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In the last two years, locally I have seen exactly three NS units operating on CSX, and exactly zero CSX units in an NS freight. Until today. Got word that the second motor on today's 15R was going to be CSX...and it turned out to be a now-rare Dash 8. It also had a fresh SD60E, which will no doubt be powering many of the locals for the next few weeks. Otherwise, a pretty nice train, but a bit short, as weekend 15Rs have a tendency to be. Thank you for watching!

This was actually my second NS 15R for this particular day. The first was the previous day's delayed train, which arrived about noon. In addition to the foreign power, this medium-length manifest features some neat fallen flag action (including a patched yellow CNW grain hopper) and some cool graffiti. Thank you for watching!

After sitting across from the zoo for most of the day after the crew who brought it down the CN&L lawed out, I was able to catch CSX L644 at Tryon Street with about two minutes to spare. It was a worthwhile endeavor. In addition to the longest consist I've seen on CSX in Columbia/Cayce, it had the first foreign power I've seen on CSX locally: A freshly shopped GEVO, wearing Armour Yellow in the classic UP livery. Fallen flag action, plus lots of great graffiti. Thank you for watching!

Lines of severe thunderstorms had been moving through the area most of the day. When I got word that Amtrak 92, the northbound Silver Star, was running late because of downed trees blocking the tracks, I jumped at the chance to catch a daylight sighting of this beautiful train. Instead of staking out my usual spot, the heavy rain forced me to catch it at the Amtrak station, just like all the other passengers. In fact, you can hear the rain on the metal roof of the platform shelter. Thank you for watching!

Long train, long video. But that also means lots of interesting stuff, including roughly six minutes of empty military flatcars returning to their point of origin on the end of the train. Thank you for watching!

On the day that NS P75 had to swap out its power because of horn issues, a relatively short 18D came through while the transition was underway. I apologize in advance for rushing through the credits at the beginning, but this one sneaked up on me. Thank you for watching!

No sooner had NS P75 left Andrews Yard than the crew quickly discovered that 7627's horn was malfunctioning. So, a clever plan was quickly devised. P85 was returning from its run and was due back at any moment. 7627 would be swapped out for P85's motor, the very capable NS 6156, an ex-N&W SD40-2 with an absolutely mesmerizing horn, and 7627 would ferry P85's consist back to the yard. Lots of switching action, some brand-new covered hoppers, plenty of tagging, and fantastic horn action. 7627 left for Macon later that evening as the DPU on 191. Thank you for watching!

NS 191 had another UP unit leading it out of Columbia, and this time, I was in exactly the right position at exactly the right time. Also lots of interesting graffiti and fallen flag action. Thank you for watching!

Ok, I grant you that this is probably one of my stranger episode titles, at least so far. But hear me out. From a distance, while approaching, the horn on NS 8026 sounds pretty much like the horn on any other Norfolk Southern ES44. However, roughly the time it reaches you, and certainly as it moves away from you, it sounds rather like a barking seal. Personally, I think it's endearing. Please give a listen and let me know what you think. Thanks for watching!

If I get down to the tracks early enough in the morning, I can sometimes catch NS 237, a combined intermodal/manifest that runs between North Charleston and Atlanta. On this particular day, it was intermediate in length powered by NS 4358 and NS 7284 (rebuilt from a UP SD70MAC), roughly half full buckets from Charleston and half empty autoracks destined for Greer. Thanks for watching!

CSX L644 is typically a mix of autoracks and woodchip hoppers, with a little mixed freight thrown in for good measure. But on the morning of May 4, 2022, it was all racks. And fast. Thank you for watching!

Uncle Pete heads on down to Macon, Georgia as he leads a fairly short NS 191 on May 13, 2022. Some fallen flag action and lots of graffiti. Thank you for watching!

Nice and steady, no starts or stops, not too fast and not too slow, all enabled me to get this long (6,617 feet) train one fluid camera move. Oh, and it has a patched ex-Rock Island grain hopper, still in rusty and faded Bankruptcy Blue. A friendly crew was a nice plus, too. Thank you for watching!

Spend a few quality moments with this pair of NS SD70ACes as they pull up to their usual staging spot just south of the Heyward Street crossing and idle for six minutes as they await their TA to Rock Hill. Time well spent. Thank you for watching!

We never get any piggyback/TOFC traffic through Columbia, and mid-train double DPUs are almost as rare. So travel with me to Spartanburg last March for all of that and more on NS 204, one very fast (mostly) intermodal train. Thank you for watching!

Wednesday's NS 15R gave me my third horn salute of the day, along with a special present: A new (to us) SD60E, 6916, which will be presumably handling the duties on many of the locals around here. In addition, 15R was its usual long, variety-filled self, including fallen flags and plenty of tagging. Thank you for watching!

Here's a quick, short little video for all the MOW equipment fans who watch this channel: A fast ballast train that I caught zipping through Spartanburg in March of 2022. Enjoy. Thank you for watching!

Patched cars, particularly covered hoppers, are a pretty common sight around here. But this CSX Y101-15 is basically ALL patched hoppers. This video is only three minutes long. Thank you for watching!

This was my fourth and last horn salute of the day (as well as my last train of the day) and it was impressive, to say the very least. In addition to a friendly crew, this monster NS 191 was pulled by only two locomotives without the usual assistance from a mid-train DPU, and also has some pretty impressive tagging. And, if you stick around to the very end of the video, you'll be treated to the sun beginning to set behind a cloud formation. Kudos to all the great crews that day! And kudos to you for watching my video!

Amtrak trains rarely run this late through Columbia. But when they do, I like to be there to capture them on video. It's a beautiful train, and I hope to take a trip on it one of these days. By the way, this was the first of four horn salutes that day. This video is less than two minutes long. Thank you for watching!

Check out the pipes on this cool ex-Conrail GP40-2 mated to a road slug pulling a really short local! The video is only two minutes long. Thank you for watching.

NS P75 had been in the hole at Assembly Street for nearly two hours at Assembly Street waiting for an incoming 192, which had been waiting at Summit for at least as long. P75 finally received TA just before 2:00, only to have it rescinded a few minutes later at Tryon Street in favor of 192, which would have to occupy the same trackage over the bridge. Thanks for watching!

Nice medium-length train with lots of grain hoppers and scrap gons on a very nice spring afternoon. Thanks for watching!

Grain trains on the R Line are still running strong rather late into the season this year. Caught this one rather unexpectedly around the middle of the day recently. Thank you for watching