June 17. 2020 - CSX Jewelers work to replace the diamond at Trident, where the Henderson Subdivision, Morganfield Branch and the MH&E branch cross at Madisonville, Kentucky. Much of the two latter branches were shut down within the last year and are now used for storage, but locals and coal trains still use them to some degree. The Henderson subdivision however still sees on average of 20-25 trains a day so this diamond still sees a lot of traffic!

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 with a 1.4 teleconverter @ 700mm, f/13, 1/1600sec, ISO 1800.

CSX Jewelers work to replace the diamond at Trident…

June 17. 2020 – CSX Jewelers work to replace the diamond at Trident, where the Henderson Subdivision, Morganfield Branch and the MH&E branch cross at Madisonville, Kentucky. Much of the two latter branches were shut down within the last year and are now used for storage, but locals and coal trains still use them to some degree. The Henderson subdivision however still sees on average of 20-25 trains a day so this diamond still sees a lot of traffic!

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 with a 1.4 teleconverter @ 700mm, f/13, 1/1600sec, ISO 1800.

June 13, 2020 - Indiana Railroad (HWPAT-13, Hiawatha to Palestine) 9007 (SD90) pulls north across the 1910 bridge over the Wabash River, engines light, out of Palestine, Illinois after dropping off its southbound train with INRD 9011 in trail.

According to Wikipedia: The Indiana Rail Road (reporting mark INRD) is a United States Class II railroad, originally operating over former Illinois Central Railroad trackage from Newton, Illinois, to Indianapolis, Indiana, a distance of 155 miles (249 km). 

This line, now known as the Indiana Rail Road's Indianapolis Subdivision, comprises most of the former IC line from Indianapolis to Effingham, Illinois; Illinois Central successor Canadian National Railway retains the portion from Newton to Effingham. 

INRD also owns a former Milwaukee Road line from Terre Haute, Indiana, to Burns City, Indiana (site of the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center), with trackage rights extending to Chicago, Illinois. INRD serves Louisville, Kentucky, and the Port of Indiana on the Ohio River at Jeffersonville, Indiana, through a haulage agreement with the Louisville & Indiana Railroad

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 600, f/13, 1/800sec, ISO 500.

Indiana Railroad (HWPAT-13, Hiawatha to Palestine)…

June 13, 2020 – Indiana Railroad (HWPAT-13, Hiawatha to Palestine) 9007 (SD90) pulls north across the 1910 bridge over the Wabash River, engines light, out of Palestine, Illinois after dropping off its southbound train with INRD 9011 in trail. According to Wikipedia: The Indiana Rail Road (reporting mark INRD) is a United States Class II railroad, originally operating over former Illinois Central Railroad trackage from Newton, Illinois, to Indianapolis, Indiana, a distance of 155 miles (249 km).

This line, now known as the Indiana Rail Road’s Indianapolis Subdivision, comprises most of the former IC line from Indianapolis to Effingham, Illinois; Illinois Central successor Canadian National Railway retains the portion from Newton to Effingham.

INRD also owns a former Milwaukee Road line from Terre Haute, Indiana, to Burns City, Indiana (site of the Crane Naval Surface Warfare Center), with trackage rights extending to Chicago, Illinois. INRD serves Louisville, Kentucky, and the Port of Indiana on the Ohio River at Jeffersonville, Indiana, through a haulage agreement with the Louisville & Indiana Railroad.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 600, f/13, 1/800sec, ISO 500.

June 13, 2020 - CSX Intermodal Q026-12 starts its descent down the viaduct at Rahm, Indiana, with two of CSX's newer ST70AH Tier 4 locomotives, 8905 and 8900 leading, as they head north over the Ohio River Bridge on the Henderson Subdivision toward Evansville, Indiana.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 420mm, f/8, 1/1000sec, ISO 360.

CSX Intermodal Q026-12 starts its descent down…

June 13, 2020 – CSX Intermodal Q026-12 starts its descent down the viaduct at Rahm, Indiana, with two of CSX’s newer ST70AH Tier 4 locomotives, 8905 and 8900 leading, as they head north over the Ohio River Bridge on the Henderson Subdivision toward Evansville, Indiana.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 420mm, f/8, 1/1000sec, ISO 360.

June 13, 2020 - Coal dust from a fresh load of coal forms a cloud above the loaded cars as the "Sonic Bonnet," Norfolk Southern 4001, brings up the rear of a West Bound train on the main at Lyles Station Siding, as it heads to Duke Energy in Mt. Carmel, Illinois on the NS Southern West District in the late afternoon sun.

Wikipedia: NS 4000 and 4001 were painted in a blue, gold and white scheme and have been called "The Sonic Bonnets", due to their similarities to the eponymous character from Sonic the Hedgehog. NS 4002 and 4003 were painted in black, tuscan red, gray, and white scheme, while NS 4004 and 4005 were painted in black, blue, gray, and white scheme. The tuscan and blue "manes" on these four units are indicative of their rebuilding at the Roanoke and Juniata locomotive shops respectively. All of these units have DC to AC Waveform lettering underneath the cab windows.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 600mm, F/6.3, 1/3200, ISO 800.

Coal dust from a fresh load of coal forms a cloud…

June 13, 2020 – Coal dust from a fresh load of coal forms a cloud above the loaded cars as the “Sonic Bonnet,” Norfolk Southern 4001, brings up the rear of a West Bound train on the main at Lyles Station Siding, as it heads to Duke Energy in Mt. Carmel, Illinois on the NS Southern West District in the late afternoon sun.

Wikipedia: NS 4000 and 4001 were painted in a blue, gold and white scheme and have been called “The Sonic Bonnets”, due to their similarities to the eponymous character from Sonic the Hedgehog. NS 4002 and 4003 were painted in black, tuscan red, gray, and white scheme, while NS 4004 and 4005 were painted in black, blue, gray, and white scheme. The tuscan and blue “manes” on these four units are indicative of their rebuilding at the Roanoke and Juniata locomotive shops respectively. All of these units have DC to AC Waveform lettering underneath the cab windows.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 600mm, F/6.3, 1/3200, ISO 800.

June 3, 2020 - Kasgro (KRL) Caboose 073 brings up the rear of CSX W993-31, with CSXT 5263 leading, as it approaches East Diamond on the cut off at Madisonville, Kentucky as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision. The train was running with a load for General Electric on a Kasgro 20 Axel Depressed Deck Car KRL 204040 that has a load limit of 943,900lbs.

Kasgro Rail Corporation builds, maintains, and manages a fleet of nearly 500 specialty railcars which are used for transporting oversized and heavy "dimensional" loads anywhere in the United States Railroad system.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 25-70 @ 40mm, f/10, 1/800 sec, ISO 400.

CSX W993-31 northbound at Madisonville, Ky

June 3, 2020 – Kasgro (KRL) Caboose 073 brings up the rear of CSX W993-31, with CSXT 5263 leading, as it approaches East Diamond on the cut off at Madisonville, Kentucky as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision.

The train was running with a load for General Electric on a Kasgro 20 Axel Depressed Deck Car KRL 204040 that has a load limit of 943,900lbs.

Kasgro Rail Corporation builds, maintains, and manages a fleet of nearly 500 specialty railcars which are used for transporting oversized and heavy “dimensional” loads anywhere in the United States Railroad system.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 25-70 @ 40mm, f/10, 1/800 sec, ISO 400.

June 6, 2020 - LORAM Railgrinder 403 at Mannington, Kentucky, as it south to it's next grinding spot on the Henderson Subdivision, as the last light of the day begins to fade from the sky.

According to Wikipedia: A rail grinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/160sec, ISO 3200.

LORAM Railgrinder 403 at Mannington, Kentucky

June 6, 2020 – LORAM Railgrinder 403 at Mannington, Kentucky, as it south to it’s next grinding spot on the Henderson Subdivision, as the last light of the day begins to fade from the sky.

According to Wikipedia: A rail grinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/160sec, ISO 3200.

June 6, 2020 - A dazzeling lightshow breaks darkness of the night as the roar of LORAM Railgrinder 403 screaches it's way through a curve, just south of Crofton, Kentucky, as it grinds it's way south on the Henderson Subdivision on a hot and muggy spring night.

According to Wikipedia: A railgrinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/125sec, ISO 2500.

LORAM Railgrinder 403 at Crofton, Ky

June 6, 2020 – A dazzeling lightshow breaks darkness of the night as the roar of LORAM Railgrinder 403 screaches it’s way through a curve, just south of Crofton, Kentucky, as it grinds it’s way south on the Henderson Subdivision on a hot and muggy spring night.

According to Wikipedia: A railgrinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/125sec, ISO 2500.

June 2, 2020 - The LED signal at the P&I Junction in Paducah, Ky illuminates the tracks approaching the switch, behind the camera, as a full moon begins to dip low in the sky over the scene. It's so bright it gives a Martian like view along the tracks as they disappear toward the bridge over the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm @ f/4, 30 seconds, ISO 400.

The LED signal at the P&I Junction in Paducah, Ky…

June 2, 2020 – The LED signal at the P&I Junction in Paducah, Ky illuminates the tracks approaching the switch, behind the camera, as a full moon begins to dip low in the sky over the scene. It’s so bright it gives a Martian like view along the tracks as they disappear toward the bridge over the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm @ f/4, 30 seconds, ISO 400.

June 2, 2020 - This is one of my favorite shots from a 5 state, 22hr railfan trip, with fellow railfan Ryan Scott! This is a Canadian Nation local running long hood forward as it passed the iconic Memphis Pyramid with Grand Trunk 4917 at the North Parkway crossing in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. We just barely made it to this crossing before it showed up! 

Although there was a work curfew at the diamond in downtown, which affected the traffic, we both came back with a nice set of pictures! A big shout out goes to the folks on the Memphis Railfans Group for their help!!

We departed my house at 4am in the morning and railfanned through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois over a span of the 22 hours. A long, but very productive trip for us both. Look for more images to come over the next few weeks!

According to Wikipedia: The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, the Tomb of Doom and the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, at the banks of the Mississippi River.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/4, 1/3200sec, ISO 140.

Grand Trunk 4917 at Memphis, Tennessee

June 2, 2020 – This is one of my favorite shots from a 5 state, 22hr railfan trip, with fellow railfan Ryan Scott! This is a Canadian Nation local running long hood forward as it passed the iconic Memphis Pyramid with Grand Trunk 4917 at the North Parkway crossing in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. We just barely made it to this crossing before it showed up!

Although there was a work curfew at the diamond in downtown, which affected the traffic, we both came back with a nice set of pictures! A big shout out goes to the folks on the Memphis Railfans Group for their help!!

We departed my house at 4am in the morning and railfanned through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois over a span of the 22 hours. A long, but very productive trip for us both. Look for more images to come over the next few weeks!

According to Wikipedia: The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, the Tomb of Doom and the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, at the banks of the Mississippi River.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/4, 1/3200sec, ISO 140.

June 3, 2020 - Kasgro (KRL) Caboose 073 brings up the rear of CSX W993-31, with CSXT 5263 leading, as it prepares to take the cutoff at Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Kentucky as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision. The train was running with a load for General Electric on Kasgro 20 Axel Depressed Deck Car KRL 204040 that has a load limit of 943,900lbs.

Kasgro Rail Corporation builds, maintains, and manages a fleet of nearly 500 specialty railcars which are used for transporting oversized and heavy "dimensional" loads anywhere in the United States Railroad system.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/11, 1/800 sec, ISO 200.

Kasgro (KRL) Caboose 073 brings up the rear of CSX W993-31…

June 3, 2020 – Kasgro (KRL) Caboose 073 brings up the rear of CSX W993-31, with CSXT 5263 leading, as it prepares to take the cutoff at Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Kentucky as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision. The train was running with a load for General Electric on Kasgro 20 Axel Depressed Deck Car KRL 204040 that has a load limit of 943,900lbs.

Kasgro Rail Corporation builds, maintains, and manages a fleet of nearly 500 specialty railcars which are used for transporting oversized and heavy “dimensional” loads anywhere in the United States Railroad system.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/11, 1/800 sec, ISO 200.

June 4, 2020 - Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 3800, 2100 and 2121 lead Scotty's Rock train across the trestle at Big Clifty, Kentucky as they head north to their rock yard in Vine Grove, Ky with loaded rock cars. This is the highest trestle on the PAL railway.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/22, 1/800sec, 5 stops underexposed (exposed for the highlights so the sun wouldn't blow out completely), ISO 100. The smaller f/stop also gives the nice starburst on the sun!

PAL Scotty’s Rock Train at Big Clifty Trestle…

June 4, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 3800, 2100 and 2121 lead Scotty’s Rock train across the trestle at Big Clifty, Kentucky as they head north to their rock yard in Vine Grove, Ky with loaded rock cars. This is the highest trestle on the PAL railway.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/22, 1/800sec, 5 stops underexposed (exposed for the highlights so the sun wouldn’t blow out completely), ISO 100. The smaller f/stop also gives the nice starburst on the sun!

June 2, 2020 - This is one of my favorite shots from a 5 state, 22hr railfan trip, with fellow railfan Ryan Scott! This is a Canadian Nation local running long hood forward as it passed the iconic Memphis Pyramid with Grand Trunk 4917 at the North Parkway crossing in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. We just barely made it to this crossing before it showed up! 

Although there was a work curfew at the diamond in downtown, which affected the traffic, we both came back with a nice set of pictures! A big shout out goes to the folks on the Memphis Railfans Group for their help!!

We departed my house at 4am in the morning and railfanned through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois over a span of the 22 hours. A long, but very productive trip for us both. Look for more images to come over the next few weeks!

According to Wikipedia: The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, the Tomb of Doom and the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, at the banks of the Mississippi River.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/4, 1/3200sec, ISO 140.

The CN Woodstock Switcher at Memphis, TN

June 2, 2020 – This is one of my favorite shots from a 5 state, 22hr railfan trip, with fellow railfan Ryan Scott! This is a Canadian Nation local (The Woodstock Switcher) running long hood forward as it passed the iconic Memphis Pyramid with Grand Trunk 4917 at the North Parkway crossing in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. We just barely made it to this crossing before it showed up!

Although there was a work curfew at the diamond in downtown, which affected the traffic, we both came back with a nice set of pictures! A big shout out goes to the folks on the Memphis Railfans Group for their help!!

We departed my house at 4am in the morning and railfanned through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois over a span of the 22 hours. A long, but very productive trip for us both. Look for more images to come over the next few weeks!

According to Wikipedia: The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, the Tomb of Doom and the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, at the banks of the Mississippi River.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/4, 1/3200sec, ISO 140.

May 27, 2020 - Not a real clear shot of it, but today I found White Pass 3003, one of six new locomotives for the White Pass & Yukon Route, attached to an old switcher at National Railway Equipment Company in Mount Vernon, Ill.

According to CBCNEWS, the Scenic railway out of Skagway, Alaska, is replacing their 50-year-old locomotives with these new units.

"The White Pass & Yukon Route scenic railway runs every summer on the 110-kilometre historic route between Skagway and Carcross, Yukon.

The new locomotives will replace the railway's aging fleet of locomotives from the 1960s. They're built by National Railway Equipment Company in Mount Vernon, Ill."

I'd love to catch this power move when it happens, so if anyone knows when it'll happen I'd love a heads up!

For me the old switcher is just as interesting as it has, what appears to be, Chinese writing on the voltage plate under the right light. Anyone know anything about it? I wasn't able to get a good side shot of it while I was there, so I don't have a number.

White Pass 3003 at NRE, Mount Vernon, IL

May 27, 2020 – Not a real clear shot of it, but today I found White Pass 3003, one of six new locomotives for the White Pass & Yukon Route, attached to an old switcher at National Railway Equipment Company in Mount Vernon, Ill.
According to CBCNEWS, the Scenic railway out of Skagway, Alaska, is replacing their 50-year-old locomotives with these new units.

“The White Pass & Yukon Route scenic railway runs every summer on the 110-kilometre historic route between Skagway and Carcross, Yukon.

The new locomotives will replace the railway’s aging fleet of locomotives from the 1960s. They’re built by National Railway Equipment Company in Mount Vernon, Ill.”

I’d love to catch this power move when it happens, so if anyone knows when it’ll happen I’d love a heads up!

For me the old switcher is just as interesting as it has, what appears to be, Chinese writing on the voltage plate under the right light. Anyone know anything about it? I wasn’t able to get a good side shot of it while I was there, so I don’t have a number.