FL9

My wife Judy and I along with our lab Molly left Benbrook eastbound for West Virginia at around 7:00am on August 11th.  After driving 1200 some odd miles we would visit my son for several days before making the return trip.  We made good time on I30 and then I40 all day before turning north in Memphis towards our first night’s stop in Dyersburg, TN.  We arrived around 6:00pm after covering 600 miles for the day, and after checking in and leaving Judy and Molly to rest up before eating, I headed out to find the ex-Illinois Central now Canadian National mainline from Chicago to New Orleans.  I heard a detector go off on the radio, and with help from the GPS found my way through the old and winding streets to the tracks on the north side of town.  The CN 2690 South was approaching on one of the two tracks as I set up at this sunny location.

As CN units are not air-conditioned and the temperature was above 90 degrees, the crew had their manual system working with all doors and windows open to get a breeze.  I followed the train south as it slowed down and then came to a stop near the Dyersburg station.  The crew climbed down and after the introductions I learned they were here in the siding to meet two northbounds before continuing their trip home to Memphis.  Before the first train arrived I photographed this old IC caboose still in service.

Soon the CN 2702 North approached our location with an intermodal train.

It blasted on past the deserted depot as the crew from the 2690 South looked on.

Not far behind and also moving rapidly was an empty grain train powered by two SD40-2’s that got a friendly wave from the 2690’s crew as it flew by.

Engineer Robert Riley on the left and conductor Brad Garner on the right give the northbound empty grain train a diligent roll by.

I captured this brief portrait of Engineer Riley as he remounted the CN 2690.

As night approached a green board appeared at the south end of the siding, and the CN 2690 started moving towards it.

A few moments after this photo the quickly accelerating train took the green board and Robert and Brad were on the last leg of this trip to their home terminal at Memphis.

I headed back to my “away from home” terminal at the motel to get us something to eat.