New Office View - NC Mainline

[Tony Galiani]

My department moved to a new office at the very edge of campus this month.  We moved from our temporary pandemic home in the "garden level"  (ie,basement) of the HR building to a more accessible site on the very eastern edge of campus.  Much better location for students and visitors, better for me as one of the best coffee machines on campus is just across the street and track and we have a nice, if somewhat noisy, view.  There is a grade level crossing just to the right in those pictures so lots of bells and whistles (literally) throughout the day.

Ciao,

Tony Galiani

[cteno4]

You will get use to the noise, I lived next to the rr tracks and a crossing that they would go back and forth over a few times about 2am each night as they shunted cars in and out of the canning plant on the other side of the tracks from us. We didn’t know this when we rented the apartment (a reason for the cheap price) and first night was a big surprise! But with in a few weeks we were all sleeping through it!

 

jeff

[Tony Galiani]

I don't find the noise all that bad though others here do complain about it.  Our building is the old Durham CocaCola building.  While the interior was gutted and rebuilt, it still has a lot of the original brick and plaster walls, especially around the exterior so is reasonably quiet.  And likely safe for the occasional Carolina tornado!

Cheers,

Tony

[brill27mcb]

Let's see some pictures of the coaches!

 

Rich K.

[Tony Galiani]

Here is the only one I have.  I think I have seen two different types of coaches on these trains.  I will be in the office a few days next week so if timing permits, I will take a few more coach pictures.

Ciao,

Tony

[Tony Galiani]

Per @brill27mcb's request I tried to get some more pictures this morning.  Didn't have time to get closer than the building door but got a couple of pics of this morning's westbound train of about five cars topped and tailed by locomotives.  Someone had the nerve to call me just as I heard the eastbound train coming by.  Couldn't get any pics but that train consisted of standard Amtrak cars plus one smooth side baggage car.  In between those two trains was an eastbound NS freight consisting of three locomotives and 157 cars.

Also, nobody asked but I am throwing in a picture of the coffee machine!

Ciao,

Tony

 

[cteno4]

Wow, you were right that’s some fancy coffee machine!

 

jeff

[brill27mcb]

Thanks, Tony! I am not familiar with the North Carolina commuter operation at all...

 

Rich K.

[Sheffie]

Looks like the machine is 3D printing your coffee, one molecule at a time. 
 

congrats on the work location! I lived next to the London to Manchester main line for years. You’ll get used to it 

[Tony Galiani]

@brill27mcb - I am not very familiar myself - probably know more about some Japanese railways then I do about passenger service in North Carolina.  However, here is some info for you.

 

This page is on the NCDOT web site and has info on the services provided by NCDOT and Amtrak.

https://www.ncbytrain.org/schedules/Pages/default.aspx

The passenger cars used by NCDOT are the ones in the pictures I posted previously.

 

The other trains are operated by AMTRAK and from what I have seen are mostly the AmTubes or AmCans:

https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/intercity/amfleet-cars-they-just-keep-going-and-going-and-going/

 

Ciao,

Tony

Edited February 22, 2023 by Tony Galiani
spelling error

[Tony Galiani]

Happened to be outside the building when the NCDOT train ran by and I noticed the car names.  Not what I expected and so I have made a point of noting some of the names:

Granite

Cure Sound

Sweet Potato

Cardinal (state bird)

Plott Hound (which turns out to be North Carolina's official state dog)

No famous citizens or presidents or NC cities.

Ciao,

Tony

[cteno4]

Interesting. Cure sound? State alt metal band?

 

jeff