One of the Final Rockets
In May 2020 I found myself trackside on a gloomy day in Jacksonville, Florida, at the CSX Trout River Bridge, capturing what was one of the final A794, Fernandina Rocket, trains on CSX. The rocket was an old Seaboard Coast Line train that ran daily to the large paper mill on Amelia Island, north of Jacksonville, from Waycross, Georgia. The "Rocket" was one of the usual early morning southbound trains into Jacksonville terminal that often included hot intermodal trains and Amtrak. Rarely running less than track speed this train would make it onto the former Seaboard Air Line main at Grand Junction as fast as it could to clear ahead of any following trains. This particular morning they ran 794 ahead of the inbound Q031 and this crew had no issues keeping the train ahead of the priority intermodal. When the "Rocket" turned onto the former SAL mainline they would run out to Amelia Island and turn back for Waycross later in the day. Fast forward to 2020 and this train was only running as far as Busch Yard a few miles out of town, and turning back. Another local was forwarding traffic up to Yulee, and the interchange with the First Coast Railroad which leased the line from CSX back in 2005. I shot this train and one other that mid-pandemic week, and the following week CSX abolished the symbol. The 794 job was a popular target for its use of older CSX motive power up to its final runs. I was glad to shoot it here at the Trout River crossing before it went away.
Thanks for looking!
One of the Final Rockets
In May 2020 I found myself trackside on a gloomy day in Jacksonville, Florida, at the CSX Trout River Bridge, capturing what was one of the final A794, Fernandina Rocket, trains on CSX. The rocket was an old Seaboard Coast Line train that ran daily to the large paper mill on Amelia Island, north of Jacksonville, from Waycross, Georgia. The "Rocket" was one of the usual early morning southbound trains into Jacksonville terminal that often included hot intermodal trains and Amtrak. Rarely running less than track speed this train would make it onto the former Seaboard Air Line main at Grand Junction as fast as it could to clear ahead of any following trains. This particular morning they ran 794 ahead of the inbound Q031 and this crew had no issues keeping the train ahead of the priority intermodal. When the "Rocket" turned onto the former SAL mainline they would run out to Amelia Island and turn back for Waycross later in the day. Fast forward to 2020 and this train was only running as far as Busch Yard a few miles out of town, and turning back. Another local was forwarding traffic up to Yulee, and the interchange with the First Coast Railroad which leased the line from CSX back in 2005. I shot this train and one other that mid-pandemic week, and the following week CSX abolished the symbol. The 794 job was a popular target for its use of older CSX motive power up to its final runs. I was glad to shoot it here at the Trout River crossing before it went away.
Thanks for looking!