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Rail News from Central Virginia
Week of November 18, 1996

By Vic Stone

* News from Central VA*

This version is very brief since little unusual activity has been
seen/reported over the last week or so.

NS - Most trains are running with little abnormal activity.  155 has been
late on occasion, heading south through town about 11 PM.  This may have
to due with the late arrival of the train into Hagerstown.  341 has been
more NS power than CP recently.

FRA test car T-10 worked south from Hagerstown to Roanoke on Friday, 
Nov. 15.  Paul Wilson and I intercepted the SPV-2000 by accident during 
a routine outing to Waynesboro.  We gave chase, shooting the "train" at 
Waynesboro (CSX bridge), Pkin, Midvale siding and Glasgow.

211/212 pool crews report that train 211 may return to CSX trackage rights
over the James River Line in the near future.  Track and bridgework on the
B-Line for the siding may take the line out of service, and the usual
target may once again be rerouted to avoid congestion and delay to 214.

And this morning's newspapers have carried the story about the NS appeal
for the blocking of the CSX-CR merger being rejected by the Court of
Appeals.  So, far not very good news for NS. 

CSX - After about a two-week hiatus, CSX coal has returned back to the UVA
power plant.  The absence of the Clifton Forge-Charlottesville local was
noted over the period, and recent activites have it working in the
evening hours eastbound into C'ville. Doswell-based turnaround still
maintains its normal schedule/apperance.

With the upset in normal flow from last week's derailment at Shores now
back to average activities, the westbound traffic has diminished.  Foreign
power is sporadic as MRL and HLCX units continue to roam around.

Roadbed work is happening between Charlottesville and Gordonsville.
Lindsay siding is receiving some work.  

Amtrak - The trains have settled down into a normal pattern.  The Cardinal
had a Genesis trailing last week.  Tuesday morning's nb Crescent was about
4 hours later due to a derailed freight south of Atlanta.  No new P42's
have been sighted here yet.

Power plant trip report - It almost looked like an excursion was coming
east on the James River ... 6 of us standing at the crossing just east of
Bremo Bluff, as a loaded eb coal train overtook another eb whose crew had
outlawed during the night.  This constituted 75% of us who would take a
great tour of the VA Power Bremo Bluff coal yard operations and power
plant.

When we arrived at the power plant, we were given an excellent tour by the
head of the coal yard who coordinated receiving trains from CSX.  We saw
how their remote-powered EMD SW was used to shuffle cars up to the
unloader.  After the tour of the power plant itself, some of us went back
to the switcher, to make a meet shot with the now-recrewed eb, previously
sitting at the Bremo Bluff.

Then, some of us headed out to follow S303, which we caught switching
Gladstone yard.  It's a proverbial graveyard of what-used-to-be.  Overall,
it was a spectacular day.



-Vic Stone
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