There's nothing I love more than catching a splash of color in a otherwise gray landscape as I’ve done here of Canadian National 8892 and 5725 leads a grain train southbound on the CN Bluford Subdivision, after coming across the Metropolis, Illinois Bridge over the Ohio River on December 29th, 2021, at West Paducah, Kentucky. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/180, ISO 100. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer

Canadian National 8892 and 5725 leads a grain train southbound on the CN Bluford Subdivision

There’s nothing I love more than catching a splash of color in a otherwise gray landscape as I’ve done here of Canadian National 8892 and 5725 leads a grain train southbound on the CN Bluford Subdivision, after coming across the Metropolis, Illinois Bridge over the Ohio River on December 29th, 2021, at West Paducah, Kentucky.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/180, ISO 100.

Canadian National 8892 and 5725 lead a grain train southbound on the CN Buford Subdivision, through the bare forest, after coming across the Metropolis, Illinois Bridge over the Ohio River on December 29th, 2021 at West Paducah, Kentucky. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 140. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer

Canadian National 8892 and 5725 lead a southbound grain train at West Paducah, KY

Canadian National 8892 and 5725 lead a grain train southbound on the CN Bluford Subdivision, through the bare forest, after coming across the Metropolis, Illinois Bridge over the Ohio River on December 29th, 2021 at West Paducah, Kentucky.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 140.

July 23, 2021 – BNSF local with EMRY 6403 at West Paducah, Ky and NS 110 at Mount Vernon, IL.

July 23, 2021 – Newly refurbished Eastern Maine Railway (EMRY) 6403, Owned by the New Brunswick Southern Railway (NBSR), trails as the third unit on the northbound Paducah to Centralia, IL BNSF local as it pulls north at Chiles Junction in West Paducah, Kentucky with BNSF 7901 and 6147 leading the way. Then we catch Norfolk Southern 110 as it heads north across the Union Pacific Diamond at Mount Vernon, Illinois on the NS Southern West District on the same day.

#trainvideo #railroadvideo #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography

Tech Info: Shot on an iPhone 11pro and edited using Adobe Premiere Pro.

CN U72481-05 shadow move at West Paducah, KY Canadian National U72481-05 heads southbound over the Ohio River bridge between Metropolis, IL and West Paducah, KY carrying a load of Iron ore from Keenan, MN to Convent, LA on the CN Bluford Subdivision as it and the bridge cast long and deep shadows on the waters below on May 7th, 2021. According to Wikipedia: The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota. First described in 1866, it is the chief iron ore mining district in the United States. The district is located largely in Itasca and Saint Louis counties. It has been extensively worked since 1892 and has seen a transition from high-grade direct shipping ores through gravity concentrates to the current industry exclusively producing iron ore (taconite) pellets. There are three iron ranges in northern Minnesota, the Cuyuna, the Vermilion, and the Mesabi. Most of the world's iron ore, including that contained in northern Minnesota, was formed during the middle Precambrian period. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

CN U72481-05 shadow move at West Paducah, KY

Canadian National U72481-05 heads southbound over the Ohio River bridge between Metropolis, IL and West Paducah, KY carrying a load of Iron ore from Keenan, MN to Convent, LA on the CN Bluford Subdivision as it and the bridge cast long and deep shadows on the waters below on May 7th, 2021.

According to Wikipedia: The Mesabi Iron Range is a mining district in northeastern Minnesota following an elongate trend containing large deposits of iron ore. It is the largest of four major iron ranges in the region collectively known as the Iron Range of Minnesota. First described in 1866, it is the chief iron ore mining district in the United States. The district is located largely in Itasca and Saint Louis counties. It has been extensively worked since 1892 and has seen a transition from high-grade direct shipping ores through gravity concentrates to the current industry exclusively producing iron ore (taconite) pellets.

There are three iron ranges in northern Minnesota, the Cuyuna, the Vermilion, and the Mesabi. Most of the world’s iron ore, including that contained in northern Minnesota, was formed during the middle Precambrian period.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

CN FUPD local heads south on the CN Bluford Subdivision, West Paducah, Ky The Canadian National Fulton to Paducah (FUPD) local, led by CN 5485 and 8887, pulls off the Maxon Branch at the CN/PAL diamond in West Paducah, KY as it heads south on the CN Bluford Subdivision on its way back to Fulton, Ky after interchanging with the Paducah and Louisville Railway. I really love shooting with my long lens, but it’s something you really have to learn to use, to be affective! Very hot days can be very difficult due to heat distortion causing heat waves through out your photo. Sometime the effect can be good, others not. I’m surprised this one came out as well as it did as the temperature was just over 90. The other thing is how the longer lens can really compress and distort the look of the tracks, which is what it has done here in this shot. This was shot at 850mm with my Sigma 150-600 with a 1.4 teleconverter. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 w/1.4 teleconverter @ 850mm, f/9, 1/2000, ISO 1100.

CN FUPD local heads south on the CN Bluford Subdivision, West Paducah, KY

The Canadian National Fulton to Paducah (FUPD) local, led by CN 5485 and 8887, pulls off the Maxon Branch at the CN/PAL diamond in West Paducah, KY as it heads south on the CN Bluford Subdivision on its way back to Fulton, Ky after interchanging with the Paducah and Louisville Railway.

I really love shooting with my long lens, but it’s something you really have to learn to use, to be affective! Very hot days can be very difficult due to heat distortion causing heat waves through out your photo. Sometime the effect can be good, others not. I’m surprised this one came out as well as it did as the temperature was just over 90.

The other thing is how the longer lens can really compress and distort the look of the tracks, which is what it has done here in this shot. This was shot at 850mm with my Sigma 150-600 with a 1.4 teleconverter.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 w/1.4 teleconverter @ 850mm, f/9, 1/2000, ISO 1100.

BNSF LCHI6571 heads onto the P&I at West Paducah, Ky The last light of the day begins to fade on CN’s Bluford Subdivision as BNSF 1706 (SD40-2 in BN Paint) and HLCX 3889 lead BNSF local, LCHI6571 (Centralia, IL to Paducah, KY) as it takes the switch onto CN;s P&I Branch on its way to the Paducah and Louisville Railway to perform interchange work at Paducah, KY. It felt like this train would never arrive as I sat here at the junction for 4 hours this afternoon and in that time frame this is the only train that passed through here! It is the train that was to pick up the NB Southern unit for it's return trip to Centralia, IL and I was planning to give chase on its way back north. It departed Centralia at 1:45pm, which was 121miles from Paducah, and only had to work two places so I figured it would be at Chiles by around 5, but it finally showed up at 7:38! I was really bummed that it got in so late, but I also didn't know that was going to tie down for the night here at Paducah, so it all worked out fine, just meant a second trip to get the move back north, from which you can see some of the images on my Facebook page or website. Sometimes railfanning is like this! Patience and persistence are the keys! Tech Info for each image is in that images caption: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/90, ISO 110.

BNSF LCHI6571 heads onto the P&I at West Paducah, KY

The last light of the day begins to fade on CN’s Bluford Subdivision as BNSF 1706 (SD40-2 in BN Paint) and HLCX 3889 lead BNSF local, LCHI6571 (Centralia, IL to Paducah, KY) as it takes the switch onto CN;s P&I Branch on its way to the Paducah and Louisville Railway to perform interchange work at Paducah, KY.

It felt like this train would never arrive as I sat here at the junction for 4 hours this afternoon and in that time frame this is the only train that passed through here! It is the train that was to pick up the NB Southern unit for it’s return trip to Centralia, IL and I was planning to give chase on its way back north. It departed Centralia at 1:45pm, which was 121miles from Paducah, and only had to work two places so I figured it would be at Chiles by around 5, but it finally showed up at 7:38!

I was really bummed that it got in so late, but I also didn’t know that was going to tie down for the night here at Paducah, so it all worked out fine, just meant a second trip to get the move back north, from which you can see some of the images on my Facebook page or website.

Sometimes railfanning is like this! Patience and persistence are the keys!

Tech Info for each image is in that images caption: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/90, ISO 110.

The American Duchess passing under CN U72481-05 at West Paducah, KY The American Duchess, a river cruise paddle-wheeler owned and operated by American Queen Steamboat Company passes under southbound Canadian National U72481-05 on the bridge over the Ohio River between Metropolis, IL and West Paducah, KY. U72481-05 is carrying a load of Iron ore from Keenan, MN to Convent, LA on the CN Bluford Subdivision. According to Wikipedia: The American Duchess is a river cruise paddle-wheeler owned and operated by American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC). It is the third addition to their fleet and is advertised as being the most luxurious option of the line's vessels. The riverboat's itineraries include routes on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Illinois Rivers. Before it was American Duchess, this vessel was originally designed and built for Isle of Capri Casinos as a casino boat named Bettendorf Capri. After going land-based, Isle of Capri sold the paddle-wheeler to AQSC in 2016. On October 16, 2016, Bettendorf locals gathered on the levee to give their farewell to the 21-year-old casino boat and watched her pull off the riverbank to sail south to undergo her reconstruction. Contracted to Bollinger Shipyards in Morgan City, Louisiana, the vessel would be gutted, remodeled, and relaunched as a river cruise liner the following year. The conversion from a casino boat to an overnight passenger vessel involved the removal of over 1,000 slot machine bases and 1,200 steel chairs, the construction of new dividing walls to form 83 passenger cabins, the addition of a crew hold, a completely new interior layout and design, modifications to propulsion and a new exterior paint job. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 100.

The American Duchess passing under CN U72481-05 at West Paducah, KY

The American Duchess, a river cruise paddle-wheeler owned and operated by American Queen Steamboat Company passes under southbound Canadian National U72481-05 on the bridge over the Ohio River between Metropolis, IL and West Paducah, KY. U72481-05 is carrying a load of Iron ore from Keenan, MN to Convent, LA on the CN Bluford Subdivision.

According to Wikipedia: The American Duchess is a river cruise paddle-wheeler owned and operated by American Queen Steamboat Company (AQSC). It is the third addition to their fleet and is advertised as being the most luxurious option of the line’s vessels. The riverboat’s itineraries include routes on the Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, Cumberland, and Illinois Rivers.

Before it was American Duchess, this vessel was originally designed and built for Isle of Capri Casinos as a casino boat named Bettendorf Capri.

After going land-based, Isle of Capri sold the paddle-wheeler to AQSC in 2016. On October 16, 2016, Bettendorf locals gathered on the levee to give their farewell to the 21-year-old casino boat and watched her pull off the riverbank to sail south to undergo her reconstruction.

Contracted to Bollinger Shipyards in Morgan City, Louisiana, the vessel would be gutted, remodeled, and relaunched as a river cruise liner the following year. The conversion from a casino boat to an overnight passenger vessel involved the removal of over 1,000 slot machine bases and 1,200 steel chairs, the construction of new dividing walls to form 83 passenger cabins, the addition of a crew hold, a completely new interior layout and design, modifications to propulsion and a new exterior paint job.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 100.

CN 5761 headed south at Fulton, Kentucky On April 3rd, 2021 Canadian National 5761 pulls away from the fuel racks on the CN Bluford Subdivision, as it passes the fuel racks on the CN Cairo Subdivision, on its way south with a manifest at Fulton, Kentucky as the last bit of sunlight rakes across the scene. The tracks on the other side of the engine are the West Tennessee Railroad, which interchanges with the CN here at Fulton. Fulton is also an Amtrak intercity train stop where the station is a flag stop on the City of New Orleans route, served only when passengers have tickets to and from the station. This is an unstaffed station; there is no agent and no assistance, and it normally passes through here in the dark. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 550mm, f/8.5, 1/400, ISO 500.

CN 5761 headed south at Fulton, Kentucky

On April 3rd, 2021 Canadian National 5761 pulls away from the fuel racks on the CN Bluford Subdivision, as it passes the fuel racks on the CN Cairo Subdivision, on its way south with a manifest at Fulton, Kentucky as the last bit of sunlight rakes across the scene. The tracks on the other side of the engine are the West Tennessee Railroad, which interchanges with the CN here at Fulton.

Fulton is also an Amtrak intercity train stop where the station is a flag stop on the City of New Orleans route, served only when passengers have tickets to and from the station. This is an unstaffed station; there is no agent and no assistance, and it normally passes through here in the dark.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 550mm, f/8.5, 1/400, ISO 500.

BNSF and CN meet at Reevesville, Illinois On January 2nd, 2020 a empty BNSF grain train sits in the siding at Reevesville, Illinois as a empty CN coal train heads north, on CN’s Bluford Subdivision, under the old Illinois Central Steam Train coaling tower. According to Wikipedia: A coaling tower, coal stage or coaling station was a facility used to load coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives. Coaling towers were often sited at motive power depots or locomotive maintenance shops. Coaling towers were constructed of wood, steel-reinforced concrete, or steel. In almost all cases coaling stations used a gravity fed method, with one or more large storage bunkers for the coal elevated on columns above the railway tracks, from which the coal could be released to slide down a chute into the waiting locomotive’s coal storage area. The method of lifting the bulk coal into the storage bin varied. The coal usually was dropped from a hopper car into a pit below tracks adjacent to the tower. From the pit a conveyor-type system used a chain of motor-driven buckets to raise the coal to the top of the tower where it would be dumped into the storage bin; a skip-hoist system lifted a single large bin for the same purpose. Some facilities lifted entire railway coal trucks or wagons. Sanding pipes were often mounted on coaling towers to allow simultaneous replenishment of a locomotive’s sand box. As railroads transitioned from the use of steam locomotives to the use of diesel locomotives in the 1950s the need for coaling towers ended. Many reinforced concrete towers remain in place if they do not interfere with operations due to the high cost of demolition incurred with these massive structures. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 400.

BNSF and CN meet at Reevesville, Illinois

On January 2nd, 2020 a empty BNSF grain train sits in the siding at Reevesville, Illinois as a empty CN coal train heads north, on CN’s Bluford Subdivision, under the old Illinois Central Steam Train coaling tower.

According to Wikipedia: A coaling tower, coal stage or coaling station was a facility used to load coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives. Coaling towers were often sited at motive power depots or locomotive maintenance shops.

Coaling towers were constructed of wood, steel-reinforced concrete, or steel. In almost all cases coaling stations used a gravity fed method, with one or more large storage bunkers for the coal elevated on columns above the railway tracks, from which the coal could be released to slide down a chute into the waiting locomotive’s coal storage area. The method of lifting the bulk coal into the storage bin varied. The coal usually was dropped from a hopper car into a pit below tracks adjacent to the tower. From the pit a conveyor-type system used a chain of motor-driven buckets to raise the coal to the top of the tower where it would be dumped into the storage bin; a skip-hoist system lifted a single large bin for the same purpose. Some facilities lifted entire railway coal trucks or wagons. Sanding pipes were often mounted on coaling towers to allow simultaneous replenishment of a locomotive’s sand box.

As railroads transitioned from the use of steam locomotives to the use of diesel locomotives in the 1950s the need for coaling towers ended. Many reinforced concrete towers remain in place if they do not interfere with operations due to the high cost of demolition incurred with these massive structures.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 400.

CN 5854 (GTW) leads the Fulton to Paducah Turn With a seemingly ghost train running along side of it Canadian National 5854 (GTW) leads the Fulton to Paducah, Ky local into town to conduct it's interchange work with the Paducah and Louisville Railway as it approaches the Allen Lane crossing in Paducah. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

CN 5854 (GTW) leads the Fulton to Paducah Turn

With a seemingly ghost train running along side of it Canadian National 5854 (GTW) leads the Fulton to Paducah, Ky local into town to conduct it’s interchange work with the Paducah and Louisville Railway as it approaches the Allen Lane crossing in Paducah.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

Last shot on a cold winter night move on the CN We'll, technically it's not really winter yet, but it was a cold night as I did one last night shot after a day of chasing the CN IC Heritage unit, 3008 through Missouri and Illinois. On the way home we stopped off at CN's Chiles Junction and I caught a southbound Canadian National loaded coal train under a starry sky as it passed the LED signals the junction in West Paducah, Kentucky on the CN Bluford Subdivision on December 2nd. 2020. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/4, 30 seconds, ISO 400.

Last shot on a cold winter night move on the CN

We’ll, technically it’s not really winter yet, but it was a cold night as I did one last night shot after a day of chasing the CN IC Heritage unit, 3008 through Missouri and Illinois.

On the way home we stopped off at CN’s Chiles Junction and I caught a southbound Canadian National loaded coal train under a starry sky as it passed the LED signals the junction in West Paducah, Kentucky on the CN Bluford Subdivision on December 2nd. 2020.

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

CN Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage Unit at Chiles Junction Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage unit, (EJ&E) leads loaded pet coke train U700 as it heads south on CN’s Bluford subdivision at Chiles Junction in West Paducah, Ky, on November 21st, 2020. According to a press release from CN: This is one of five locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are BC Rail; Grand Trunk West; CN; Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 200.

CN Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage Unit at Chiles Junction

Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage unit, (EJ&E) leads loaded pet coke train U700 as it heads south on CN’s Bluford subdivision at Chiles Junction in West Paducah, Ky, on November 21st, 2020.

According to a press release from CN: This is one of five locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are BC Rail; Grand Trunk West; CN; Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; and Elgin, Joliet &Eastern.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 200.

CN SB Mixed freight crossing the Ohio River Canadian National locomotives 5768 and 2864 head south across the Ohio River from Metropolis, Illinois with a mixed freight as they head south on the CN Bluford Subdivision, on November 21st, 2020. According to the web: The Metropolis Bridge is a railroad bridge which spans the Ohio River at Metropolis, Illinois. Originally built for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, construction began in 1914 under the direction of engineer Ralph Modjeski. It has a single track jointly owned by Canadian National Railway, BNSF Railway and Paducah & Louisville Railway. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 200.

CN SB Mixed freight crossing the Ohio River at Metropolis, Illinois

Canadian National locomotives 5768 and 2864 head south across the Ohio River from Metropolis, Illinois with a mixed freight as they head south on the CN Bluford Subdivision, on November 21st, 2020.

According to the web: The Metropolis Bridge is a railroad bridge which spans the Ohio River at Metropolis, Illinois. Originally built for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad, construction began in 1914 under the direction of engineer Ralph Modjeski. It has a single track jointly owned by Canadian National Railway, BNSF Railway and Paducah & Louisville Railway.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 200.

CN U700 Crew Change A topside view of Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Jolliet & Eastern Heritage unit, (EJ&E) leading loaded coke train U700 during a crew change (cropped photo and drone wasn't over engine or crew during flight) before heading on south on CN’s Bluford subdivision at CP South Oaks at Fulton, Kentucky on November 21st, 2020. According to a press release from CN: This is one of six locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are 3115 BC Rail; 8952 Grand Trunk Western; 8898 CN; 3008 Illinois Central; 3069 Wisconsin Central; and 3023 Elgin, Joliet & Eastern. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 100.

Canadian National 3023 Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage unit at Fulton, Ky

CN U700 Crew Change

A topside view of Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage unit, (EJ&E) leading loaded coke train U700 during a crew change (cropped photo and drone wasn’t over engine or crew during flight) before heading on south on CN’s Bluford subdivision at CP South Oaks at Fulton, Kentucky on November 21st, 2020.

According to a press release from CN: This is one of six locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are 3115 BC Rail; 8952 Grand Trunk Western; 8898 CN; 3008 Illinois Central; 3069 Wisconsin Central; and 3023 Elgin, Joliet & Eastern.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 100.

CN Elgin Jolliet Heritage Unit Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Jolliet Heritage unit, (EJ&E) leads loaded coke train U700 under the old Illinois Central coaling tower, left over from the steam era, as it heads south on CN’s Bluford subdivision on a misty overcast day on CN’s Bluford Subdivision at Reevesville, Illinois. According to a press release from CN: This is one of five locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are BC Rail; Grand Trunk West; CN; Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern. According to Wikipedia: A coaling tower, coal stage or coaling station was a facility used to load coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives. Coaling towers were often sited at motive power depots or locomotive maintenance shops. Coaling towers were constructed of wood, steel-reinforced concrete, or steel. In almost all cases coaling stations used a gravity fed method, with one or more large storage bunkers for the coal elevated on columns above the railway tracks, from which the coal could be released to slide down a chute into the waiting locomotive’s coal storage area. The method of lifting the bulk coal into the storage bin varied. The coal usually was dropped from a hopper car into a pit below tracks adjacent to the tower. From the pit a conveyor-type system used a chain of motor-driven buckets to raise the coal to the top of the tower where it would be dumped into the storage bin; a skip-hoist system lifted a single large bin for the same purpose. Some facilities lifted entire railway coal trucks or wagons. Sanding pipes were often mounted on coaling towers to allow simultaneous replenishment of a locomotive’s sand box. As railroads transitioned from the use of steam locomotives to the use of diesel locomotives in the 1950s the need for coaling towers ended. Many reinforced concrete towers remain in place if they do not interfere with operations due to the high cost of demolition incurred with these massive structures. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 200.

CN Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage Unit

CN Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage Unit Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage unit, (EJ&E) leads loaded coke train U700 under the old Illinois Central coaling tower, left over from the steam era, as it heads south on CN’s Bluford subdivision on a misty overcast day at Reevesville, Illinois on November 21st, 2020.

According to a press release from CN: This is one of six locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are BC Rail; Grand Trunk West; CN; Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; and Elgin, Joliet & Eastern.

According to Wikipedia: A coaling tower, coal stage or coaling station was a facility used to load coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives. Coaling towers were often sited at motive power depots or locomotive maintenance shops.

Coaling towers were constructed of wood, steel-reinforced concrete, or steel. In almost all cases coaling stations used a gravity fed method, with one or more large storage bunkers for the coal elevated on columns above the railway tracks, from which the coal could be released to slide down a chute into the waiting locomotive’s coal storage area. The method of lifting the bulk coal into the storage bin varied. The coal usually was dropped from a hopper car into a pit below tracks adjacent to the tower. From the pit a conveyor-type system used a chain of motor-driven buckets to raise the coal to the top of the tower where it would be dumped into the storage bin; a skip-hoist system lifted a single large bin for the same purpose. Some facilities lifted entire railway coal trucks or wagons. Sanding pipes were often mounted on coaling towers to allow simultaneous replenishment of a locomotive’s sand box.

As railroads transitioned from the use of steam locomotives to the use of diesel locomotives in the 1950s the need for coaling towers ended. Many reinforced concrete towers remain in place if they do not interfere with operations due to the high cost of demolition incurred with these massive structures.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 200.

February 13, 2019 - Illinois Central 1024 and 1035 lead CN local freight L51371-13 under the overpass at Walter Valley, Ky, on CN's Bluford Subdivision. The Illinois Central is one of many railroads over the years that has been absorbed by Canadian National Railways over the years and these two are among the few that still remain in Illinois Central Paint. - #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cn #canadiannationalrailway #illinoiscentralrailway

February 13, 2019 – CN local freight L51371-13…

February 13, 2019 – Illinois Central 1024 and 1035 lead CN local freight L51371-13 under the overpass at Walter Valley, Ky, on CN’s Bluford Subdivision. The Illinois Central is one of many railroads over the years that has been absorbed by Canadian National Railways over the years and these two are among the few that still remain in Illinois Central Paint. –#jimstrainphotos#kentuckyrailroads#trains#nikond800#railroad#railroads#train#railways#railway#cn#canadiannationalrailway#illinoiscentralrailway