Qwest equipment in North-west Florida
In March of 1999 I started seeing railroad equipment lettered for Qwest along the CSX mainline in Crestview and Mossy Head, Florida. Through correspondance with others on the internet, I was able to find out that they are a firm that installs fiber-optic cables along the railroad right-of-way. While I have seen locomotives, cabooses, a boxcar, flat cars converted to racks for carrying the cable spools, ballast cars, and finally the ditching tool itself, I have never seen any of it in operation, nor have I talked to anyone who operates the equipment. I have no idea when they "do their thing", but suspect it is at night, since whenever I see the locos, they're idle. At any rate, here are some pictures of the equipment, along with brief descriptions. Hope you enjoy them! If you can provide me with any substantive information about Qwest, please do so and I'll include it here. Thanks!
	Photo by Ron Kohlin, taken 03-15-99. This is GP-7 # 502, on the westbound leg of the wye at Mossy Head, FL. This wye is largely unused. Much of the rail is, however, still in place, albeit with trees growing up between them in many places. It was originally built to serve Eglin Air Force Base, 20 miles to the south.
	Photo by Ron Kohlin, taken 03-15-99, posted to alt.binaries.pictures.railroad 03-22-99. Another shot of GP-7 # 502 on the wye at Mossy Head. This photo shows the boxcar and several of the converted "Rack cars" that carry the cable.
	Photo by Ron Kohlin, taken 03-15-99. This is the conductor's side of GP-7 # 502 at Mossy Head, FL.
	Photo by Ron Kohlin, taken 03-15-99. "Rehabilitation Plate" detail on the conductor's side of GP-7 # 502 at Mossy Head, FL.