@@RailFan1981 Thanks!

Thanks Josh. I was VERY disappointed when I saw how short that 18D was. The slow speed on the Spartanburg cam can be deceptive, because a train can seem much longer than it actually is. I was debating on whether or not I should've waited for it. I wish I didn't and just ended things with 243! Despite that 18D still under auto control, it should've gone much faster than it actually did. Like, that was just sad. I had no words. 243 even went closer to track speed when I watched them come up through here on this day!

@@anscrailfanner6812 I agree. Plus, those auto racks can often trick you, since they're larger than your traditional well cars and manifest freight. I'm starting to believe the auto control is put on random trains, like those hotshot intermodals on the main. I mean, 22 cars isn't going to burn lots of fuel, even if one unit was online. These are big modern diesels we're talking about here, not old EMDs.

@@milepost4846 That’s right, and this is completely normal for this train later in the week!

Thanks for watching Josh. It’s unfortunate really. If non-railroaders try to run a railroad, this is the stuff that happens. They don’t care about moving freight, just the short-term stock price! Gotta save every penny on fuel for those shareholders.

Thanks for watching Josh. The dash 9W’s I do greatly prefer seeing over the GEVOS. All I really want additionally now is a longer 242 to hear those locomotives working.

That info. is in the description, but in short, the “auto rack” car is designed for hauling automobiles.

Thanks for watching, Josh. Yes, I feel the same way. I believe the puny size of the intermodal cuts on 242/243 is merely due to the final stretch of the transport of these containers. Right now in Charleston they’re trucked from the NS intermodal ramp to the ports. I think due to the regular commuter traffic down there, the trucks aren’t able to get as many containers to the ports. Hopefully next year when the SCPA completes the Navy Base Terminal (dedicated rail intermodal terminal), both 242 and 243 will increase in size. I heard that 242/243 will supposedly stop hauling freight altogether and we’ll be getting a pair of freights between Chattanooga and Columbia.

@@anscrailfanner6812That makes sense. I'm really looking forward to next year. The W-Line during the daylight hours just feels dead with just 3 trains, and you'd be lucky to get a late 242.

Thanks for watching Josh. 243 was just that when it was under its old symbol of 237. Had plenty of uni-level and bi-level stacks up front, followed by a big cut of containers, then bare tables. It used to be quite a monster everyday before Trump became president and PSR happened. 🤷🏾‍♂️

Thanks Josh!

Thanks Josh.

Same!

I know that line is pretty hilly, so I’m not sure if they move fast pretty much anywhere on that one. If I can hear the locomotives working hard while it’s slow, I’ll take that as well. Might check out that line soon as well. When I’m talking fast, I greatly desire at least 35 mph or above for freights. For intermodals, the longer and faster, the better.

@@anscrailfanner6812 mount holly is probably your better option especially for like M652. The times I’ve seen M652 there it’s like 40-45

@@anscrailfanner6812 kzbin.info/www/bejne/kKi9aaWsjL-bf5Isi=kwO37DOVAm-FwBMT

@@scandncarearailfanner4886 After looking at some videos from the area, it seems like you’re right. Speed seems to be about 35 mph there. I’ll keep Mount Holly in mind for the Charlotte Sub. Thx for the recommendation.

Thanks for watching and commenting! I appreciate it!

Thanks.

It’ll probably be a long time before that happens, but as long as Wall Street people run these Class 1’s, NOTHING will change! The government is not for the people, at least for the time being. They’re all just hunched over for big business….

Thanks Josh. I was sort of irritated that I missed this leader bc it would’ve been my chance to see a train at track speed in Pacolet 🙃. I’m sick of this auto control crap. It’s gotten even worse nowadays it seems. You’ll see in a video of 296 I have coming. Even with your catch of 297, that train was moving UNDER 25 mph and it almost looked like it was stopping.

Thanks for watching, Josh. Yes, it is sad indeed. However, there’s a saying that holds so very true, especially these days. “All good things must come to an end.”

Couldn’t be out for it, but cool it was pretty long that day.

Thanks for watching Josh.

Thanks for watching my boi

Thanks for watching Josh. It’s that darn auto control I tell ya! It’s ridiculous that a train has to have a foreign leader to be able to run ACTUAL track speed. Just goes to show the frugality of NS management on burning fuel.

@@anscrailfanner6812 I agree. It makes completely no sense! It drives me crazy when these trains take over an hour to reach Union. In track speed, I'll usually hear the horn 45 minutes after the train passed Magnolia.

Thanks for watching, Josh. We shall see what happens to NS after May 9th. All I know is that if this Ancora Holdings wins, NS might actually be done for. Layoffs of employees will skyrocket, and trains will be combined like heck. Could probably expect 296/297 and 18D/19D to be combined into one train each way again.

Thank that stupid auto control! Now, there’s a grade coming NB and SB here, but the NB one is much easier than coming SB. Train length doesn’t necessarily correlate to tonnage. A train can be short, but weigh a ton, such as a 40-60 car rock hopper train for example. In this case with 154, and for most trains in general on NS, the engineer isn’t allowed to throttle up.

Thanks for watching ma dude.

Thanks for watching and commenting.

Thanks for watching Josh. It’s amazing what the true motive of PSR has come to be. It hasn’t improved service or brought growth at all! It only looks good on paper. 238 used to be long as heck when they started putting mixed freight on it back 2020. Over the span of a few years, both intermodal carloads and manifest carloads have gone down…. Our current leaders in power haven’t helped either.

It sure was. Thanks for watching!

Thanks!

Thanks for watching, Josh. As long as Wall Street has control over these Class 1’s, all of this buggy and unnecessary technology will continue to be enforced on these trains. They should merely be used as assets, not made mandatory.

@@anscrailfanner6812 I couldn't agree more. I'm honestly speechless on how they just keep using it, despite all the issues. Man, how I wish NS would just revert back to the way it was before all this crap started, including PSR. Sure, I love the mixed frieght tagged, but having one train do multiple jobs at once is just too much.

Thanks for watching and commenting, again! To be honest, I’m not sure what that race car on the pole is for. It could be for a race track further on up the road in the woods there. I’ve never paid it too much attention.

@@anscrailfanner6812 Thanks, my dad was a drag racer in Detroit in the late 60's. So I was raised as a motor sports and transportation fan. So I always seem to notice stuff like that.

Thanks for watching and commenting!

Thanks as always Josh. It helps that SC is rich in RR history, so common people and rail employees aren’t really weirded out by railfans that much.

Thanks Josh. The more racks 243 hauls, the better!

It is a very good spot. Thanks for watching.