CSX Y120

While not a figure of the Fort Lauderdale area, Y120 is really an interesting operation.

I was the first ever person to post a video of that train on YouTube which answers questions a many about ops on the exotic Downtown Spur, while still leaving several unanswered.

The job coming back is truly a hidden treasure, as it arrived in late morning hours. People are sought after daylight moves on CSX, and this is one of the five trains you can see in daylight no matter what time of year.

The train today was also a barometric measure of how well the Downtown Spur's industries are doing. 13 cars tells me they are just fine... This is certainly one of the longer switchers I've seen in South Florida.

 

The 13 cars were laid out like so: (Loads in green)

2 boxcars for Trujillo Foods (Trailing Westbound)

2 Tankers for Sun Gas (Trailing Westbound)

1 lone FPTX Scrap Gondola (Trailing Eastbound)

5 Miami Iron & Metal Scrap Gondolas (Trailing Eastbound)

1 Tanker for Family & Son Produce (Trailing Eastbound)

2 Boxcars for Family & Son Produce (Trailing Eastbound)

The trailing points westbound were kind of blocked in reverse order. I would've expected Trujillo to be behind Sun Gas but I guess switchwork is switchwork. Maybe CSX would've blocked a crossing w/ those TTX cars tacked on to the 11 remaining cars.  

The trailing indicator refers to the switching procedure and it helped me arrive those conclusions. CSX does not do multiple run arounds on their train, only one at the end.

Hope you enjoy the brief video cramped in gritty chain link fences, rusted industrial spurs, and loud clanking of the warehouses.

CSX O718 - What is O718?

The other job CSX runs is much more closely knit to Fort Lauderdale Yard. While I am doing Fort Lauderdale Yard, it is a subordinate focus to represent this train. In real life it switches Transflo as it is allowed to, after daytime hours. It also shuttles Transflo cars between Dania house tracks, the Middle and Back Track, and the mix of F05 and the Transflo yard. Transflo is a granular/bulk transloading facility, owned by CSX. In real life the 4 tracks can hold some 30 spots but in my layout, 8. But that'll do as quite so, model railroading is very expensive a hobby. As nocturnal as it is, and as hard to catch it as it is, I don't really have photos of the job, nor video.

Nonetheless you'll be seeing a new set of cars in my hands in the near future, thanks to a very dedicated contributor online here.

Rail Line Informational Videos

Look for a series of kinda Danny Harmon style, narrated, videos of the Miami and Homestead Subdivisions to surface on my YouTube this summer. Except, though that it is more of a general overview and not a "current events trackside" video. My main summer project is to embark on these runs and combine footage attained this summer with previous High Definition footage.