View allAll Photos Tagged mainline
37419 'Carl Haviland' is seen climbing towards Drumochter summit at Dalnacardoch with 1Q77 from Motherwell to Inverness, 37405 is dead on rear. 7th September 2019
Most likely the second-to-last post about the Coal-Mainline in Poland.
An SA133 unit owned by the voivodeship of Pomerania is arriving at Somonino, a small station equipped with a couple of mechanical signals, working the last passenger service of the day from Gdynia to Kościerzyna.
The next big shock for the old Coal-Mainline of Poland, or rather what was left of its original route, was the introduction of PKM services. The abbreviation stands for Pomorska Kolej Metropolitalna - the Pomeranian Metro area Railway. The route of of the PKM is partially reconstructing the old railway line from Gdańsk Wrzeszcz (Danzig Langfuhr) to Kartuzy (Karthaus (Westpreußen) ). The difference between the original railway line and the current one is (or was, as you'll see in a second) the fact, that the first version of the PKM branched off right before Gdańsk Kokoszki to make for a convenient service for the Gdańsk airport. The PKM line then connects to the old Coal-Mainline in Gdańsk Osowa and Rębiechowo.
This required the entire part of the line between Gdańsk Osowa and Gdynia Główna to be completely reworked. Automatic signalling was added, the station Gdynia Wielki Kack was stripped of platforms (which were moved to a stop now called Gdynia Karwiny), the station Gdańsk Osowa was completely reworked and both stations shut down their mechanical semaphore signals, which were to be replaced with modern ones.
Apart from this, the station Żukowo Wschodnie got a rework, which added switches allowing the trains to turn to the side track at 60km/h, while still preserving the semaphore signals on one side of the station. This is the only case that I know of in Poland where semaphore signals allow for running at 60km/h to the side on a junction.
Next, the podg. Glińcz junction was reconstructed (now under the name Glincz, with no Ń), though in a way which makes completely no sense. Describing it here would be pointless, so I kindly redirect the interested parties to check out the place on a map service, which allows for satellite view.
In march 2024 the PKM project was expanded to include the old railway line from Wrzeszcz to Kartuzy, A reconstruction of the tracks between Gdańsk Kokoszki and podg. Glincz was finshed and allowed for running passenger trains from Gdańsk to Karutzy with no direction changes. The new line got the name "Kartuzy Bypass"
Opening the PKM line allowed for running passenger trains almost directly from the city center of Gdańsk to Kościerzyna and Kartuzy - cities which had a lot of daily work commuters to Gdynia and Gdańsk, aswell as serving the biggest airport in the area by train and providing an alternative route between Gdańsk and Gdynia for more local passengers. It is also a big forecast of what is to happen to the old Coal-Mainline.
The chronological order of posts must be kept so I can't go on without saying, that, on a completely unrelated note, almost all railway stations between Bydgoszcz and Gdynia had their signalisation at least partially replaced, with Wierzchucin and Kościerzyna remaining the last stations fully equipped with mechanical signals. It came to me as a huge surprise, because they are the biggest stations on the line and it seems like they should be the ones to get priority over the smaller stations. The reconstruction of signalling on one side of each station allowed for staffing the station by only one person on one of the signal boxes, instead of upkeeping two workers, one of each would work in a different signal tower on a different stide of the station.
Photo by Piotrek/Toprus
A pair of Conrail SD50 units, the 6760 and 6777, hustle daily freight BUOI through Binghamton's First Ward at Erie Street, in the fading light of 8 August 1986. In the background, on the old Lackawanna mainline, sits a cut of hopper cars for the Goudy Station power plant.
an unseen frame from of a set of photos of a loco services training run from february 2019----in windy conditions 45231 rounds the curve at wardle--since then the bushes have grown sufficiently to make this shot too difficult
CN 2196 leading this westbound mixed freight along the Thompson River at Louis Creek.
September 6, 2017
Mainline Blue 60078 heads north at Winwick Junction with Walton Old Jn - Knockshinnock MGR empties before the old asylum tower was blown up. 11 June 1998.
The Lehigh Valley heritage unit, NS 8104, makes it's way across the mainline, this time leading empty oil train 67W as it approaches MP 131 on Norfolk Southern's Pittsburgh line, just outside of Newport Pennsylvania on a gorgeous late summer afternoon.
A pair of UP GP15-1's head back towards West Chicago Yard as it finishes its duties switching a nearby lumber industry on the last section of the CGW mainline in West Chicago, IL.
CSX G933-24 has a roll on it through the small Alabama community of Banks late one spring evening. A straight frame SD40-2 leader was added in Montgomery as a "kicker", and the G933 crew had it on the front of two trip optimizer equipped GE's. We followed this train quite easily up the former Atlantic Coast Line Dothan Subdivision from Dillard to Snowdoun as the sun sank lower and lower. Surprises of this variety don't happen often, if at all, on CSX anymore. The 52 year old SD40 leader was a welcome chase up a line I've never documented myself. The ACL Dothan sub is quite scenic for a backdoor mainline, and was a fun chase this afternoon.
Thanks for looking and enjoy!
One of the more unusual consists to lead a coal train on the Moffat line since the late 90's. It's likely been over 10 years since a standard cab unit has even led a train around here. Former Conrail SD40-2 CSXT 8864 looked mighty fine rolling its empty West Elk, CO coal train out of Gore Canyon, CO.
CDRWE9 15 east of Azure, CO.
10.19.17
Recently rebuilt and repainted F40PH-3C 1030 has quickly become a favorite of railfans as the newest and quite possibly prettiest 'heritage' unit to be found just about anywhere on rails!
After shooting her at West Concord I raced west and literally made it to Shirley 23 minutes later with seconds to spare just in time to see her pass Berkshire and Eastern train B101 right at the Benjamin Road crossing. She is seen leading Wachusett bound outbound Keolis/MBTA train 5427 slowing for a flag stop here on Main 1 of modern day the Keolis/MBTA Fitchburg Line main at MP 39.5 (measured from Boston North Station) which is also MP 319.5 (measured from Mattawamkeag, ME) on the ex Pan Am Freight Mainline.
Berkshire and Eastern is a Genesee and Wyoming owned company which was created to serve as the neutral third party operator of the former Pan Am Southern property as a condition of the sale of Pan Am Railways to CSX in 2022. B101 is the symbol B&E uses for this to Ayer to Park Manor Yard in Chicago intermodal which turns into Norfolk Southern train 263 at Mechanicville and used to be known as 23K. The train is led by the standard SD60E which is necessary due to it being one of a small fleet of this model equipped with ACSES for operation on the MBTA property between Ayer and Westminster.
This train is on borrowed time here because another condition of the sale of Pan Am was the granting of trakage rights to NS for the operation of one daily pair of premium trains (this one and its eastbound counterpart) over CSXT's former Boston and Albany route. These trains will leave their current routing via the Boston and Maine Fitchburg Route and instead depart Ayer south on the Worcester Main then utilize CSXT's, Boston, Berkshire and Castleton Subs to Selkirk then west to Voorheesville where they will hop onto NS's old Delaware and Hudson Albany main to Delanson where they will rejoin their current route to Binghamton and points west. Allegedly, that routing will commence anytime, so if you want shots of 'the pig train' on the old B&M the time is now.
Shirley, Massachusetts
Saturday September 27, 2025
TransPennine 68029 'Courageous' departs noisily under the fabulous North Eastern Railway footbridge and equally impressive but I guess mostly overlooked Leeds & Selby Railway skew bridge, this road bridge was hailed as a wonder of the new railway age when opened in September 1834 and incidentally this was the first main line to be built in Yorkshire.
68029 'Courageous' 1E43 16:31 Manchester Victoria to Scarborough
This shot is made up of three images a couple to make up the train and station and another shot once the station lights had illuminated, blended in Photoshop.
For anyone interested I have made another short YouTube video of my hour at Garforth youtu.be/Id-nzRiSxTY
12th October 2020
Ivatt 2MT 46521 eases towards Quorn and Woodhouse Station with a demonstration mixed goods train. Great Central Railway 2018 Winter Gala.
just as a cloud moves in front of the sun class 5 4-6-0 45231 the sherwood forester passes cholmondeston cheshire with a crew training run to shrewsbury
thanks andrew and scott for alerting me to this
GBRf 66794 'Steve Hannam' seen shortly after exiting Ampthill Tunnel working the 6M77 04-28 Grain Oil Terminal to Sinfin Sidings loaded aviation fuel tanks on 8 July 2022.
an unusual sight on the crewe to chester line at bunbury lane
four restored pullman cars from the long vanished brighton belle luxury train being given a test run hauled by top and tailed class 20 diesels
Not often photographed, the former B&O mainline, once connecting Dayton to Union City, IN, still sees weekly local traffic to an industrial park near Trotwood. Here, CSX 4436 leads D744 over 1st St in Dayton's West Side neighborhood.
A line of classic poles with glass insulators recedes toward the distant interlocking signals and sunset in Medicine Bow, Wyoming as the air chills in preparation for the first big winter snowfall to arrive later this evening. (11-16-2018)
After a long period of being relegated to trailing duties 48s34 has started popping up on the lead of various SSR trains. Seen here dropping down into Picton on the final legs of it's journey to Maldon, on 3248 grain with 'larger' 4917, 4911 and RL305 behind.
2020-09-30 SSR 48s34-4917-4911-RL305 Picton 3248
Southern Pacific 4-10-2 5033 meets new SD9's somewhere in Oregon in 1954. To have been standing on the SD9's running board to witness this! Photo by the late Bob Konsbruck, from my collection.
a closer view of the triple identity jubilee galatea/sierra leone/ alberta passing hartford---see previous picture
Heading out of Burton Wetmore Sidings, 31128 Charybdis gets ready to work 0Z31 to Lichfield Trent Valley Low Level Civil Engineer's Siding.
back on familiar ground at acton bridge 48151 ,once based at northwich heads north with a return excursion from shrewsbury
after recent repairs 70000 britannia made a test run from crewe to shrewsbury and return
seen here near wardle
there are reports that problems were encountered
Mainline-liveried 37216 powering at the rear of a heavy trailing load of light armoured infantry combat vehicles being transported from Redmire to Ludgershall, passing the closed Wensley station on the Wensleydale branch on 3rd September 1999.
© Gordon Edgar - All rights reserved. Please do not use my images without my explicit permission
A pair of Union Pacific westbounds – One a TOFC/container train led by an EMD SD60 and the other coal empties led by a GE C41-8W – Are both stopped on the main line tracks at Clinton, Iowa for crew changes. – August 4th, 2000 ~~ A Jeff Hampton Photograph ©
2nd April 1996. "Cairn Gorm" heads north at Kibworth on the Midland Main Line with 6G51 10:30 Temple Mills to Mountsorrel.
A dirty Mainline Blue 58036 passes Eastleigh on 27/Ap[ril/1996 working a Eastleigh yard to Brockenhurst ballast service.
611 rips through Danville on the way to Lynchburg with 20 plus coaches, 8099 and 6311 in tow. Kinda fun to use a SLR with film in it for a change.
bunbury lane --before the trees grew
70000 Britannia in black livery , without nameplates hauls a cathedrals express I was told that it ran like this when first built, but I certainly do not remember it like that, nor have I heard of them running like this before
In August I made a short trip to Czech republic for my birthday, mostly in Prague with some friends but with two railfan days tacked on at the end. In hindsight it was a mistake as I should have used the days for more Switzerland, but live and don't learn. I was in Jindřichův Hradec to ride the NG but was surprised to find that the standard gauge was quite interesting too. Here a local arrives at Jindřichův Hradec station where the train will terminate.
sometimes , in the early '60s , the distant , different sound of a britannia whistle as compared with the usual stanier hooter would result in one of the regular group of spotters calling out "that's a brit's whistle "--here that sound is heard again as britannia returns to the main lines on a crewe -shrewsbury test run
it was also a pleasure much missed in the pandemic , to meet and talk to friends by the lineside without masks or distancing whilst waiting for a train to appear !
As from today (18th August 2019) East Midlands Trains is no more, as Abellios 'East Midlands Railway' now has the franchise. Before either of these operators, Midland Mainline were running things, and here back in 2006, we see 222009 (then a 4 car set) at a different looking Harrowden Junction,
21st November 2006