A San Bernardino bound Metrolink train splits I-10 shortly after the sun has set in the City of Angels. Leading is SCAX 868, an F59PH which was recently reactivated to lend a helping hand to failing F125's.

CSX Train RUPO-14 comes off the Rumford Branch and onto the main line, with a trio of Guilford GP40's on 8/14/2022.

At the time CSX had reactivated a number of Guilford GP40's, including some which got extensive work or were rewired. Since then, the species has declined to just 3 units. Both of the lead units are either scrapped or in the process of being scrapped, while the third unit the 315 remains a survivor.

CSX

Train: RUPO-14

8/14/2022

Leeds Junction, ME

ST District 1 Freight Main Line

Been locked out for years but I've got my account reactivated!

It's been a while, I've left Canon and moved to Sony since.

C-FKPT - Airbus A-320-211 - Air Canada

(leased from ORIX Aviation)

at Toronto Lester B. Pearson Airport (YYZ)

c/n 324 - built in 1992 -

retired and ferried 13.01.21 YYZ-MCI for storage, part-out and scrapping, but reactivated now and re-painted into the latest Air Canada c/s -

will most likely stay for a while now.

« L’océan déchaîné relie passé et présent. Les colons européens ont traversé l’Afrique en quête de richesse et de pouvoir. Aujourd’hui, de jeunes Africains risquent leur vie pour traverser vers l’Europe dans l’espoir d’un avenir meilleur, qui s’avère souvent illusoire. »

Rien, à première vue, ne destinait cet imposant entrepôt en béton, long de 360 mètres, à devenir un musée d’envergure internationale. Construit en 1923 sur les rives sud de la Meuse, au cœur de l’ancien port de Rotterdam, il fut jadis le plus vaste entrepôt de transbordement du monde. Un bâtiment utilitaire, conçu pour charger et décharger les navires de la Holland America Line, fleuron du commerce maritime néerlandais.

À l’intérieur, les grandes halles industrielles ont été conservées dans leur rugosité d’origine, révélant poutres en béton et grandes ouvertures.

L’ancien entrepôt est bien plus qu’un décor. Il est le cœur narratif du musée. C’est ici, entre 1 880 et 1920, que des millions d’Européens ont embarqué pour l’Amérique, via les paquebots de la Holland America Line. C’est depuis ces quais que des figures comme Albert Einstein ou Willem de Kooning ont quitté l’Europe. En redonnant vie au bâtiment, Fenix réactive ce passé migratoire et industriel, en racontant les histoires anonymes et collectives qui l’ont traversé.

Le choix du site ne doit rien au hasard. Katendrecht, péninsule portuaire de Rotterdam, fut longtemps un quartier marginalisé. Au XIXe siècle, il devint le point névralgique du commerce maritime, et un lieu d’accueil pour de nombreuses communautés migrantes. Le premier quartier chinois d’Europe continentale y vit le jour, tandis que marins cap-verdiens, Indonésiens et musiciens surinamais s’y installaient.

“The raging ocean connects past and present. European settlers crossed Africa in search of wealth and power. Today, young Africans risk their lives to cross to Europe in the hope of a better future, which often proves illusory.”

Nothing, at first glance, suggested that this imposing 360-meter-long concrete warehouse would become a museum of international stature. Built in 1923 on the south bank of the Meuse River, in the heart of Rotterdam's former port, it was once the world's largest transshipment warehouse. A utilitarian building, designed to load and unload ships of the Holland America Line, the flagship of Dutch maritime trade.

Inside, the vast industrial halls have been preserved in their original roughness, revealing concrete beams and large openings.

The former warehouse is much more than just a backdrop. It is the narrative heart of the museum. It was here, between 1880 and 1920, that millions of Europeans embarked for America aboard the ocean liners of the Holland America Line. It was from these docks that figures like Albert Einstein and Willem de Kooning left Europe. By breathing new life into the building, Fenix reactivates this migratory and industrial past, recounting the anonymous and collective stories that have shaped it.

The choice of location was no accident. Katendrecht, Rotterdam's port peninsula, was long a marginalized area. In the 19th century, it became the nerve center of maritime trade and a haven for numerous migrant communities. The first Chinatown in continental Europe emerged there, while Cape Verdean and Indonesian sailors and Surinamese musicians settled in the area.

Ive shot the USS New Jersey several times, and each time I go to see her the feeling of respect and awe is overwhelming. "Rest well, but sleep lightly..."

USS New Jersey (BB-62) is the most decorated battleship in Navy history, earning distinction in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and conflicts in the Middle East. The New Jersey’s history spanned over half the 20th century, from her design in 1938 until 1991. She was launched on the first anniversary of Pearl Harbor, and went on to steam more miles, fight in more battles, and fire more shells than any other battleship in history. In World War II, the New Jersey led the Pacific Fleet under Admirals Spruance and Halsey and fought in the two largest naval battles in history. She was reactivated to fight in the Korean War, and again to fight in the Vietnam War, when she was the world’s only operating battleship. She was reactivated for a third time in the Cold War to halt Soviet expansionism and resolve conflicts in the Middle East. After fighting fascism, communism, and terrorism, she was decommissioned for the final time in February 1991. Today the New Jersey continues her service as a living museum and memorial in Camden, New Jersey, just across the Delaware River from Philadelphia where she was built.

MUCH more here:

www.battleshipnewjersey.org/the-ship/full-history/#:~:tex...

The reactivated line between Emmerthal and Bodenwerder is used by several trains since it’s reactivation a few years ago. The most obvious use is the nuclear powerplant (Atomkraftwerke Grohnde), although this railway connection has only been used in secret during the night. The line also has been used to load a few trains withwooden logs. Although this should have been a regular train this service hasn’t been seen for a while. And apart from some small services the only train that’s left are the trains going all the way to Bodenwerder. At Bodenwerder there’s a quary producing sand and gravel for use elsewhere. Since 2021 HVLE has been a regular customer, picking up a load of sand every weekend. This train ran a couple of times towards the eastern part of Germany, but it’s usual destination now is Ibbenbüren. On friday this train gets loaded and then awaits its return journey on sunday, when it departs during the end of the afternoon.

So far I tried to get this train on photo 3 times, but I didn’t get it on photo yet with the notable nuclear powerplant in the background. There was always a “I’ll do it later” kind of decision that made me go for another location. However there won’t be much of a “later”. The nuclear powerplant is due to be shutdown in a couple of weeks. Which of course won’t mean that plant itself is gone within the next few months, but as soon as the reactor has been cold enough the condensation will stop coming from the two massive cooling towers. So a trip was made just for this single shot, that turned out to get me a 2nd shot as well. This was the first shot that I was able to make just before the train halted about 50 yards further.

A clean UP C40-8 adorned with a red lightning stripe along the top of the hood sits outside of Mid-America Car, Inc. in Kansas City, MO after receiving service work. In 2014 and into 2015, C40-8's were reactivated on the UP as traffic levels warranted the need for additional power. This ended up being the last time the vast majority of them ever saw service on the UP again, or any revenue service at all. This one, the UP No. 9220, was retired from UP's roster on Septermber 18, 2015. 11/19/14.

Another Friday and another M426. I wasn't planning on doing this again but when I saw that the train had a nice little bonus on the head end behind the standard pair of CSXT AC4400CWs I figured I'd give it a look. The Selkirk to Rigby manifest is seen working its way east on the old Boston and Maine Lowell Branch now CSXT's ex Pan Am Freight Mainline approaching the Swawsheen Street crossing near MP 292.6.

Leading the train are CSXT 483 and 482 both GE AC4400CWs blt. Sep. 2000. And dead in tow trailing are three four axle units being reactivated for service on former Pan Am lines in Maine: CSXT 2790, 1142, and 6026. They are a GP38-2, MP15DC, and GP40-2 built Oct. 1978 as CR 8222, Nov. 1975 as LN 5032 and Sep. 1972 as BO 4126 respectively.

Tewksbury, Massachusetts

Friday June 17, 2022

Since the Minho railway line has been electrified a few years ago, the reactivated CP 2600 loco's have been going up and down the line between Porto and Valença. Most of the loco's only had a quick technical overhaul before they were put back in service. Their typical portugese orange livery unchanged. Although by now some have gotten a new red and white livery. However at the relaxed pace it's going, not all of them might end up in the modern colours. During a nice winter morning I was able to get the 2602 on photo, one of the original loco's, and also one of the orange ones.

Currently the Zittau narrow gauge line is cut off from the regular locomotive depot, due to construction works on a bridge. During this time, the old shed at Bertdorf is reactivated and trains are staying overnight at Bertsdorf. 99 731 arrived shortly before with the last train of the day from Oybin (SOE 321, arrival at 7:50pm) and is now going to be serviced with water and coal.

Day 173 of the 365 Journey.

This morning when I arrived at work, my network credentials had expired. What this meant for my day was that I was pretty much useless! I could see the work flowing in, but there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it! Then after a long day of trying to get my accounts reactivated, I came home to change pool filter. Low and behold I didn’t find out that the cover that I had to embrace like a bear hug with both arms in order t lift it off was fabricated from FIBERGLASS!!!......... Fiberglass!!! I’m wearing a short sleeve t-shirt with my bear arms clinching on for dear life to the unknown shard of piercing fibers! At least I was wearing gloves! Still oblivious at this point, and done; I moved my arm and I snagged it on my shirt. To my surprise there was nothing on my arm nor my shirt that would have caused the snag. So I did it again! Just then I saw the sparkle in the sun. HOLY CRAP! I instantly look down at both arms and scream. I HATE FRICKEN HATE FIBERGLASS! There was so much it was sickening. Now I’ve had fiberglass in my skin before but Ive always just let it come out naturally. I had obviously never had THIS much. I wasn’t about to let the 20 pounds that just made it into my skin roam free over the next week and half of my life. Immediately I opened the laptop and “googled” the removal of fibergalss from skin. Before I knew it, I was in the kitchen with duct tape removing all of those silver little slivers! I’ve missed a few, but the itching is much better!

So I Wonder:

Why would they ever use little shards of glass for ANYTHING is beyond me. I seriously HATE FRICKEN fiberglass!

Thanks Mr. Sardonicus for the idea! www.flickr.com/photos/mofacko/3779507922/

Strobist:

Shutter Speed 1/80

Aperture 7.1

ISO 100

Lens – Canon 50mm (prime)

Focal Length –50MM

White Bal – Auto

Flashpoint mono light at 1/8 power with gridded snoot 5 ft subject left aimed at torso.

On a gloomy morning in Montvale, Virginia Norfolk Southern manifest freight V70 rolls east as it crosses the bridge over the Lynchburg Salem Turnpike and slows as it approaches the next control point to let Amtrak pass. In the lead is a pair of SD70M-2's, which have recently been reactivated from storage to meet locomotive demand.

====Info====

NS Blue Ridge District

Montvale, VA

NS 1V70 (Local; Roanoke, VA to Lynchburg, VA)

NS 2768 SD70M-2 Blt. 2006

NS 2694 SD70M-2 Blt. 2005

CSXT B763 is rounding a curve not too long after getting the okay from bridgetender to cross Beauharnois canal. Power is a pair of reactivated Dash8-40CW's in the YN2 paint scheme (CSXT 7894 & CSXT 7864).

Dyce Head Light is a lighthouse in the town of Castine, Maine. It overlooks Penobscot Bay. First established in 1829, the light was deactivated in 1937 and replaced by a skeleton tower 475 feet (145 m) to the south. When that structure was destroyed by a storm in 2007, however, the old light was reactivated in 2008.

The lighthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a contributing property to Castine Historic District.

Ontario Southland Railway has recently reactivated their GP7 units, putting them back into service over the course of the last week. Seeing high hoods out on the prowl again has been great from a railfan's perspective.

Here, they can be seen with 383 in the lead heading out of St. Thomas at Ferguson Line with a set of tank cars bound for Ingersoll on the CP St. Thomas Sub.

May 30, 2025.

A set of nicely refurbished RDCs passes the old Reading Station in Tamaqua. This was the second of three southbounds we'd see here in just over an hour - just like the old days! These old RDCs were recently reactivated and handle weekend trips between Reading and Jim Thorpe during the summer months.

Q647 heads south through Cartersville with a recently reactivated C40-9W, originally a C44-8W that was essentially a demo unit for the Dash 9 series locomotive, on the point. 6-21-21

A former Super Fleet B40-8W is the leader for NS train D70 dragging autoracks across the CP diamond at Birmingham on Main Track 2 of the joint BNSF Brookfield Sub - NS Kansas City District. They're leaving NS's Voltz Yard via West MC, and they'll make a run across town to BNSF's Argentine Yard.

D70 was a local that delivered autoracks from NS's Voltz Yard to BNSF's Argentine Yard, and it frequently sported some interesting power, typically BNSF yard power off of transfers that would deliver to NS's Avondale Yard the previous night. The job was eventually abolished in the summer of 2019.

That searchlight protecting the diamond is gone now, as is the MILW signal bridge seen on the left. Some code line poles remain in the area today, but the rest of this junction has become modernized and homogenized.

The BNSF B40-8W No. 558 came to be a part of the BNSF transfer pool in Kansas City in 2017, featuring primer patches and an orange nose door. It was "touched up" early in 2018 when it wound up briefly on the CP, and it continued working around Kansas City until sometime in 2020 when it went into storage at Northtown, MN. Today, it's reactivated and lives in and around the Twin Cities. 4/26/18.

Delaware Lackawanna PO-74 glides along the partially frozen Snag Pond in Gouldsboro, PA with a pair of former WNYP M636s that the railroad reactivated in the fall (2/1/25).

After recently reactivated earlier on:

X50-X48 works 7755V PacNat grain wagon transfer from Nth Shore to Dimboola as smoked up along Anakie Rd Loop Bell Park, Geelong taken on Friday 13/11/2020.

Having crossed a northbound empty SSR grain train at Willow Tree, CLP12, C507 and L277 head south towards the notorious gradient of Ardglen with 5446 from Narrabri to Carrington.

CLP12 emerged in the all-white "Casper" livery in May 2020 as a temporary measure following its reactivation for immediate service. Over 3.5 years later, we still await its real paint scheme.

Friday 8th December 2023

42105, recently reactivated and painted into the former Northern Rivers Rail livery, leads X54 away from Moss Vale with a reverse run of the Cockatoo Run from Robertson to Sydney via the Main South as 5L22.

Sunday 14th April 2024

BNSF 787, a recently reactivated Fakebonnet C44-9W, leads the CMYKCM through Greenwood, Nebraska.

For most of 2018, traffic levels had warranted the need for more power, and UP had reactivated a number of SD60M's. Many roamed the system on road trains, but several were commonly seen on locals and short distance manifests. UP's trains between Kansas City, MO and St. Joseph, MO were pretty reliable with interesting power at the time, and both standard and wide cab 60's were often utilized on these trains.

Here, a pair of elephant style SD60M's bring UP train MKCSJ-11 out of UP's Neff Yard and onto the Coal Route at Troost, headed for the AS&B Bridge towards BNSF's Murray Yard. This train will used trackage rights on the BNSF St. Joseph Sub to the line's namesake town.

Some might be disappointed that the repainted SD60M was trailing, but I think the leader with the red frame stripe on the front is a little more interesting. 6/11/18.

Nach dem 2. Weltkrieg verlief durch die Kaligebiete an der Werra plötzlich die innerdeutsche Grenze. Hierdurch ließ sich das Kali aus Unterbreizbach per Schiene nur noch über den Westen abfahren. Daher startet die DDR den „1. Sozialistischen Bahnbau“ und errichtete im Herbst '52 binnen 90 Tagen die Strecke von Unterbreizbach nach Vacha. Die 5,2 km langen Strecke weist jedoch mit einer Neigung von über 40 ‰ topographisch ungünstige Verhältnisse auf . Ein 1200 Tonnen schwerer Kalizug wurden in vier Übergaben abgefahren. Nach der Wiedervereinigung lief der Kaliverkehr wieder durch das Werratal und am 31. August 2000 wurde die Umgehungsstrecke stillgelegt. Am 24.06.1999 arbeitete sich die Erfurter 232 315-2 mit Grenzlast über die Strecke. Auf einer Wegüberführung stehend war das akustisch ein Genuss! Seit 2021 hat K+S die Strecke reaktiviert.

After the Second World War, the inner-German border suddenly ran through the potash areas on the Werra. As a result, the potash from Unterbreizbach could only be transported by rail via the west. The GDR therefore launched the "1st Socialist Railway Construction" and built the line from Unterbreizbach to Vacha within 90 days in autumn '52. However, the 5.2 km long line has topographically unfavourable conditions with an incline of over 40 ‰. A 1200-tonne potash train was taken away in four transfers. After reunification, potash traffic again ran through the Werra valley and on 31 August 2000 the bypass line was shut down. On 24.06.1999 the Erfurt 232 315-2 worked its way over the line with a border load. Standing on an overpass, it was an acoustic delight! Since 2021, K+S has reactivated the line.

8174 Quambatook - Southern Cross

707 Operations "Grainlander' Tour

First mainline run with A62 leading since reactivation and repaint.

[EN]

The vineyard is ready for pruning.

Pruning of the vine begins from leaf drop in the fall to bud break around April.

But what happens to the vine to make it weep?

The plant reawakens from its winter sleep and recommences its lifecycle. The “tears” are little droplets of sap, rising up the stalk of the vine and seeping out. This happens when the roots start working again, when the sap begins to rise up through the wood. It’s as though the vine is taking a deep breath before the birth of the new buds.

The budding phase is preceded by a typical phenomenon of the vine called “weeping”, which is actually the release of fluid from the xylem vessels where they have been pruned. This is due, on one hand, to the reactivation of the sugar metabolism – the transformation of starch into simple sugars – and the consequent reactivation of cellular respiration, and, on the other, the high level of absorption that characterises the roots, which peaks during this phase (Google Translate: :-))

[IT]

Il vigneto è pronto per la potatura.

La potatura della vite va dalla caduta delle foglie in autunno, al "pianto della vite" in aprile.

Ma che cosa accade alla vite da portarla a piangere?

La pianta si risveglia dopo il riposo invernale e ricomincia il suo ciclo vitale. Le «lacrime» sono delle piccole goccioline di linfa, che risalgono il legno della vite e fuoriescono. Avviene con la ripresa dell’attività delle radici, quando nei vasi legnosi inizia appunto a risalire la linfa. È una sorta di respiro prima della nascita dei nuovi germogli.

La fase del germogliamento è preceduta da un fenomeno tipico della vite chiamato “pianto”, ossia l’emissione di liquido dai vasi xilematici a livello dei tagli di potatura: ciò è dovuto da una parte alla riattivazione del metabolismo degli zuccheri – la trasformazione di amido in zuccheri semplici – e alla conseguente riattivazione della respirazione cellulare e dall’altra all’elevato livello di assorbimento che caratterizza le radici, che tocca il massimo proprio in questa fase»

FR]

Le vignoble est prêt pour la taille.

La taille de la vigne commence dès la chute des feuilles à l'automne au débourrement vers avril.

Mais qu'arrive-t-il à la vigne qui la fait pleurer?

La plante se réveille après le repos hivernal et recommence son cycle de vie. Les "larmes" sont de petites gouttelettes de sève, qui remontent le bois de la vigne et en ressortent. Cela se produit avec la reprise de l'activité des racines, lorsque la lymphe commence à monter dans les vaisseaux ligneux. C'est une sorte de souffle avant la naissance des nouvelles pousses.

La phase de germination est précédée d'un phénomène typique de la vigne appelé "pleurs de la vigne", c'est-à-dire l'émission de liquide des vaisseaux du xylème au niveau des plaies de taille: cela est dû d'une part à la réactivation du métabolisme du sucre - la transformation de l'amidon dans les sucres simples - et la réactivation conséquente de la respiration cellulaire et d'autre part au niveau élevé d'absorption qui caractérise les racines, qui atteint son maximum dans cette phase.

Recently reactivated 603 forms part of the lash-up on Southern Shorthaul Railroad's loaded grain train 3242 from Calleen to Allied Pinnacle at Maldon.

Purchased by SSR back in April 2016, 603 has laid dormant since mid-2013 and was reactivated in December 2024, where it's planned to provide additional support in the Liverpool Ranges as a banker over Ardglen.

Unfortunately, there's no plan to make the locomotive a "lead unit" as it is not fitted with an ICE radio, however, it is planned to get a repaint. Although the scruffy look isn't so bad though?

Sunday 29th December 2024

The summer of 2018 brought out several older and leased locomotives due to an increase in traffic levels, some of those being reactivated SD60Ms and C44-9Ws on Union Pacific. Although there were plenty of them roaming around southeast Texas, this is the only decent shot I have of one. UP #2399 leads a northbound manifest through Hastings on the BNSF Mykawa Sub on a hot June afternoon.

Just months later, UP announced their implementation of PSR systemwide, bringing the SD60Ms, Dash 9s, and most of the SD70Ms like pictured, into storage. Personally, I would not be surprised if the SD60Ms never turned a wheel under UP again.

Battery Point Lighthouse and its museum are located at the foot of Lighthouse Way in Crescent City, California. This is an active lighthouse that serves as a private aid to navigation. Its oil lamps were first lit on December 10, 1856. Lighthouse keepers still reside there. The Battery Point Lighthouse is open to the public for tours which include the opportunity to look into the personal quarters of keepers and their families and at the furniture and artifacts left behind since the 1850’s. Tours include a climb into the light tower. There are displays of many maritime artifacts, photographs, and documents that chronicle its history.

In its 160-year history, many keepers and their families have tended the light. Also known as the Crescent City Light Station, the lighthouse was operated by the U.S. Lighthouse Service until 1936 when the U.S. Coast Guard took over operation and maintenance. The light was automated in 1953, but the Coast Guard continued to maintain the Fifth Order Drumm lens until 1965 when it was decommissioned. The light was then reactivated as a private aid to navigation in 1982.

During the 1964 tsunami, the resident keepers were stranded in the lighthouse. Although there was no damage to the lighthouse itself, the trapped keepers were helpless as they watched in horror throughout the night as the series of waves wreaked havoc on the mainland and swirled around the base of the lighthouse. The keepers provided a terrifying eyewitness account of the destruction caused to Crescent City.

Many great stories about Battery Point Lighthouse’s history and Native American legends about the island have been crafted over time, including tales of its resident ghost. Photographers and artists have captured the beauty of the Lighthouse thousands of times making it one of the most vivid images in all of Del Norte County. The scenic beauty has made Battery Point Lighthouse the subject of film companies for movies, television programs, commercials and music videos.

Visits to the Battery Point Lighthouse and island are only possible at low tide. Extreme care and caution should be used when crossing the two hundred feet between the mainland and island anytime wave action may cover the crossing area. Sneaker waves are a threat to visitors standing on or near the rocks and the shore of the island. Care by visitors should be taken to protect all natural wildlife and plant life on the island.

CSX train Q368 (Chicago, IL - Selkirk, NY) passes under the CP 369 signal bridge at the west end of Goodman St yard in Rochester, NY with a recently reactivated YN2 GE C40-8W leading.

A pair of reactivated Dash8-40CW's in the YN2 paint scheme (CSXT 7894 & CSXT 7864) are the power on a 12-car CSXT B763 as it departs Beauharnois, bound for Massena. I got lucky here, with the conductor walking up to the head end as I arrived and the train departing a minute later.

Reactivated OLYMPUS E420 CAMERA

C54 gets headroom working Mingo. This shot is looking towards the JSW Steel 80 inch hot strip mill, which is rumored for reactivation.

Train: NS C54 with NS 6970 (SD60E), NS 6960 (SD60E)

Norfolk Southern River Line

Mingo Junction, Ohio

Hamburg - Moments

Mat txt

www.flickr.com/photos/texturonline/

(I have reactivated the authorization to the comments that had changed, I do not know why)

Q647 heads south climbing the grade in Kennesaw with a recently reactivated C40-9W, originally a C44-8W that was essentially a demo unit for the Dash 9 series locomotive, on the point. 6-21-21

Since I missed MLW Monday, I am making it up today.

On 3/10/2025, CFS 2044 and 8033 head to the Saint-Lambert Industrial Park, to grab cars for CN.

Here they are seen passing the CFS deadline at Scott, which includes RS18u 1828 which is awaiting work. As well as CFS 71 a one of a kind M636-CAT, which is awaiting reactivation. The 1828, 71 and 8033 are all exCP while the 2044 is exBC Rail. The 71's original CP paint and number are even starting to show, on the end of the long hood.

Chemin de fer Sartigan

Train: 2044-North

3/10/2025

Scott, Quebec

MTQ/CFS Vallee Subdivision

In late 1987 a fleet of open OB wagons stored at Wallaroo were cleaned and returned to traffic for use during the upcoming harvest. as it turned out ultimately they only saw limited use on South Australian grain trains during 1988, the year the grain fleet transitioned to 100% covered hoppers.

Several trips were required to move all the hoppers from Wallaroo to Port Adelaide and broad gauge ALCo DL531 branchliners 838/833 were the motive power.

On 3 November 1987, they are seen crossing the River Light at Hamley Bridge with shunt loco #504 dead attached. It had been based at Wallaroo for local shunt moves there related to the cleaning of the OBs prior to reactivation.

V700_5_843

"If there is magic on this planet, it is contained in water."

"One must seek,then, what only the solitary approach can give - a natural revelation."

Loren Eiseley, The Immense Journey, 1946

I am, once again, waterbourne. I sold the Old Town canoe (isn't it amazing how much larger and heavier canoes get as their owners age), but have reactivated a previous boat. This is an old paddleboat with some real advantages including comfortable seats so one can drop anchor to read, picnic or wait on the light, plus a sturdy wooden deck that is ideal for a tripod, assuming I ever get to the stage where I actually use a tripod.

We are in the season of late afternoon downpours here in Florida and there are often interesting effects as storm clouds play with the evening light. The trick is to find that moment but avoid the deluge.

Mid-summer high light and heat haze are not the best conditions for rail photography, but when the subject matter is a 53 year old GM 'Bulldog', then exceptions have to be made.

GM47 entered service with the Commonwealth Railways (of Australia) on 16 January 1968 with ownership later passing through various iterations of ownership with Genesee & Wyoming Australia until early 2020.

After several years in storage it was reactivated earlier this year, and this afternoon made a rare appearance, after several other locos on the train had failed, at the head of 5DA2 intermodal service from Darwin to Adelaide, seen near Mallala, South Australia.

80D_2_4_3437

Recently reactivated after 3-4 years in storage, NS SD70M-2 2769 brings NS C65 south through yellow creek, Ohio.

BNSF 726, a recently reactivated Dash 9 pulls a westbound manifest into Argentine Yard in KC in the day's dying sunlight. The 726's hood doesn't look so hot, but the nose looks about as good as the day it rolled out of Erie.

PO-74 passes block station ARMY near Tobyhanna, PA, with a pair of reactivated former Cartier MLWs.

She's been working on this project for quite some time: in the summer, a very gradual reactivation was seen of the grand old Voragine, Etna's laziest but potentially also most violent summit crater. The Voragine had gone through two brief periods of intense Strombolian activity in February-March 2013 and January 2015; its latest major eruptions were in 1997-1999, including two of the most powerful paroxysms seen at Etna in the last century.

In mid-October, the eruptive activity of the Voragine became gradually more intense, and incandescent lava was ejected in frequent small Strombolian explosions from a minuscule vent at the bottom of the crater. Things looked like they were going as in early 2013 and January 2015.

But from early November 2015 on, Etna was showing signs of something more significant coming. There were repeated episodes of increased volcanic tremor and increased gas emission - mostly from the New Southeast Crater, silent since its last episode of activity in mid-May 2015 - plus other more or less subtle signals recorded by the instrumental network of the INGV-Osservatorio Etneo on the volcano. Signs that were interpreted as failed attempts of eruptions, phenomena observed often at many volcanoes on Earth.

Finally, on 2 December 2015, the continued activity within the Voragine started to increase, and it increased through the night of 2-3 December. Finally, it culminated, quite suddenly, on the early morning of 3 December with a rather large paroxysm, probably the strongest seen at Etna since the Voragine's last paroxysm on 4 September 1999. I slept through this event, because I had to be in some sort of form for an important public presentation the afternoon and needed sleep. Many of us slept through this paroxysm; those who saw it were awestruck and bewildered - after more than 50 paroxysmal episodes from the New Southeast Crater in the past 5 years, many of them quite violent, this was something that went far beyond.

Those who missed it were reasonably disappointed - but Etna gave them (yours truly included) a second chance.

After less than 36 hours, the Voragine made a second huge paroxysm, essentially a repetition of the first one, but during plain daylight and good visibility from most areas around the volcano. The paroxysm started quite abruptly, and a group of colleagues and I frantically drove from the city of Catania to the western flank of the volcano, where we hoped to get a good view of the activity.

This photo was taken while driving away from Catania, along the long line of major towns from Misterbianco to Adrano, in traffic that was often slow on a hauntingly bad road. But our efforts were rewarded. During the drive, I took numerous photos of the immense eruption column, rising at least 7 km above the summit of the volcano and then mushrooming out, the cloud head spreading south-southeast and expanding also to the east.

As I post this photo (more will follow soon), activity at the Voragine is continuing. The paroxysm was over after one hour, but strong Strombolian explosions are continuing. And, to put some spice into this current, exciting affair, there is also some Strombolian activity at a newly formed vent, located high on the east flank of the New Southeast Crater cone.

Stay tuned folks, Etna is back being the most amazing volcano on this planet.

At just 3 months old, UP 8957 is looking pretty sharp on the point of this frac sand train headed through southwest Houston. The train will be taking the Sunset Route to San Antonio to help feed the Eagle Ford shale region's big appetite for sand during the fracking boom of the early 2010's.

Also of note, a reactivated 90MAC was trailing 4th-out in this consist.

RCSCUS 19 (Rock- Norma, WI to Dabney, TX, Sand)

UP SD70AH #8957

UP C45ACCTE #7892

UP C45ACCTE #7881

UP SD90/43MAC #3633

(DPU) UP C44AC #7180

Stafford, TX

March 24th, 2015

Société de chemin de fer de la Gaspésie Train 565-28 arrives at New Richmond on 5/28/2024 with cars for the Ciment McInnis transload. On the former Smurfit Stone mill lead was one of the four new HLCX GP38-3 with another at the nearby Rail GD carshop awaiting lettering.

Since then, the GP38-3's have been placed in service resulting in the 6 RS18u's ending up in the storage line, with the exception of two which have recently been reactivated.

Société de chemin de fer de la Gaspésie

Train: 565-28

5/28/2024

New Richmond, Quebec

SFG Cascapedia Subdivision

SSR101 and SSR102 arriving into the platform road at Cootamundra, as future SSR locomotive 42216 sits in the sheds amidst reactivation works, along with Streamliners Australia locomotive that is under restoration, CL17. The SSRs were running 3341 empty grain to Temora.

2021-02-06 SSR SSR101-SSR102 Cootamundra 3341