468: Trains of the Fog: Saugatuck Hill Edition

[Saturnalia]

468: Trains of the Fog: Saugatuck Hill Edition

March 12, 2016 New Richmond, MI -- Early springtime in Michigan is particularly talented at creating dense fog, and this morning was one such occasion.

It also happens to be the morning before the time change to Daylight time, which gives us one weekend to shoot Amtrak #371 in New Richmond in daylight, until the axis tips enough in mid-April to open up the summer season for them on the hill.

Accordingly, just past 7:00 EST, they're rolling south over the Kalamazoo River in New Richmond, through a good set of grounded clouds.

A few miles south, they passed CSX coal train N800, who then setoff for the power plant at Port Sheldon. We move from the river to the summit, which takes three miles of twisting tracks to climb 140 feet, averaging a 1% grade.

Therefore as the headlights pierce the haze, they're slowed to a crawl with both the headend and rear power roaring in Notch 8, as they come to the crossing at 136th Street.

Once they top out, it is a sprint towards Holland, and we catch them in the farm fields just south of town, in less than quarter mile visibility.

Amtrak #371
Consist:
- AMTK 90200 [NPCU]
- 3 Superliners
- AMTK 126 [P42DC]
Location/Time:
- CSX GR Sub, New Richmond, MI, Kalamazoo River Bridge, on 3-12-16 at 7:07 EST

CSX N800 coal loads
Consist:
- BNSF 9297 [SD70ACe]
- BNSF 8432 [SD70ACe]
- 130 cars [Loaded Coal Gons]
- BNSF 5736 [ES44AC]
- BNSF 6176 [ES44AC]
Location/Time:
- CSX GR Sub, East Saugatuck, MI, 136th Ave xing, on 3-12-16 at 7:41 EST
- 141st Ave xing, at 7:51

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Recorded with a Sony PJ790 Camcorder
Edited with Cyberlink PowerDirector 13

Copyright 2016 Thornapple River Rail Series

[AARR]

I like your video's, Saturn. Thanks for posting.

[J T]

A few to add from that morning.

[atrainguy60]

VERY cool videos!

[Dan Cluley]

Very nice!

[wagnew0923]

Looks great with the fog. That is an old control unit for Amtrak