September 3, 2018 – Day 308 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Platform Greetings – Today this scene was repeated at many of the stations between Chicago and Carbondale, Illinois as I made my trip back home from Chicago on train 391!
September 2, 2018 – An evening CTA “L” train makes its way across the Chicago River, on the Wells Street Bridge, as it heads toward the downtown Chicago, Illinois Loop. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #cta #thechicagol #chicago
September 2, 2018 – Day 307 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Lines – After getting off the Blue Line train in Chicago, Illinois I grabbed this shot of the stairs, escalator and patterns in the walls, ceiling and stairs as I transferred to the “L” trains at the Clark/State Street Station. The lady showing up at the right time added the human element to the scene that makes it stronger.
September 1, 2018 – St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad steam locomotive 1630 passes through the crossing approaching the station at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois as the last light of day begins to fade from the sky.
According to Wikipedia, the locomotive was built in 1918 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works for use in Russia as a class Ye locomotive. However, it, along with approximately 200 other locomotives, remained in the United States, due to the inability of the Bolshevik government to pay for them, following the Russian Revolution.
1630 was converted from 5 ft (1,524 mm) Russian track gauge to 4 ft 8 1/2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge. After being re-gauged, #1630 was sold to the USRA and was numbered 1147. Shortly after, 1147 was briefly leased for use on the Pennsylvania Railroad.
In 1920, the locomotive was sold to the St. Louis San Francisco Railway, where it was used as a mixed traffic engine. In 1951, the locomotive was sold to Eagle-Picher, who used it to haul lead ore from a mine to their smelter.
In 1967, the locomotive was donated to the Illinois Railway Museum, in Union, Illinois, where they began restoring it in 1972, it returned to operating condition in 1974 and made its first revenue run. Sometime after arriving at the museum, 1630 was restored from her Eagle Picher appearance back to her Frisco appearance. 1630 was taken out of service in 2004, and after more than six years undergoing repairs and a federally mandated rebuild, it was returned to operational condition on October 30, 2013.
On Memorial Day weekend 2014, the locomotive returned to excursion service. In 2016, the locomotive received a cylinder overhaul, which according to Steam department curator, Nigel Bennett, made the locomotive, “probably more powerful than she has been since her [sic] first arrival at IRM in the 1970s.” The locomotive, during Memorial Day weekend 2016, pulled 137 empty coal cars in storage at the museum as what was considered to be one of the longest revenue freight trains powered by a steam locomotive in at least 25 years as said by IRM’s Steam department curator. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #steamtrains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #illinoisrailwaymuseum #steamtrain
September 1, 2018 – Day 306 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Amtrak Platform – Waiting to be one of the last off Amtrak 392 at Chicago’s Union Station I grabbed this shot of the platform! I love the light, shapes and design of the photo!
August 29, 2018 – Evansville Western Railway, 6001 and 6000 lead local MVL1 as the crew performs interchange work with CSX at the south end of Howell Yard in Evansville, Indiana. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #fujixt1 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 31, 2018 – Day 305 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – What a smile – My nephew Xavier is growing too fast!! I grabbed this shot as he flashed me a smile today at karate with one of his front baby teeth now gone!
August 29, 2018 – PRLX 691 passes over the Walbash River bridge on Norfolk Southern 168 as it heads West on the NS Southern-West District at Mt. Carmel, Indiana at MP 151. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #fujixt1 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 30, 2018 – Day 304 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Waiting in line – While waiting in line at school to pickup Jayden this afternoon I shot this photo of kids playing on the playground. Finding something to help frame and add interest to your photograph will go a long way to making the picture more interesting!
August 29, 2018 – CSX Q588 heads through St. James Curve at Johnson Township Indiana as a break in the stormy skies sends a shaft of light onto the train as it makes its way south on the CE&D Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 29, 2018 – Day 303 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Rest Area! -Out railfanning today at Mt. Carmi, Indiana I spotted this “Rest Area 4 Coal Bucket Drivers” and had to get a photo! Couldn’t find any drivers around to pose however!
August 29, 2018 – CSX local J721-29 passes the signals at Darmstadt, Indiana as it makes it’s way south through a light rain on the CE&D Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 28, 2018 – Day 302 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Alien Deer – My nephew Damion proudly displays the “Alien Deer” he drew on a napkin today at lunch! He’s our budding artist!
August 22, 2018 – CSX Q501 basks in the glow of the evening sun as CSXT 74 leads it past Casky Inspection yard at Hopkinsville, Ky as it makes its way south on the Henderson Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 27, 2018 – Day 301 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Karate Drills – My nephew Jayden is having a good time as he works on a karate drill under the watchful eye of his sensei, Eric.
August 21, 2018 – CSX local, J732-21 heads under the US 41 overpass as it approaches the defect detector at Mortons Gap, Ky as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 26, 2018 – Day 300 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Photo Bomber!!! – Today at lunch I was shooting a selfie with my niece Journey and another niece Elaina snuck into the background for a “photo bomb!” Sometimes the photo you originally plan isn’t the one that comes out the best!
August 22, 2018 – RJ Corman’s 3805 leads it’s train east to Guthrie, Ky after doing a day of pickup and drop offs along the Memphis Turn, with 3863 trailing. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #rjc #rjcrailroad #rjcormanrailroad
August 25, 2018 – Day 299 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Cousins! – My nephews Xavier and Jayden lay around on a car trailer ramp after we spent a couple hours walking around and shooting pictures at the Frog Follies car show in Evansville, Indiana today. They both were about tuckered out but had a great time!
August 22, 2018 – CSXT 64 leads N875, a loaded coal train, past local J732 at Guthrie, Ky as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision through a cloud of coal dust from its trailing train. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 24, 2018 – Day 298 – iPhone 7 Plus Daily B/W Photo Challenge – Aunt Chrystal! – My niece Chrystal surprised Elaina, Jayden and Damion yesterday when she walked in the door for their karate practice! She lives in Chicago and when she showed up you could hear plain as day Aunt Chrystal as the three of them rushed to give her a hug! I expected this to happen and was ready with my iPhone when she came in the door. Being prepared is always good, but still I got a bit of movement from being in the lower light of the indoors. However, I’ll take a little blur as this is a moment that makes it worth it!