Photography by Richard L. Bowman
Railroads: Locomotives, Bridges & More

Early on the morning of December 11, 2014, my wife (Elsie) and I arrived from our home in Albania to  our home in Harrisonburg, VA, USA. I was preparing for hip replacement surgery which took place on January 7. So in the two weeks until the end of December I spent some time photographing the trains at the small Norfolk Southern rail yard south of and on either side of the R. S. Monger lumber yard in Harrisonburg. Here are samples of all of the different engines and some rolling stock that I photographed.

The following are in chronological order from the older ones to the more recent ones. The first one, NS 3407, is an EMD SD 40-2 locomotive made by Electro-Motive Diesel, Inc., owned by Caterpillar.  

NS 3407 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (11-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

On one of the parallel tracks next to the NS 3407 was this NS 9835, a GE D9-44CW locomotive with a 4,400 hp diesel-electric engine. 

NS 9835 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (11-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Below I explore an excess height boxcar owned by IBT (International Bridge and Terminal Company), IBT 2109. The car has a Boise Cascade paper products logo painted on its side. Also, the Minnesota Dakota and Western Railway used to be called the International Bridge and Terminal Company. So somehow these three entities are related. 

IBT 2109 Excess Height Boxcar (11-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

There were four cars connected together awaiting a hook-up to an engine and more cars.

A String of Four Cars Awaiting More Cars and an Engine (11-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Let's look at the writing on the end of the IBT 2109 excess height boxcar.

The End Showing the Printing Displayed There (11-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Technical Details about the Couplers and the Boxcar Itself (11-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

A Warning for Maintenance Workers on Grounding of Electric Welders (11-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

As I stepped back and took another long-distance view of the four cars, I saw what you see below. 

The Long View of All Four Cars (11-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Almost a week later I found another D9-44CW locomotive, NS 9296.

NS 9296 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Hooked behind the NS 9296 was the NS 3407 and more cars.

 

NS 3407 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Two Grain Cars Connected to the Two Engines (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

On a parallel track was this 9825 locomotive. It has a GE D9-40CW engine. 

 

NS 9825 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Looking at NS 9825, I noticed several stickers on its front side.  

 

The NS 9825 May Automatically Start (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

 

More Details about AutoStart (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

And the NS 9825 also has a sticker spelling out various technical details about the engine and its operation. 

 

Detailed Info about the Engine (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

One week later I was back at the NS yard in Harrisonburg. this time I found the NS 8965, another GE D9-44CW locomotive,

 

NS 8965 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (24-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

The NS 3407 was back again on a parallel track.

 

NS 3407 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (24-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Another excess height boxcar sits by itself on a track.

 

Another Excess Height Boxcar (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

This time it is a Tbox 889288 excess height boxcar owned by Railbox, a cooperative of railroad companies. 

 

It's a Tbox 889288 Excess Height Boxcar (17-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Further down the track to the east of R. S. Monger a longer line of grain cars awaits being moved. 

 

A String of Grain Cars (24-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

At the northern end of R. S. Monger are the old Rockingham  Milling Company buildings including these grain silos. 

 

Silos Among the Old Rockingham Milling Co. Buildings (24-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

A few days later, Dec. 27, I was back looking for more trains. 

 

It's Not Tug-a-war; Just Helping Each Other (27-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

That day, Christmas eve, I found this NS 2627 on the track to the west of R. S. Monger. 

 

NS 2627 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (27-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Here is a photo of the same train but from the other side.

 

NS 2627 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (27-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Behind the NS 2627 locomotive was the NS 9097. The 9097 is GE D9-40CW engine. 

 

NS 9097 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (27-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

And on the track just south of the NS yard proper, I saw the NS 9825 again.

 

NS 9825 Locomotive, Harrisonburg, VA (27-Dec-14; © Richard L. Bowman)

Check back in another few weeks, and I'll try to have photos of the trains I've seen in January and February, 2015, posted. 

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