Remarks: Q400-12 was frustratingly slow in performing its setout at Collier on March 12th, but it made up for it with a departure by sunset and several nice catches in the consist. At first I thought the third unit in the lashup was an MP15 while I watched them work the yard, but as the train finally departed I realized I was dead wrong. Cut in with ES40DC 5411, SD40-2 8803 (ex-CR 6373), and C40-8W 7684 was RCPHE4 9118, a former L&N SW1500 converted into a remote-control platform by removing the prime mover and traction motors and replacing the innards with radio-control hardware. The 9118 wasn't the only surprise in the consist; buried further back were several interesting hoppers. INTX 6008 showed off the weathered remains of both Conrail brown and Penn Central jade green paint, while closer to the end were several old orange Illinois Central and Illinois Central Gulf cars, one of them wearing a rusty-but-readable 'Main Line Of Mid-America' slogan.
