Espee in Alabama


grande man

grande man

Bonafied Grande Nut
Hi everyone.

LGM and I attended a SAR school in Georgia this past weekend and, while driving home today, managed to get by Gadsden, Ala for a little railfanning of the Alabama & Tennessee Rivers RR (ATN). http://www.omnitrax.com/rail_atn.aspx ATN runs some ex-SP units and is a cool little shortline. Y'all may enjoy a few images...

SD40T-2. The tracks in the forground led to the site where the mighty Republic Steel facility once stood.
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These two Family Lines cabooses are derailed at the end of a stub track.
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grande man, ya gotta love the SP!!! Surprised they haven't been patched yet. I spent 4 years stationed in Del RioTexas, right along the SP's east-west mainline. I love watching the big ole gray breasts running along there. :)
 
YES! I am personally the old and gray part.

Grande man- great pictures, as usual.
I'm glad you remembered your camera for your trip. WE benefit from your trips when you share your pictures.
 
Great pics, Eric. Those cabooses have certainly seen better days. :( Did you say you went to SAR school, as in search and rescue? I'm a certified NASAR instructor although I rarely teach any more since I retired.
 
STOP sign

Grand Man
That red STOP sign in the first photo it turns with GO on the oppsite side?

NYC_George
 
Hi everyone.


NYCG, I have no idea about the opposite side of the stop sign, as I don't have access to it.

Alco, Thanks for the comments.

Jim, LGM and I both passed the SARTEC II written and FUNSAR this weekend. I am looking to take my field tests for the SARTEC II certification asap.

The ATN is just to cool to stay away from. I took a trainman there some prints this afternoon and caught this train on a street run thru Gasden. The bridge in the distance was built in 1888! This shortline reaks cool factor. They run old espee and CN power, run over the old Seaboard line from Birmingham to Gasden (think "the rope", a 180 degree hairpin turn and the 1911 Hardwick tunnel), roll over Ensley rail made in the 1950s and have some cool folks working for them. This all adds up to fun. I hope to shoot some more ATN images soon!
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Eric, glad to hear you're taking the courses. They will help you in your park ranger duties when you get that first lost person report. I used to, back in my productive days, teach those courses plus Managing the Search Function and ICS through level 400. Great street running shot! I think it's about time for another ARG railfanning day. :)
 
UP2CSX said:
Great street running shot! I think it's about time for another ARG railfanning day. :)
Click to expand...

We should do an ARG in Gadsden the next time they have a model train show there (i know, they had one a few weeks back). We could do attend the show and then railfan the ATN after lunch.

Ya know, the ATN is only 4 years old. It has trackage that was formerly L&N, Seaboard, NC&StL. As noted in an earlier post, it features "the rope" and Hardwick Tunnel (SAL), the Coosa river bridge (L&N), its headquarters boarder the old Republic Steel complex in Gadsden, and the equipment is old school cool. Wouldn't the ATN would be a heck of a RR to model? :cool:
 
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That sounds like a plan, Eric. I didn't even know about the ATN until I saw your pictures but it looks like a classic Alabama shortline surviving on second (or third) hand power and running through some interesting territory. Keep us posted on the train show schedule. I'd drive a long way just go to a decent train show now. I think I'm in withdrawals. :eek:
 
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