CSXT 1, 2 and 3 (three former Amtrak F40PHs) head across the Red River Bridge at Adams, Tennessee, on a beautiful fall afternoon, as they lead CSX P001-18 Office Car Special passenger train north on the Henderson Subdivision on November 9th, 2021.
The train was carrying VIPs from CSX Transportation, who were on an inspection tour of some of their lines and the facilities along them.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 110.
Norfolk & Western Steam Locomotive 475 heads west on the Strasburg Railroad the rising sun illuminates the sky behind the train and steam as the cold November air produces a spectacular show of steam trailing over the train, as the train approaches the Esbenshade Road Crossing on November 7th, 2021 at Strasburg, Pennsylvania.
According to Wikipedia: Strasburg Railroad (Norfolk and Western) No. 475 is a 4-8-0 “Mastodon” type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Railroad outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in June 1906, it was part of the Norfolk and Western’s first order of M class numbered 375-499. Today, No. 475 is the only operating 4-8-0 type in North America and the Strasburg Rail Road’s oldest operating steam locomotive.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.
Norfolk Southern 4041 leads an intermodal through Horseshoe Curve at Altoona, Pennsylvania as it heads west on the NS Pittsburgh Line on a beautiful fall afternoon, on November 3rd, 2021.
According to Wikipedia: Horseshoe Curve is a three-track (though originally four) railroad curve on Norfolk Southern Railway’s Pittsburgh Line in Blair County, Pennsylvania. The curve itself is about 2,375 feet long and 1,300 feet in diameter; it was completed in 1854 by the Pennsylvania Railroad as a way to lessen the grade to the summit of the Allegheny Mountains. It eventually replaced the time-consuming Allegheny Portage Railroad, the only other route across the mountains for large vehicles. Because of the Allegheny Mountains geoform, in and around Altoona – and almost perfectly at “The Curve” – westbound traffic goes south and eastbound traffic goes north. So, in terms of final destination, the southern side of “The Curve” is where trains leave to go west, and vice versa.
The rail line has been important since its opening, and during World War II the Curve was targeted by Nazi Germany in 1942 as part of Operation Pastorius. The Curve was later owned and used by Pennsylvania Railroad successors Penn Central, Conrail, and Norfolk Southern. Horseshoe Curve was added to the National Register of Historic Places and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, and it became a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 2004.
Horseshoe Curve has long been a tourist attraction; a trackside observation park was completed in 1879. The Park was renovated and a visitor center built in the early 1990s. The Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona manages the center, which has exhibits pertaining to the curve.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100 -1 stop.
The Conductor on Norfolk and Western 475 watches the countryside roll-by as they depart with the last passenger train of the day, eastbound at dusk after, pulling in reverse out of the depot at the Strasburg Railroad the last light of the day barley illuminates the train and steam. The cold November air produces a spectacular show of steam trailing along the train on November 7th, 2021 at Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Once they reach their turn around point down the line they will reverse the locomotive by running around the train and head back to the station.
According to Wikipedia: Strasburg Railroad (Norfolk and Western) No. 475 is a 4-8-0 “Mastodon” type steam locomotive owned and operated by the Strasburg Railroad outside of Strasburg, Pennsylvania. Built by the Baldwin Locomotive Works in June 1906, it was part of the Norfolk and Western’s first order of M class numbered 375-499. Today, No. 475 is the only operating 4-8-0 type in North America and the Strasburg Rail Road’s oldest operating steam locomotive.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 2.5 sec, ISO 400.
Everett Railroad #11 sits just outside the station at Roaring Spring, Pennsylvania as it takes on water for the next leg of a Historic Transport Preservation, Inc, Steam Special on November 6th, 2021.
According to their website: Steam locomotive number 11 was constructed in 1920 by the Cooke Works of the American Locomotive Company (Alco) in Paterson, New Jersey. It is a “2‑6‑0” or “Mogul” type and was one of 54 engines of four different wheel arrangements built between 1920 and 1925 intended for export to Cuba and use in that country’s sugar cane fields.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 220.
CSXT 1, 2 and 3 (three former Amtrak F40PH’s) sit stopped on Main 1 at Casky Yard in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in its beautiful B&O paint.
The crew was waiting for the VIPs on CSX P001-18 Office Car Special passenger train to finish an inspection tour of the yard, before heading on north on the Henderson Subdivision on November 9th, 2021.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 120.
Norfolk and Western 475 heads west on the Strasburg Railroad as the glow of the rising sun illuminates the train and steam as the cold November air produces a spectacular show of steam trailing over the train, off into the distance, as the train approaches the Esbenshade Road Crossing on November 7th, 2021 at Strasburg, Pennsylvania.
This is the first of many photos from my week-long road trip with fellow photographer Ryan Scott of Steelrails here on Facebook. We covered a total of over 2,300 miles, railfanning through the states of Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania on the way to participate in the Historic Transport Preservation, Inc, Steam Special where we met up with fellow friend Bryan Burton.
It was a long, but outstanding railfan trip and we want to give a special shoutout to, Ethan Brodie, Albert Acker, Ryan Bruno, Ben Sutton, and others along the way that helped us during our trip with information and locations to shoot! With out your help and that of others we couldnt have done this trip as successfully!
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 220.
Union Pacific 7495 leads CSX K423, a loaded ethanol tank train out of the siding at the south end of the siding at Kelly, Kentucky as it continues its south movement on the CSX Henderson Subdivision with a second UP and a Canadian Pacific unit trailing on November 1st, 2021.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 120.
CSX J732 with CSXT 4083, 4049, 4384, 278, 749, 7231, GMTX 2149, 2135, 2201, 2152 and 2151 departs CSX Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Kentucky as it begins its return trip on the Henderson Subdivision to CSX Casky yard at Hopkinsville, KY after finishing its work at Madisonville.
While an impressive power move for a local being pulled by SD40s, the lead three engines were the only ones running as they departed the empty south end at Atkinson on September 19th, 2021.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 340mm, f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 640.
CSX Q513 climbs the viaduct over the floodplain to cross over the bridge over the Ohio River between Rahm, Indiana and Henderson, Kentucky, as CSXT 3197 leads it south on the Henderson Subdivision in the early morning light of October 13th, 2021.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 230mm, f/5.3, 1/640, ISO 140.
Infrared photograph of BNSF 5743 and 8363 as they head up a 7,600ft military train on August 11th, 2021, as it passes through Pembroke, Kentucky, with CSX W844-03. This was a third military move heading north to Hopkinsville, KY this week. At Hopkinsville they backed the train onto the Ft. Campbell wye where Ft. Campbell rail took it on the rest of the way to the base.
Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, sensor converted to 720nm B&W IR, Sigma 150-600mm @400mm, f/7.1, 1/250, ISO 200.
The DPU end of Paducah and Louisville Railway Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train brings up the rear as it heads north past Pond Rivers siding on October 25th, 2021, with the entire train in view from this drone viewpoint on a stormy fall afternoon, east of Madisonville, Ky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.
In this infrared photo we find Evansville Western Railway 4517, 4519 and 6002 as they sit tied down at the entrance of the Mt. Vernon Transfer Terminal, while they wait for their next assignment at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. There wasn’t a coal train in the transloading facility so the only thing I can figure is they were waiting to pick up cars at the Port of Indiana.
According the EVWR website: The Mt. Vernon Transfer Terminal is a coal-loading terminal on the Ohio River at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Coal is delivered to Mt. Vernon by both rail and truck. The terminal has a capacity of 8 million tons per year with existing ground storage. Mt. Vernon is capable of receiving and unloading 105-car unit trains of coal via EVWR (with direct connections to the majority of Class I railroads) that can transfer to ground storage and/or direct to barge(s).
Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/5.6, 1/500, ISO 400, October 13th, 2021.
X marks the spot! I keep returning to this location known as Monarch, where the CSX Henderson Subdivision passes under the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Madisonville, KY, as someday I’ll catch a train on both lines at the same time! It’s just a matter of patience, determination, and a lot of luck! It hasn’t happened yet, but it will!
Here we find Paducah and Louisville Railway’s (PAL) Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train as it heads north with PAL 2013, University of Louisville locomotive leading the way, on October 25th, 2021, passing over the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Arklow, as the fall color begins to show in the trees.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 100.
The fall harvests have started moving south on the CSX Henderson Subdivision as with many other railroads around the country. Here I caught CSX G390 as the late evening light rakes across the landscape with a Grain Express unit train, headed up by CSXT 5213, 3021 and 9010 as they approach Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Kentucky, on October 13th, 2021.
To the right is the cutoff track that bypasses downtown Earlington and Madisonville, Ky allowing dispatch to run trains past each other, and the grain train is on the mainline that goes through the towns. In the past there has been movements to double-track the cutoff and pull up the track in the two towns for a rails to trails, but the money for such an venture has never been raised.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 130.
Indiana Southern Railroad (ISRR) 3371, 3388, 3372 and 3387, lead an empty coal train north at Washington Township, Indiana, as the crew takes the train to Elnora, IN where they tied it down for the Indiana Railroad (INRD) to pick up. The INRD crew will then take the train on their railroad to Bear Run Mine at Dugger, IN for another load of coal for the Petersburg Generating Station at Petersburg, IN.
According to Wikipedia: The Indiana Southern Railroad (reporting mark ISRR) is a short line or Class III railroad operating in the United States state of Indiana. It began operations in 1992 as a RailTex property and was acquired by RailAmerica in 2000. RailAmerica was itself acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in December 2012. They operate 186 miles of track from Indianapolis to Evansville, Indiana.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 500mm, f/6.3, 1/640, ISO 400.
Paducah and Louisville Railway 4518 leads a southbound load of coal over the Tradewater River at Dawson Springs, Kentucky, with a splash of fall color beginning to show in the surrounding trees.
According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway 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 line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August of 1986.
The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August 1986 and 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
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/730, ISO 100.
CSXT 3398 leads CSX 513 as it passes windmill parts train W986 tied down in the siding at Hanson, Kentucky, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision, with a 10,980-foot train, as the fall colors begin to show in the landscape on October 21st, 2021.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100.
Norfolk Southern 167 passes through downtown Oakland City, Indiana as it crosses over the Indiana Southern line at the diamond, on its way east along the NS Southern East District with five locomotives and NS 4452 leading the charge on October 9th, 2021!
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.