Snowblind #14111

The Story

Here sit two EMD FL-9 locomotives in deep winter snow and the biting cold of a frigid-20 degree day. Wearing red, silver, and blue, their last gig was as Metro North locomotives hauling trains of commuters in and out of New York City. As you can see, the number boards are blank and the big headlight vacant. They’re spending retirement as part of a small railroad museum that never seems to get off the ground. 

The word suspended suits both the museum and these two FL-9 locomotives. Abandoned? Close, for sure. However, it doesn’t come any colder or more dead than these two diesel engines. They are at frozen rest capped in snow, like some kind of junkyard Everest.

No one else was around at eight o’clock this winter morning, which wasn’t surprising considering the twenty below zero temperature! Lack of wind made it tolerable for a little while until I couldn’t feel my feet.

There were fourteen inches of recent snow and footprints can be seen going toward the locomotive. But surprisingly, none were seen coming back out, nor were the same tracks used to walk back out. It remains a complete mystery, so I christened the place Spook Junction. This place is featured in a panoramic by that name, Spook Junction #14093. Other panorama pictures of also frozen GG-1 electrics locomotives parked nearby are also on the website, such as Sidetracked #14068.

It’s might peculiar about the footprints through the snow simply disappear into thin air without explanation, so these Metro North locomotives might be haunted! If you think a haunted train is rather suspicious too, first call Shaggy and Scoob to investigate, y then go to my other view of this train Deadline #14107 for the full writeup.

Location: Cooperstown Junction, Ostego County, New York. Picture and story © Andrew Dierks