December 26, 2017 – “Twas the night before Christmas” when empty Norfolk Southern coal train D435-24, with Lehigh Valley Heritage Unit 8104 pulled to a stop outside the Squaw Creek Mine at Booneville, Indiana, where it still sits the day after Christmas, waiting for a crew to take it on into the mine for loading. With the holidays over crews across the nation will soon once again begin to move their trains.
November 7, 2017 – While this photo of Paducah and Louisville Railway’s “Salute to our Veterans” locomotive 2129 trailing on a northbound local at West Yard in Madisonville, Ky was taken several days ago, I felt today was the appropriate day to post it. I salute all the railroaders, railfans and others that have served our county! It’s an honor to be counted among your ranks!
Veterans Day is a U.S. legal holiday dedicated to American veterans of all wars. In 1918, on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, an armistice, or temporary cessation of hostilities, was declared between the Allied nations and Germany in World War I, then known as “the Great War.” Commemorated in many countries as Armistice Day the following year, November 11th became a federal holiday in the United States in 1938. In the aftermath of World War II and the Korean War, Armistice Day became legally known as Veterans Day. While it’s celebrated on the Friday before or Monday after if it falls on a weekend to allow for the federal holiday, the 11th is the traditional day of celebration.
September 9, 2017 – Southern Railway steam locomotive 630 heads for the East Chattanooga shops and station with a loaded passenger train during the 2017 Railfest at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, at Chattanooga, Tennessee.Southern Railway steam locomotive 630 heads for the East Chattanooga shops
October 26, 2017 – After hearing from a fellow railfan, William Crupper (thanks!!), that Norfolk Southern’s Interstate (8105) and Lehigh Valley (8104) Heritage units were on coal trains delivering coal to Alcoa in Newburgh Indiana, I made my way that way. By the time I arrived they had finished their work and while both coal trains were gone the heritage units were left tied down at the small yard at Alcoa, which I made for a great shot!
September 9, 2017 – Disrupting the quietness of the early morning with it’s huffing and puffing as Southern Railways steam locomotive 630 pulls through a tunnel of trees with a loaded passenger train heading west, on a return trip to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum at Chattanooga, TN during 2017 Railfest.630 heading for Chattanooga, TN
August 15, 2017 – This morning about 10am CSXT 323 leading, with the L&N Herald on it, passed my house in Richland, Ky headed south toward Calvert City Loadout. I didn’t have time to give chase so I figured I give it enough time to get there and start its way around the loop.
So I headed down about 1pm, following the Paducah and Louisville line which the train takes to Calvert City, Ky. I checked Princeton Yard to make sure it wasn’t there and it wasn’t so I headed on down to the loadout.
When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find this empty BNSF train getting ready to depart toward Paducah, Ky. There was another train in the loop and so I figured the CSX train had already started around and decided to head down to the Paducah and Louisville Yard and get some shots of the BNSF train there, as it would take awhile for CSXT 323 get get back around the loop where I wanted to shoot it.
Well, I got the shots at Paducah I wanted, plus a few others that I’ll share over the next few days, and headed back to Calvert City, as I figured I had given the train there enough time for the engine to move around the loop where I could photograph it.
Well, I arrived back and a train was right where I figured it would be, but it wasn’t CSX, but a loaded P&L coal train from Warrior Coal in Madisonville! So, now I’m still trying to figure out where they put the CSX train as I checked all the accessible sidings between Princeton and Calvert City. So, I’m guessing they put it into the siding at Dawson Springs, Ky as I didn’t stop there and check of course. You can’t see the head end of a train in the siding there anyway as it’s about 1/2 mile from any crossing and around a curve.
Some days just don’t go as planned! LOL Still got a few nice shots and stopped for some great BBQ on the way home! Maybe I’ll get lucky and catch it tomorrow on its way back north!
May 16, 2017 – For something a bit different I used my 14mm full frame lens to capture Norfolk Southern’s “Lehigh Valley” Heritage Unit 8104 as it sat on the tail end of loaded coal train NS D436, that was tied down in the Red Brush Siding, on the Yankeetown Branch at Yankeetown, Indiana.
May 16, 2017 – With the sun heading for the horizon to the west, Norfolk Southern’s “Lehigh Valley” Heritage Unit 8104 sits on the end of loaded coal train NS D436 at Red Brush Siding, on the Yankeetown Branch at Yankeetown, Indiana.
May 16, 2017 – Norfolk Southern’s “Lehigh Valley” Heritage Unit 8104 sits on the end of loaded coal train NS D436 as it waits for a crew, at Red Brush Siding, on the Yankeetown Branch at Yankeetown, Indiana.
May 16, 2017 – Norfolk Southern’s “Lehigh Valley” Heritage Unit 8104 sits as the DPU on loaded coal train NS D436, tied down in the Red Brush Siding, on the Yankeetown Branch at Yankeetown, Indiana.
May 14, 2017 – Paducah and Louisville locomotives “Salute to our Troops” (2127) and “Salute to our Veterans” (2129) led the local Sunday as it did interchange work with CSX at Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Ky.
May 12, 2017 – Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 1071, “Jersey Central Lines,” brings up the tail end of 71T as it finishes up loading it’s coal train at Alliance Coal in Princeton, Indiana.
February 23, 2017 – Norfolk Southern 8099, Southern Heritage unit, with a loaded coal train (NS 816) sits waiting for recrew at Alliance Coal in Princeton, Indiana.
February 23, 2017 – Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 911 leads NS 239 West as it meets a waiting eastbound grain train at East Douglas at Princeton, Indiana.
February 23, 2017 – Norfolk Southern 8099, their Southern Heritage unit, pulls around the outer loop at Alliance Coal in Princeton, Indiana with a load of coal that’s bound for Egypt.
February 23, 2017 – Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 911, Honoring First Responders, makes its way downgrade into the sun at the east end of Douglas siding as it heads west into Princeton, Indiana.
February 23, 2017 – Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 1072, Illinois Terminal, runs as the DPU on the end of a northbound coal train heading north through Oakland City, Indiana on the Indiana Southern Railroad, heading for Bear Run Mine.
February 24, 2017 – Norfolk Southern 239 heads, across the Indiana Southern diamond at Oakland City, Indiana with NS Heritage Unit 911, “Honoring First Responders” leading, as it moves a loaded autorack train west toward Princeton, Indiana.
February 23, 2017 – Today was a great day of railfanning in southern Indiana! This shot is of Norfolk Southern 8099, the Southern, as it pulls around the loop at Alliance Coal in Princeton, Indiana and it’s one of three Heritage units I caught today. In talking to one of the mine employees I found out that this load of coal that the Southern is carrying is bound for Egypt! Also caught the NS 911 and NS 1072 so watch for photos of them over the next few days!
February 16, 2017 – Norfolk Southern 817 works its way through the coal loop at Alliance Coal, in Princeton, Indiana, with the NS Penn Central Heritage Unit 1073, as the second unit behind NS 1075.
January 24, 2017 – A westbound Norfolk Southern autorack train with NS 8896 leading and NS 1072, Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit trailing, passes a loaded eastbound coal train at Taswell, Indiana.