Even
though Western PA has been cloudy forever, the continuous updates of at least
three Heritage units that headed west onto BNSF and CP along with their
impending return was enough to finally get me trackside. It started with
Savannah & Atlanta 1065 heading an earlier 64R on March 6th. After a
few days it returned west on a 65R which was handed off to BNSF in Chicago.
Within a week it was heading back east after loading 100 cars of
"North Dakota Nectar". Even though the train left Elkhart with
an Elkhart-Conway "super pool" crew, it only made it to Cleveland
before being re-crewed.
At 1036am on Sunday March 17 (St. Patrick's
Day), NS 64R-16 roars through New Galilee, PA with 1065-1051-8018 leading 102x0
(100 crude oil w 2 buffer) and DPU 1056. This train originated at the Bakken Oil Express loading facility at Eland, ND as
BNSF U-ELUNSD0-17T. Destination, is the recently expanded rail unloading loop at the PBF Energy Delaware City refinery at Reybold, DE.
