CSO Consolation
Connecticut Southern Railroad train CSO-4 is northbound on Amtrak's Springfield Line main near MP 48 crossing the Connecticut River on the Warehouse Point Bridge crossing from the town of Windsor Locks into Enfield behind an SD40-2 and GP38. The 1470 ft long double track bridge (though only one track is in service) dates from 1903 when the circa 1866 iron bridge was rebuilt by the New Haven Railroad, but even that structure was the second one on the site replacing a wooden Howe truss that first crossed here in 1843 by NH predecessor Hartford and Springfield Railroad.
The Genesee and Wyoming owned Connecticut Southern is a small but busy shortline that dates from 1996 when then Rail America acquired the freight rights on Amtrak's line and the so called Hartford cluster from Conrail. As the length of this freight attests, business is robust on the present day CSO.
Interestingly this train was not at all what I had planned for my Friday. My goal was to chase New England Central train 608 back south to Palmer with the matched pair of blue and gold GP38s. They had been together on the Willmantic based job for two weeks and the last time I tried on Christmas Eve they were delayed for six hours and I was unable to wait. Today was sunny and clear and they were looking to turn back south nice and early, which is exactly what they did....except with one catch. They dropped one of the two units in Palmer and returned back south with only one, long hood forward no less! It was hardly worth chasing that so I went to see what else I could find in the area besides CSXT.
This was a reasonable consolation prize, and there was more to follow making for a decent day despite missing out on my main goal yet again.
Enfield, Connecticut
Friday January 8, 2021
CSO Consolation
Connecticut Southern Railroad train CSO-4 is northbound on Amtrak's Springfield Line main near MP 48 crossing the Connecticut River on the Warehouse Point Bridge crossing from the town of Windsor Locks into Enfield behind an SD40-2 and GP38. The 1470 ft long double track bridge (though only one track is in service) dates from 1903 when the circa 1866 iron bridge was rebuilt by the New Haven Railroad, but even that structure was the second one on the site replacing a wooden Howe truss that first crossed here in 1843 by NH predecessor Hartford and Springfield Railroad.
The Genesee and Wyoming owned Connecticut Southern is a small but busy shortline that dates from 1996 when then Rail America acquired the freight rights on Amtrak's line and the so called Hartford cluster from Conrail. As the length of this freight attests, business is robust on the present day CSO.
Interestingly this train was not at all what I had planned for my Friday. My goal was to chase New England Central train 608 back south to Palmer with the matched pair of blue and gold GP38s. They had been together on the Willmantic based job for two weeks and the last time I tried on Christmas Eve they were delayed for six hours and I was unable to wait. Today was sunny and clear and they were looking to turn back south nice and early, which is exactly what they did....except with one catch. They dropped one of the two units in Palmer and returned back south with only one, long hood forward no less! It was hardly worth chasing that so I went to see what else I could find in the area besides CSXT.
This was a reasonable consolation prize, and there was more to follow making for a decent day despite missing out on my main goal yet again.
Enfield, Connecticut
Friday January 8, 2021