September 21, 2019 – Southern 4501, all dressed up as L&N 1593, approaches the Hwy 27 overpass on the Chattanooga & Chickamauga Railroad, as it heads south into Chickamauga, Georgia, during the 2019 L&N Convention, at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
September 20, 2019 – Southern 4501, all dressed up as L&N 1593, as it sits next to Southern 630, for the Annual L&N Convention, at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee during a night photo shoot.
September 19, 2019 – The sun begins to set over the Paducah and Louisville Railway at the crossing from West Yard in Madisonville, Ky as we approach the first day of fall.
September 6, 2019 – Soo Line/Wisconsin Central FP7 Number 2500-A sits in the station at Two Harbors, Minnesota as the CN yard man and the engineer from our photo excursion train talk on the platform. Everyone from the photo excursion passenger train on the North Shore Scenic Railroad with are off the train shooting their photos of the train set, as we all wait for permission into the CN yard at Two Harbors so our train can be turned and head back to Duluth, Minnesota.
According to Wikipedia: With steam operations on North American Railroads being converted to diesel operations, Electro-Motive, along with other locomotive builders, began building demonstrator units to be tested by various railroads. Electro-Motive built a set of three FP7 units, 7001 (A-unit) and 7002 & 7003 (B-units). In November 1949, Canadian Pacific Railway tested these units. Canadian Pacific owned most of the Soo Line, and after testing the three demonstrator units, they were sent to the Soo Line.
In April 1950, Soo Line ran the set from Minneapolis, MN to Portal, ND then Duluth, MN to Winnipeg. 7001 hosted the United Kingdom’s Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII, in its cab through North Dakota. Soo Line was so impressed with the set, that it purchased them for use on Wisconsin Central. In May 1950, they were delivered as WC 2500-A, 2500-B, and 2501-B.
WC 2500-A often pulled Soo’s Laker from Chicago to Duluth. Although numbered as Wisconsin Central, 2500 was painted in Soo Line’s maroon and gold scheme. In 1960 Wisconsin Central became part of the Soo Line, and 2500 was repainted into the red and gray Soo Line scheme. When passenger service was discontinued in the 1960s, 2500 was used to pull freight trains.
September 8, 2019 – CTA Blue Line train 117 crests a hill coming out of downtown Chicago, Illinois as it approaches the Damen Station, headed toward O’Hare airport.
September 10, 2019 – Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad 3896 and 4210 approaches heads toward the crossing at 1st Street at Terre Haute, Indiana as it heads onto the Danville Secondary Subdivision with a mixed freight.
According to Wikipedia: The Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad (reporting mark DREI) is an American regional railroad that is a subsidiary of Watco Companies operating in eastern Illinois and western Indiana.
In January 2018, CSX Transportation announced that it was seeking offers to buy the Decatur Subdivision and the Danville Secondary Subdivision as part of a system-wide sale of low-traffic routes, and in July, Watco, via the DREI, was identified as the winning bidder. Following regulatory approval from the Surface Transportation Board, The DREI began operations on September 9, 2018.
The DREI operates two intersecting routes totaling 126.7 miles (203.9 km)the former Decatur Subdivision between Montezuma, Indiana and Decatur, Illinois, and the former Danville Secondary Subdivision between Terre Haute, Indiana and Olivet, Illinois. It interchanges traffic with CSX, the Eastern Illinois Railroad, the Norfolk Southern Railway, the Canadian National Railway, and the Union Pacific Railroad.The railroad is headquartered in Paris, Illinois.
September 4, 2019 – A loaded BNSF coal train navigates the loop at the Superior Midwest Energy Terminal along the St. Louis Bay, at the mouth of the St. Louis River (Lake Superior) in Superior, Wisconsin.
September 9, 2019 – Union Pacific 6013 leads a mixed freight over the BNSF Aurora Subdivision, at the diamond, as a track inspector watches from the side as it heads westbound on the the UP Geneva Subdivision at Rochelle, Illinois.
September 6, 2019 – Soo Line/Wisconsin Central FP7 Number 2500-A sits in the station at Two Harbors, Minnesota on the North Shore Scenic Railroad with a photo excursion passenger train.
According to Wikipedia: With steam operations on North American Railroads being converted to diesel operations, Electro-Motive, along with other locomotive builders, began building demonstrator units to be tested by various railroads. Electro-Motive built a set of three FP7 units, 7001 (A-unit) and 7002 & 7003 (B-units). In November 1949, Canadian Pacific Railway tested these units. Canadian Pacific owned most of the Soo Line, and after testing the three demonstrator units, they were sent to the Soo Line.
In April 1950, Soo Line ran the set from Minneapolis, MN to Portal, ND then Duluth, MN to Winnipeg. 7001 hosted the United Kingdom’s Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII, in its cab through North Dakota. Soo Line was so impressed with the set, that it purchased them for use on Wisconsin Central. In May 1950, they were delivered as WC 2500-A, 2500-B, and 2501-B.
WC 2500-A often pulled Soo’s Laker from Chicago to Duluth. Although numbered as Wisconsin Central, 2500 was painted in Soo Line’s maroon and gold scheme. In 1960 Wisconsin Central became part of the Soo Line, and 2500 was repainted into the red and gray Soo Line scheme. When passenger service was discontinued in the 1960s, 2500 was used to pull freight trains.
September 5, 2019 – The Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332 steam locomotive, under full steam, heads back toward Duluth, Minnesota during a recent photo charter from the Lake Superior Railroad Museum, on the North Shore Line.
September 9, 2019 – Lights reflect off the side of refrigerated reefers as Burlington Junction Railway 1517 works on picking up and dropping off cars 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 3 intermodal yard on the other side of town.
September 5, 2019 – Lake Superior Railroad Museum Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332 steam locomotive passes a string of Canadian Northern tank cars as it makes its way north through Marbles Siding, south of Two Harbors, Minnesota with an excursion freight from the Lake Superior Railroad Museum on the North Shore Railroad.
September 12, 2019 – It has been several weeks since Dotki Mine in Clay, Kentucky shut down and today the town of Providence, Ky turnout for the last load of coal (20 cars or so) from the mine. The last run today was dedicated in honor the miners who worked there–and the miner Jeremy Elder–who died just one week ago at Warrior Coal Mine in Madisonville, Ky.
In this photo we see the Elder family posing for pictures on Paducah and Louisville Railway’s 4522, University of Kentucky engine, which was heading up CSX Z464-12 on the last trip along the CSX Morganfield Branch.
Coal trains have been passing through Providence since the 1800’s according to a Facebook post by Providence Mayor Doug Hammers and a banner on the last coal car read; for the last 52 years the railroad has hauled a total of over 193 Million tons of coal from the Dotki Mine.
The mine was operated by Alliance Resource Partner’s (ARP) subsidiary, Webster County Coal LLC nad according to recent news reports by the Gleaner Newspaper in Henderson, Kentucky, the mine closed due to a decline in the coal market. “Unfortunately, weak market conditions made this action necessary,” said Joseph W. Craft III, chairman, president and chief executive officer of ARP. “We are saddened that production will be ending at the Dotiki Mine, which was opened in 1969 and is the oldest mine operated by ARLP.”
September 5, 2019 – Lake Superior Railroad Museum Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332 steam locomotive passes over the trestle before Palmers Siding at milepost 16 as it heads north toward Two Harbors from Duluth, Minnesota. Lake Superior Railroad Museum with an excursion freight.
According to Wikipedia: Duluth & Northeastern 28 (also known as Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332) is a restored 2-8-0 (consolidation) locomotive built in 1906 by the Pittsburgh Works of American Locomotive Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was restored to operating condition by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum from 2011-2017, and now operates in excursion service on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.
September 5, 2019 – Lake Superior Railroad Museum Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332 steam locomotive approaches the crossing at Palmers Siding at milepost 16 as it heads north toward Two Harbors from Duluth, Minnesota. Lake Superior Railroad Museum with an excursion freight.
According to Wikipedia: Duluth & Northeastern 28 (also known as Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332) is a restored 2-8-0 (consolidation) locomotive built in 1906 by the Pittsburgh Works of American Locomotive Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was restored to operating condition by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum from 2011-2017, and now operates in excursion service on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.
September 9, 2019 – A Union Pacific intermodal passes under the former Chicago and North Western Railway coaling tower, as it heads westbound on the Geneva Subdivision with UP 4729 leading at DeKalb, Illinois.
September 8, 2019 – CTA Blue Line train 105 heads downhill as it approaches the Damen Station, bound for Forest Park, after passing a O’Hare bound train in Chicago, Illinois.
September 5, 2019 – The Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332 steam locomotive from the Lake Superior Railroad Museum passes a small pond under full steam at Palmers around MP 15.5 on the North Shore Line as it pulls a excursion freight train north toward Twin Harbors from Duluth, Minnesota.
According to Wikipedia: Duluth & Northeastern 28 (also known as Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332) is a restored 2-8-0 (consolidation) locomotive built in 1906 by the Pittsburgh Works of American Locomotive Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was restored to operating condition by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum from 2011-2017, and now operates in excursion service on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.
September, 2019 – Soo Line/Wisconsin Central FP7 Number 2500-A pulls up the grade as it approaches Lakewood on the North Shore Scenic Railroad as it heads to Two Harbors, from the Lake Superior Railroad Museum at Duluth, Minnesota.
According to Wikipedia: With steam operations on North American Railroads being converted to diesel operations, Electro-Motive, along with other locomotive builders, began building demonstrator units to be tested by various railroads. Electro-Motive built a set of three FP7 units, 7001 (A-unit) and 7002 & 7003 (B-units). In November 1949, Canadian Pacific Railway tested these units. Canadian Pacific owned most of the Soo Line, and after testing the three demonstrator units, they were sent to the Soo Line.
In April 1950, Soo Line ran the set from Minneapolis, MN to Portal, ND then Duluth, MN to Winnipeg. 7001 hosted the United Kingdom’s Duke of Windsor, the former King Edward VIII, in its cab through North Dakota. Soo Line was so impressed with the set, that it purchased them for use on Wisconsin Central. In May 1950, they were delivered as WC 2500-A, 2500-B, and 2501-B.
WC 2500-A often pulled Soo’s Laker from Chicago to Duluth. Although numbered as Wisconsin Central, 2500 was painted in Soo Line’s maroon and gold scheme. In 1960 Wisconsin Central became part of the Soo Line, and 2500 was repainted into the red and gray Soo Line scheme. When passenger service was discontinued in the 1960s, 2500 was used to pull freight trains.
In 1980, 2500 was converted to provide compressed air and electrical power to snowplows in the winter months. In August 1986, Soo 2500 was donated to the Lake Superior Railroad Museum. Soo 2500 went through a lengthy and complete overhaul. Much of its interior was repaired or replaced. Its exterior was repainted back into Soo Line’s old maroon and gold scheme. In 1995, Soo Line 2500 pulled passenger trains, this time for the North Shore Scenic Railroad and now for the Lake Superior Railroad Museum.
September 5, 2019 – The Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332 steam locomotive from Lake Superior Railroad Museum rounds a curve under full steam as it heads north toward Twin Harbors from Duluth, Minnesota. Lake Superior Railroad Museum
According to Wikipedia: Duluth & Northeastern 28 (also known as Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range 332) is a restored 2-8-0 (consolidation) locomotive built in 1906 by the Pittsburgh Works of American Locomotive Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was restored to operating condition by the Lake Superior Railroad Museum from 2011-2017, and now operates in excursion service on the North Shore Scenic Railroad.
September 4, 2019 – A BNSF local works on picking up cars at BNSF’s Rices Point Yard in Duluth, Minnesota.