problem! The sun came out as the hammered the diamond this afternoon.
Next train... all i can say is next, next, Like I said, I felt like I was in Ohio.
Here we have CSXT 8611 and a cut of Coke Express cars. #8611 passed the tower and picked up a bad ordered tank car that had had a hotbox at some earlier point in the day and took that south twards Walbridge.
CSXT 8611 at Carleton, MI
after 8611 was about done doing its work in Carleton, the I&O dispatcher came on and talked to Train #400. Ok to leave Flatrock and head south twards Diann. This was a highlight of the day. Sunny out, and this time they would make for a better picture.
(video still)
When they came, a cloud kind of covered the sun, but no problem, I shot a video again and I am happy to bring the mischevious I&O to you for viewing pleasure.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QIoAkV3ywA8
CEFX 9362 in its original Southern Pacific paint, pounds the diamond at Carleton with I&O train #400 of 102 cars!!!!!! Southbound for Ohio. Nice work old Tunnel Motors'
It was getting twards sunset, but three more trains before that would happen at it was just about 5:30!!
CSXT 5419 and 4706 took a grain train North on the C&O at Carleton around 5:30pm. Here is their Train:
This train slowed down and another CSX freight Q something came south at Waltz. I caught this train as well at Carleton Tower:
CSXT 5253 at Carleton, MI 3-4-07.
and if that wasnt enough, as I watched him go south, a train had snuck up on me and was sitting right there, waiting for the Lincoln Secondary. A short CSXT freight with lead unit #7888.
FYI this was the only wrent-a-wreck train on the CSXT all day. The second unit a nicely painted SD40.
Is there any reason we couldn't have a small meet at Carelton or Romulus? Look at these trains. CN Noodles are fine, but I think today was a great day down on the C&O in Carleton. Thanks for reading!
Mike
