THE CRAZY METER IS READING HIGH! NICE TRAIN & SNOW CAPTURES, DARWINS, BOING & WAY MORE 12/22&23/22

[@SarahRenz59]

Thanks to Mike and the rest of the VR crew for giving us such great Grab Bag goodies. Merry Christmas! Happy Holidays!

[@AstriaStarwynd]

1:35 That was a neat how the train slowly appeared from the haze and snow.

[@the_lost_navigator]

"Runaway Train" vibes eh

[@juliegogo2941]

I feel it was going fast! Really fast actually, it sounded like a electic commuter train whizzing by. Indeed a nice clip. Thanks

[@microbusss]

yeah that freezing temps, wind chill & wind was terrible too!! I live in West Nebraska too Last week that blizzard trapped BNSF trains on the lines so bad that had to get out the Rotary Snow Thrower!

[@jedknutson8373]

@@juliegogo2941 yep they move out in Nebraska...

[@atvendo]

Crazy Meter is off the scale! Thanks for all the effort that goes into creating these Grab Bags for our enjoyment. Merry Christmas / Happy Holidays VRF!

[@charleshagenbuch6078]

Tie die sky in Ft. Madison! Great music!

[@JCZ2601NL]

Merry Christmas and a prosperous 2023 greetings from the Netherlands Hans.🎄🎄🎄🎄👍👍👍👍🍀💯

[@Blazingdarkness01]

17:30 I saw that shooting star from my backyard in Houston, TX and my jaw dropped to the ground. I've never seen one that bright and leave a smoke trail before.

[@TinkerTailor4303]

Nice hawk! Kearney, aka, Polar Express!

[@john_nip_nop]

Maybe a Cooper's Hawk?

[@mikegoetz6477]

I can't thank you all enough for the great videos that you all produce. I can only say Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Looking forward to many more videos.

[@NYandAtlantic]

Merry Christmas thanks to all who take time from their lives to provide the videos for all us rail fans. Thanks from Long Island NY

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

Merry Christmas and thanks for bringing us these videos. There are hundreds more events that get left out because there isn't enough time to watch them all.

[@AP9575-jd]

AHH, the black & white thing you did there with Strasburg was very cool. Merry Christmas all.

[@roberthuron9160]

Last section= Claude Monet impressionism sky= Super!! Merry Christmas to VR,and thank you for the past year,and may your New Year be extra special 💖 💖 😊!! Thank you 😇!

[@franciscampagna2711]

Thank you and merry Christmas.

[@carlloar9768]

Beautiful sunshine here in Iowa in big Mississippi

[@usmale49]

Great, as usual. And of course I always enjoy the "BOINGS" LOL!! Thank you for sharing! Have a Happy Holiday!!!🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

[@michaelg.damons6229]

Looks like an electric transformer blew up all the red flashing.

[@parailfan]

Thanks! My little Christmas gift to you Virtual Railfan. And a Merry Christmas to everyone on Virtual Railfan🎄🎄⛄⛄🎄⛄🎅🤶🦌🦌🦌.

[@VirtualRailfan]

Thank you! Merry Christmas to you and yours!

[@joepeach997]

Thank you so very much! Merry Christmas.

[@csx777]

@@VirtualRailfan friend when you are going to put the cameras travel Mexico to the places of the tracks to see ferromex trains

[@bennetts-revenge_2]

I want to wish Virtual Railfans and all railfanners a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

[@annhaltiwanger3313]

Great video! I loved the train coming out of the haze. Beautiful snow scenes.

[@jmream2618]

@ 13:39 tanks for the jingle bells

[@anjaschweertman705]

A Merry Christmas and best Wishes to all off you to!

[@MisterTee2010]

Merry Christmas. You should consider putting a camera up in Maple Creek, SK. CA We have a lot of train traffic here.

[@keonikaig9247]

Beautiful..Happy and Safe Holidays to ALL....

[@norfolksouthernrailfan4262]

This sure beats being out in cold!

[@geac9100]

Looked like a transformer arcing out! At 17:30 the top approach signal goes dark as the green object passes and then the yellow returns!

[@allanlester3561]

Great shots in the snow. Nice variety too. Would love to hear more of the track clatter at the Xs and diamonds. 🙂

[@skodass1]

Merry Xmas from across the pond 3:20 I'm not 100% sure but that kinda looks like electrical arcing... usually happens when overhead power lines gets iced over. A lot of the Danish rail network is electrified and when trains pass by during winter this sometimes happen.

[@vote4carp]

This is likely electrical arcing, but unfortunately not from a catenary... the extreme winds and snow squalls we've been receiving in the "snow belt" this week have caused a lot of electrical issues and this is most likely caused by that. Good call!

[@wyldemusick]

Happy Festivus! Time for the Airing of Grievances and Feats of Strength!

[@medicbabe2ID]

Happy Festivus! Topping my list of grievances are the entitled people of LaGrange. Is your time _really that much more valuable?_ Feats of Strength: the locomotive snowplows, able to clear tons of snow no matter where it falls to keep North America moving. 🇨🇦🇺🇲 Cheers! 🍻

[@SarahRenz59]

"I GOT A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH YOU PEOPLE!!!" 🤣

[@Branddenthepinkgoldpeachfan]

*Nice Terrific Incredible* *Merry Christmas Happy New Year Have A Good Weekend*

[@ChadSimplicio]

My first impression with that mysterious light in Kearney, first responders or tow truck. The weather from the bom cyclone probably amplified the illumination.

[@Kearneymort]

It was a down power line. It was just around the corner from my house

[@noveless]

Merry Christmas Rail fans and to everyone who make Grab Bag possible. Thank you.

[@roberttrometter5788]

Marry Christmas and Happy New Year.

[@ScojoDak]

Merry Christmas to the VR staff.

[@MikeG42]

These grab bags need to be put on DVD format. I would buy them

[@-Cece]

I want a pair of Abrams tanks for Christmas! 🎶

[@john_nip_nop]

his and hers

[@-Cece]

@@john_nip_nop nope, just mine and my spare

[@MrBnsftrain]

0:27 CSX 1776 leading solo 0:38 and a Sperry car at the same location 1:47 crazy fog in Kearney 3:20 a giant fire, maybe? 3:50 welded rail cars on the rear of an intermodal 5:18 what a lovely shot of an 8-unit light power move 6:30 CN doubleheader goes forward the backs up 9:56 a tall gondola also loses its tarp 10:40 pickup truck tries to race a train on the service path area alongside the tracks 12:18 KCS 4006 on a BNSF coal train 12:50 the flatbed truck that's heading straight for the train. The train stops to let it and the car in front go around 14:18 Iowa Interstate hopper 15:23 a CSX Franken-GEVO 17:46 Herzog well train with gondola trailing at the end of a mixed freight 18:38 8-unit UP light power move with the two KLWX experimental repower units

[@juliegogo2941]

The sounds of the steam engine in PA are always fun to hear. Fortunately, for La Grange CSX moves so gingerly thru its town. He stopped on a dime literally, which is truly hard with all that tonnage! I cannot identify that hawk. His belly looked white to me....without a darker band on its belly lower breast of the red tail Hawk.....guessing a broad winged hawk?.... Maybe red tail, do they have winter plumage feather changes? Any ornithologist rail fans out there? ... Two days ago I thought I saw a sharp-shinned at the park in flight... white and black with a black head for sure. Always fun to see the wild life. CN in On Wisconsin nice snowscape catch. Thanks for the reel. Happy Holidays to All.

[@NoewerrATall]

Pretty sure that the hawk is a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk.

[@juliegogo2941]

It probably is a red tail but a super white breast and abdomen usually banded belly. Juveniles I thought more brown plumage sprinkled throughout breast and abdomen. I would not be surprised with some winter plumage changes either. Super white breast. Thanks

[@DieselSgrass]

My guess in Kearney is a transformer was burning. Didn't explode, but caught fire and had to burn itself out.

[@Kearneymort]

It was a down power line by my house

[@microbusss]

9:50 - 10:11 those are ex-BN wood chip cars! Gotta get a couple in HO! 12:22 just saw that train last week right b4 the blizzard too!

[@willwozniak2826]

Nice catch of the Iowa Interstate hoppers.

[@TheMetGuy]

Merry early Christmas Virtual Railfan ! You have some really awesome grab bags you gave us this year! 2023 is going to be a great year for grab bags and new camera locations

[@TinkerTailor4303]

Yes, and hopefully repaired mics at Chehalis and Hesperia!🙂

[@NBLeopard]

Merry Christmas to all and a special thanks for showing the buzzard(?)

[@uberlpn]

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU TOO!!!! LOVE THE VIDEOS!!!!

[@rogertemple7193]

You'd think right before Christmas nobody would be being a Darwin Candidate but this is real life.

[@john_nip_nop]

Lots of depression around the Holidays.

[@douglasskaalrud6865]

I salute the crews who exercise patience and miss the bozos who don't have a clue. I would be too tempted to suddenly throttle up accidentally.

[@realcanadian67]

I think you meant to put quotation marks around accidently :)

[@john_nip_nop]

would not be worth it - camera sees all, control movements are recorded. Everything is investigated. Just do the best you can with the physics of the moment.

[@lynsmith]

A Wishful Thinking Sunset in Fort Madison 🎼🎹🥁🎷

[@jacjac5761]

HAPPY HOLIDAYS VR Have a safe New Year!!!

[@michaelg.damons6229]

WISHFULL THINKING GOOD PICKING 👍

[@wyldemusick]

Hrm. I’m disappointed you don’t have a clip of the awesome waver/dancer at the Tucson Amtrak last night. Apparently the partner of one of the people in chat (Superchief, I think) on that camera.

[@bobbyj20110]

The “flashing” over the horizon looked like an electrical transformer blowing up. It’s usually followed by a power outage, but not always. That would be my guess.

[@VTOmanifan]

What?? No Christmas Train Lights at Elkhart this year? Been looking forward to that show. Merry Christmas everyone, from England.

[@vesubioromo9425]

Having a unit pushing a consist with 8 locomotives at the head is almost comical. Merry Christmas, y'all, from T E X A S.

[@garysprandel1817]

Railfan hawk is bored. Lagrange truck. Yep 40 years driving and there's unfortunately quite a few drivers out there with the I'm bigger than you approach to driving. That was a case where no you aren't.

[@konewone361]

Personally I think the car driver just sitting at the stop sign is a bigger problem. Has the option to turn right or go straight ahead but just sits there

[@joejetj6800]

Thanks!

[@poppydc43ify]

Nice Intro! Merry Christmas.

[@patrickmcarter6244]

Again as always see track think train. be safe, Marry Christmas, Happy Holiday, & a Happy New Year!

[@Gfysimpletons]

16:44 superb…….

[@Q8Bart]

Happy Holidays🎅 ☃🎄😉

[@mari4sol]

what a nice Grab Bag , merry Christmas from Germany

[@medicbabe2ID]

Merry Christmas, yall! 🎅🎄

[@Janadu]

Looks like a transformer arcing in the distance at 3:30

[@peterp1158]

21:48 Tipsy toilet

[@drubarlow]

15:45 I dedicate this "like" to CSXT 1722 and the monstrosity that it is.

[@PCBill0622]

What’s the model no. now? Looks like modified SD40-2.

[@Silver_Turtle]

@@PCBill0622 ET23DCM, or as one wag calls them "Zombie SD40's"

[@juliegogo2941]

Fun though! Pulling out all the engines.. I am hoping BNSF still has its big snowplow engine to pull out...that I recall from high-school. A monster blade big and black. Thanks for liking this engine.

[@philipmaxwell669]

Awesome

[@mikemalo47]

03:23...Thats probably a major structure fire. Not really flashes , but flickering reflexed off the snow in the air

[@kennethhanks6712]

Don't want to think about having to fight a fire in this weather; alternately burning up, drowning, freezing or doing all three simultaneously.

[@PCBill0622]

How about several pieces of equipment with flashing yellow lights doing snow removal?

[@Kearneymort]

The Kearney one was a down power line by my house

[@daveharries]

I woulod hazard a guess that the flashes at Kearney might have been something like an electrical substation short circuit? Plenty of clips of such things on KZbin.

[@ronniewatkins]

Merry Christmas!!

[@rfpproductions1836]

Awesome video there VRF!

[@mattomon1045]

Merry Christmas all

[@johnwoodall3791]

By the Way to Everyone in the United States Have a Very Happy New Year and may it be Prosperous for You All.

[@TrainLoverHimu]

Great video, well filmed.👍🎥👍👍👍😊

[@trainandtruckmodeler786]

A ET43....lol never thought I'd see a GE powered SD40-2....

[@tehseanyguy783]

Great and fantastic grab bag video 👍🏻😁

[@thomasboese3793]

15:59 Is CSXT kit bashing? Sure it's an EMD, you can see that in the cab, trucks, and fuel tank. But what is the car body? A chopped & channeled SD70ACe? It's one very odd duck!

[@thomasboese3793]

@@T_Hoog Thanks for the info. I wonder how many CSX modelers will kitbash one.

[@wisconsinandillinoisrailfa8428]

10:44 it looks like a scream from unstoppable 😂

[@TinkerTailor4303]

Scene?🙂

[@wisconsinandillinoisrailfa8428]

@@TinkerTailor4303 ever heard of spell check it happens

[@TinkerTailor4303]

@@wisconsinandillinoisrailfa8428 Shouldn't I be asking if YOU'VE heard of spell check?

[@wisconsinandillinoisrailfa8428]

@@TinkerTailor4303 spell check is messed up literally everyone know that. It’s not my fault you don’t know how to see through a spelling error.

[@TinkerTailor4303]

@@wisconsinandillinoisrailfa8428 I wish I knew what you were talking about, but that's OK ... Happy New Year...

[@claudemercier3373]

Merry Christmas railroad fans

[@Og-Judy]

3:23. Flashing likely from power lines arching in the blizzard force winds

[@damienhicks6710]

Nice

[@taslimchoudhary1253]

🌻🌿🇮🇳🌿🌻 Cool

[@philipjesse2271]

My guess for 3:21 would be transformer fire ?

[@patdeangelo2260]

I 💕 Virtual Railfan!

[@danisgay100]

Hawk says, who gave you permission to ruffle my feathers

[@jasonpetersrailadventures]

Cool

[@irgski]

@13:25: …we’ll, there was a STOP sign….!!! @19:50: “…Willoughby, next stop Willoughby…” (hat tip to Rod Serling.)

[@juliegogo2941]

Funny you are right there is indeed a stop sign.

[@wolfzillaproductions4563]

3:21 Probably a fire

[@mononproductions6226]

I was down in the viewing tower watching that truck almost get hit at Lagrange.

[@egparis18]

Happy Christmas everybody.

[@crystalkittykat3581]

10:37 😂

[@DVNSOnNBCSN]

1:09 O'Rlly

[@Narpets2112]

"Aliens"

[@Nascarfan_4ever27]

I wonder what was those weird flashes

[@johnwoodall3791]

Absolutely, Crazy Stuff and Great Vision by the Train's Crew. At all times they show Why Their Worth More Money than they Get. Like here in Australia we see Vehicle and for that matter Pedestrian Stupidity all the time and the Silly Season brings out the Worst of them. They Weave in and around Sounding Lights with Boom Gates Down and expect yep no Problem. Wrong, Do you People who do this Realise the Danger you Put Other People in. I saw all to well the Effective of the Norfolk Southern Train Crashing into the Semi hauling a Long Prestressed What looked like a Steel as well as Concrete Mfg. Structure. I first thought the Worse when I saw the Locomotives hit this Truck but thankfully they Survived being the Train Crew with Minor Injuries I believe and the Truck Driver with no Injury. I can't comment on if Lights guarded this Crossing or Gates but for Heaven's sake common sense if you please. If that happened here in Australia with our Sized Locomotives the Crew would Stand Little Chance. Their Lives could be gone in an instant. As I said Train Driver's are worth their weight in Gold and when Transiting Roads shared by Vehicles my goodness how do The do it without going insane. Great Video, Well Documented with the numbers of Train's, This is Great Stuff, Awesome and you Vehicle Driver's Remember Life can be taken from you in an Instant.

[@Daddymouse-ny9cz]

MERRY CHRISTMAS rail fans! 🚂🎅

[@littlelittledeer1435]

Thank you & Merry Christmas Daddymouse1950!

[@bradenwickline6729]

Another CSX ET23DCM.

[@michaelculham1299]

Why is there a covered hopper sitting on the ground at Sante Junction show at 4:17 ???????

[@nathanjplatt]

Derailment on the curve closest to camera about 10 days ago, VR has a couple videos on it

[@jeanettewest]

At 6:40, are those nuclear material containers?

[@seanr.cockram4548]

I have seen 1069 and 1042

[@HerrMicha01]

🤩

[@SM2005_]

You should do a poll on which railroad has the best colours. I’d say: 1: CP 2: CN 3: UP 4: KCS 5: FERROMEX 6: CSX 7: BNSF 8: NS MERRY CHRISTMAS!🎄

[@dangeissinger4906]

I really like KCS.

[@thomasboese3793]

It all deeply depends on the time frame. NP, MILW for passenger {Got to love the Black, Orange & Marroon of MILW}; WC, WSOR for freight. {Granted, I'm very biased.}

[@kennethhanks6712]

FEC Champion/Heritage!

[@realcanadian67]

BCRail I'd say is number 1. The 2 tone green and the RWB are so iconic.

[@EMDFAST]

All time …..warbonnet súper fleet ……sd75m…….gp60m , 🤩🤩🤩

[@Og-Judy]

What? No CP Christmas train?

[@jeffeastmond8481]

Trips finished on the 18th. The EB journey in daylight on the 19th was it returning to HQ in Calgary