Macleod Sub Auto Rack Storage - Part 3

If you wish to follow along in Google Earth, here is the kmz file for download.

September 6th, 2010

This is the conclusion of the three part series of the Macleod Sub Auto Rack Storage. In part 2, I posted about the first 27 auto racks that were stored on the MacLeod Subdivision. Unfortunately for part 3, I am only able to show pictures and complete info for 2 auto racks and road names for most of the remaining 12 cars.

Back in September I was attacked by a hawk which prevented me from photographing the last few auto racks of the 39 in the second block. My intention was to wait until the first weekend of November. I figured that the hawk would be gone by then. I also wanted to get back out there to finish the job before the first snow fall, but a combination of time, work and scheduling did not permit this to happen. I had driven by a couple times after work to make sure that they were still there and figured I could knock off the last few over the Christmas holidays regardless of snow or not.

I drove out there late afternoon one day after Christmas to check the conditions and snow build up, but as I came over the hill they were all gone. I was not overly thrilled at this discovery. All the signs indicated that they were moved sometime in December when the snow was on the ground and probably not too long before the holidays at that.

It’s too bad that I did not get to finish this “inventory” as it was kind of fun to do. I had also intended to do the same to a few blocks of coal hoppers other rail cars that were stored on the Lomond Spur out by Herronton, but they were all taken away back in late September.

Here is the partially completed list of what the last few auto racks.

RAILROAD	REPORTING MARK	TYPE
BNSF	TTGX 997504	Bi-Level
NS	NS 110274	Bi-Level
FERROMEX	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
NS	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
CONRAIL	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
?	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
NS	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
?	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
CSX	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX ?	Bi-Level
CSX	TTGX ?	Bi-Level

Here are the last two pictures that I have of the auto racks that were stored on the MacLeod Sub. The Norfolk Southern car is a bi-level articulated AutoMax carrier. That was the first time I ever saw one in real life.

As a final thought, the next time I set out to do something like this I'll think back to this experience and finish the job as quickly as possible.

Goggle Earth kmz file.

Cheers,

Macleod Sub Auto Rack Storage - Part 2

If you wish to follow along in Google Earth to see my stops and travels, here is the kmz file for download.

September 6th, 2010

Last time I posted about the first block of auto racks in storage on the MacLeod Subdivision. This post will list the first 27 out of the 39 auto racks from the second block further south. I’m only posting about the first 27 cars because when I was out there taking pictures and writing down notes, I was attacked by a very agitated hawk. I wrote about this back on September the 6th about my experience that day.

I started at the south end of the block and worked my way north from Township Road 182 (594th Ave) on foot. There are a few clumps of trees along the way which made difficult to take pictures of some of the auto racks. It had rained the day before and the grass had not had time to entirely dry out in the thicker areas, so by the time I got to where I stopped, I was soaked from the knees down.

Below are my notes in list format of the railroad name, reporting marks and type for the first 18 auto racks. The order of the list depicts the order of the auto racks as they are on the track starting with the first auto rack north of Township Road 182 with UP TTGX 995204 and ending with BNSF TTGX 965095.

RAILROAD	REPORTING MARK	TYPE
UP	TTGX 995204	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 604313	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 991678	Bi-Level
NS	TTGX 996582	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 991757	Bi-Level
CN	CNA 712721	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 991277	Bi-Level
NS	TTGX 980664	Bi-Level
CSX	TTGX 253344	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 255721	Bi-Level
CP RAIL	TTGX 981526	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 516921	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 965046	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 982758	Bi-Level
CONRAIL	TTGX 963142	Bi-Level
CONRAIL	TTGX 970789	Bi-Level
CSX	TTGX 931189	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 159847	Bi-Level
TFM	TTGX 994737	Bi-Level
CONRAIL	TTGX 603753	Bi-Level
FERROMEX	TTGX 158413	Bi-Level
TFM	TTGX 995796	Bi-Level
TFM	TTGX 995651	Bi-Level
CSX	TTGX 152538	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 994965	Bi-Level
BNSF	TTGX 997339	Bi-Level
BNSF	TTGX 965095	Bi-Level

The following photos of the auto racks are ordered similar to the list above in a left to right, up and down direction.

You will notice that in the last photo the doors facing me on either end of the auto rack are opened. It appeared to be the same for the remainder of the auto racks.

Soon after those 27 auto racks, the agitated hawk was starting to get aggressive so I high tailed it out of there to come back later in the fall when nesting season is done and he’s gone for the winter.

Goggle Earth kmz file.

Cheers,

Open Season on People - Hawk Attack

I was out railfaning this morning on the MacLeod Sub and while I was photographing some autoracks and taking down reporting marks I heard this hawk screaching up in the sky. He would glide towards me at about 50 feet from the ground and turn around. I never thought anything about it cause he was also circling ovehead. I thought maybe there was some critter in the tall grass that he was trying to catch. I went along with my business but was keeping an eye on him.

As I was getting closer to this clump of trees further ahead, it was about 6 auto racks ahead of me, he was getting more agitated and more screechy. I figured that I was probably getting close to a nest or something. He was circling and sort of doing some swooping now. This was starting to get pretty serious. I got to about 2 rail cars away from the clump of trees, and noticed that that he was coming towards me at about 20 feet off the ground, I thought to myself, "Shitballs Batman! This guy is very pissed!" and he dove at me in the blink of an eye. I ducked and put my note book over my head. He came so close that I heard the wind rush by from his swoop. Guess what I did? I took my last picture, wrote down the reporting marks, and got the hell out of Dodge!

He must of figured that I was leaving cause he immediately ceased his attacks and flew into the clump of trees with a couple final screeches and was quiet. I'll have to go back later this fall when nesting season is done. I still have 11 auto racks to photograph.

Let this be a lesson to all you railfans out there or to anyone for that matter, if you hear a noisy hawk, observe what he does. If he seems to be agitated by your presence, don't piss him off, get the hell out of there and come back another day.

Cheers,

Macleod Sub Auto Rack Storage - Part 1

If you wish to follow along in Google Earth, here is the kmz file for download.

September 4th, 2010

CP has pretty well abandoned most all of the MacLeod Sub south of the junction with the Aldersyde Sub near Aldersyde except for about 16 or 17 kilometers of track to service a couple industries and to use as storage for some auto racks south of High River.

Apparently the auto racks were being stored near Cayley, I assume due to the economic crisis a couple years ago. This is according to some info from a friend and to an article last year in the local newspaper The High River Times. The way I read it, they were moved further north on or around July 30th of last year I believe. I’m guessing it was probably because CP wanted to remove a section of rails from Cayley heading north which they did to about up to Township Road 182 (594th Ave).

Back in May I took a drive out in the Southwest area of High River looking for something to photograph and that is when I first saw the auto racks. Since I had yet to investigate anything train related south of town I decided to do so. I never took any pictures of the auto racks that day. At that time the rails south of Township Road 182 (594th Ave) had been removed but the ties remained. In the distance peeking over the crest of a hill I saw recognizable shape, got distracted and went to photograph it instead.

Thursday after work, I drove out to see if the auto racks I spotted back in May were still in storage on the remnants of the MacLeod Sub south of town. I was in luck! They were still there.

Yesterday morning I had plans to first go photograph something I’ve been wanting to photograph for some time in the morning sun East of High River, but unfortunately the morning sun was not cooperating. Instead I drove south out of High River on Range Road 291 (88th Street East), heading towards the stored auto racks.

There are two blocks of auto racks there, the first block consists of 18 cars and the second further south has 39 cars. Yesterday I only took notes and photos of the first block located South of Township Road 184 (562nd Ave) and West of Range Road 291 (88th Street East). Below are two photos of the first 18 cars stored on the MacLeod Subdivision south of High River.

Below are my notes in list format of the railroad name, reporting marks and type for the first 18 auto racks. The order of the list depicts the order of the auto racks as they are on the track starting with the first auto rack immediately south of Township Road 184 with NS TTGX 975698 and ending with UP TTGX 974468.

RAILROAD	REPORTING MARK	TYPE
NS	TTGX 975698	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 981886	Bi-Level
UP	ETTX 908451	Tri-Level
BNSF	ETTX 801284	Tri-Level
UP	ETTX 201504	Tri-Level
SOO	SOO 515802	Tri-Level
CONRAIL	ETTX 908796	Tri-Level
CSX	ETTX 802335	Tri-Level
UP	SP 516572	Tri-Level
SP	SSW 80650	Tri-Level
UP	TTGX 930194	Bi-Level
CSX	TTGX 603491	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 982516	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 979691	Bi-Level
CPR	TTGX 988453	Bi-Level
BN	TTGX 940983	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 973463	Bi-Level
UP	TTGX 974468	Bi-Level

The following photos of the auto racks are ordered similar to the list above in a left to right, up and down direction.

After I finished with the first 18 auto racks I decided to do the other 39 another day and drove a bit further south past Township Road 182. I noticed that since my last wanderings back in May of this year, sometime between then and now, all the rail ties have been removed south of Township Road 182 (594th Ave). Prior to May, only the rails had been removed.

Goggle Earth kmz file.

Cheers,