CSX empty coal train E904 heads north across Gum Lick Trestle at sunset, just north of Kelly, Kentucky on April 21st, 2024, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/5000, ISO 100.
CSXT 1869, Chesapeake & Ohio, heads north as the lead engine on X512 at Sebree, Kentucky
CSXT 1869, Chesapeake & Ohio, heads north as the lead engine on X512 at Sebree, Kentucky on May 12th, 2024, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.
From a CSX Press Release: A locomotive commemorating the proud history of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway has entered service as the fifth in the CSX heritage series celebrating the lines that came together to form the modern railroad.
Numbered CSX 1869 in honor of the year the C&O was formed in Virginia from several smaller railroads, the newest heritage locomotive sports a custom paint design that includes today’s CSX colors on the front of the engine and transitions to a paint scheme inspired by 1960s era C&O locomotives on the rear two-thirds.
The C&O Railway was a major line among North American freight and passenger railroads for nearly a century before becoming part of the Chessie System in 1972 and eventually merging into the modern CSX. In 1970, the C&O included more than 5,000 route miles of track stretching from Newport News, Virginia, to Chicago and the Great Lakes.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
CSXT 1852, Western Maryland Heritage Unit, heads north at Gum Lick Trestle, Kelly, Ky
CSXT 1852, Western Maryland Heritage Unit, heads north as the mid-train DPU on X512 as it passes over Gum Lick Trestle, just north of Kelly, Kentucky on May 12th, 2024, northbound on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.
This extra 512 actually had two heritage units as the Chesapeake & Ohio unit 1869 was the lead engine on this same train and I’ll be posting a shot of that engine at Sebree, Ky this afternoon!
DPU Stands for Distributed Power Unit, a locomotive set capable of remote-control operation in conjunction with locomotive unites at the train’s head end. DPUs are placed in the middle or at the rear of heavy trains (such as coal, or grain) to help climb steep grades.
From a CSX press release: April 9, 2024 – CSX has launched another addition to its locomotive fleet – the Western Maryland heritage locomotive. This new locomotive pays homage to the rich history of railroads in the Western Maryland region and symbolizes CSX’s commitment to preserving and celebrating its railroad heritage.
The Western Maryland Railroad operated between 1852 and 1983 in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was a small railroad that primarily transported coal and freight.
“In 1983 the Western Maryland fully merged with the B&O (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad), which merged with the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad) in 1987. They eventually merged with the Seaboard System to form CSX.” explained Tim Music, a CSX carman painter who assisted with the project.
The CSX Western Maryland heritage locomotive features a striking design inspired by the iconic colors and markings of the historic Western Maryland Railway. With its bold red, black, and gold livery, this locomotive stands out as a tribute to the legacy of railroading in the region.
“This was a smaller rail line but it is still an important part of our CSX history and we want to honor it,” shared Clyde Marshall, another CSX carman painter involved with the effort.
The Western Maryland is the twelfth heritage unit released by CSX in its current series, which underscores its appreciation for its railroad history as it continues to innovate for the future. The units are crafted at the company’s mechanical shop in Waycross, Georgia.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 110.
CSXT 1869, Chesapeake & Ohio, heads north as the lead engine on X512 as it crosses Gum Lick Trestle…
CSXT 1869, Chesapeake & Ohio, heads north as the lead engine on X512 as it crosses Gum Lick Trestle, north of Kelly, Kentucky on May 12th, 2024, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.
From a CSX Press Release: A locomotive commemorating the proud history of the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway has entered service as the fifth in the CSX heritage series celebrating the lines that came together to form the modern railroad.
Numbered CSX 1869 in honor of the year the C&O was formed in Virginia from several smaller railroads, the newest heritage locomotive sports a custom paint design that includes today’s CSX colors on the front of the engine and transitions to a paint scheme inspired by 1960s era C&O locomotives on the rear two-thirds.
The C&O Railway was a major line among North American freight and passenger railroads for nearly a century before becoming part of the Chessie System in 1972 and eventually merging into the modern CSX. In 1970, the C&O included more than 5,000 route miles of track stretching from Newport News, Virginia, to Chicago and the Great Lakes.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.
CSXT 1852, Western Maryland Heritage Unit, heads north as the mid-train DPU on X512 at Sebree, Kentucky
CSXT 1852, Western Maryland Heritage Unit, heads north as the mid-train DPU on X512 at Sebree, Kentucky on May 12th, 2024, northbound on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. This extra 512 actually had two heritage units as the Chesapeake & Ohio unit 1869 was the lead engine on this same train and I’ll be posting a shot of that engine crossing over Gum Lick Trestle this afternoon!
DPU Stands for Distributed Power Unit, a locomotive set capable of remote-control operation in conjunction with locomotive unites at the train’s head end. DPUs are placed in the middle or at the rear of heavy trains (such as coal, or grain) to help climb steep grades.
From a CSX press release: April 9, 2024 – CSX has launched another addition to its locomotive fleet – the Western Maryland heritage locomotive. This new locomotive pays homage to the rich history of railroads in the Western Maryland region and symbolizes CSX’s commitment to preserving and celebrating its railroad heritage.
The Western Maryland Railroad operated between 1852 and 1983 in Maryland, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. It was a small railroad that primarily transported coal and freight.
“In 1983 the Western Maryland fully merged with the B&O (Baltimore and Ohio Railroad), which merged with the C&O (Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad) in 1987. They eventually merged with the Seaboard System to form CSX.” explained Tim Music, a CSX carman painter who assisted with the project.
The CSX Western Maryland heritage locomotive features a striking design inspired by the iconic colors and markings of the historic Western Maryland Railway. With its bold red, black, and gold livery, this locomotive stands out as a tribute to the legacy of railroading in the region.
“This was a smaller rail line but it is still an important part of our CSX history and we want to honor it,” shared Clyde Marshall, another CSX carman painter involved with the effort.
The Western Maryland is the twelfth heritage unit released by CSX in its current series, which underscores its appreciation for its railroad history as it continues to innovate for the future. The units are crafted at the company’s mechanical shop in Waycross, Georgia.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 160.
CSX empty ethanol train B828 speeds through the north end of Slaughters, Kentucky
CSX empty ethanol train B828 speeds through the north end of Slaughters, Kentucky, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, on May 11th, 2024, under a cloud of beautiful stars and the setting moon.
Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @ 10mm, f/5, 30 seconds, ISO 2500.
I set out last night to hopefully catch the northern lights at Slaughters, Ky
I set out last night to hopefully catch the northern lights at work and ended up with this scene at the north end of the siding at Slaughters, Kentucky, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, on May 11th, 2024. I shot till after 10pm and while the northern lights didn’t appear for my shot while was there, I did see 7 trains, did 2 live videos and caught one shooting star, plus probably an airplane or something similar above the signals!
Sometimes the plan just doesn’t come together, but you still get something nice that wasn’t even part of my plan, but someone else’s?
Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 10-24 @ 24mm, f/5, 20 seconds, ISO 2500.
A crew on Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad works on cleaning the area under the firebox…
A crew on Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad works on cleaning the area under the firebox after dumping the ashes from 484 at Chama, New Mexico in this shot from the early 1990’s.
According to Wikipedia: The Cumbres and Toltec Scenic Railroad, often abbreviated as the C&TSRR, is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge heritage railroad that operates on 64 miles (103 km) of track between Antonito, Colorado, and Chama, New Mexico, in the United States.
The railroad is named for two geographical features along the route: the 10,015-foot (3,053 m)-high Cumbres Pass and the Toltec Gorge. Originally part of the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad’s narrow-gauge network, the line has been jointly owned by the states of Colorado and New Mexico since 1970.
Today, the C&TSRR is one of only two remaining parts of the former D&RGW narrow-gauge network, the other being the Durango and Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad (D&SNG), which runs between the communities of Durango and Silverton, Colorado.
The railroad has a total of ten narrow-gauge steam locomotives (five of which are operational) and two narrow-gauge diesel locomotives on its current roster.
The railroad also operates two smaller former D&RGW steam locomotives, Nos. 315 (owned by the Durango Railroad Historical Society) and 168 (owned by the City of Colorado Springs, Colorado), for special events and excursions.
Tech Notes: Nikon F3 Film Camera, lens, f/stop and shutter speed not recorded
In this week’s Saturday Infrared photo, we catch BNSF 97117 bringing up the rear as DPU…
In this week’s Saturday Infrared photo, we catch BNSF 97117 bringing up the rear as DPU on a loaded coal train working its way through the loop at the TVA power plant at Kingston, Tennessee, on April 28th, 2024.
DPU. Stands for Distributed Power Unit, a locomotive set capable of remote-control operation in conjunction with locomotive unites at the train’s head end. DPUs are placed in the middle or at the rear of heavy trains (such as coal, or grain) to help climb steep grades.
Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Nikon 10-24mm @ 14mm, f/5.6, 1/950, ISO 400.
Thomas the Tank Engine sits on the main waiting for Southern Railroad 630 to clear the switch…
The Iconic Thomas the Tank Engine sits on the main waiting for Southern Railroad 630 to clear the switch at the siding just before the Chickamauga Creek Bridge his train can proceed toward East Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 27th, 2024.
According to Wikipedia: Thomas the Tank Engine is an anthropomorphised fictional tank locomotive in the British Railway Series books by Wilbert Awdry and his son, Christopher, published from 1945. He became the most popular and famous character in the series, and is the titular protagonist in the accompanying television adaptation series Thomas & Friends and its reboot Thomas & Friends: All Engines Go.
All of the vehicles in The Railway Series were based on prototypical engines; Thomas’s basis is the LB&SCR E2 class. Thomas first appeared in 1946 in the second book in the series, Thomas the Tank Engine, and was the focus of the four short stories contained within. In The Railway Series and early episodes of Thomas & Friends, Thomas’s best friends are Percy and Toby, though he is also close friends with Edward. Later episodes of Thomas & Friends have Thomas in a trio with James and Percy, and Percy is known as his best friend.
In 1979, British writer and producer Britt Allcroft came across the books, and arranged a deal to bring the stories to life as the TV series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (later simplified to Thomas & Friends). The programme became an award-winning hit around the world, with a vast range of spin-off commercial products.
Thomas now travels the world to delight children of all ages!
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.
Norfolk Southern 189 Autorack train heads south at past the old depot at Spring City, TN
Norfolk Southern 189 Autorack train heads south at past the NS CNO&TP Third District as they pass the old depot in downtown Spring City, Tennessee on April 28th, 2024.
According to https://theclio.com website: The restored railroad depot was built In 1900 by the Queen and Crescent Railroad Company that extended out of Cincinnati Ohio built for the purposes of extending travel and commerce to the south.
In addition to it’s function of providing access to the southern areas of the United States, the Depot eventually became a museum that chronicled the story of a group of female rebels dubbed “The Rhea County Spartans.” During the course of the Civil War these Women Served as spies for the Confederate Army. However they were eventually caught and as a result of their actions they were arrested and sent 54 miles to the Market Street in Chattanooga. It was there that they were forced to swear allegiance to the Union before being sent back home on foot.
Today it houses the Spring City History Museum.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.
Southern Railway 630 departs East Chattanooga as heads to Grand Junction at West Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 departs East Chattanooga as heads to Grand Junction at West Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 27th, 2024, with a loaded passenger train.
According to Wikipedia: Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 “Consolidation” type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr., along with a group of local railway preservationists. They wanted to save steam locomotives and railway equipment for future historical display and use. Today, the museum offers various tourist excursions from stations in Chattanooga and Etowah, Tennessee.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, Sigma 150-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, 1/500, ISO 360.
Norfolk Southern 4413 and 9783 lead 29F at Revelo, Sterns, TN
Norfolk Southern 4413 and 9783 lead 29F as they pass the old mine loadout at Revelo outside Sterns, Kentucky with their train, which includes 10 flats loaded with John Deere Tractors behind the power, as they head south on NS CNO&TP (Rathole) Subdivision, on April 29th, 2024. stormy skies.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 120.
Southern Railway 630 crosses over the Chickamauga Creek Bridge at West Chattanooga, TN
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 crosses over the Chickamauga Creek Bridge as it heads to Grand Junction at West Chattanooga, Tennessee, on April 27th, 2024.
According to Wikipedia: Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 “Consolidation” type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr., along with a group of local railway preservationists. They wanted to save steam locomotives and railway equipment for future historical display and use. Today, the museum offers various tourist excursions from stations in Chattanooga and Etowah, Tennessee.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 330.
Union Pacific 5954 leads a southbound Norfolk Southern Intermodal across the Tennbridge at East Chattanooga, TN
Union Pacific 5954, sporting their new paint scheme, leads a southbound Norfolk Southern Intermodal across the Tennbridge, over the Tennessee River at sunset, on the CNO&TP Third District, at East Chattanooga, TN.
According to Wikipedia: Tenbridge is a vertical-lift railroad bridge over the Tennessee River in Chattanooga, Tennessee. It has a main span of 310 feet (94 m).
The original span was a swing span with a center pivot that was originally built in ca. 1879/1880. It was replaced by a vertical lift span in 1917, but the lift towers and machinery were not installed until 1920. It remains a very busy crossing on the Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway, a major subsidiary of the Norfolk Southern Railway. The bridge carries two mainline tracks across the river.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 330.
Southern Railway 630 exits Missionary Ridge Tunnel at East Chattanooga, TN
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 exits Missionary Ridge Tunnel as it approaches East Chattanooga, Tennessee with a trainload of passengers, on April 28th, 2024.
According to Wikipedia: Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 “Consolidation” type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.
According to the Tennessee River Valley Tourism site: Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s passenger trains run on an historic route which includes Missionary Ridge Tunnel, completed in 1858 and on the National Register of Historic Places. The tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through, the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an other wise double-track railroad. Southern Railway abandoned the three-mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether. TVRM restored rails through the tunnel in 1971 and continues to use the pre-Civil War Tunnel daily.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 110.
Norfolk Southern 143 southbound at Keno Cut, Tateville, Ky
Norfolk Southern 143 (Elkhart, IN, DeButts Yard – Chattanooga, TN) heads south at Keno cut on the NS CNO&TP (Rathole) Second District south of Tateville, Kentucky, on April 29th, 2024.
This was my first time shooting from this location and really love it! A big shout out to Andrew Stephenson and Matt Murphy for help during my trip along the Second District!! Because of you it was a very successful trip!
I didn’t make it all the way to Danville, Ky like I had planned as the time caught up with me, so I guess that means another trip down the road!! Stay tuned as I have a lot of photos and videos, I’m working on to share with everyone!
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 160.
Southern Railway 630 exits Missionary Ridge Tunnel at East Chattanooga, Tennessee
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 exits Missionary Ridge Tunnel as it approaches East Chattanooga, Tennessee with a trainload of passengers, on April 27th, 2024.
According to Wikipedia: Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 “Consolidation” type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.
According to the Tennessee River Valley Tourism site: Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s passenger trains run on an historic route which includes Missionary Ridge Tunnel, completed in 1858 and on the National Register of Historic Places. The tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through, the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an other wise double-track railroad. Southern Railway abandoned the three-mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether. TVRM restored rails through the tunnel in 1971 and continues to use the pre-Civil War Tunnel daily.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, Sigma 150-600 @ 390mm, f/6, 1/250, ISO 1000.
Norfolk Southern 168 is led by the Southern Heritage Unit, 8099 at Keno Cut, Tateville, KY
Norfolk Southern 168 is led by the Southern Heritage Unit, 8099, as it heads north at Keno cut on the NS CNO&TP (Rathole) Second District at Tateville, Kentucky, on April 29th, 2024.
This scheme is from the Southern Railway (GE) which originated as the South Carolina Canal and Railroad Company in 1827. On Christmas Day, 1830, it put into service the nation’s first regularly scheduled steam passenger train, “The Best Friend of Charleston.” Southern was incorporated in 1894 from the reorganization and consolidation of numerous predecessors and absorbed another 68 railroad companies over the next six years.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.
Southern Railway 630 crosses over the CSX W&A Subdivision at Chattanooga, TN
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 crosses over the CSX W&A Subdivision as it heads to East Chattanooga, Tennessee with a trainload of passengers, on April 27th, 2024.
According to Wikipedia: Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 “Consolidation” type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr., along with a group of local railway preservationists. They wanted to save steam locomotives and railway equipment for future historical display and use. Today, the museum offers various tourist excursions from stations in Chattanooga and Etowah, Tennessee.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 150.
CSXT 3305 leads a mixed freight heads north along the W&A Subdivision at Chattanooga, TN
CSXT 3305 leads a mixed freight heads north along the W&A Subdivision, as it passes under the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum line at East Chattanooga, Tennessee on April 28th, 2024. The W&A Sub is named for the Western and Atlantic Railroad which ran between Chattanooga and Terminus. Today, CSX operates this line as the W&A Sub and the mileposts carry the prefix of OWA.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 270.