First outing of the OCS for 2023 is another first of sorts, for the photographer, getting the train heading north past the depot. Has only happened like this a couple times thus far.
Typically, they back out of Rice Yard and shove the train north past here with motors on the other end before heading south to Jacksonville, but today that maneuver took place days earlier and they are routing the train from Jax thru town in order to inspect the new directional running for Savannah-destined traffic northbound from Waycross that has them taking a turn just past here at Brunswick Junction across the Brunswick Subdivision to Nahunta, where a new connection track went into service about a week ago, sending trains to the A-Line at Nahunta and the Nahunta Subdivision up to Jesup then onwards north. This will eliminate meets on the Jesup Subdivision where 11-15K freights cannot meet in sidings of 8K or less. A rather ingenious solution to an infrastructure nightmare.
CSX has extensive passenger operations that include office car specials, trips to major events like the Kentucky Derby, track geometry trains and the annual Santa Claus train over the northern section of the fallen flag Clinchfield Railroad.
