Heavy Switching and EMD End Cab Power on the LVRM
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- Опубліковано 25 сер 2024
- Lehigh Valley Rail Management is a shortline railroad operation which is headquartered in Bethlehem, PA, with operations in Bethlehem, Steelton and Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The LVRM operates over former PBNE turf around Bethlehem, PA, interchanging with NS as well as servicing several businesses, including JB Hunt as well as Lehigh Heavy Forge Corp, with a few others, and like the PBNE of the past, exclusively uses EMD end cab units to get the job done. My friend James gave me the introduction to their operations and I have shot them several times since then..
My first visit was September 15, 2018, where we stumbled upon the LVRM 130 crew, which handles afternoon work as they shuffle intermodal around Lower Saucon Yard with a nice quartet of switchers, including leased LTEX SW1500s 1517 and 1508, former CSX MP15DC 1146 and former PBNE MP15DC 19 for power. After shuffling their cars around, we catch them as they arrive at NS River Yard in Bethlehem under the watch of Bethlehem Steel with the intermodal cars for one of the evening trains outta North Jersey to grab. We then catch the 130 shuffling some lumber and covered hoppers around before working one of their lumber customers in Hellertown.
September 19, 2018 and I'm back with Kyle for more LVRM action on a much sunnier and hotter day. 130 makes their presence known with the same set of switchers sans LTEX 1508 as they bring back a pair of reefers from US Cold Storage before shuffling their inbound cars off NS. The trio then bring intermodal into River Yard at dusk with the former CSX MP15DC leading.
September 29, 2018 and I'm back again! Same trio of switchers on LVRM 130 as they shuffle intermodal around, bring it down into River Yard and then shove their cars from NS 20K in to Beth Intermodal, a lighter evening for them.
Now a few months have passed and its January 2, 2019, and after chasing East Penn around, we found LVRM 130 shuffling a covered hopper from their massive supply of stored cars around Iron Hill Yard with LTEX 1508 and former CSX 1115 and 1146 at dusk, They are then seen working Faulk in Hellertown before it became too dark..
Now the grand finale, January 18, 2019, James and I were informed of two hot ingot cars for Lehigh Heavy Forge were en-route on NS 22V, warranting a trip to catch the interchange and the delivery of these cars in the freshly fallen snow. NS 22V is seen pulling into River Yard with SD60E 6982 ahead of two D9s as they have a perfect meet with LVRM 120, the morning crew as they arrive. 120 sports the two LTEX units and LVRM 1146. We capture 120 as they arrive with cars for one of the NS locals out of Allentown before they shove the intermodal into Beth and then grab the ingot cars to spot at LHFC.
Thanks for watching!
I work in the ALPLA building right behind you in the beginning of the video. I’ve told a few people I know who live in Bangor that like to watch trains to come here because there’s really no activity on the Portland secondary anymore :-(
Agreed, it just really doesn’t happen up there on the Portland secondary like it used to, it’s a shame.
Forward or Reverse facing in tandem is the best, I dig this 1. But, I've always wondered where do those Trax go to behind those locked & gated areas ? A mystery indeed.
to me this is the best, when you can get to hear the engines working, throttlling up and down
Ahh, there's nothing like the sound of those EMD 645s chugging along is there?
Man That looks awesome, love the switcher group!
Thank you! Yeah they are pretty neat!
LVRM IS NOW RJ.CORMAN!
Thanks for taking the time to video all that stuff.
Colorful lashup!
Awesome, I love to watch switching operations.
Man, that first Engineer is GOOD!!!
He sure is!!
Were all of the big engines on vacation? :)
Really neat video. I've never seen multiple yard pups working together before. Great video
Union Railroad used to use multiple MUed switchers a lot.
From Boston, MA, wickid pissahh thanks. Translation, outstanding thank you.
ltex is over here near me in lordstown and McDonald Ohio
Very cool!
They certainly seem to make a hobby of collecting switchers.
What kind of cars were those multi-truck flat cars?
Video description says they're hot ingot cars. (34:18 so you can find them again.)
Great work!!
Great video
THANK YOU FOR DETAIL VIDEO ON REAL OPERATION
Awesome stuff here, man!
More than likely the white pickup is the conductor as it allows him to quickly get where he needs to be instead of walking. Quite common nowadays with reduced crews aka no brakeman.
1st tome I seen 4 switchers pulling container trains
Hi. If you look around 42.40 of the video it looks like some of the old C&I SW 8/12 switches?.
At 19:49 what did he say
Very nice video; what are those strange wagons behind the locomotives on NS 22V?
Per the video description, they are "hot ingot cars" for the forge.
Whos the guy in the white pickup and what did he say?
Hi! I'm interested in railfanning this shortline as I live right by them. Where on the premises did you take these shots?
I have never seen four switchers on one train, this is unbelievable! Too cool
a nickname for them is "Butt head" since the front is actually the prime mover and the cab is the rear :P
Switching on steroids!
Very good compilation. I would rather watch switching ops that watch 100+ double stack go by. I' surprised the RR uses only two axle truck switchers. Don't see that too often. On the negative side I see no pride of ownership from the RR. A little paint and company logo would leave a much better impression.
I agree. The yellow ones are painted in the scheme of the PBNE but they never painted the other ones (besides the red LTEX ones which they can't, of course).
Two axle switchers allow for tighter cornering radius track. There a places those short wheel base 2 axle locomotives can go that longer 6 axle wheel bases locomotives can't. And between those 4 switchers there is about 6000 HP, as they are EMD SW-1500s.
Leave a better impression with whom? Customers care primarily about quality of service and price, and painting locomotives doesn't make them run more punctually and doesn't make them cheaper.
@@beeble2003 It would not hurt though!
@@mikemacheese7174 Yes it would. It costs a small fortune to paint a locomotive, especially when you include the time that it's out of service.