Trainspotting with the Syracuse Chiefs

Footage of TRAINS shot during the Chiefs August 18, 2009 game against the Buffalo Bisons at Alliance Bank Stadium in Syracuse. The CSX mainline runs behind the stadium with a nice view from behind the visiting team dugout. The Chiefs won 1:0 with the winning run driven in at the bottom of the 9th. An unfortunately dull game with dull train action. Interesting was a rather short autorack. Also shown is Pops, one of the Chief's mascots, who does a dance to a choo-choo song on the visiting team dugout roof. We close with some 0-gauge Chiefs collector's cars sold by J&R Junction in Syracuse. See also Baseball in Syracuse for a report from last year.

View it in better quality at Papphausen2 on YouTube.

Back along the tracks...

After a long break, spent time along the tracks at the west end of the East Syracuse CSX yeard... When I arrived there on this very hot and hazy day, CSX was hard at work on the tracks...

First there was the ballast tamper...,


Then the ballast regulator...



These were followed by a truck removing old ties, but there are no images of that. I do have some video though that I will upload in the next week or two...

Once these were gone, the cork popped and all sorts of trains came through.

Finger Lakes Live Steamers, 2009

Took advantage of a beautiful day head out to the Finger Lakes Live Steamers' annual open house in Marengo, NY (near Clyde). Lots of action and happy faces as folks got pulled around by live steam and faux diesels.

View it in better quality at Papphausen2 on YouTube.

New Reichsbahn Motive Power

Added to my "collection" of DR motive power in the form of a 58.3 (the reconstructed versions of the old G12/BR58) and the VT172 Ferkeltaxe, a railbus. The 58.3 is Gützold's newest steamer, the 58130 for AC. Says it can go through radii of 380mm, got it through some of my 360mm with a little complaining. Turnouts are mostly ok, interestingly enough more trouble tender first then forward. Although it comes with LOPI 3, I run it analog and driving properties are quite smooth with good pulling power. So that the distance between axles could be kept prototypical, RP25 wheel profiles are used. Rather than being held in place with a screw, the pilot at the front has a mechanism not unlike that for couplers. Front coupler pocket is the standard NEM, rear has a swallow-tail into which one can slide a Roco Universal or Fleischmann coupler if the standard provide hook and loop is not provided. I believe that this solution was selected due to the lack of space inside the tender.



The other item is Brawa's BR172 Ferkeltaxe, the DR's version of the Railbus. Other nickname was Blutblase (blood blister) for the deep red color and the curved front end. It can be seen in the group shot at top. There is more info in German at <http://www.ferkeltaxe.de/>. The model is by Brawa and "replaces" the Era 5 version with the mint green striping... Mint is something I wouldn't even impose on mutton...



Still waiting for Brawa's DR BR65.10... That one should be out in the next month or so...


Back to the layout for some more running.