Bear with me on this 26 minute long video! Here we have a Santa Fe livery GP9u working a grain elevator, a former DM&IR SD-M collecting the cars from the mill, an ex NS GP38-2 startup and an ex EJE SD-M in notch 8 leading the unit train. I spent 12 hours filming this and another 4 editing!
Last week I used a vacation day to go follow the Chesapeake and Indiana around. I found that they had a grain train being loaded at Malden Indiana at the Co-Alliance grain elevator. This is located on the west end of the CKIN's Malden branch, part of the former C&O of Indiana. The elevator uses an ex ATSF GP7u still showing the unpatched BNSF 1653 to load the trains, at a rate of 3-4 cars an hour. The 1653 was built for the ATSF in 1956 as a GP9. I attempted to collect appropriate audio but the hum of the grain machinery drowned out most of the sounds of the locomotive and cars.
Once the CKIN crew came on duty I went east to La Crosse to film CKIN 814 trundle to Malden. 814 was built as a SD9 for the DMIR in 1959 before being rebuilt as a SD-M. This also gave me an opportunity to try out my new device, the DJI Osmo Pocket. This is a handheld gimbal that shoots 4K seems ideal to film close up pan shots. Upon arriving at Malden the Co-Al crew still had 2 cars to load. 814 was tied on and ready to air test when 1653 shoved the last cut of cars onto the train. CKIN 814 pulled the loaded cars long hood forward back to La Crosse this was half the train. Also the abandoned structure is Wade Tower. At this location the Monon heading north to Michigan City crossed the C&O.
At La Crosse in the Chesapeake and Indiana's yard CKIN 818 / CKIN 5093 were tied down with the other half of the train, already loaded. 818 also was built as an SD9 for the DMIR in 1959, the 5093 was built for the Southern Railway in 1973 and retains its original number. The crew tied down the 814 and moved over to this power set giving me the opportunity to film 2 locomotive startups. The crew would reverse to the other set and do their air test. About 20 minutes after sunset the 818 came notching by taking the full train to interchange with Norfolk Southern at Thomaston Indiana.
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