With only a few days away from the first day of spring, Canadian National 2314 leads CSX K813 out of Mortons Gap, Ky, with an empty potash train, under gloomy and cold skies on March 18th, 2021, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 200.
As the last light of the day fades the crew on board CSX K814 braves the cold, winter’s snow as they step to the ground from Canadian Pacific 8109 at Arklow, to conduct a roll-by inspection of hot intermodal Q029 as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision at Madisonville, Kentucky.
CSX Q029 is usually an early morning move, but due to the winter storms that blew through the region, it along with many other trains moved a lot slower than usual with the conditions making it harder for the crews getting their trains loaded and moving.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 400.
Digital Art – Canadian Pacific 8867 leads CSX V752 as it passed the depot at Thurmond West Virginia.
CSX K870-12 with CP 9364 and CEFX 1002 leading, lead a 8,500ft loaded potash “Test” train south on the Henderson Subdivision through Nortonville, Kentucky on January 13, 2021.
CN has been running these potash trains for awhile and I’m told this is a test train from CP to look at the feasibility of doing the same on a regular basis on CSX. The train also had CP 8135 and 9739 as mid-train DPU units.
According to Wikipedia: Potash includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, which was the primary means of manufacturing the product before the Industrial Era. The word “potassium” is derived from “potash”.
Potash is produced worldwide in amounts exceeding 90 million tons per year, mostly for use in fertilizer. Various kinds of fertilizer-potash constitute the single greatest industrial use of the element potassium in the world. Potassium was first derived in 1807 by electrolysis of caustic potash (potassium hydroxide).
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.
CSX K870-12 approaches J. Knight Road crossing between Crofton and Kelly, Kentucky as CP 9364 and CEFX 1002 head a 8,500ft loaded potash “Test” train south on the Henderson Subdivision. CN has been running these potash trains for awhile and I’m told this is a test train from CP to look at the feasibility of doing the same on a regular basis on CSX. The train also had CP 8135 and 9739 as mid-train DPU units.
According to Wikipedia: Potash includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, which was the primary means of manufacturing the product before the Industrial Era. The word “potassium” is derived from “potash”.
Potash is produced worldwide in amounts exceeding 90 million tons per year, mostly for use in fertilizer. Various kinds of fertilizer-potash constitute the single greatest industrial use of the element potassium in the world. Potassium was first derived in 1807 by electrolysis of caustic potash (potassium hydroxide).
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @32mm f/10, 1/640, ISO 320.
Canadian National (CN) locomotive 3233 (Support our Troops) heads north on the CN Centralia Subdivision leading CN M396 passes through the diamonds at Centralia, Illinois on December 15th, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.
Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad 907 heads up the CN Fulton to Paducah local as it passes Canadian Pacific 7015 as it moves north through the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard at Paducah, Kentucky. It was on its way to pickup its train for the return trip to Fulton during its interchange work on the first day of winter, December 21, 2020.
Not sure what the Canadian Pacific 7015 Maroon and Gray Heritage Unit was doing at Paducah, but it made for a nice shot with the CN local
According to Wikipedia: “The Bessemer and Lake Erie Railroad (reporting mark BLE) is a class II railroad that operates in northwestern Pennsylvania and northeastern Ohio.
The railroad’s main route runs from the Lake Erie port of Conneaut, Ohio to the Pittsburgh suburb of Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, a distance of 139 miles (224 km). The original rail ancestor of the B&LE, the Shenango and Allegheny Railroad, began operation in October 1869.
Rail operations were maintained continuously by various corporate descendants on the growing system that ultimately became the B&LE in 1900. In 2004 B&LE came under the ownership of the Canadian National Railway (CN) as part of CN’s larger purchase of holding company Great Lakes Transportation. B&LE is operated by CN as their Bessemer Subdivision.
As a subsidiary of CN, B&LE has been largely unchanged (though repainting of B&LE locomotives into CN paint with “BLE” sub-lettering began in April 2015[2]) and still does business as B&LE. B&LE locomotives, especially the former Southern Pacific SD40T-3 “Tunnel Motors”, have been scattered across the CN system; many are being used in the line that feeds most of B&LE’s traffic, the former Duluth, Missabe, and Iron Range lines in Minnesota. The iron ore that originates on these lines is transloaded to ships at Two Harbors, Minnesota, then sent by ship to Conneaut, Ohio, where it is again transloaded to B&LE trains.
It is then taken down to steel mills in the Pittsburgh region, mainly to the blast furnaces at US Steel’s Edgar Thomson Plant in Braddock, Pennsylvania, part of the Mon Valley Works.”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.
With a seemingly ghost train running along side of it Canadian National 5854 (GTW) leads the Fulton to Paducah, Ky local into town to conduct it’s interchange work with the Paducah and Louisville Railway as it approaches the Allen Lane crossing in Paducah.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.
Canadian National (CN) locomotive 3233 (Support our Troops) heads north on the CN Centralia Subdivision leading CN M396 passes through Anna, Illinois on December 15th, 2020.
From a CN Press Release: “CNs two new tribute locomotives (CN 3233 & 3015) pay homage to veterans and active military men and women across North America. Their custom design represents the proud footprint we have established across our network and our deep recognition for the veterans who live and work in the communities our trains pass through every day. Stay tuned as they make their debut on our main line in the coming days!”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.
Canadian National (CN) locomotive 3233 (Support our Troops) heads north on the CN Centralia Subdivision leading CN M396 as it passes a local working at Mounds, Illinois on December 15th, 2020.
From a CN Press Release: “CN’s two new tribute locomotives (CN 3233 & 3015) pay homage to veterans and active military men and women across North America. Their custom design represents the proud footprint we have established across our network and our deep recognition for the veterans who live and work in the communities our trains pass through every day. Stay tuned as they make their debut on our main line in the coming days!”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.
Canadian National (CN) locomotive 3233 (Support our Troops) heads north on the CN Centralia Subdivision leading CN M396 as it spits the old Illinois Central Coaling towers at Carbondale, Illinois on December 15th, 2020.
From a CN Press Release: “CNs two new tribute locomotives (CN 3233 & 3015) pay homage to veterans and active military men and women across North America. Their custom design represents the proud footprint we have established across our network and our deep recognition for the veterans who live and work in the communities our trains pass through every day. Stay tuned as they make their debut on our main line in the coming days!”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100, (for detail in the highlights).
Canadian National Illinois Central “Death Star” heritage unit 3008, passes the searchlight and dwarf signals as it heads north on the Union Pacific Chester Subdivision with an empty tank train on December 2nd, 2020 at Scott City, Missouri.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 240mm, f/5.3, 1/1000, ISO 200.
A pair of Illinois Central Death Stars, 1007 & 1027 lead Canadian National A408 as it pulls from the south end of the siding at Edgewood, Illinois as it continues it’s move south on the Champaign Subdivision on December 5th, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.
On December 2nd, 2020 Canadian National (CN) Illinois Central Heritage Unit 3008 sits at CP Huston with empty oil train; ONUCS-01, as it waits for a signal to proceed north on the UP Mount Vernon Subdivision, at Murphysboro, IL.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 500.
We’ll, technically it’s not really winter yet, but it was a cold night as I did one last night shot after a day of chasing the CN IC Heritage unit, 3008 through Missouri and Illinois.
On the way home we stopped off at CN’s Chiles Junction and I caught a southbound Canadian National loaded coal train under a starry sky as it passed the LED signals the junction in West Paducah, Kentucky on the CN Bluford Subdivision on December 2nd. 2020.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/4, 30 seconds, ISO 400.
Today fellow railfan Cooper Smith and I along with a lot more were blessed because as of the night before this unit was supposed to pass through our area in the darkness of night! Fortunately we got word from fellow railfan Terry Redeker down the line that the train got recrewed earlier than planned and it would be to us in daylight!
Our first stop on this chase on December 2nd, 2020 we caught Canadian National (CN) Illinois Central Heritage Unit 3008 as it lead empty oil train; ONUCS-01 north on the Union Pacific’s Chester Subdivision, past the Martin Grain Company grain silos at Dexter, Missouri headed for Superior, WI.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
A light snow streaks trough the sky as loaded ethanol train CSX K413 heads south, with Kansas City Southern 4107 & Canadian Pacific 8849 leading, as it splits the signals on November 30th, 2020 as it makes its way south on the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 400.
A a crew member steps off Canadian National (CN) 3023, the new Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage locomotive, (EJ&E) leading loaded Pet coke train U700, during a crew change before heading on south on CNs Fulton subdivision at CP South Oaks, south of Fulton, Kentucky on November 21st, 2020.
CN 3023 of six locomotives representing the railways that have joined Canadian National Railway since their privatization, 25 years ago. The CN engines released in heritage paint so far are 3115 BC Rail; 8952 Grand Trunk Western; 8898 CN; 3008 Illinois Central; 3069 Wisconsin Central; and 3023 Elgin, Joliet & Eastern.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 100.
After completing it’s interchange work with the Paducah and Louisville Railway, CN 5854 (GTW) leads the Fulton to Paducah, Ky local L513 long nose forward as it crosses over Maxon road on it’s return trip to their yard in Fulton, Kentucky, as the light of the day fades from the sky.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 50mm, f/1.4, 1/100, ISO 6400.
Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage unit, (EJ&E) leads loaded pet coke train U700 as it heads south on CN’s Bluford subdivision at Chiles Junction in West Paducah, Ky, on November 21st, 2020.
According to a press release from CN: This is one of five locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are BC Rail; Grand Trunk West; CN; Illinois Central; Wisconsin Central; and Elgin, Joliet &Eastern.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 200.
With a fresh crew on board, Canadian National 3023, the new Elgin Joliet & Eastern Heritage unit, (EJ&E) waits for an incoming empty coal train to get into the siding at CP South Oaks in Fulton, Kentucky before heading on south with U700, a loaded Pet Coke Train, on CNs Bluford subdivision at Fulton, Kentucky on November 21st, 2020.
According to a press release from CN: This is one of six locomotives representing the railways that have joined their team since their privatization, 25 years ago. Each one features the colors of the railway at the time it merged with CN as well as the logo specially created to commemorate the quarter century of our IPO. These acquisitions propelled our service farther than any other North American railway, similar to our IPO propelled CN to new heights. The engines release so far are 3115 BC Rail; 8952 Grand Trunk Western; 8898 CN; 3008 Illinois Central; 3069 Wisconsin Central; and 3023 Elgin, Joliet & Eastern.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 400.