Railfanning - January 7, 2021.

Hi, I have gotten behind on my blogs and hope to catch up in the next week or so. In the meantime this blog will cover my most recent railfan activity; a trip with friend Jim Kleeman to photograph the Winchester & Western Sandman. This train runs from Winchester, VA to a glass sand mine at Gore, VA on Tuesday and Thursday.

We met in Frederick, MD at 6:15 AM and arrived in Winchester an hour later. On arrival we began our search for the crew (which was reported to go on duty at 7:00 AM) and/or the train. Finally, after more than 1 1/2 hours of searching, and listening to the crew switch for more than 45 minutes of that time, a horn to the north of us announced the train was nearby. 

We found a location south of the train with an interesting building for a backdrop and waited. Shortly after we got to our first location, and almost two hours after arriving in Winchester, we heard a horn to the south. It turned out to be CSX train D723, a turn which originates in Winchester and works to Strasburg, VA. I believe the three GE locos on the left brought in the train from Brunswick, MD.

Finally, the Sandman reached us at 9:45 AM (above and below).

We had plenty of time to get to the corner of East Cork Street and South East Lane adjacent to the Mt. Hebron Cemetery (above and two below).

Unknown to us the train had stopped to switch in Winchester. Because we didn't know where the crew was working and we would be out of sight from the track we set up at Round Hill, VA and waited.

From here the chase was on, although speed was totally unnecessary. We caught the train off Route 620 in Black Creek, VA.,

from a driveway further on in Black Creek,

passing a farm in Indian Hollow, VA (above and below),

off Stoney Hill Rd. in Gore, VA,

and off Knob Rd. in Gore, VA (above and below).

When the train reached the engine house in Gore the locomotives cut off the train so a third engine could be added to the consist for the return trip. Here is one of a number of photos I took of the locomotives cut off their train.

Thanks for looking.