Oh, yes, but before my last trip to Trainland, I wanted to take three days to catch the Chessie System heritage locomotive, CSXT1973. It was hanging around in Indiana, within an easy drive from the Porter-Chesterton area. Well, it went easy, back to Cumberland, Maryland again. I was depressed and I vented on Facebook and anyplace else where I could blow stream.
However, I still regard heritage locomotives as just paint jobs, but beautiful paint jobs, that I wanted to experience. Then, the most remarkable thing happened! CSXT1973 returned to Indiana as X331 on a route that would take it through Indianapolis. It was an additional 2 hour drive, but I set my mind to catching CSXT 1973. The Chessie System is something on a spiritual level for me, third to God and Jesus Christ, my Savior. It played a part in my identity as a train fan, and that I’m not a criminal, terrorist or trespasser. The “cat-head,” sleeping kitten logo, is a part of my childhood which established me as a life-long train fan.
The chase to find my locomotive soul-mate, paint job, ES44AC, CSXT1973, took me 200 miles to Pendleton, IN to a crossing where the elderly neighbor still thinks that Conrail owns the tracks. Nevermind, it was an additional two hours of waiting and I noted CSXT1873’s progress on the Heritage Units app. When it passed Muncie, I knew “this is it!” Then, my scanner picked up the voice traffic between the crew and dispatcher. Then, there was the train’s telemetry coming through…then the distant horn of CSXT1973…then the gate…it was hard to contain my excitement.
There is a backstory about the waving, honking engineer that I will speculate on. He just might be the waving engineer that would wave and honk from his Union Pacific engine while going through crossing. If this is him, CSX you’ve been blessed with an angel!
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