April 24, 2024, As many of you know I’ve been working on a landscapes photo challenge I’ve titled 7-Minutes till Sunset, but I fudged on this one again and it was shot at 17 minutes till Sunset, as it was when the train was in the right spot for me.

During this challenge have been photographing a landscape daily from the air at 7 minutes till sunset, but today I caught a loaded Paducah and Louisville Railway coal train crossing the wetlands after picking up a load of coal at Warrior Coal mine, just outside Madisonville, Ky, on April 24th, 2024.

I have been trying to catch a train here at this spot since I began this challenge on the 15th of April and today was the day!

Exposure was for the sun and then I brought up the mid-tones and shadows in the RAW file processing.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/5000, ISO 100.

Paducah and Louisville Railway 4503 brings up the rear as DPU on a loaded Louisville Gas and Electric coal train as they pass over south Main Street in Madisonville, Ky, as they head north to the LGE power plant, just outside of Louisville, Ky, on April 3rd, 2024.

According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway (reporting mark PAL) is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August 1986.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 240.

Paducah and Louisville Railway 4518 and 4516 lead a loaded Louisville Gas and Electric coal train over the CSX Henderson Subdivision at the location called Monarch in Madisonville, Ky, as they head north to the LGE power plant, just outside of Louisville, Ky, on April 3rd, 2024.

According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway (reporting mark PAL) is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August 1986.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/3200, ISO 140.

After doing a train swap at Caneyville, Ky the conductor on the northbound Paducah and Louisville (PAL) Louisville Gas and Electric coal train prepares to throw the switch at the north end of the siding, to continue their move north on February 1st, 2024.

The Louisville crew is taking the loaded train back to their home territory north on the PAL to deliver their load to Louisville Gas and Electric power plant, outside of Louisville, Ky. The Madisonville crew is taking the empty train back south (in the distance) for another load of coal from Warrior Coal Mine.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 370.

Paducah and Louisville Railway’s University of Louisville locomotive 2013 leads a loaded Louisville Gas and Electric coal train north as it passes over the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Monarch on March 7^th, 2024, at Madisonville, Kentucky as signs of spring are starting to show in the foliage.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/8, 1/800, ISO 210.

Paducah and Louisville Railway local WW1, running engines light northbound, passes a loaded Louisville Gas and Electric (LGE) coal train siting on the Warrior Mine lead, as WW1 heads to Atkison Yard at Madisonville, Ky and Central City, Ky to do their interchange work on February 29th, 2024. The LGE train will get a crew in about another hour and then head north to the power plant outside of Louisville, Ky.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 260.

Paducah and Louisville Railway locomotive 4504 leads a Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train as it heads north, crossing over the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Monarch, at Madisonville, Kentucky on February 7th, 2024, bound for the power plant outside of Louisville, Ky.

According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway (reporting mark PAL) is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August 1986. The 223-mile (359 km) main route runs between Paducah and Louisville with branch lines from Paducah to Kevil and Mayfield, Kentucky, and another from Cecilia to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The PAL interchanges with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Canadian National (CN), formerly Illinois Central Railroad, in Paducah. In Madisonville, the line interchanges with CSX Transportation (CSXT).

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 290.

Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 leads a Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train as it heads north approaching Rockport, Kentucky on February 1st, 2024, after loading at Warrior Coal loop, outside of Nebo, Ky.

The engine was specially painted to honor the school’s NCAA basketball wins.

According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway (reporting mark PAL) is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August 1986. The 223-mile (359 km) main route runs between Paducah and Louisville with branch lines from Paducah to Kevil and Mayfield, Kentucky, and another from Cecilia to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The PAL interchanges with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Canadian National (CN), formerly Illinois Central Railroad, in Paducah. In Madisonville, the line interchanges with CSX Transportation (CSXT).

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 280.

Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Louisville locomotive 2013 pulls a loaded Louisville Gas and Electric (LGE) coal train off the Warrior lead as they start their move north to the LGE power plant, just outside Louisville, Ky, on January 24th, 2024.

This engine is specially painted to honor the school’s NCAA basketball wins.

According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway (reporting mark PAL) is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 200.

Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 leads a Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train as it heads north through Rosine, Kentucky on February 1st, 2024, after loading at Warrior Coal loop, outside of Nebo, Ky.

The engine was specially painted to honor the school’s NCAA basketball wins.

According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway (reporting mark PAL) is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August 1986. The 223-mile (359 km) main route runs between Paducah and Louisville with branch lines from Paducah to Kevil and Mayfield, Kentucky, and another from Cecilia to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The PAL interchanges with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Canadian National (CN), formerly Illinois Central Railroad, in Paducah. In Madisonville, the line interchanges with CSX Transportation (CSXT).

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 400.