10m 0s | 972 view | 9 rating

With Q453 still out of the picture and FEC 960 having just arrived back to Fort Lauderdale Yard from Pompano Market, I decided to head over there, hoping to watch some switching for a bit. Eastbound on Griffin Road, I noticed Tri-Rail P646 leaving Sheridan station on my ATCS display. I knew that if I didn't drive too fast, I would get to the crossing in time to catch it leaving Fort Lauderdale Airport station from my car... As usual, my timing was spot on: 8:27 PM CSX Miami Subdivision Griffin Road - SX 1016.26 Northbound Track-2 Tri-Rail P646 TRCX 511 Bombardier Bi-Level Cab Car 2 Bombardier Bi-Level Coaches TRCX 811 F40PH-2C From there I continued east on Griffin Road to the FEC tracks. ATCS had showed 960 was lined SB from the siding to the main at Airport and as far as Ojus N. I turned off Griffin and onto perimeter Road and went to Trail's End where I parked up for a bit and waited, and waited... I saw no sign of a train for the next 15 minutes so I continued on toward the yard. As I turned onto SW 1st Terrace from 28th Street, I noticed Train 960 sitting on the pass track with a bunch of GFRR beer boxcars from Gold Coast Distributors and 970 working the ramp, building tonight's Train 224. I found an open spot amid the semi trailers that are always scattered around and just beyond where 960's engine, FEC 435, was sitting. It just happened to be across from the south gate to the ramp too. Sweet!, I thought, so I quickly pulled off the road. 960's engine was shut down and 970's crew was working feverously to get 224 built so that they could cut up 960 and clear the pass track before 101 showed up. I got to watch them for about 15 minutes, enough time to get some video and listen to two of my favorite sounds - a 16-645E3 prime mover and an RS3L horn. By this time, Q453 was nearing Deerfield Beach so I hung around just long enough to watch the engineer run FEC 715 back into the ramp before I left, but not before I was asked to leave by a security guard patrolling the area on foot: 9:10 PM to 9:25 PM Florida East Coast Railway Fort Lauderdale Yard - Milepost 343.6 FEC Train 970 Pig Ramp Switcher FEC 715 SD40-2 FEC Train 960 Pompano Market Switcher FEC 435 GP40-2 No sense in arguing with the guy since I was leaving anyway. Besides, arguing with security is never a good idea no matter where you are and I advise highly against it. It's just not worth the hassle these days and in the end you always end up leaving anyway. It's best to just say "okay" and be on your way. ©2010 SFLRailFan Productions All rights reserved