A two day visit with Dale Diacont

Hi, I had the pleasure of spending Sunday afternoon, November 3rd through lunch on Monday, November 5th with friend Dale Diacont. I drove down to Waynesboro, VA on Sunday morning and headed over to Dale's home after lunch. We spent the afternoon checking things out in the Waynesboro area.

Our first stop was the small NS yard in Waynesboro along the Shenandoah Valley line. Local power was parked and an N&W CPL was still functioning.

Next we drove over to Staunton, VA where we caught Amtrak's eastbound Cardinal on the east side of town.

For our final photo stop of the day we went east of Waynesboro to Newtown, VA (above and below).

The next morning we made an early start so we could get to this location at the end of Huron Avenue in Lynchburg, VA in time to photograph the Amtrak Train to Washington, DC. We made it but were surprised when this NS track geometry train crossed the trestle over the James River very close to the time we expected Amtrak (above and below).

Amtrak did show up running a few minutes late.

At a parking area at the end of Washington Street we photographed W943, an eastbound tank train carrying ammonia (above and below). Here we met Dale's friend Garland Harper who lives in Lynchburg and really knows the area. His company and guidance made for a most enjoyable day.

We then moved east about 1/2 mile to the CSX yard where this power for a westbound local was making up its train. The lead locomotive was a GP38 rebuild (above and two below).

Also in the yard was this DOD caboose.

At Cotton Mill trestle we caught east bound #158 and

westbound #189.

After lunch we decided to check out the former N&W main west of town. We photographed #29G at Forest, VA and

#189 again, this time at Lowry, VA.

Local #V04 was eastbound at Bedford, VA (above and below).

On our way back to Lynchburg we decided to follow the Jame River Line of CSX. After a bit of a wait an east bound grain train came along. We almost beat it back to the foot of Washington Street in Lynchburg.

Thanks for looking.