Eco-trip and Miami area and stuff...

Last Saturday, June 9th, I completed a day blitz to greater Jacksonville, FL with the SFRM gang, Paul M, Tim S, Rudy R, and Mike M. We were the same group as in Railwatch 2012 except I rode full-time. I have a mix of thoughts relating to the concept of "eco-trips" as I have blogged earlier and geographically the train pickings. Don't worry, they are all good.

Eco-trips are the best idea that has come since the internet. Well, maybe not; but they put a train buff in a good position. I enjoy this hobby as a means of photographic art and film, so geography matters quite a bit. This allows one person's trip to West Palm Beach from Miami to be truly four people's trips to Jacksonville.

It is a simple science. Carpooling is the best way of putting it. Gas funding is split, so you are really paying for a quarter of a trip (there can be exceptions to that rule but it is really at the discretion of the group). Another liberty is the fact that everyone in your group is not only watching each other's backs, but in the same streamed interest. Many of us have parents who do not enjoy the trips (myself included) in full so it works.

JAX Blitz was almost a complete success save for factors outside of our control. As Paul M. reported (traditionally with each trip), the weathermen are "highly paid liars"... A washout beyond our control dared attempt to spoil our day. But truly our spirits were not that dampened.

In the process we broke the day trip record, me more so. I have video recorded about 25 trains while the club got about 20-22 (depending who you are). Part of this is my engagement in dashcam railfanning (Ted's term) whereas I set up the cam monopod style between my legs (Ted has a designated spot however) and film from the car. My posture and height allowed me the front seat (I'm the second tallest of the crowd) for much of the trip. Another was willingness to film every last yard job, which I don't regret at all. Either way 20 or 25, this was a record for the traditional Jax Blitz, which connoted good news to begin with.

I liked this part however. The traditional and ridiculed "dash-8" (C40-8W) was the minority this trip! Railwatch gave them a good presence but this trip in all truth didn't produce dash-8s-a-many. Part of this did owe to the fact that my Sunday coming home was about 80% C40-8W (save for Q606, Q458, the leader of Q180, FEC 107, and the SD40-2 on Q452). This trip gave in my first videos of the CSX SD70M, the SD70ACe, among seen-before HLCX SD40-2s and CSX SD70MACs. This produced plenty of CSXT SD50s, SD40-2 and 3s, SD70MACs, and SD60s in all of the three makes (Isolated, Safety and Spartan cabs).  Spartan cab -8s made a presence; I do not count those engines as the despised dash-8s due to their image and the slightly different horn.

The geography is fun but I admit some areas can get a little tiresome. The meat of the trains were caught at CR 108, a crossing located smack-dab in the throat of Callahan interlocking. Jax terminal makes for an interesting area as far as action as well with the yard action and the proximity to Norfolk Southern.

Here are the videos from the trip before I admit that the Miami Sub is not worth any downplay even with the grail of Jacksonville.

I love Jacksonville; now do I hate Miami?

Not at all. I actually miss getting some Miami terminal action. The area has a completely different aura and atmosphere, one that can be sensed anywhere along the corridor. The freight car arrangements are a little different too. Much of 452's or 453's carloads are modern pieces of rolling stock put together much unlike any other trains.

I am still dying to catch some urban yard jobs as well. Y322 has been catching my eye since the July 22nd catch as well; that is the famed Downtown Spur Switcher that is getting modelers to empty their pockets for HO Scale palm trees and scrap gons.

The atmosphere that frames the shots of O722, O721, O717, O718, Y322, Y220, and any other nameable job in Miami terminal is something that truly cannot be reproduced anywhere else in the world. When you catch a yard job, you are living some truly exotic scene. I think it is just the mix and match of pastel tones, palm trees, sand spurs, and every bit and piece of debris that just composes the shot beautifully. Outside of the yard jobs, for the rest (the first four locals I mentioned above), the area looks very clean and fresh. The areas that receive service from those locals are in some fairly young industrial parks surrounded by lush trees and green spaces. It infuses the tropical scene with suburban America, making for another unique and compositely pretty shot. O721 passes through some very Latin American looking NEIGHBORHOODS (!) as well, making that something that cannot be replicated elsewhere too.

Miami doesn't have too much action. 10 FEC a day, and about 5-6 CSX (locals and freight hauls combined) in a given area make up the area, but it can work out like a science there too. If a day trip can be planned correctly, numbers can be scored. Or maybe an hour or two given to a train or two helps too. But the good tradeoff is the geography.

I will still seek North Florida railfanning without  any doubt. Yet, South Florida is an area that cannot be neglected as well. The Eco-trip will continue to serve as a wonderful motive for railfanning; as my friends and I colloquially say to anything: "I Approve!".