News and photos from our American contributors

On October 10th, Mike Garza snapped freshly painted CSX SD50 8608 looking impeccable near the CSX Yard at Riverdale, IL.

At NRE in Dixmoor, IL Mike bagged Allegheny Valley Railroad (AVR) SD40-2 3003, (a former SD45), just after her release from the NRE shop on October 19th.

On October 20th, freshly scrubbed CN SD70M-2 8879 (except for the trucks) is seen leading a westbound stack train at Frankfort, IL. Mike later caught the three CN repainted business cars at the Woodcrest Shop in Homewood, IL October 22nd.

John Young photographed New England Central GP40-2LW 3015 pauses at Essex Jct. Vermont on September 13th. 2013-09-13

Christopher Bodkin snapped Pictsweet SW9 9414 at Bells, TN on October 7th. This locomotive was built in June 1955 at EMD LaGrange, IL as Baltimore and Ohio SW900 639, and was later renumbered to 9414.

Brand new Metro North Railroad M8-series cab-coaches are being delivered to New York and on September 30th, Mike Garza photographed a new set departing the CSX Barr Yard in Riverdale, IL

Brand new CSX GEVO 3142 is seen on the CSX main at Riverdale IL on October 2nd. (Mike Garza photo).

At Dixmoor, IL, Mike Garza clicked BRC SD40-2 310 looking gorgeous fresh out of the paint shop after rebuild at

NS ES44AC 8114 is leading CS 197 at Chattanooga , TN on October 7th witb a an interesting lashup of big power. (NS LOCOS)

West Tennessee Railroad B23-7 #3111 moves across Airways Avenue in Jackson, TN on October 18th with a boxcar and woodchip car in tow. The 3111 was previously CSX 3111, Seaboard 3111, and began life as the SCL 5111 in February 1978 and rides on Blomberg trucks from a trade-in EMD. (Christopher Bodkin photo)

Mark Mautner submitted these three shots all taken on METRO EAST INDUSTRIES property with permission. (MEI is located in Fairview Heights, IL).

Fresh from Progress Rail is PRLX MP15DC 1314 ex-UPY 1314 built as PLE 1598 in May 1975, builders plate 74668-15

Seen in patch paint at MEI, the future HELM Leasing HLCX GP40-2 4221 is ex-CP 4651, and was built at EMD Lagrange Boston And Maine 316 in patch paint at MEI. She will be fixed up, repainted into HELM colors, and renumbered to HLCX 4221.

Norfolk Southern SD40-2 3580 ex-HLCX 6250 , built as MP 3286.

Southbound CSX freight Q696 is seen departing Kingsport, TN on the morning of October 9, 2006. Holston Tunnel is the shortest on the former Clinchfield Railroad. The bridge is crossing the South Fork of the Holston River and Ron explains to find it, the John B. Dennis bypass crosses above the other side of the tunnel, and the huge Eastman Chemical complex is also on the opposite side, to the left.

“Champlain Blue” at Riverside, is what comes to mind when I view this night photo. The previous shot from Gorham, NH of SLR 393 brought emails of approval even from the lists most discriminating viewers, railfans wives! Ha, ha,ha! So I have my work cut out for me tonight! Acting on another tip, this one from Greg Klinger, better known by his handle on the web of Samuel Adams, who kindly reminded me that the Saratoga & North Creeks BL2 was running at night now when returning north with passenger train #185, I met Greg here at Riverside Sunday night. Greg, who is on my email list, was interested in seeing “my act” setting up and shooting these night photos, a request I was happy to fulfill. For my part, I was not going in blindly, as two years ago I shot the AZER E8 in Southern Pacific “Black Widow” paint here and planned to use the same lighting setup tonight. Like with the E8 I had never shot a BL2 at night! I had enjoyed daytime photos of the BL2 in service on the S&NC, and knew of its true to the Delaware & Hudson inspired paint scheme, in honor of this railroads origin as the D&H Adirondack Branch, running from Saratoga Springs to Tahawus, New York, the site of a titanium ore mine.

The last load of ore went out in Nov. ‘89, then town and county governments purchased the line and tried to operate tourist trains before concluding they were better at governing than running a railroad. The line runs close along the banks of the Hudson River, (which appears and sounds like a trout river this far north) for much of its trackage, providing spectacular views, explaining its appeal to train riders. Iowa Pacific Holdings, parent of the S&NC began operating the line in summer 2011, when I visited Riverside Station twice to shoot the AZER E8. Living nearby, I had shot the D&H GP 38-2 7312 on CP trains, which wears the last colors of the Delaware & Hudson, and thought I had an idea of what to expect for D&H inspired colors on the BL2. Was I in for a surprise! After arriving and meeting Greg, the lighting setup went smoothly while Greg asked a few questions from time to time. My plan was to shoot from the walkway on the caboose which is stationary trackside as a gift shop of sorts. The same spot I shot the E8 from. We heard this boat horn off to the south, about ten minutes before the train was due. “That’s them” proclaimed Greg! I thought the noise sounded like a tug boat, then recalled the identical type of air horn on the Bangor & Aroostock F3 I chased around Maine in 1991 during the BAR Centennial Excursions. You would watch this gorgeous F3 coming by and then hear “that horn”. lol! Ten minutes or more after we first heard it, the BL2 came into view below the station, all headlights.

I fired off a flash of the lights for the crew, and watched from above the camera as the head end came into the scene. The reflected light from the flash units gave a hint, of that Champlain Blue the BL2 was wearing! Then the full image appeared on the camera lcd monitor.............wow! Once the cars rolled by, I handed the camera to Greg to view the photo which left him smiling as well! What a neat paint scheme to shoot at night. BL2 S&NC 52, was one of eight of the unique EMD models built for the Bangor & Aroostock Railroad in spring of ‘49. What a treat it is to share a night photo of the locomotive running, (on a passenger train no less!) in autumn 2013! Special thanks to Greg Klinger (a.k.a. Samuel Adams) for pointing this train out to me. Greg asked some good questions of me, as he expressed an interest in night train photography. A couple questions and answers I would like to share with all of you....................”How much money did you spend on....”. Before anyone starts spending money on flash units, fast lenses and cameras to shoot trains at night, you want to make sure........you “like” being out at night trackside...........the majority of the time alone.........A LOT.

Maybe start with time exposures of stationary equipment. Not in a railroad yard. “How do you find these locations, do you go around during the day or do you find them at night?”Locally, (Northern New England) I find them mostly at night, some I remember from my daytime shooting years ago. When I am traveling along CSX down south many locations I have pointed out to me, like the street running trackage in La Grange, KY. which the founders of Railpictures.net told me of. Other times I come across locations at night just exploring, like Midway, KY. a nearby neighbor to La Grange. After collecting the equipment, Greg and I headed off in separate directions, he returning to his familys summer home/camp, and me heading to Rogers Island in Fort Edward to do some much needed tree pruning! Shot on October 13, 2013 at 21:05 at Riverside (Riparious), NY

Peoria and Western (PNWR) SD40-2 3369 (f/n 776057-20!) emerges from VMV in fresh GWI paint and ready to ship to the Pacific Northwest. Built as BN (C&S) 7839, this unit looks as good as new now! (Joe Ferguson photo with thanks).

In October 2013, SOUTHERN RAILWAY painted (TVRM) GP30 2594 handles freight at TVRM, a museum railroad in Chattanooga. TN, (NS LOCOS photo).

On October 24th, 2013 the Norfolk Southern Corp. executive train numbered 950, passed SR 630 at TVRM Grand Jct location, in Chattanooga, TN,, with NS theatre car “Buena Vista” on the rear. (Photo courtesy NS Locos.com)

VIGNETTES U.S.A By Herb Iske:

Southern Pacific SD70M #9806 east negotiates the curves at West Woodford, CA in Tehachapi Pass in the Spring of 1995.

© CRO October 2013