Blast From The Past – 1992 – Members of the original Tuskegee Airmen, a group of distinguished black-American aviators, take part in the dedication ceremony of the Gen. Daniel “Chappie” James Center for Aerospace Science and Health Education at Tuskegee Airmen’s Plaza, Tuskegee University. Gen. James was the nation’s first black four-star Air Force general. – USAF Photo by TSgt. James R. Pearson
October 23, 2019 – Southbound CSX Intermodal Q025-23 prepares to pass the signals at the north end of Latham Siding at Hopkinsville, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision as loaded ballast train, W089, waits to continue it’s move north, from the siding.
Blast From The Past – 1976 – Here I’m hanging off a building after repelling down to take a picture at Patrick Air Force Base, Florida. I was on assignment to cover the training of the very first Air Force SWAT team and as always, looking for that unique perspective that helps tell the story. Over the years I’ve hung from the bottom of a helicopter tethered to a rope at 500+ feet in the air shooting pictures, to the backseat of a Norwegian fighter jet covering the first Artic Testing of the F-16 fighter and a lot other interesting locations and assignments over the years.
October 24, 2019 – CSX Intermodal Q028-23 heads north on the Henderson Subdivision as it approaches the Hubert Reid Road Crossing at Earlington, Ky on a beautiful fall afternoon. The switch that goes off to the right is the seldom used house track at Earlington.
According to Wikipedia: Founded in 1870 by the St. Bernard Coal Co., Earlington was named a year later upon its incorporation for John Baylis Earle, the man who stuck the first pick into the hillside at the opening of Hopkins County’s first commercial coal mine. Earle was a lawyer who was central to developing the coal industry in the region.
Shortly after the town was founded, the Louisville and Nashville Railroad completed its line from Henderson to Earlington, and became the primary hauler in the area. The town boomed as both a coal center and as the center of L&N operations on the Evansville line.
Blast From The Past – April 1, 1984 – A ground crewman wearing foul weather gear uses flashlights to signal a pilot as he maneuvers a C-5 Galaxy aircraft into position on the flight line during Exercise GLOBAL SHIELD ’84 at Offutt Air Force Base, NE. – USAF Photo by SSgt. James R. Pearson
October 23, 2019 – CSX Intermodal Q025-23 (Q025 Bedford Park, IL – Jacksonville, FL) snakes its way through the S curve as it heads south through Nortonville, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision.
September 9, 2019 – Burlington Junction Railway 1517 works a string of refrigerated reefers at the Americold plant in Rochelle, Illinois on the City of Rochelle Railroad.
According to Wikipedia: “The Burlington Junction Railway (reporting mark BJRY) is a Class III short line railroad which was chartered in 1985. Originally operating on the southernmost 3 miles (4.8 km) of the former Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway mainline in Burlington, Iowa after abandonment by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, it provides short freight hauling, switching operations, locomotive repair, and transloading services, the latter currently handling over 3,000 carloads a year. Typical commodity types transported include chemicals and fertilizer.”
The BJRY operation in Rochelle is more sophisticated than most. First of all, the track is owned by the City of Rochelle Railroad. Second of all, it interchanges with UP as well as BNSF. It has enough track capacity to handle unit trains. It does not provide intermodal service because UP has its Global Three intermodal yard on the other side of town.
Blast From The Past – January 1982 – A simulated casualty waits to be transferred from a medical bus to a C-141B Starlifter aircraft during Exercise Wounded Eagle ’82 at Norton AFB, California. – USAF Photo by SSgt. James R. Pearson
September 21, 2019 – The John A. Chambliss “TAG 80” sits next to L&N 1593 (Southern 4501) during a photo charter to the depot in Chickamauga, Georgia. Southern 4501, was all dressed up as L&N 1593, during the L&N Historical Society weekend at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum (TVRM) at Chattanooga, TN.
October 18-19, 2019 – A selection of my favorite photos that I shot during the Pennyrile Forest State Resort Parks Fall Photography Weekend in Dawson Springs, Ky. Click on post title or photo and then thumbnails to view full photo.