May 29, 2014:

 

            A passenger getting off at Greensboro asked me to get her suitcase down for her. I helped her out. The train stopped at Greensboro a few minutes later. I asked if this was a smoke stop, but I was told it wasn't. We left Greensboro three minutes late. A little while later, we stopped at High Point. We left four minutes late.

 

            We were 35 miles from Salisbury.  I readied my stuff in preparation to get off in Salisbury. Train #19 arrived into Salisbury on time. I got off and took some photos.

 

 

 

            I was with the railfan who I met in the lounge car and one other person who called a taxi.  The taxi eventually came. The three of us got into the taxi. The railfan was staying at a hotel a stones throw from my hotel where we went first. I checked in, but had difficulty getting into my room due to the key not working. I returned to the front desk and got it sorted out. I went to my room where I set the alarm on my phone for 7:30 and called it a night.

 

            I got up at 7:30 and got dressed. I went to the lobby for breakfast. After breakfast, I walked to the Amtrak station. I initially looked for a bus stop, but it was a nice morning, I walked to the Amtrak station. I knew a shuttle would come at 9:30 am. An employee at the station thought I was going to Charlotte on train #73 which was due in at 9:08 am. I told him I wasn't.

 

            I saw some railfans standing by the tracks. They thought I was going to Charlotte as well. I told them I was going to Streamliners at Spencer. They said they'd be going tomorrow.

 

            A little while later, a Norfolk Southern freight train with six locomotives; including a locomotive from BNSF. I filmed it.

 

 

            A little while later, Amtrak train #73, one of two Piedmont departures to Charlotte arrived. Prior to this trip, I heard that Amtrak had bought a couple F59PHs from GO Transit for use on the Piedmont. When the train arrived, I saw it had not one, but two ex GO Transit F59PHs. I filmed it pulling in.

 

 

            I then photographed the train.

 

 

            Moments later, a driver for a free shuttle to the North Carolina Transportation Museum arrived. I got on the shuttle bus and we headed out to the museum. I got off the shuttle and photographed the vehicle which is a rubber tire trolley as well as PRR E8 #5809.

 

 

 

            I noticed former Amtrak F40PH #307 stored behind some cars in the museum. I would photograph it some point later. I also noticed they had locomotive and three coaches from equipment used on Amtrak's Piedmont service. The locomotive was F59PHi #1755 which was the locomotive that led the Piedmont train I rode back in 2010. I photographed the train.

 

 

            I then went to pick up my ticket for the event. I saw some private cars and an Amfleet coach! It turned out to be the display train which I had seen in 2011 in Burlington, Vermont. There were also three private cars next to it as well as a fourth nearby. I photographed them.

 

 

 

 

 

            I saw the only visiting steam locomotive: Norfolk and Western 4-8-4 J class #611. #611 was part of Norfolk Southern's original steam program which ended in 1994. The locomotive was facing overhaul and was retired to a railway museum in Roanoke, Virginia. Recently, a group called “Fire up 611” began raising money to restore #611 to operation and use it as part of Norfolk Southern's new steam program. I donated $10 to the cause which was over $3,000,000. I photographed #611.

 

 

            I then went to the museum's large roundhouse and saw many pieces of railway equipment which I photographed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed various locomotives on display including Nickel Plate Alco PA #190; an original Santa Fe unit that in 2001, Doyle McCormick had retrieved from Mexico as a mere frame.  In the 13 years, he's done a really good job restoring it though it isn't operational just yet.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then photographed other exhibits at the museum. The North Carolina Transportation Museum has more than just trains. They have some cars and an exhibit on flight as well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I then went to Amtrak's 40^th anniversary train and took some photos inside and out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

            I checked out the Norfolk Southern exhibit car which has exhibits pertaining to the history and operation of Norfolk Southern. I photographed it after.

 

           

            I went inside one of the museum's buildings and photographed an exhibit from an event two years ago where the 20 locomotives that Norfolk Southern had painted into paint schemes from railroads that had been merged into Norfolk Southern which was an inspiration to this event.

 

 

 

 

 

             Meanwhile, the museum had started bringing the operational units out onto the turntable in front of the museum's roundhouse. I had missed a few. When I got there, the first unit I photographed was the museum's own E3 from the Atlantic Coast Line.

 

 

            The second unit was CB&Q E5 #9911 from the Illinois Railway Museum. I had photographed #9911 at IRM on my 2012 Chicago trip.

 

 

            The next unit was F7 #8016 from the Potomac Eagle Railway which is presently painted in C&O colours.

 

 

            The next unit was SOO Line F7 #2500 which was originally a demonstrator. It had performed so well on the SOO, they bought it. #2500 is from a railroad museum near Duluth.

 

 

            The next unit was former CN FPA-4 #6789 which has been restored to its as delivered livery. #6789 came from the Monticello Railway Museum in Illinois. No units came directly from Canada.

 

 

            Next was Pan Am Railways #1 from their business train. This locomotive was originally a CN FP9 that went to VIA before VIA retired it and sold it to a tourist line. Pan Am Railways swapped it and a sister for two of their own locomotives,

 

 

            The next locomotive displayed on the turntable was Southern FP7 #6133 which is part of the museum's collection.

 

 

            The next locomotive was PRR E8 #5711. This locomotive and sister #5809 were two of three E8s from Conrail's business train. They had brought three private cars to accompany them. The next two days, #5809 would lead the private cars on a special to Charlotte and back.

 

 

            The next unit was Southern E8 #6900 which is the third streamline unit in the museum's own collection. #6900 had been recently refurbished at Norfolk Southern's shop before returning to the museum.

 

 

            A helicopter owned by a private society was flying over the museum. They were offering museum visitors a chance to fly over the museum for $50. I photographed the helicopter as it flew above the next locomotive to be displayed on the turntable which was Erie E8 #833 which was also part of Conrail's business train.

 

 

            The next unit displayed was Norfolk Southern F9 #4271 which is part of the railway's business train and part of an A-B-B-A set. The other A-unit; #4270 was also at the museum but the two B units were not. The units used to be part of a dinner train out of St. Louis that had gone under. I saw the units in their dinner train livery from the Northbound Texas Eagle on my Arizona trip.

 

 

            The next unit displayed was F3 #664 which is painted in Lackawanna colours. #664 is part of an A-B-A set of units which are the oldest operational F-units in the United States. However, I later learned that only #664 is operational.

 

 

            I then found Doyle McCormick and had a brief chat with him. In addition to the Nickel Plate #190, he also maintains SP Daylight steam locomotive #4449 which is undergoing its 1472 day inspection. I asked which unit would run first; 4449 or 190. He said it wasn't sure.

 

Here's Doyle McCormick himself.

 

            I then photographed Reading F7 #284 which was originally a Chicago Northwestern locomotive. It is owned by a society in New Jersey and is not operational.

 

 

            At one point, I stopped for lunch at a food truck visiting the museum for the event. The next locomotive displayed on the turntable was Iowa Pacific E8 #4035.

 

 

            10 minutes later, the #190 was pulled onto the turntable by a small diesel switcher.

 

 

            Meanwhile, the museum started their train rides. Today, the train would be pulled and pushed by E8 #4035 and Wabash F7 #1189. The #1189 was the last F-unit built in Canada and is also owned by the Monticello Railway Museum. I went for a ride before I got off and photographed the train.

 

 

            I filmed the train departing on its next run. I then walked through the Piedmont trainset on display. I photographed a Milwaukee Road business car as well as private car Pennsylvania on the train led by Pennsylvania E8 #5809.

 

 

            I then caught the shuttle back to Salisbury. I decided to stick around and photograph Amtrak Piedmont train #76. It came on time at 5:56 pm. I photographed the train.

 

 

            I then filmed train #76 departing. I decided to walk back to my hotel. I photographed buses used by Salisbury Transit which are 35 foot Orion 7s.

 

 

 

            I then photographed a mural and a van painted in the SP Daylight livery.

 

 

 

 

 

            I then walked to my hotel. I stopped at Taco Bell for dinner. I also stopped at a Family Dollar and bought some milk.

 

            When I got back to my hotel room, I watched TV and worked on this report some more. I set the alarm on my phone for 7:30 am and called it a night.

 

Click here for the next two days of Streamliners at Spencer:       Part 3