Bone Valley, FL Industrial Locomotives?

[fulltritty]

I posted this on another forum with no answers, so maybe someone here can help. 

I will be in Orlando, Florida for a conference beginning on Sunday, September 12th and was thinking of railfanning the Bone Valley on Monday. Are any of the various industrial switchers at the plants easy to get to for photographs or should I just stick to the CSX action starting out in Mulberry? Thanks!

[John]

I will be in Orlando, Florida for a conference beginning on Sunday,

do you actually work or just go to conferences

[fulltritty]

I work my tail off and the conferences are rewards.... oops I mean trips to find new and innovative technologies.  ;D I already have 4 lined up for next year (Redmond, WA as always, Nashville, TN, Chicago, IL, and Anaheim, CA). That's a lot of points for my Amtrak train miles.  ;D

[BM4266]

Tritty everything in Bone Valley starts at Mulberry. I recall that some of the switch engines are in camera friendly areas. Have you done any railfaning around Orlando. Florida Central is a great little RR to photograph. If you have a smart phone use the maps app and railfan with that. I do that here in Texas and will when I return to Florida. I just got the phone in July.

Alan

[fulltritty]

I will be hitting Mulberry first thing in the morning tomorrow. After retreiving my car from the Auto Train, I proceeded to take a picture of the Amtrak switcher at the facility and then headed over to the old Amtrak station area in Sanford where a CSX GP39-2 (my first one) was parked and one of Conrad Yelvington's locomotives. I then headed to the CSX yard in Wildwood where I was treated to 2 CSX locomotives and a friendly conversation with  CSX Special Agent. Apparenty some idiot was seen earlier in the day trying to setup a tri-pod in the main.  : I then shot another Conrad Yelvington locomotive before heading to Ocala. Ocala yielded 2 Florida Central CF7s, but I forgot tp hot the Conrad Yelvington facility before heading out of town.  : On my way to Apopka, I stumbled across the Inland Lakes Railroad excursion train in Eustis. I then got 2 more Florida Central CF7s and an FC business car in Apopka before heading to the hotel for some rest and football.  ;D

I am already stoked about the Florida Central and Conrad Yelvington locomotives, not to mention my first GP39-2. Now if only I can see some SD70Ms tomorrow, since they rarley leave Florida, I will be happy. I think on Thursday afternoon, I may go either to Lakeland or Plant City in the afternoon when the conference ends.

[John]

I will be hitting Mulberry first thing in the morning tomorrow. After retreiving my car from the Auto Train,

http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/09/10/georgia.passenger.death/index.html?hpt=Sbin

[BM4266]

Do you have ATCS in your laptop. If so all of Bone Valley is covered. As a matter of fact all Florida is covered by it. CSX areas mostly I should say.

Alan

[fulltritty]

Well I can definitly say that chasing all over the Bone Valley for industrial locomotives at the various plants is a colossal waste of time.  : Not a one you can get into and photograph. I did get some power in the CSX Mulberry yard in the morning and shot four O trains all with SD40-2 and SD70M power, including the Spirit of Tampa. I also took a ride up to Lakeland and shot the westbound Amtrak to Tampa. It was then off to Tampa for some more nothing in the railroad department and a 12 inning ball game where my Yankees lost and I didn't get back to the hotel until 1:15AM. Thankfully lots of caffeine, a new friend, and no boring speakers made for a good conference day. 

I don't have ATCS on the laptop. One of these days I have to get off my butt and start that technology stream to aid in railfanning. I think on Thursday I am going to spend the day between Plant City and Winston. Friday is off to the Folkston Funnel and then home on Saturday to MD.

[BM4266]

ATCS covers most of CSX and NS. I use it at Folkston to give me a headsup whats coming down the tracks.