Trip to RME review to get my American Virgin up North

[SengaB]

What a great way to end 2006.
NOW ITS MY TURN!....
After getting screwed hoping to get the VA A320s and posting my rants and raves on NYCA.....
It turns out it was a blessing in disguise that I missed the Virgin America flying into JFK and hiding at Terminal 4. If I had gone out to JFK and got a shot I would not have bothered going to Rome, NY to get the shots of almost all of them. I am glad I was forced to wait month or I would not have been able to practically fleet them. I missed the last 2 cause I forgot to shoot them.
RME was a pretty cool airport. I manged to see some yummy snow at 29degrees and got some kickazz shots of some very rare Train Engines as well even an alco that were at the airport! I had no idea they were there.
I managed to photograph 4 of the 6 that were present the other 2 were in bad light on the linke up and not able to get to them.
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/va3567.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/va3.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/va5.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/va6.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/va5a.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/va7.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/skybus.jpg

Check out the Also RS-1 and F7 units! OMG man! This is so fantastic!
This was my first time seeing an RS-1.
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/alco01.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/also03.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/f703.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/f702.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/switcher.jpg

What a way to end 2006
Senga

[Iberia A340-600]

Again, incredible! Great catch of the Skybus!

[SengaB]

Thanks :)

Senga

[Nonstop2AUH]

Very cool Senga, thanks for trekking up there on behalf of all of us who lack either the vehicle or time to do so. Always wondered what was at RME these days, used to go out with a girl from the area (she gave me Turkey Joints for xmas last year) who had told me how defunct the base was; we used to try to think of what could be done with it. Nice to see planes there as I understood it to be somewhat abandoned, and the trains are very cool as well. Are they just parked there, or part of some organized museum? I love transportation history in general so old trains, planes, ships, cars, whatever are of interest to me.

Thanks for all the great pics in '06 and all the best for 2007

Michael

[SengaB]

Thanks Nonstop.
Thanks to Geoff Cook for going there before hand. That made it easier as to know when to go and what to expect at the airport.
It was well worth the drive. RME is mainly used as a industrial airpark like PSM, PBG, SEM etc. Decmmisioned AFB's that lease space to corporations and businesses that use them to make eveything from trains axles to Top Secret reconissance parts for a 747 program.
When we arrived there we noticed a lot of activity around the airport. There was lots of Tech-Businesses. Security checkpoits around etc. Based on what I saw there is some kind of Military Contracting work associated with aircraft testing.

Who knows what else they have hiding in those 3 large hangars as well or what flies in there.

About the trains, I don' t know why they were up there. Maybe there was some sort of facility that works on trains or preserves them there for a musuem etc.
Heres an ex FDX 727-100 N136FE That was also up there. A typical rols for those ex FDX 727-100s.
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/fdx01.jpg
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/fdx02.jpg
Senga

[mirrodie]

Excellent shots Senga! We were just talking about Rome NY a month ago. I had not been up there since I was in college ...I think there is Delta Lake State Park up there , which is where we rowed. I think we slept on the floor of the high school gym while we were up there.

We were talking to someone who was from Rome and talking about their changed economy. From what I understand, the are aof Rome has not yet 'come back' and is poised for a revival.

How far apart are the trains and planes? How long was the ride up there? Spotter friendly or now? Were the trains static or in use? Nice catch of the CN caboose!

And very cool catching all those VA planes! Woulda thunk it that VA would be parking those puppies up there?! LOL

Senga, dude, I would have loved to have gone with you. We'd have been like a pair of kids in a candy store! Diesels and Jet Fuel! THat is great!

[SengaB]

Mario,
Yea it was a nice quiet area. Not much of anything around the airport either. The trains are like 45 seconds away from the VA planes and the flight line. I had no idea they were there. I don't know what the status of the trains are. They must have been there for a temporary reason, maintenance or somehting. Any other train buffs know why they were there? Based on their layout and how they are coupled I'd say they are there to be worked on in some way.
There were also LOADS of passenger cars from up there as well you can see some coupled to the USAF Switcher.

Heres the initial line up we saw when we turned the corner
http://www.nycaviation.com/hosting/caboose.jpg

For me the drive is just under 4 hours. For you sheesh 5.5 or 6 without traffic!

Yea If I had known they were there I definitely would have asked you to come with us.
I saw many great photographic opportunities up there as well. Because we were getting close to sunset we didn't ahve much time to stop. I have always wondered what it would be like to grow up and die in small towns in that area. A far cry from the loud angry cold world we have down here in NYC area.

The

[markg]

I never got there for the Virgins yet. I'm thinking it may have to be done soon though. Not sure that Branson can afford to keep those aircraft sitting there until the DOT stops playing big brother and protecting CO, UA and AA.

FYI Utica Airport a few miles away is being closed and everything (a few tins) is being moved to RME.

Air Canada have a maintenance contract with the hangar and Jet Blue also just signed a contract with them, so things are looking up.

[SengaB]

Opps sorry about that I meant Geoff.
Heres his site.
http://photosbygeoff.fotopic.net

http://photosbygeoff.fotopic.net/p36256540.html
http://photosbygeoff.fotopic.net/p36256538.html

Senga