[7i][4k] Attack After Midnight! Norfolk Southern Trains on the Greenville District, GA 07/20/2020
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Military train NS O53 was supposed to be a daylight train into Atlanta, but it didn't even make it beyond Gainesville, GA before the next day's morning. The reason was a late departure from Greenville and, promptly, a broken knuckle in the mountains. Then it inched over the hills at 5 mph, before it finally found the down slope in Cornelia, GA, where I caught him just after midnight. And the train was already delayed by many hours, mostly caused by fixing five (!) broken knuckles between its origin Charleston, SC and the central Greenville District. NS's misjudgment of the load distribution created by very heavy armor (tanks, artillery, auxiliary vehicles) was simply stunning. At the time I caught the train, only two AC44C6M engines pulled what was likely the heaviest military train I have ever seen. More power was eventually added the next morning, when the train left Gainesville.
Although maintenance work during the day led to extended breaks in the rail action, other NS trains filled the afternoon and evening: intermodals/autoracks NS 203, 211, 222, 238, manifests 153 and 371, and Amtrak 20. Another highlight was a shave-and-haircut horn blow by a track maintainer - something one doesn't experience very often (lol). So enjoy this story of the day with the highlight at the end: A train that deserves to enter the history books for the astounding trouble it created.
![[7X][4k] Norfolk Southern Trains in Toccoa, GA. Greenville District 05/11+12/2020](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/vnZVskJj3cg/mqdefault.jpg)
![[7X][4k] Norfolk Southern Trains in Toccoa, GA. Greenville District 05/11+12/2020](/img/tr.png)
![[8U][4k] Trains at Dawn, Norfolk Southern Piedmont Subdivision, Lula, GA 01/06/2023](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/MjrHcP4B9PQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Charleston has an Army Port Unit located on the Naval Station here. It replaced the unit that used to be in Bayonne. However, the actual POE where the Ro-Ro-s come and go from is located about a quarter mile off base. This POE shipped many MRAP’s as it had close proximity to General Dynamics in Ladson. MRAP’s were only shipped by rail when they returned from the AO and most were sent for maintenance Texarkana. This heavy Brigade could be from the POMCUS rotation since we no longer store REFORGER equipment in Belgium. It is in desert camo so likely saw Service in the war. We are just now repainting back to OD.
Thanks, very interesting. I already guessed they came from somewhere overseas and saw service in a desert.
dispatcher after the fifth knuckle broke: OH COME ON!!! SERIOUSLY???
Lol, probably.
@@mbmars01 I have never been in the military
I love that little tucked away railroad overpass at 13:00. Man, those dynamic brakes were gettin' a workout!
Lol, yeah, it is not easy to reach Ayersville (hidden away, dirt roads,...), so it was a bit frustrating to find no road crossing or clearer view. But I eventually liked that bridge shot very much.
Sorry I came across this now but as expected, you did not disappoint. What an absolutely beautiful location! I know it's a hike for you so it makes me very appreciative whenever you go there.
I'm not surprised by the multiple busted knuckles on the military train. That was literally a battalion's worth of hardware and you're right, it was way underpowered at the start. Glad NS wised up and attached a couple of more horses the next day.
Thanks for taking the time to do this upload.
Yeah, Cornelia is a great spot, but you're right, it's not right around the corner to where I live. The train was amazing; one of the most impressive military trains I've ever seen.
@@mbmars01 No question about that. You did a great job as always my friend.
The station at Cornelia is beautiful. Nice location for the military train night shot. Great video!.
It really is! And it's quiet. I like this spot.
Wow MB, another great job, love those SD 70's as always and a night time military train, amazing.
These were good catches, no doubt. Good you like the video!
Great video! Keep up the good work
Thank you!
Great video; those military train is very heavy.
This was an amazing sight. I'm glad I stayed up for it.
Watching your video while drinking my coffee. Very enjoyable. Excellent video.
Great idea :) Good you like it.
I love seeing the military trains, especially with the tanks on them. Keep posting those. Thanks! - Mike
Well, I also particularly like these catches, but it's not that easy to get them lol
Just thoroughly enjoy your videos....they are a highlight of my week..thank you.
Thank you very much! I really appreciate your nice comment.
Saw 3 NS and met 3 railfans. One told me the 1st NS i saw was NS 142 with a SD70ACU. 2nd was a NS manifest with a DPU, 3rd was a grain. With a DC to AC. Muncie, IN 10/3/2020. Also, liked the video! Good one!
Very nice! It's always nice to catch some trains, wherever it is and whatever they are. Cool you like the video!
You can hear the weight of the military train the way those railcars sing
Thanks MB for the awesome NS videography! Nobody does it better.
Thanks so much! Really appreciate it.
Great video bro.
Thanks!
Military train reminded of back in my army days loading up and tying down a Brigade Combat team, (larger train than this one). Since this was coming from Charleston and headed to Anniston most likely not belonging to any particular unit, but headed there for refurbishment. Former Army Abrams Tanker.
Awesome. It'd be cool to see how these steel monsters look like inside.
@@mbmars01 plenty of you tube videos out there( look up "loading M1 Abrams") but not the same as living in one.
I can imagine...
It's always good to see NS stallions on your channel. I really like the different rebuilt locomotives, they are all very cool. And we see a bunch of new and exotic locations too in this video. The Abrams tanks on the military train are unbelievable. I'm sure the US Army wasn't too happy NS couldn't deliver the vehicles in time. I think this was a good lesson for them. Next time they'll use more locos that's for sure. Another high quality video, thanks a lot for the excellent update. :)
I don't live very close to the closest NS main line (1 hour), but I always like to go there, because it's simply a pretty area. Macon is 2 hours away (haven't been there in a while. Since NS has also switched to PSR, the traffic pattern is different and it still keeps changing. So you never really know what you get. Though, this time I knew the O53 was coming, but it definitely took its time...
Amazing video! Than You! Thumb up!
Thanks very much!
The Loram grinders are amazing to watch - they usually have the water spray with them, but that MOW truck works as well I am sure :) You provided lots of great overhead shots which are great - you get to see the business aspect of the engines and the cars :) And the military train with knuckles breaking - I thought DPU's were the answer for that, to lessen the strain? Great stuff!!
I also like the bridge shots, but sometimes it's a bit difficult to get a nice angle. In Lula, it works very well. Absolutely right, DP would surely have helped here, but cutting in a DPU or two into a train costs time. It was a perfect example for misjudgment, maybe even by a paper tiger at a desk not really caring about what type the loads were.
@@mbmars01 Amen - agree completely. I keep seeing the term "precision railroading". I suspect we can trace many things back to that :)
Another great video! NS 4000 and 4001 were both on the Kansas City district yesterday.
Thanks. Wow, that's nice.
awesome video liked 🚄🚄👍
Great!
Awesome!
Thanks!
nice video i saw a millitary train once
Thanks! It's fun to catch military trains, because they look always different.
Very cool.Military trains are always great to watch but this one was extremely heavy!!
I knew what to expect so I wasn't really surprised to see these loads, but before, when I heard the train approaching, the distant roar in the nocturnal silence of the little town of Cornelia, that really took me all in. It was awesome!
Txs for the upload,👍🏻from the 🇳🇱
Cool, great you like it!
TBH, would of been smart to have 4 engines in front and 3 in the back, as much as a load i seen of that
Awesome! The military train was well worth being up at midnight since it's something you don't see often
Absolutely. The many mishaps drove my patience to the edge, but finally it paid off.
Ah, the NS's version of the Q-616
Lol.
Haha, well this isn’t a regular train. Q616 had these issues on an almost daily basis. R.I.P. Q616! I somehow miss him.
Nice Catches, Yesterday the Abbeville had a Flared Mac, One Of the 3 left
I heard about it! Came by Athens around 11pm or so.
Love watching that fire powerhouse g by.
It was absolutely impressive and all this train roar. It was cool I could still catch him.
More tanks on that train then most countries have in their inventory
Yes, that's definitely right. It's an amazing mass of strike power.
Bnsf has h 1 units back on trains alot saw 7 on train webcam yesterday
Just saw this. Just the elevation into the Cornelia/Toccoa area is enough to cause undo stress on the drawbar/couplers. I don't think there's a nearby "bypass" for the district. My understanding there's standard and high-strength couplers. I understand that they're found out west. But just recently I saw some FEC cars out here in Oregon. Unless someone else speaks up I'll contact a neighbor who still works for Union Pacific. All this in mind is why they eliminated all rail up into the Rabun, the northern part of Habersham, White, Towns, ECT. as the Cornelia/Toccoa area is at the bottom of the Blue Ridge Mtns. Anyway I don't think I'd left without a couple of DPU's at the back end. There's area where you can see the road beds minus the tracks up there. All track removal was (obviously) removed prior to the use of DPU's. If one were to replace that track, don't place it over the Chattahoochee River without a well thought out plan. They've had major flooding in the last ten-twenty years. I remember four 500 year floods in downtown Clarkesville since 2004.
The military train, or should I just say "The Curse Train." They were definitely underpowered leaving out of Charleston and had more breakdowns than a man on the moon, including one of the locomotives breaking down, and the other one needing fuel. Other than that, nice catches on the Piedmont.
He really was jinxed, but I was glad I eventually got him. The long wait was worth it.
Full steam ahead :)
Lol
Keep 'em coming!
I'll try. It's harder this year because of the PSR changes AND fewer trains thanks to the pandemic.
Have you shot at night before? It came out great. Liked the view at Alto!
Oh yeah, I did it many times. Without the confidence that the shots would be decent in Cornelia, I hadn't stayed there that long. My little LED light is surprisingly helpful.
All on charge ahead for ns
"Tank" cars.
Lol, right!
Good job the Army didn't, like, need them in a hurry anywhere ... -_-
I think they came back from somewhere overseas.
War Tanks Train
Yup.
In another country people get shot or put in prison for those kinds of mistakes.