CSX Railroad – Page 45 – Jim Pearson Photography

CSX K442 pulls north from the siding at Rankin, Kentucky

CSX K442 starts to pull away from the north end of the siding at Rankin, Kentucky as it makes its way south on the Henderson Subdivision on May 7th, 2021 with Canadian Pacific 9736 leading an empty ethanol train with Progress Rail 7205 (SD70ACe-T4), trailing behind.

According to Wikipedia: Progress Rail Locomotives, doing business as Electro-Motive Diesel is an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives, locomotive products, and diesel engines for the rail industry.

The company is owned by Caterpillar through its subsidiary Progress Rail. Electro-Motive Diesel traces its roots to the Electro-Motive Engineering Corporation, a designer and marketer of gasoline-electric self-propelled rail cars founded in 1922 and later renamed Electro-Motive Company.

In 1930, General Motors purchased Electro-Motive Company and the Winton Engine Co. and in 1941 expanded EMDs realm to locomotive engine manufacturing as Electro-Motive Division.

In 2005, GM sold EMD to Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners, which formed Electro-Motive Diesel to facilitate the purchase. In 2010, Progress Rail completed the purchase of Electro-Motive Diesel from Greenbriar, Berkshire, and others.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm @ 600mm, f/8.5, 1/1000, ISO 720.

Freshly painted Music City Star Southbound at Mortons Junction, Mortons Gap, Ky

Music City Star NRTX 121 (Ex Amtrak F40PH 398) trails on CSX Q513-22 as it passes through Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Ky on its way back south to Nashville, Tennessee, on the Henderson Subdivision, sporting a fresh coat of paint on May 23, 2021.

According to Wikipedia: The Music City Star is a commuter rail service running between Nashville and Lebanon, Tennessee. The service uses the existing track of the Nashville and Eastern Railroad. The line stops at seven stations: Riverfront, Donelson, Hermitage, Mt. Juliet, Martha, Hamilton Springs, and Lebanon. The operation covers 32 miles of rail line. Service began on September 18, 2006 and is owned by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

CN 3211 leads CSX Q532 north on the Memphis Sub at McKenzie, TN

Canadian National 3211 and 2866 lead the daily CSX Q532 as it heads through the curve at McKenzie, Tennessee on the CSX Memphis Subdivision as it makes its way to Nashville, TN on May 10th, 2021 from Memphis, TN.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.

CSX Q029 meets a northbound at South Casky, Hopkinsville, Ky

CSXT 3078 leads Q029 southbound as it departs from Casky Yard, after performing a crew change. Here it meets CSXT 5110 leading a northbound freight as it approaches the Casky Holdout switch off the south lead at Hopkinsville, KY on April 22nd, 2021 on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 100mm, f/4.5, 1/1250, ISO 360.

CSX southbound K650 with CN and BCRAIL power at Kelly, Ky

CSX K650 makes its way past the north end of the siding at Kelly, Kentucky as CN 5759, BCRAIL 4646 and CN 5618 lead the way on May 12th, 2021 on the Henderson Subdivision with a load of ethanol.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

CSX southbound K423 with SD40 Leader at Courtland, TN

Something you don’t see very often is a SD40-2 leading on a train such as this loaded ethanol K423 train on April 18th, 2021 departing from Springfield, TN as it leads two Canadian Pacific units south on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

CSX southbound work train over the Tennessee River, New Johnsonville, TN

CSXT 5419 heads up work train J056 as it heads south across the bridge on the Tennessee River at New Johnsonville, Tennessee on the CSX Bruceton Subdivision.

This railroad bridge crosses over the Tennessee River at New Johnsonville, TN and connects Humpreys and Benton Counties and runs next to the Hickman Lockhart Memorial highway Bridge. It is a multiple through truss bridge with vertical lift section for barge traffic, was built in 1945, and still in use.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.

CSX Q029 southbound on the Henderson Subdivision at Adams, TN

On May 5th, 2021 CSX hot intermodal Q029-05 is framed by trees as it passes under the highway 41 overpass as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision at Adams, Tennessee.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 with a 1.4 teleconverter @ 750mm, f/8.5, 1/250, ISO 1000.

CSX Q533 dropping cars off at New Johnsonville, Tennessee

CSX Q533, with CSXT 3319 and 833 leading, pull past CSXT Operation Red Block Caboose 900068 (Cross Tracks Safely), after dropping a string of 27 cars off in the yard at New Johnsonville, Tennessee on the CSX Bruceton Subdivision during its daily run between Nashville and Memphis, TN.

According to the CSX Website: Operation RedBlock is CSX’s Drug and Alcohol Peer Prevention Program that is a union-initiated, management-supported program that uses peer involvement to prevent employee use of alcohol and/or drugs while on duty or subject to call. More than 3,000 operating employees at CSX are trained as prevention committee volunteers. Volunteers initiate activities and projects designed to educate co-workers about Operation RedBlock.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.

A foreign power meet at the north end of Rankin, Ky

CSX Q647 rolls past the head end of CSX K442 at the north end of the siding at Rankin, Kentucky as it makes its way south on the Henderson Subdivision on May 7th, 2021 where it prepares to pass Progress Rail 7205 (SD70ACe-T4), trailing behind Canadian Pacific 9736.

According to Wikipedia: Progress Rail Locomotives, doing business as Electro-Motive Diesel is an American manufacturer of diesel-electric locomotives, locomotive products, and diesel engines for the rail industry.

The company is owned by Caterpillar through its subsidiary Progress Rail. Electro-Motive Diesel traces its roots to the Electro-Motive Engineering Corporation, a designer and marketer of gasoline-electric self-propelled rail cars founded in 1922 and later renamed Electro-Motive Company.

In 1930, General Motors purchased Electro-Motive Company and the Winton Engine Co. and in 1941 expanded EMC’s realm to locomotive engine manufacturing as Electro-Motive Division.

In 2005, GM sold EMD to Greenbriar Equity Group and Berkshire Partners, which formed Electro-Motive Diesel to facilitate the purchase. In 2010, Progress Rail completed the purchase of Electro-Motive Diesel from Greenbriar, Berkshire, and others.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

CN 2852 leads Northbound W986 at Robards, Ky with Windmill Train

We get trains on the CSX Henderson Subdivision from time to time that haul windmill motors and housings, but this is the first I can recall being led by a Canadian National and Union Pacific locomotive!

It was early morning on May 4th, 2021 when I first heard that this train was finally making its way up the Henderson Subdivision from Nashville, Tennessee. I found this out after I had already committed to going to Evansville, Indiana to chase CSX W992-28, the high and wide move that was tied down at Harwood Siding in Evansville.

Well, after getting there and sitting waiting for a crew (it had been there more than 12hrs) I decided if I wanted a chance to catch a shot and video of W986 that I needed to head back south.

Of course, I did catch the high and wide move the next day and if you haven’t already you can see a shot of it on any of my sites and a video will be coming soon, but back to W986.

I had planned to catch this train at Rahm where it comes across the Ohio river into Evansville, but with the weather and darkening skies I decided not to chance missing it where I could get a shot with my drone, so I made my way to the north end of Anaconda at Robards, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision and caught it heading south there with CN 2852 leading.

As you can tell from the photo the light was fading fast and the train was moving fast! I didnt have time to do much more than get the drone up and in position before the train hit this spot. If I had gotten there a bit earlier, I probably would have boosted my ISO a little, to up the shutter speed, but actually I think I like the little bit of motion blur on the lead unit as it gives a feeling of speed! Details below on the Tech stuff!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 100.

Southbound W992-28 High and Wide Move over the Red River at Adams, Tennessee

When you’re running at 25 mph and only 5 mph through switches, it pretty much takes forever to get anywhere as with CSX W992-28 as it heads south across the Red River trestle at Adams, Tennessee on the CSX Henderson Subdivision with CSXT #9 leading on May 5th, 2021. It left Evansville, Indiana around midnight and ended up tying down at Courtland, TN where it covered 125 miles in about 12 hours.

Based on past moves this looks like another GE generator that is bound for Florida. Still trying to find out and will add it to the caption once I do.

This was an Emmert International train move with CSXT #9 as power and BBCX 1002 as the trailing manned caboose with what appeared to be a steam generator of some sort that was being hauled on their BBCX1000 Schnabel Railcar.

According to the Emmert International website: “Emmert International’s BBCX1000 Schnabel Railcar is specifically designed to carry heavy (up to 1 million pounds) and oversized loads in such a way that the load itself makes up part of the car. The load is suspended between the two ends of the cars by lifting arms; the lifting arms are connected to a pivot above an assembly of pivots and frames that carry the weight of the load and the lifting arm.”

For loads not designed to be part of the car Emmert International’s BBCX1000 is equipped with a deck designed to carry the loads in standard configuration up to 836,000 pounds. Customized decks can be manufactured to increase the overall payload weight.

Emmert International’s BBCX1000 is equipped with hydraulic equipment that will either lift the load vertically or horizontally shift the load while in transit to clear obstructions along the cars route.

With 20 axles (ten for each half) containing four trucks connected by a complex system of span bolsters its tare (unloaded) weight without deck is 424,000 lbs. The BBCX1000’s empty car length is 115′ 10″ with a maximum length with the loading deck at 168′ 9″. Maximum vertical load shifting ability is 14″ and the maximum horizontal load shifting ability is 22″. The heavy-duty AAR railcar mechanical designation is LS.

Emmert Internationals BBCX1000 Schnabel Railcar is accompanied by the BBCX 1002 Caboose and BBCX1003 flat car that carries the deck when not in service. The

BBCX1000 is pulled by special train service and requires 2 operators who control the BBCX 1000 railcar ride in the caboose.

I’ll be posting a video on this move in a few days on my YouTube Channel and here on Facebook, once I get it edited.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 200.

B&O 185th Anniversary Caboose northbound at Princeton, Indiana

Just something you don’t see much these days is a caboose on the end of a train, such as here where the B&Q 185th Anniversary Caboose bringing up the rear of CSX Q0648 as it passes the signal at the north end of Gibson Siding at Princeton, Indiana on the CSX CE&D Subdivision on May 1st, 2021.

I still remember as clear as day the times when this was an everyday occurrence and even manned with a crew, but today, it’s a rare occurrence and almost never with a crew. Mostly they’re in museums or used as shoving platforms for a crew when they’re working a yard or industrial complex that requires the conductor to ride on the end of the train as the engine shoves the train.

According to Wikipedia: A caboose is a manned North American railroad car coupled at the end of a freight train. Cabooses provide shelter for crew at the end of a train, who were formerly required in switching and shunting, keeping a lookout for load shifting, damage to equipment and cargo, and overheating axles.

Originally flatcars fitted with cabins or modified box cars, they later became purpose-built with projections above or to the sides of the car to allow crew to observe the train from shelter. The caboose also served as the conductor’s office, and on long routes included sleeping accommodations and cooking facilities.

A similar railroad car, the brake van, was used on British and Commonwealth railways (the role has since been replaced by the crew car in Australia). On trains not fitted with continuous brakes, brake vans provided a supplementary braking system, and they helped keep chain couplings taut.

Cabooses were used on every freight train in the United States until the 1980s, when safety laws requiring the presence of cabooses and full crews were relaxed. Developments in monitoring and safety technology, such as lineside defect detectors and end-of-train devices, resulted in crew reductions and the phasing out of caboose cars. Nowadays, they are generally only used on rail maintenance or hazardous materials trains, as a platform for crew on industrial spur lines when it is required to make long reverse movements, or on heritage and tourist railroads.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

CSX K443 southbound at Hopkinsville, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision

A fellow railfan Frank Knight sent me a heads up on this train as it passed through Henderson, Ky early this morning on April 22nd, 2021 and here we find it passing the old Louisville and Nashville Depot in downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky with BNSF 5202 and KCS 4677 leading a loaded ethanol train south.

I tried catching this train at the south end of Slaughters, Hanson and at Nortonville, but ended up arriving at each of my spots as the train was passing through them! It seemed like every traffic light was red and every car that drove 10mph under the speed limit was between me and my next spot!! It happens sometimes and while I didn’t get the shots I wanted at each of those locations, I did at several others! Sometimes you must be persistent!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

A rainbow of power waits at Kelly, Ky for a loaded coal to pass

The early morning sun sends shadows and beautiful light across this scene, as CSX K442-19 waits in the siding at the north end of the siding at Kelly, Kentucky, with Canadian Pacific 8519, 9359, KCS 4699 and Ferromex 4054 as power, for loaded CSX coal train N040 to clear the way on April 20th, 2021.

K442 was a combined empty ethanol train, heading back north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision with a length of 12,500 feet and with that length, there were only a few places along the line between Nashville, TN and Evansville, IN where they could meet other trains, and Kelly siding is one of those spots.

Id been following the progress of this train for a couple days and thanks to a heads up from fellow railfan Reed Reding about it being north of Nashville and then another railfan, Steve Miller that it was passing through Hopkinsville, Ky I decided it was time to get dressed (about 7:30am) and head south to find this interesting move! About 20 miles later I found it waiting in the siding at Kelly in plenty of time to catch it and then chase it back to Madisonville, catching it a few more times!

Thanks to Reed and Steve, along with all the other railfans along the lines with updates!! This shot wouldnt have happened without you!!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

Northbound Autorack on the CSX Mainline at Elizabethtown, KY

I totally enjoy exploring new territory when it comes to railfanning and such was the case here on the CSX Mainline Subdivision, with fellow railfan and navigator, Cooper Smith on April 14th, 2021.

Here we find CSXT 3005 leading autorack Q202 northbound through Elizabethtown, Ky on the CSX Mainline Subdivision. This sub runs between Nashville, TN and Louisville, Ky and while I have railfanned it before, it has been several years and I’ve really only explored it around the Bowling Green, Ky area.

Cooper and I actually tried to catch this train at a crossing at the other end, but we saw where another autorack was in the siding and thought we’d go find the next crossing to get a shot of this passing the other. However, if you notice way down the track to the left where the other train sets, it has no power, plus it’s further back than we thought it’d be. Even with my long lens if it had power on it I don’t think it would have mattered. As it was this was shot at 850mm at over ¼ mile away.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600mm with a 1.4 teleconverter @ 850mm, f/9, 1/640, ISO 1100.

CSXT 5461 Seaboard System Railroad sticker unit works at Bowling Green, Ky

On April 14th, 2021, my self and fellow railfan Cooper Smith spent the day chasing trains on the RJ Corman Memphis Line, the Paducah and Louisville Railway and the CSX Mainline Subdivision, when we I caught this shot of CSX Q587 working out of the south end of the CSX Memphis Junction Yard at Bowling Green, Kentucky on the CSX Mainline Subdivision.

This unit carries the Seaboard System Railroad sticker, which is one of the many railroads CSXT has absorbed over the years. I along with many others wish CSXT would go a bit further like many other railroads and would paint some of their units in the roads theyve acquired over the years.

I havent really railfanned the Memphis line a lot over the years, despite it being only about 1.5 hours from my home, but with the success from this trip that will probably change! In fact, this circuit proved to be so well, I think itll become a frequent one in my railfanning.

The Mainline subdivision runs from Nashville, TN, to Louisville, KY. The RJ Corman Memphis Line runs from Cumberland City, TN and Bowling Green, KY and the Paducah and Louisville Railway runs between Paducah and Louisville, Ky.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

Always feels great to be in print!

Even after 50 years as a professional photographer and being published a lot, it’s always still a nice feeling to see my picture in a magazine for the first time! I have the honor of having my Ohio River Flooding photo in the May issue of Railfan and Railroad! This is my first published photo in their magazine and thanks to Otto and the crew for selecting it for publication!

CSX Q025 Southbound prepares to cross the Ohio River

On March 10th, 2021 CSX hot intermodal Q025 pulls up the final stretch of the viaduct as it prepares to cross over the Ohio River bridge at Henderson, Kentucky as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision from Rahm, Indiana.

According to Wikipedia: The Henderson Bridge is a railroad bridge spanning the Ohio River between Henderson, Kentucky and Vanderburgh County, Indiana and the bridge is owned by CSX Transportation. The original bridge was constructed in 1884 to 1885 by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad at a cost of $2,000,000 (It stood to the left where the pier is at).

The (Current bridge was built in 1932) single-tracked bridge is approximately 3,686 feet long, and its longest span, at 525 feet, was reputed to be the longest trestle span in the world at that time. The bridge runs from the northern edge of Main Street in Henderson to the low water mark on the Indiana side, resting on 15 stone piers.

The original bridge was designed to carry two 118,000-pound engines followed by 60,000-pound coal tenders, and its maximum uniform load capacity was 2,500 pounds per foot.

A crowd of 8,000 watched the first train cross the original bridge on July 13, 1885. Prior to the opening of the bridge, railroad passengers and freight had to be transferred to a ferry for the river crossing.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

Heading south at Poorhouse

CSXT 970 leads Q503 southbound on April 9th, 2021, on a beautiful spring afternoon, as it heads through the location on the Henderson Subdivision that is called Poorhouse by the railroad crews. The name stems back to the days when the poorhouse for the community of Madisonville, Kentucky used to be close to this location in the days of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

CSX Q512-09 south at Mortons Gap, Ky with 7 units

CSX Q512 with another string of seven locomotives that had GMTX 2141 and 2133 trailing as the last units, make their way downgrade from Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Kentucky on April 8th, 2021 as they head south on the Henderson Subdivision.

Q512 was running on this beautiful spring day with CSXT 5312, 711, 4329, 8851, 4226, GMTX 2133, 2141 as power and was 10,590 feet long. I didn’t really notice, but I’m fairly sure the last 4 units weren’t running. The loads behind the power are truck frames.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.