Chasing GP's & SW's on the Valdosta Railway

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

These tiny shortlines sure pick up some interesting locomotives. Thanks for the in-depth look at this operation.

[@iranew8284]

My Father worked there for many when it was Owens Illinois. I worked there for three summers as a member of the Service Crew. The railway used to be the Valdosta Southern and they had a pale yellow paint scheme for everything.

[@DelayInBlockProductions]

I want to visit this railroad so badly.

[@RailPreserver2K]

Wow I never thought I'd see the day that Danny would get to one of the rarest you wanted to see first LOL

[@DelayInBlockProductions]

Danny, this is fantastic! I love G&W lines, so this was wonderful to see.

[@distantsignal]

Thanks! Yeah I want to hit some more shortlines this summer.

[@dmorgan28]

What a neat video. I’ve seen and run several older model engines but these two I’ve never seen. Very interesting. 👍👍👍❤️

[@donschonberg7906]

Great video. I always find background videos about rail served industries very interesting. Keep them coming.

[@TrainTrackTrav]

Always fun to see short lines using older power. Great video as always.

[@marka87]

Watching from the UK; love your videos and great explanations of what’s going on.

[@fueldixon9043]

Awesome video, Danny. Glad to see you near some of my local railroads. Keep up the amazing work my friend.

[@allenalloco6588]

Love this video. Thank you for sharing. Please make more like this please

[@tfs4499]

GREAT VIDEO! LOVE THE SW's!!! THANKS DANNY!

[@kevingreenlow1403]

Fascinating little story Danny, great intelligent commenting too, I love to watch your Videos from my house on the south coast of England, it's a world away from me but you make it seem so close, thanks Danny.

[@distantsignal]

Thank you so much, Kevin. It's gratifying to know there are folks outside of the US that are enjoying my videos

[@richardforschler2448]

Always enjoy your videos please keep coming Danny I’m one your biggest fans!!!

[@distantsignal]

Many thanks Richard. I always look forward to hearing from you.

[@calebkepple1964]

Love the video Danny it was nice to wake up and watch thank you

[@LouisianaRailProductions]

Very fun to watch! Would love to see more short lines in your area! It was neat seeing 1200 move at a decent speed!

[@MITracks]

always enjoy your videos, you provide good information and you have a good voice for commentary.

[@thebondman3151]

Nice video. Really enjoyed it. keep up the great videos

[@popsi50]

It is such a good education, to see some of these hard working Switchers, all day long.You taught me something, looking back over all of the videos you have made.I live a short distance from a crossing and was a little miffed at the way the horn was used at a gated crossing. Was used to 3 second horn, 2 seconds silent and so on. Then I learned from your videos that the FRA mandated the crossing horn had to last 20 seconds. Thanks

[@johnsweat5247]

The VR there in Clyattville operates on the old Georgia and Florida Railroad mainline, or what is left of it on the South end. The line use to run on down to Madison Florida but that part of the G&F was abandoned a long time ago. My dad retired from the G&F and was with it till the end. I have a lot of memories of this section of track. Thanks for posting the videos of this area.

[@Creeperboy099]

Your series needs to be on television

[@JJRicks]

Loving the style! Excellent content!

[@PakRailService]

Interesting Video... beautiful Horn And Love The Bell Sound very Addicted Sound For A RailFan

[@emmittbunn5225]

awesome video

[@RedtruckRailfan]

Theres a class 3 railroad up here in MA called "Providence in Worcester" (P&W) same color scheme as the V&R its really cool to see another sister railroad out here!

[@IMRROcom]

Air Conditioning would be my bet.

[@grandtrunkproductions4560]

Nice video! I like how the Valdosta Railway kept the Ex SL paint of that GP7u

[@bob1412]

Your voice is perfect

[@cdubois13]

Very cool history of the Valdosta railroad. I drive for RBI which you can see our trailers in the background in that shot of the mill that you took. As you can imagine we haul a lot of loads out of there and I watched the trains quite frequently. Maybe I'll see you sometime if you come to Valdosta. There's another Short Line railroad you might be interested in that heads up to Moody AFB which at one time served the base.

[@TolgaEastCoast]

Nice video, Danny.

[@distantsignal]

Thanks Tolga!

[@1992cdwilliams]

Distant Signal hey if you do decide to railfan Valdosta Georgia or Quitman Georgia or Adel Georgia you can catch the ADM Valdosta Switcher and the UTLX Valdosta Switcher and NS and CSX in Valdosta and CSX and probably GFRR in Quitman Georgia and probably GFRR in Adel Georgia

[@channingframpton1034]

LOVE G&W’s paint scheme! Grew up chasing the Buffalo & Pittsburgh back in PA! Awesome video!

[@ianhoffman19]

Hello Channing Frampton, I actually live in PA and I have tons of Buffalo & Pittsburgh videos. Feel free to subscribe and watch.

[@nathancreel9866]

I always look forward to warching your new videos very informative and interesting you habe an awesome narraration voice . -Nate

[@distantsignal]

Thank you Nathan!

[@shnimmuc]

Wonderful video, as usual, lots of info.

[@fastcsx1412]

Wow this is so cool amazing.

[@terrellfarms1]

Seen that old geep many times at the mill in Clyattville. I think the used to have another one that looked a lot worse for wear that this one did. That was about ten years ago or so. I thought it was abandoned till it seen it switching one day.

[@poohmaster54]

They use to have a gray looking one until it was scrapped.

[@1992cdwilliams]

NewWay RL Rail Enthusiast that would be 1284 or 184 the VR 1284 was rebuilt to GSWR 1703 and the VR 184 was scrapped

[@dapullia]

They have had several in my lifetime. Live in the general area and go by this railroad daily on my commute to work as well as when going to Valdosta. They had 2 grey GPs at one time one had twin axles and the other had three axles on each end. After that they got a Black GP with three axles and 4 vertical exhaust stacks in the middle and what looked like a green ALCO from its exhaust stacks that was mostly a track queen in the parking yard. They stable their engines on what used to be the North South main line south of where the side road crosses the tracks. Then the Green engine disappeared and then Black engine became a track queen replaced by the first SW. Later for a short period of time, they had this engine and the current SW. Then for awhile they only had the current SW and then brought the current Blue GP in. I vaguely remember them having another blue GP at one point in time.

[@johnniecaldwell761]

I miss St Louis and Southwestern AKA Cotton Belt. There's a bridge on US 69 in Tyler TX that still has the Cotton Belt Route on it as of 2020. No doubt it is still there.

[@jeanhorton7335]

Love your videos! Please keep them coming!

[@StormySkyRailProductions]

Very nice looking video.

[@oldtown6240]

Always more than just a railfanning video. Enjoyable, entertaining, informative content plus trains - what could be better?

[@jbrat4313]

Nice 👍🏽👍🏽 can't wait to what's next

[@keonisan]

Well Done, I was there a while back and only got them switching in and out of the plant, they didn't do the Valdosta run. That must have been a rare occasion, I didn't know they used the blue unit.

[@philliplee980]

awesome video and catch.

[@WVRailroadPapa]

Danny, I began working for Southern Ry in 1973 as a management trainee based out of Valdosta. The VR was at one time part of the original Georgia and Florida. The G&F ran from Madison, FL to Greenwood, SC.

[@danielheffernan5870]

Nice to have you up in South Georgia and North Florida. You need to catch the NS daily G151 from Macon and the G69 from Valdosta to Nutrien ,formally Potash Corp, formally Occidental. This train runs from Nutrien to Valdosta and back, depending on if the finished the job the day before sometimes have to work the transfers from West Occidental to Occidental before heading North.

[@DavidHollyTrainsMore]

This is where I live Danny Harmon. I Railfan the valdosta railway alot.

[@jaberosier9853]

Do you know if there are any of the old Apalachicola Northern boxcars still stored there?

[@flarrfan]

When the VR was known as the VS and was locally owned, the Tallahassee NRHS chapter used to go over once a year for a ride on the train to Valdosta. Believe it or not, one half of our group of a dozen or so rode in the cab on the NB trip and then switched with the other half for a caboose ride SB. Yes, they'd put a caboose on the train just for us. In the late '80s, apparently the lawyers and/or risk managers learned what was going on and put a stop to it. They did let us come over several times after that for motorcar runs when the Saturday work was done.

[@tommy4trains]

Great video, Danny!

[@mattyboy3576]

A lot of trains that pass through Whynot Mississippi are either empty and heading to the GP Paper mill in Alabama or are loaded with paper heading to Meridian, sometimes the trains heading to AL will have wood chips ore chemicals loaded on them the M&B now owned by the G&W only see two trains a day out here

[@randallbyrd1973]

Awesome video Love that how

[@nkawtgn3695]

Love your videos Mr. Harmon. Next time try to find an International Paper mill or box plant to catch some action. I’m a little bias working for IP in Chicago. Thank you for your gift.

[@distantsignal]

Ha! Thanks! I'll try to get the containerboard plants at Pensacola or Savannah in the future. I think there are shorelines serving both those mills.

[@WeldinMike27]

G and W own Australia Southern Railroad. Its a big mainline set up that runs, among other things, from Adelaide to Darwin, some 3000 kilometers

[@CMOTrains783]

Great Video Danny!

[@geoffreybradford]

Ahh, some action not too far from my Tallahassee home base!

[@kgirl4078]

Excellent video, thanks for sharing this video :-))

[@mikenevermon9041]

Great video ! thanks

[@edwardaustin740]

Danny, thumbs up as usual. Thanks man !!

[@distantsignal]

Thank YOU, Ed. I appreciate the comment.

[@curraheewolf]

I thought the SW1200 was a SW10. (The Union Pacific had SW10's.) Great video! Happy railroading!!!!

[@ericposey3782]

The GP7U was on the GSWR before it came to the VR. The line they're running on is the southern part of the Old Georgia and Florida Railroad.

[@ianhoffman19]

Awesome video Danny, I film and chase the Buffalo & Pittsburgh Railroad in Pennsylvania. Keep up the great work!

[@ericposey3782]

The 2207 came to the GSWR originally when it to private owners and they in turn sold out to GWI then the GP7U went to Valdosta railroad.

[@Hunter_Dawso]

The GP7 was rebuilt into the GP7u during its time with the ATSF.

[@russellgxy2905]

Wasn't the GP7u the prototype for the GP9 or am I thinking of a different model

[@Tcaauwe2002]

hey Danny.. love the video. the EX ATSF unit started built new for ATSF as a GP7. was rebuild, likely at Cleburn TX by the ATSF as a GP7U, then to salt lake city southern, then to G&W. just wanted you to know. The SW1200 was actually a SW1200-3 and G&W's panama city shops did the rebuild that included adding the high radiator on the long hood. shes been upgraded to -3 electronics as well.

[@distantsignal]

Wow! That's detailed info. Thanks very much. I also did not know that G&W had locomotive shops at Panama City.

[@Tcaauwe2002]

Distant Signal I believe it's Panama city. When I have some time, I'll take a look and correct myself if need be. I know the town started with a P and is down. There in FL.

[@washingtonstaterailproduct5382]

Excellent video!

[@edwinbest9256]

Yep that RV style roof top A/C is odd but confirms your point

[@shnimmuc]

Great as usual---

[@WyanoPenna]

That's where our hometown GP7 went!

[@anjuarunderwood6869]

Awesome video danny

[@brandongautreau5930]

Here In baton rouge the rail road shared by CN rail and kansas southern rail road

[@RailfanTurner]

Nice catches!

[@Squib1911]

Good video.

[@r.b.holmes2779]

Hey Danny, I think they switched out to the SW1200 because it has a working air conditioner.

[@WindomRettes]

Believe it was Shire Medical products where i heard that famous voice of yours while listening on the phone to their company directory.

[@ToddReuterOutdoors]

Engineer on that 1200 sure wasn’t horn shy!

[@pip12111]

I used to pick up the finished product at PCA. Big 5000 pound rolls of Kraft paper. BTW Danny? Have you tried Big Ed's BBQ up the road next to the BP Station

[@distantsignal]

Thanks Ed. No, but I've passed Big Ed's many times. Always looks packed.

[@MoodyWatchers]

Hey Danny Harmon i forgot to mention to you The Valdosta Railway mainly uses VR 1200 A lot on trip's to and from Valdosta, Georgia. They will only use VR 2207 Once in a while just keep it charging and running. The only time they will ever use VR 2207 is if The VR 1200 is down for Maintenance. I Also forgot to mention that back in the day before The VR 1200 and VR 2207 Came. They had a Littlerock & Western SW1504 Working the VR until the 1200 came. Then after we had GSWR 702 Working then the main attraction was VR 8371 and VR 1284 to Rebuilt EMD GP10's working. I will tell you one thing when you come back to Valdosta you will be in for a treat of some good ol Valdosta Railroading. And Awesome Video sir.

[@rebeccajeanbozeman4132]

I use to live near Valdosta in Brooks Co.

[@southeasttexasrailproductions]

Good vid as always Danny!

[@noahater5785]

I bet the strain placed on these old locomotives when moving trains of boxcars loaded with extremely heavy paper rolls has to be enormous, i can probably imagine those prime movers and traction motors screaming in agony. I would have quickly replaced them with a few higher powered GP40-2s, maybe SD40-2s if more traction is needed, if the tracks are strong enough to carry the extra weight.

[@hillbillyweather7855]

I have just found your videos in the last few days and I really enjoy them, if ever you want to try out the CSX Hagan Switchback give me holler, I'll help ya out.

[@distantsignal]

Thanks! Where is that switchback?

[@hillbillyweather7855]

Distant Signal on Google earth it will show as Smiley VA in Lee county between Jonesville and Rose Hill the switchback leads into a 6000 foot tunnel with Ky state line in the middle of the tunnel, we typically see 6 trains per week, used to be 30 plus per week pre 2015, another gentleman on KZbin done a drone video there a couple years ago Hagan Switchback and I have several still pictures on railpictures.

[@edwardmartin8376]

They switched to the SW1200 because it has dynamic brakes. That is the big box looking front.

[@Indy125]

How do you know the history of all these locomotives?

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

Danny when are you going to video the brightline trains in Miami,Fla

[@Brian_rock_railfan]

what seen on google.com 365 days a year

[@tinymarkipler2yeaaboi153]

54 DAM THAT SW1200 is cool and lit

[@MrRandom750]

Would the gp not have dynamic and the 1200r did? A reason for the crew change.

[@TaylorMMontgomery]

Maybe they switched locos because theres a weight limit on the track as they made it into town?

[@Creeperboy099]

What is that big box of vents on the front of the SW1200r?

[@russellgxy2905]

I'm not certain, but I believe it's an improved radiator fan housing for a possibly more eco-friendly engine. Given how old 1200 is, the original prime mover might've taken up less need for a large radiator. I'm only going off the GEVO's on this fact, since the Tier II-compliant ES44's had larger radiator housings than their predecessors (the Dash 9 series), and those on the Tier IV-compliant ET's are even larger.

[@davidkalbacker6033]

Danny - do you know how DPU units are controlled in mid train. Is it all remotely done , hard wire , etc?

[@richardgerlach5156]

If that GP-7u is not a Cleburne, TX AT&SF shops CF-7 rebuild I'll eat my hat! Those are F-7 trucks on that unit if ever I saw them!

[@amtrak706]

I hope the hat tastes good because a GP7u and a CF7 are two different locomotives, and this is a GP7u. They share the “Topeka Cab” which may explain the resemblance. Geeps and F units used the same Bloomberg trucks.

[@rickwatts7885]

Of all of the Train channels, I get the most info from yours. I am wondering which video editor program you use. Cuts are clean and dissolves are smooth. Thanks for your hard work!!!

[@distantsignal]

Thanks very much. I edit with FinalCut Pro X or sometimes iMovie.

[@ashleydog45]

As a former member of a train crew, I can tell you exactly why they swapped engines. Air conditioning. No matter how cold it was that morning any sunshine will make it uncomfortable inside of a seat box mostly because of the humidity in the south.

[@JayKayKay7]

What is your take on the graffiti? I have read as long as the numbers aren't covered they leave it. I wonder if yard crews start referring to individual cars by their 'tags'? Nice camera work, great voice, good content. I wish you posted more often.

[@SD40Fan_Jason]

Jay Kaye I can't speak for Danny's opinion but in our yard on the East side of Atlanta where we handle a lot of reefer cars and boxcars, it's hard to miss the graffiti. Anymore I don't care if they tag it because it seems to be as common as the ballast beneath the tracks, but I hate it when they tag over the reporting marks or tamper with the seals. On the other hand, some of the street art is quite interesting and creative. It really adds color to the otherwise plain white and dull yard. I personally enjoy it when they have tagged the whole car, top to bottom but left the reporting marks alone. Even better when they have incorporated them into their art!

[@JayKayKay7]

People being stupid/clever in ever more creative/destructive ways. Especially with You Tube. I know some graffiti is quite eye catching. Thanks for the inside answer. Timely story gothamist.com/2018/05/30/nyc_subway_graffiti_spain.php#photo-1

[@bnsfbandit9807]

Jay Kaye I hate it

[@SD40Fan_Jason]

Stuff like this: flic.kr/p/AeJGu2 is what has intrigued me about their art. I see CRYX 5757 in our yard at least once a month on it's way back and forth between Idaho and Atlanta. It has had this graffiti on it for at least 3 years now.

[@VRDenshaOtaku]

everytime I hear the "VR" I think of the VR not this one it gets hard to think a different RR uses the same Intails as the Victorian railways

[@DOTD-Ko7382]

VRF?

[@southeastarkweather]

The same company owns our local railroad in Monticello Arkansas

[@FridgeToThe]

How busy is Valdosta for train watching?

[@brantbouslog1785]

Nice video danny

[@55nimrod55]

Looks like a rooftop air conditioner from an RV on the SW1200.

[@danielsprowl1998]

It's basically the same thing.

[@RDC_Autosports]

it’s easier to see the conductor in the SW1200 when kicking off cars

[@jcrawmc]

What camera do you use?

[@colinmulder6806]

I should let you know Danny, that GP7U not only was originally owned be the Santa Fe but it's blue paint scheme represents its previous owner DALLAS, GARLAND & NORTHEASTERN.

[@distantsignal]

Now that's a cool piece of information! I'd never even heard of the Dallas, Garland and Northeastern.

[@colinmulder6806]

+Distant Signal It was a TEXAS short-line that started in 1992 based out of Garland, Texas. It was part of the short-line line railroad corporation RAILTEX based out of San Antonio with 16 other short-lines based within the state & operated over 50 miles of the EX-MKT(KATY) trackage to Trenton where it connects to RailTex's other short-line Texas Northeastern.

[@anthonyventi362]

Come to St Louis

[@russellgxy2905]

20 mph...sounds about the max for a switcher