My First Trip to Sandpatch: Summer 2013

Ed KapuscinskiPhotos , , , , , ,

I’m not sure how it happened, but I had never spent any time on the old B&O west of Cumberland. That all changed over the 2013 Bedford N Scale Weekend.

I set off from Bedford with a bunch of friends from The CRHS and The Railwire forum. Our first stop was just east of Garrett PA, where we spotted a former Conrail Jordan Spreader and caught an eastbound autorack train.

Eastbound CSX C40-8W and Auto Train Near Garrett PA
CSX seemed to run almost nothing but autoracks the weekend I was out there. This first train of the day set that tone.

Our next stop was Meyersdale, an interesting town where the former WM and B&O tracks go right through town. We heard distant horns while we were poking around, requiring a quick jog to get into position for this eastbound.

Eastbound CSX AC4400 In Meyersdale
A CSX AC4400 leads a general freight train through the middle of Meyersdale.

We headed east out of town, bound for Hyndman. Somehow, we caught up to the train from Meyersdale, but just barely. I had to jump out of the car and snap off this grab shot.

CSX AC4400 504 In Hyndman
A real “grabber”, I barely even had time to focus as this guy blew through the crossing.
Lots of MOW Stuff in Hyndman PA
The former station area in Hyndman PA has become an MOW base. Amusingly enough, we also caught a westbound MOW train heading up the mountain past it.
Other End of the MOW Train
I’m not sure what this was, but it looks like it might’ve been a ballast cleaner.

We called it a day after the MOW train passed, and headed back to our cabin.

I returned the next day with my friend Lee for another visit to Hyndman. Shortly after we arrived, another eastbound rack train joined us.

CSX C40-8W At Hyndman PA

Due to some work being done in the Sandpatch Tunnel that had just wrapped up, Hyndman was really jumping when we arrived. Soon after that train cleared, another eastbound came by.

CSX 7807 East Through HyndmanThat manifest contained a bunch of interesting freight cars, including this former Conrail car.

Former Conrail Covered Hopper
Mineral red Conrail survivor.

As that eastbound disappeared out of view, a westbound pulled up.

Westbound Autoracks at Hyndman
A YN2 CSX C40-8W rolls to a stop with a train of autoracks.
This photo really demonstrates the differences between the former PRR NS mainlines and CSX's former B&O route. Notice the tree growing out and over the heavily used mainline, which is something the PRR and NS would definitely never have happened.
This photo really demonstrates the differences between the former PRR NS mainlines and CSX’s former B&O route. Notice the tree growing out and over the heavily used mainline, which is something the PRR and NS would definitely never have happened.

Eventually the westbound got rolling again, trailed by a pair of GE widecab helpers.

Westbound CSX C40-8W 7756
This YN2 painted unit was old enough to drive in this photo, being built back in 1991. Not a bad run for “GE Crap”.
Widecab Helpers On Westbound Autoracks
Another interesting contrast between NS and CSX’s Allegheny crossings is the approach that they use with helpers. NS has a standardized fleet of SDs that they use on almost every train, while CSX’s helper pool is a mixed bag of whatever seems to be hanging around facing whatever direction they happen to be facing.

As you could see from the color of the sun in that photo, it was starting to get late, and we had to head back home.

The CSX Allegheny crossing was an interesting change of pace from NS’s former Conrail and PRR mountain mainline with a very distinctive character. These differences really demonstrate the pioneering effort that the B&O made heading west and the lessons learned by the time the Pennsylvania did so a few years later.

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