April 29th, 2023 – Episode 17, from Jim Pearson Photography – In this weeks edited video we catch rail action around Fulton, Kentucky on the Canadian Nationals Fulton and Bluford Subdivisions! Enjoy and please Like, Share and Subscribe! Thanks for watching!
Canadian National 3270 leads four units on a mixed freight as it pulls out of the yard at Fulton, Ky
Canadian National 3270 leads four units on a mixed freight as it pulls out of the yard at Fulton, Ky after a crew change, as they head north up the CN Cairo Subdivision, on March 25th, 2023.
I’m told that on average 40-60 trains a day pass through Fulton, Ky, making it a busy place! Railfanning is best in the morning and the afternoon into the evening. The CN Cairo, CN Fulton Subdivisions and the West Tennessee Railroad all come together here at Fulton. Also, Amtrak has a depot here and is a flag stop for the City of New Orleans, and is an unstaffed station; with no agent and no assistance.
The first railroad deed was sold in 1857, and construction reached Pontotoc in 1859. At that time Fulton was referred to as the end of the line” by the United States Government and all mail was addressed to this extent. In 1896, the Illinois Central Railroad owned the two railroad lines that crossed Fulton, which saw 30 passenger trains a day and 3,000 freight cars that picked up or delivered cargo. The freight cars would usually have bananas that would stop in Fulton to be re-iced and then shipped to rest of the country. Through this process, Fulton became known as the “Banana Capital of the World”.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.
Canadian National 3270 leads a mixed freight as it snakes its way out of the yard at Fulton, Ky
Canadian National 3270 leads a mixed freight as it snakes its way out of the yard at Fulton, Ky after a crew change, as they head north up the CN Cairo Subdivision, on March 25th, 2023.
Im told that on average 10-15 trains a day pass through Fulton, Ky, making it a busy place! Railfanning is best in the morning and the afternoon into the evening. The CN Cairo, CN Fulton Subdivisions and the West Tennessee Railroad all come together here at Fulton. Also, Amtrak has a depot here and is a flag stop for the City of New Orleans, and is an unstaffed station; with no agent and no assistance.
The first railroad deed was sold in 1857, and construction reached Pontotoc in 1859. At that time Fulton was referred to as the end of the line by the United States Government and all mail was addressed to this extent. In 1896, the Illinois Central Railroad owned the two railroad lines that crossed Fulton, which saw 30 passenger trains a day and 3,000 freight cars that picked up or delivered cargo. The freight cars would usually have bananas that would stop in Fulton to be re-iced and then shipped to rest of the country. Through this process, Fulton became known as the “Banana Capital of the World”.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/3200, ISO 220.
Fulton CN Drop Table facility, South Fulton, TN
Canadian National 3892 leads an empty coal train as it sits at the Fulton Drop Table facility in South Fulton, TN on CN’s Fulton Subdivision on May 29th, 2021. CN built the facility several years ago, just off of KY 215, and it allows for the quick change of wheels on train cars, without having to separate the cars from the rest of the train.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 300mm, f/7.6, 1/1000, ISO 1000.
Canadian National loaded coke train U70091-28 southbound at Newbern, TN
CN loaded coke train U70091-28 heads southbound on the Fulton Subdivision, with engineer Darren Doss at the controls of CN 3868 on May 29th, 2021 as it passes the Amtrak station southbound through downtown Newbern, TN,.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.
Canadian National Passing Zone!
In a scene that’s repeated all across the world, everyday on different railroads, two freight trains pass each other on May 10th, 2021 on the Canadian Nationals Fulton Subdivision as they meet at Rives, TN at dusk.
CN 3281 brings up the DPU end of a southbound iron ore train as it holds in the siding while a very short and fast local passes, with CN 4908 leading the way as it returns to the CN yard at Fulton, Kentucky.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 185mm, f/5, 1/250, ISO 1000.
Canadian National 3188 southbound with a load of ethanol
Beautiful day, beautiful sunlight, signs of spring, Canadian National Railways 3188 leading a loaded ethanol train and a nice curve makes for a great picture as it heads south out of Fulton, Tennessee on the Fulton Subdivision on April 3rd, 2021.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 500mm, f/6, 1/1000, ISO 220.
CN 5761 headed south at Fulton, Kentucky
On April 3rd, 2021 Canadian National 5761 pulls away from the fuel racks on the CN Bluford Subdivision, as it passes the fuel racks on the CN Cairo Subdivision, on its way south with a manifest at Fulton, Kentucky as the last bit of sunlight rakes across the scene. The tracks on the other side of the engine are the West Tennessee Railroad, which interchanges with the CN here at Fulton.
Fulton is also an Amtrak intercity train stop where the station is a flag stop on the City of New Orleans route, served only when passengers have tickets to and from the station. This is an unstaffed station; there is no agent and no assistance, and it normally passes through here in the dark.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 550mm, f/8.5, 1/400, ISO 500.
CN U700 Crew Change at Fulton, Ky
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.
Canadian National Fulton to Paducah, Ky Local L513
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.
I spent New Years Day trackside between the CN at Fulton, Ky the CSX Memphis Subdivision and…
January 1, 2020 – I spent New Years Day trackside between the CN at Fulton, Ky the CSX Memphis Subdivision and the West Tennessee Railroad (WTRR) in Jackson, Tennessee yesterday with good friend and fellow photographer Ryan Scott of IndianaRails! We had a great trip and although moving trains were pretty scarice, we had the good fortune of catching a few nice gems and knocking this shortline off our bucket list.
We both plan on returning to chase the WTRR between Jackson and Fulton, now that we kinda have a better feel for where things are at! A big shout out to all the folks that gave us suggestions along the way! It’s folks like you that help make this passion so much fun!
This photograph is of a CN intermodal as it takes on fuel at late dusk at Fulton, Kentucky before continuing on it’s northbound trip on the Cario Subdivision. It was shot from a crossing with my Nikkor 70-300mm lens at 300mm. ISO was 1,000, exposure was 1/4 second at f/5.6 on a tripod. This is also just north of the Amtrak station in Fulton and so the platform helped nicely with its lighting.