The Savannah & Atlanta Heritage engine made two appearances on Pan Am Southern (PAS) in February. The first visit the unique engine trailed in the power consist of 22K and counterpart 23K going to and from Ayer, MA. Last Saturday morning though, the unit made a surprise return onto PAS leading the same two trains! I watched reported internet sightings on Sunday afternoon regarding 23Ks progress in getting its train ready to depart westbound, as 23K normally makes a “middle of the night” appearance on the PAS west end where I planned to catch it. True to form, 23K was reported through Shirley, MA., just west of Ayer around 18:30. I figured around eight hours over to the Hoosick Falls area.
Arriving after the two and a half hour drive down around midnight thirty, I checked out a location I was interested in at Hoosick, didn't like it enough to ignore Hoosick Falls though, and drove back into the Falls! I picked a location shown to me by Cully, just south of the Elm St. crossing and as I was setting up the signal down at the south end of town changed from green to red, indicating either something was coming, or the Dispatcher had lined the route for something coming! Either way definitely this was a promising sign. The weather overnight? Very windy, from the south, featuring temps in the mid-forties with clear skies! Hard to believe this night marked the last gasp for February! No evidence to be found of snow! But............no complaints from me! It could easily be well below zero air temperature with a wind from the north this time of year! Once the lighting set up was completed, I had around a ninety minute wait before I heard a nice melodic air horn way off in the distance!
Once they went past the detector south of town the long pause before the detector reported no defects gave evidence of a long train length, a dead give away for 23K which has been very long lately when I have seen them. Single containers and trailers on flat cars comprise the trains consist which is operated between Ayer, MA. and Chicago in partnership with Norfolk Southern, (NS) hence the appearance of the NS Heritage locomotives on PAS from time to time! Not long after 23K cleared the detector headlights were gleaming down the grade south of town! Once the cab was in sight I fired off the lights for the crews benefit and tried framing up the shot handholding the GR as 23K blew for the series of grade crossings encountered coming towards me through Hoosick Falls. As the 1056 passed over Center St. just below me, I watched looking over the top of the GR as its pilot plow reached my mark, the lights did their thing, and the reflected red and white nose decal jumped out at me from the black paint! Success!
After a waiting period for the long consist to clear I got down off the stepladder to inspect the shot more closely and liked what I saw! What a treat to capture images of “one of a kind” members of the Heritage Fleet! I was going to start picking up the equipment when I noticed the signal south of town stayed red? This must mean 11R is coming I concluded as the two trains normally are seen close together this time of night, or........it could be the empty Grain Train returning from Ayer also! In any event, I waited to see what cometh, and was glad I did. Shot in Hoosick Falls, NY on February 29, 2016 at 03:38. Please enjoy! Comments are welcomed. Thanks to Cully for the location!
All The Best In 2016;
Gary Knapp
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