HMCR 8527’s first run in 4 years! HMCR organizing cars at Green Cove Road in Huntsville, AL 5-16-24

On the morning of May 16th, I heard that NS A81 was heading towards Huntsville, AL from Decatur, AL and was going to drop off 15 hopper cars and 2 tanker cars. I wasn’t sure when NS was going to come, so I decided to wait and see. After waiting for about 30 minutes, I headed towards Clinton Avenue and Holmes Avenue where NS would be dropping off the cars.
It turned out that I was way too late and I realized that NS had already dropped off the cars. HMCR 8560 and 8539 then connected to the cars that NS dropped off. Shortly after, they pulled one hopper car out of the storage track. They also pulled out HMCR 8527, which had just been repaired after being broken down for 4 years! They also shoved the 2 tanker cars NS dropped off into the storage track. The HMCR then headed South with 8560, 8539, and 8527 pulling 16 hopper cars.
When I first saw the HMCR heading South, I went over to the first place I could catch them at, which was Hobbs Road. After catching them at Hobbs Road, I went over to Green Cove Road, which was where they would organize the 16 hopper cars.
Not too long after I got to Green Cove Road, they started approaching the railroad crossing. As they were crossing Green Cove Road, they stopped and disconnected from some of the cars. They then took the first 11 cars to the South end of the crossing and left the last 5 cars at the North end of the crossing. Shortly after, they stopped and disconnected the 3 engines from the 11 cars and went into a siding. A few minutes later, the first car rolled down the hill into another siding and the other 10 cars rolled down the hill on the main.
By the way, the HMCR took those 10 cars back North only six days later, which will be seen in my next video.
Afterwards, the HMCR went to get the other 5 cars at the North end of the crossing with 8527 leading! This was the first time 8527 had run in 4 years! I believe the last time I caught 8527 running was back in April of 2020. After getting 5 cars and taking them to the South end of the crossing, they disconnected the 3 engines from the 5 cars and stopped the main. They then let the first 4 cars roll down the hill into a siding and let the last car roll down the hill into the another siding where the first car went earlier.
A few minutes later, 8527 started running again and the 3 engines went into the siding where the first and last car rolled down to. About 10 minutes later, they pulled the first car, last car, and 21 more hopper cars out of the siding. They then shoved the 23rd car onto the main and shoved the rest of the cars back into the siding. After that, I decided to leave.
About an hour or two after I left, HMCR 8527, 8539, and 8560 took the 1 hopper car that was shoved onto the main and 11 more hopper cars back North. Unfortunately, I missed them when they went back North. Later that evening, I went by Clinton Ave and Holmes Ave where all 3 engines were shut down for the day and the 12 hopper cars they took North were sitting in the yard ready for NS to pick up. HMCR 9554, the 2 tanker cars NS dropped off, and other three cars were also there sitting on the storage track.
Glad I to see HMCR 8527 is running again.
This video was recorded on May 16th.
Also, at the end of the video, there are a few pictures I took of the HMCR at Clinton Ave on May 15th. In the pictures, 9554 and 8527 can be seen sitting on the storage track as crews are finishing up repairs on 8527. 8560 and 8539 can also be seen sitting at Clinton Ave waiting for NS to drop off cars.
0:00- HMCR 8560, 8539, and 8527 Southbound at Hobbs Road
2:32- HMCR crossing Green Cove Road with 8560 leading
6:46- Several hopper cars rolling down the hill
9:47- HMCR 8527’s first run in 4 years!
12:22- HMCR crossing Green Cove Road with 8560 leading again
14:57- Several more cars rolling down the hill
22:06- HMCR 8527, 8539, and 8560 pulling out 23 cars
26:31- HMCR shoving 1 car onto the main
29:40- HMCR shoving several cars back into the siding
35:18- A few pictures of the HMCR at Clinton Ave later in the evening
35:46- Several pictures of 8527, 8560, and 8539
38:16- A few pictures of the HMCR at Clinton Ave on May 15th

[@hhwinterproductions8850]

I was trying to catch that, glad someone did, will you be at the board meeting today?

[@northalabamarailfan5275]

Probably not.

[@NICKBALLINGER257]

yipee

[@Sams_Trains]

What was broken on 8527 exactly?

[@hhwinterproductions8850]

The ring had shrunk so small that it couldn't work