CTC Board Day in North America - October 16, 2004



















last updated: 12/26/06


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Each year, CTC Board designates a "Day in North America" where they encourage all railfans to go out and take photos at their favorite locations, regardless of weather. I decided to join in the fun this year and took a little trip to my back yard... somewhere in Southern Indiana. So perhaps a 450-mile day spent chasing trains doesn't quite qualify as "a favorite location," but it's how I prefer to shoot.

Anyways, follow along as I chase trains between Princeton, IN, and Louisville, KY, on Norfolk Southern's ex-Southern "W Line" across the bottom of the Hoosier State.

I had hoped to start the day with an eastbound at Princeton so I could get the shot at East Douglas, but I arrived in Princeton barely 15 minutes after 285 had departed eastward. I hung around for an hour hoping another eastbound would show up, but eventually gave up and headed east after 285.

St. Anthony, IN Luck was on my side: 285 was delayed at Huntingburg for about 45 minutes waiting for D10 to arrive. I reached East Huntingburg switch just as 285's last car cleared the switch, and it was a relatively easy matter to get ahead of the accelerating train and nab it swinging through a curve in St. Anthony.
Milltown, IN Unfortunately, as I moved eastward the sky became increasingly cloudy. After making an error in judgement and skipping Taswell, I couldn't find a decent shot until the bridge on the west side of Milltown. Miraculously, the clouds parted just as the train came around the bend in the distance; this shot was so close that I was still in the cloud's shadow when I took the photo.
Georgetown, IN After getting screwed by clouds at the Fairdale shot, I tried to catch 285 in Crandall, but arrived at the same moment the train did -- doh! Turning around, I made good time and easily beat the train into Georgetown, where it's seen crossing Georgetown Creek.
Georgetown, IN 285 met 112 at Duncan, just around the corner from Georgetown, so I turned around and headed to the grade crossing at the crest of the grade southwest of town. NS 6639 leads the 108 cars of 112 up the hill as NS 6504 belches a thick cloud of smoke (wouldn't you know it, a few minutes later the unit would die as the train passed Crandall).
Fairdale, IN After having the opposite of what happened at Milltown occur with 112 at Fairdale, I waited around for D10 to come east (it met 112 at DePauw). PRR 8368 is the subject of what is obviously my shot of the day.
Georgetown, IN While all these trains were shuffling around, Foreman White was trying to take a rail grinder over the road so it could do its thing. I caught up with Loram RG306 as it trimmed through Georgetown. The grinder was going in the hole at Duncan to meet westbound 25A, so I headed back to the summit.
Georgetown, IN This friendly dog visited with me while I waited, but by the time 25A arrived the scene was entirely shadowed by clouds, so I turned west for Fairdale.
Fairdale, IN The whole area west of me was entirely in shadow as the train came into sight, making me nervous I would for the second time today get screwed out of this shot. However, just as 25A rounded the curve halfway back the clouds parted, resulting in this view down into the tunnel bypass cut.

Update: To my great surprise, CTC Board chose to run this photo in the DINA issue (No. 316, February 2005) -- and they printed it full-page! Quite a way to break into one of the most respected railfan photography magazines.

Temple, IN 25A kicks up dust as it rushes past Mulzer Crushed Stone, Inc.'s Temple Quarry.
Taswell, IN Could you ask for better power on an NS train today? GP38-2 5047 and SD40-2 3275 slowly bring 25A down Taswell siding, where the empty rack train would meet 42T and 283.
Mentor, IN Back up to track speed, 25A leans into the curve at milepost 212-W.
Bretzville, IN 25A is about to pass under IN-162 in Bretzville. This is a really boring and canned shot, but I had all the time in the world to get it, so I did.
Huntingburg, IN After stopping to line the turnout (and, conveniently, let a big cloud stop interfering with the shot), 25A takes the siding at East Huntingburg to meet empty steel train 60A.
Huntingburg, IN In one end and out the other: The engineer has the two old EMDs notched out as 25A accelerates westward out of Huntingburg.
Duncan, IN Not far from its destination, 25A rolls down the siding at Duncan. If you haven't noticed by now, the W Line defies all standard conventions most people hold about Indiana, and the consistent level of traffic and TWC operation makes railfanning the line quite enjoyable.
Princeton, IN 25A swings through a 90-degree curve on the lead to the Toyota Yard...
Princeton, IN ...and slows at it approaches the east gate.

And that was all for my DINA adventures... Or so I thought!

Princeton, IN Just after I got back in the car after taking the last photo, G546 called a clear at Gibson on the CE&D Sub. I made a fast dash to the southwest to capture PRR 8412 leading CSXT 8153 southward just minutes before sunset.
And that was that for Day in North America 2004. I enjoyed a truly spectacular and lucky day, only losing three shots to clouds during what was generally a "partly cloudy" morning and afternoon. I'll soon submit a few shots to CTC Board in hopes they'll find one worthy of being published.