WEB-05.04.19 Indiana Southern Railroad IPL coal train at Oakland City, IN

Indiana Southern Railroad, ISRR 3388…

May 4, 2019 – Indiana Southern Railroad, ISRR 3388 EMD SD40-2 Indianapolis power and light (IPL) coal train tied down on the main south of Oakland City, Indiana as it waits for a new crew just short of county road 250.

WEB-05.10.19 Q028 passes Q025 at Kelly, Ky

CSXT 5278 leads CSX Q028…

May 10, 2019 – CSXT 5278 leads CSX Q028 as it passes southbound a wall of containers on CSX Q025 at middle Kelly siding as they both go their opposite ways on the Henderson Subdivision at Kelly, Ky.

WEB-05.10.19 UP 5455 SB Loaded Coal Crossing the Diamond at Marion, IL

A loaded Union Pacific coal train…

May 10, 2019 – A loaded Union Pacific coal train with UP 5455 and 4311 leading, crosses over the Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railway (COER) and UP diamond as it heads south on UP’s Marion Subdivision at Marion, Illinois.

According to Wikipedia: The Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railway (reporting mark COER) (formerly American Rail Heritage, Ltd. d/b/a Crab Orchard and Egyptian Railroad Company) is a Class III common carrier shortline railroad that operates in the cities of Marion and Herrin in the Southern Illinois region. It is most historically recognized by the FRA for being the last U.S. railroad of any kind to use steam locomotives exclusively in regular revenue freight service up until 1986.

The present-day shortline currently operates a total of 13.5 miles (21.7 km) of track across the industrial centers of Williamson County in two separate railroad districts with a fleet of two diesel switcher engines. One line being known as the “Marion District”, which is the railroad’s main working division with roughly 8.5 miles (13.7 km) of track; and the other division being the “Herrin District”, which mostly serves the city’s manufacturing industries along a 5-mile (8.0 km) stretch of track.

I tried without success to find their units on this trip, but, like Arnold, “I’ll be back!”

WEB-05.08.19 CSX MOW at Mortons Gap, Ky

Things don’t always go as planned, do they!!

May 8, 2019 – Things don’t always go as planned, do they!! Today I ended up with this nice shot showing two CSX Welders repairing a section of track on the cutoff at Mortons Junction on the Henderson Subdivision at Mortons Gap, Ky. Don’t get me wrong, I like the shot, but it’s not the one I planned.

Let me backup just a little. The bridge over the tracks at Nortonville, Ky has been out of service sincesince last year and they finally opened it back up so I decided to head there to do a live video of a southbound train going through the nice S curve there. After setting at the location for almost two hours with no traffic, other than a track inspector, I had to head back to Madisonville. 

I passed through Mortons Gap to check the signal incase there was a northbound coming behind me when I found these two guys hard at work repairing a section of rail. I passed them by as I was running late to pick up one of my nieces from preschool and low and behold I encounter a southbound coal train at the next crossing on the main!

Well, I whip around and head back to the junction with just enough time to spare before the head end power on the train prepared to pass the workers! A good 24mm shot with the train trailing off and the workers waving to the crew as the train pulled into the sweet spot for the picture and I started shooting away… with no card in the camera! 

It happens to all of us!! I thought sure I had put it back, but obviously not! Now, the card was in the car, so if I had stopped in the first place to photograph them working, I would have realized it and put the card in and probably got the shot I wanted! So for me the moral of this story is, don’t pass up a shot! If you see one and it catches your eye then it’s worth exploring! Plus, you might have time to stick a card in before your secondary subject arrives! 

After doing this for over 40 years you’d think I’d learn a thing or two! Keep clicking folks and always make sure when you head out that there’s a card in your camera!! LOL

WEB-05.04.19 NS 60A with 8114 Heritage Unit on the Evansville Branch, Huntingburg, IN

Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 8114…

May 4, 2019 – Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 8114 trails behind NS 9318, on 60A, as it heads toward Huntingburg, Indiana on the NS Evansville Branch. It’s returning from AK Steel in Rockport, IN after dropping off loaded cars and picking up empties for the trip back to the east toward Louisville, Ky. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway #nsheritageunit

WEB-04.27.19 BNSF 9123 SB Coal Train crosses EVWRR at Ashley, IL

BNSF 9123 and 8831 lead a loaded coal train…

April 27, 2019 – BNSF 9123 and 8831 lead a loaded coal train over the CN/Evansville Western Railway Diamond as they head south on CN’s Centrailia Subdivision at Ashley, Illinois. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #bnsf #bnsfrailway

WEB-04.29.19 CSX Q025 passing Q513 at Nortonville, Ky

CSXT 777 leads Q025 as it passes…

April 29, 2019 – CSXT 777 leads Q025 as it passes the head end of Q513 at Nortonville, Ky as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad

WEB-05.04.19 NS 60A on the Evansville Branch, Huntingburg, IN

Norfolk Southern 60A makes it’s way…

May 4, 2019 – Norfolk Southern 60A makes it’s way through the countryside as it heads back east on the NS Evansville Branch with a load of empties from AK Steel at Rockport, Indiana. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway

WEB-05.04.19 NS 8101 tied down at Alcoa, Yankee Town, IN

Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 8101, Central of Georgia…

May 4, 2019 – Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 8101, Central of Georgia, sits tied down with NS 8006 at Alcoa as it waits for it’s coal cars to be unloaded at Yankee Town, Indiana. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway #nsheritageunit

WEB-05.04.19 NS 4002 at Liberty Mine, Booneville, IN

NS DC to AC Conversion engine 4002…

May 4, 2019 – NS DC to AC Conversion engine 4002 sits on the lead at Liberty Mine in Booneville, Indiana as it waits for a crew to take it in for loading. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway

WEB-05.01.19 CSX Q028 NB at Mortons Gap, Ky

CSX intermodal Q028 passes through Mortons Junction…

May 1, 2019 – CSX intermodal Q028 passes through Mortons Junction where it begins a uphill climb as it heads north from Mortons Gap, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad

WEB-04.29.19 CSX 513-29 SB with DODX Load, Mortons Gap, Ky

DODX car 39483 carries and brand new empty nuclear waste container…

April 29, 2019 – DODX car 39483 carries and brand new empty nuclear waste container as it heads south through Mortons Gap, Ky on CSX Q513-29 on the Henderson Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #fujixt1 #railroad #rainlroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailinroad

WEB-04.27.19 NS 4129 Coal Train SB at Centraila, IL

Norfolk Southern 4129 leads a coal train…

April 27, 2019 – Norfolk Southern 4129 leads a coal train as it enters the CN-IC Junction at Centralia, Illinois as it makes its way along the NS Southern West District. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway

WEB-05.01.19 CSX Q025 SB at Crofton Cut, Crofton, Ky

With a loud rumble CSXT 241 splits the rock walls…

May 1, 2019 – With a loud rumble CSXT 241 splits the rock walls as it leads CSX Q025 through the Crofton Cut, at Crofton, Ky, on its way south on the Henderson Subdivision with a loaded intermodal. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad

WEB-04.27.19 Amtrak 391 Departs Centraila, IL

Amtrak 390 departs Centralia, Illinois…

April 27, 2019 – Amtrak 390 departs Centralia, Illinois with engine 4615 leading the way as it heads south on CN’s Centralia Subdivision to its final destination of Carbondale. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #amtrak #passengertrain #commutertrain

WEB-04.27.19 NS 223 EB at Lyle Station, Princeton, IN

Norfolk Southern 9595 leading NS 223…

April 27, 2019 – Norfolk Southern 9595 leading NS 223 as it passes the west end of Lyle Station Siding at Princeton, IN, as it continues its trip east on the Southern East District. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway

WEB-04.27.19 CN SB freight arrives at Centraila, IL

CN 8874 leads a mixed freight south…

April 27, 2019 – CN 8874 leads a mixed freight south on the Centralia Subdivision through downtown Centralia, Illinois. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cn #cnrailway

WEB-04.27.19 IC 1005 leads SB CN freight at Centraila, IL

Illinois Central 1005 leads a southbound CN freight…

April 27, 2019 – Illinois Central 1005 leads a southbound CN freight as it pulls into the yard at Centralia, IL on the Centralia Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cnrailway #canadiannational

WEB-04.27.19 CSX NB Q028 and Q026 wait for a signal at King, Princeton, IN

The late evening sunlight sifts through…

April 27, 2019 – The late evening sunlight sifts through the intermodal containers on CSX Q028 as it and Q026 behind him, wait on a signal at King on track 1, at Princeton, Indiana so they can continue their trip north on the CE&D Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad

WEB-04.27.19 BNSF 9690 Coal Train WB at Centraila, IL

BNSF 5690 leads a westbound coal train…

April 27, 2019 – BNSF 5690 leads a westbound coal train as it passes through the junction at Centralia, Illinois on the Beardstown Subdivision. Another big shoutout to fellow railfan Brodie Jaimz Schwartz for all the help today!! – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #bnsfrailway #bnsf

WEB-04.27.19 NS 223 EB at East Junction, Princeton, IN

Norfolk Southern 9595 leading NS 223…

April 27, 2019 – Well, I couldn’t end this great day of railfanning without posting one, of many, favorite photos from today’s railfan trip. This is Norfolk Southern 9595 leading NS 223 as it crests the hill coming out of the yard at East Junction at Princeton, IN as it continues its trip east as the glow of sunset shines on the Southern East District. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway