Once again I had to make a work trip to New Jersey the week of September 12th, and I did manage to get a little shooting in while I was there – both day and night (yes, the Lumedynes came along for the ride as well). The first day, before checking into the hotel, I made my way down to Bound Brook to do a little shooting there – it was a nice evening, and hopefully there would be a couple trains.
Once I parked the car, and fed the meter, I made my way to the normal perch of the south platform at the station. Then the waiting begins. As an aside, because the equipment is pretty much the same, I decided that unless something unusual comes along, I’d forego shooting NJ Transit. As you go along this post, you’ll figure out that nothing unusual happened on the NJT side…
So the waiting began, but it wasn’t all that long of a wait. Soon after sitting down, the signal at CP-BOUND BROOK changed, and then the detector to the east went off as a westbound approached. Moments later, CSX train Q-191 came into view
[cpg_imagefixnormal:116310] [cpg_imagefixnormal:116309]And as they rolled past, I got a going away shot, working the sun into the frame.
[cpg_imagefixnormal:116308]OK, not a bad start. Back to the waiting…
Once again, the wait wasn’t all that long (about 15 minutes) before another train hit the Middlesex detector – this time it was Norfolk Southern train 33K. But when they acknowledged the detector on the radio, he said his lead unit was UP 4342. Pretty cool!
A few moments later, 33K came into view with a pair of UP 6-axles for power, and a short train behind them.
[cpg_imagefixnormal:116307] [cpg_imagefixnormal:116306]Then I swiveled around again to get another into the sun shot as 33K approached CP-BOUND BROOK
[cpg_imagefixnormal:116305]OK, two quick trains – not a bad start.
But that’s where it ended. With the exception of 33K was working in Manville Yard, the radio went silent and the signals stayed red. After about 20 minutes, and as the light was fading, I grabbed this shot of the tracks and high tension towers that go by the station
[cpg_imagefixnormal:116304]And decided to call it an evening at that point. I still had to check into the hotel and get some dinner. So I made my way back to the car, and headed over to Bridgewater and the hotel for the night.
Thanks for looking!
Tom
