CSX G419, a loaded grain train, passes under the Paducah and Louisville Railway, on a 11-degree snowy winters day, as it heads south at the location known as Monarch on the Henderson Subdivision at Madisonville, Kentucky on January 7th, 2022.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/3000, ISO 130.
CSX local J732 comes off the Earlington Cutoff at Mortons Junction, through the heavy snow that fell on the region on January 6th, 2022, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision back to Casky Yard in Hopkinsville, KY, with CSXT 100 leading the way.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 150mm, f/5, 1/2000, ISO 110.
CSX I025 heads through the S curve at Nortonville, KY through the heavy snow that fell on the region on January 6th, 2022, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision with CSXT 3057 leading the way.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 150mm, f/5, 1/640, ISO 110.
There’s nothing I love more than catching a splash of color in a otherwise gray landscape as Ive done here of Canadian National 8892 and 5725 leads a grain train southbound on the CN Bluford Subdivision, after coming across the Metropolis, Illinois Bridge over the Ohio River on December 29th, 2021, at West Paducah, Kentucky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/180, ISO 100.
CSX Q513 heads through the S curve at Nortonville, Kentucky with CSXT 3194, the Spirit of Law Enforcement Unit leading, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision on New Year’s Eve, December 31st, 2021.
From an August 2019 CSXT Press Release: CSXT 3194 is being renamed to honor our nation’s police officers who dedicate their lives to serve and protect communities across our network.
“CSX is proud of the employee craftsmanship involved in transforming this locomotive into a special commemorative engine,” says Ed Harris, executive vice president of operations. “This is a moving tribute to the men and women who serve us every day and aligns with CSX’s goal to connect military service members, first responders, and their families to the resources and support they need.”
The Spirit of our Law Enforcement joins our collection of Pride in Service locomotives launched this spring – the Spirit of our Armed Forces and the Spirit of our First Responders. When not actively moving customers’freight, the locomotives are made available for special events along the CSX system – extending our culture of service and commitment from our customers to the communities where we operate.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 160mm, f/5.3, 1/1000, ISO 160.
BNSF 25th Anniversary Unit 6078 brings up the rear as the last DPU on a loaded coal train at Chiles Junction in West Paducah, Kentucky as they make their way north on the CN Beardstown Subdivision to the 4 Rivers Coal loop on the Ohio River at West Paducah on December 29th, 2021.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 130.
CSX employees survey damage to the tracks and signals between 9th and 14th streets in downtown Hopkinsville, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision after what’s being reported by local news there, as 60mph straight line winds on January 1st, 2022, causing damage in the downtown area.
This is the second time the Henderson Subdivision has been affected by severe weather in Western Kentucky. On December 10th, 2021, CSX Q500 derailed as the result of an F4 tornado that passed over it at Barnsley, Kentucky, about 25 miles north of Hopkinsville. The New Year’s Day storm that moved through the city sheared one crossing signal off at the ground and damaged others.
CSX crews repaired all the crossing signals except for one and was able to have the line back open in about 3 hours, after CSX N015, I025 and G413 were all brought to a safe stop before reaching Hopkinsville between Nortonville and Hopkinsville, Ky.
The old Louisville and Nashville railroad Depot and Freight house did not appear to have suffered any damage because of the storm.
The top photo is looking south from 9th street and the bottom photo is looking north just past 14th Street.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 390mm, f/6, 1/1000, ISO 1400.
January 1, 2022 – CSX I025 SB at Kelly , Ky where it stopped on the main due to 60mph straight line wind damage in downtown Hopkinsville, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision. Several crossing through downtown were covered with debris and one crossing signal was sheared off at the base. It was about 3 hours before the line was back open.
August 2019 from a CSXT Press Release: CSXT 3194 is being renamed to honor our nations police officers who dedicate their lives to serve and protect communities across our network.
CSX is proud of the employee craftsmanship involved in transforming this locomotive into a special commemorative engine, says Ed Harris, executive vice president of operations. This is a moving tribute to the men and women who serve us every day and aligns with CSXs goal to connect military service members, first responders, and their families to the resources and support they need.
The Spirit of our Law Enforcement joins our collection of Pride in Service locomotives launched this spring the Spirit of our Armed Forces and the Spirit of our First Responders. When not actively moving customers freight, the locomotives are made available for special events along the CSX system extending our culture of service and commitment from our customers to the communities where we operate.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 185mm, f/5.3, 1/1000, ISO 140.
CSX Q513 heads through the Crofton Cut with CSXT 3194, the Spirit of Law Enforcement Unit leading, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision on New Years Eve, December 31st, 2021.
August 2019 from a CSXT Press Release: CSXT 3194 is being renamed to honor our nations police officers who dedicate their lives to serve and protect communities across our network.
CSX is proud of the employee craftsmanship involved in transforming this locomotive into a special commemorative engine, says Ed Harris, executive vice president of operations. This is a moving tribute to the men and women who serve us every day and aligns with CSXs goal to connect military service members, first responders, and their families to the resources and support they need.
The Spirit of our Law Enforcement joins our collection of Pride in Service locomotives launched this spring the Spirit of our Armed Forces and the Spirit of our First Responders. When not actively moving customers freight, the locomotives are made available for special events along the CSX system extending our culture of service and commitment from our customers to the communities where we operate.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 185mm, f/5.3, 1/1000, ISO 140.
Canadian National 8892 and 5725 lead a grain train southbound on the CN Bluford Subdivision, through the bare forest, after coming across the Metropolis, Illinois Bridge over the Ohio River on December 29th, 2021 at West Paducah, Kentucky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 140.
LORAM Railgrinder 401 sits south of Princeton, Kentucky on the Paducah and Louisville Railway on a beautiful fall afternoon on November 11th, 2021.
According to Wikipedia: A railgrinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track. Rail grinders were developed to increase the lifespan of the tracks being serviced for rail corrugation. Rail grinding is a process that is done to stop the deformation due to use and friction on railroad tracks by removing deformations and corrosion. Railroad tracks that experience continual use are more likely to experience corrugation and overall wear.
Rail grinders are used to grind the tracks when rail corrugation is present, or before corrugation begins to form on the tracks. Major freight train tracks use rail grinders for track maintenance based on the interval of tonnage, rather than time. Transit systems and subways in major cities continue to use scheduled rail grinding processes to combat the corrugation common to heavily used tracks. Rail-grinding equipment may be mounted on a single self-propelled vehicle or on a dedicated rail-grinding train which, when used on an extensive network, may include crew quarters. The grinding wheels, of which there may be more than 100, are set at controlled angles to restore the track to its correct profile.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 140.
Well, I had to search through my files all the way back to December 16th, 2008 to find a photograph of a train in the snow close to Christmas Day here in Western Kentucky.
Today’s current temperature here in Richland, Ky is 70 degrees, a far cry from the day I captured this southbound intermodal (Q025 in today’s traffic, but not sure back then) as it makes its way through the single tracked S curve at Nortonville, KY on the Henderson Subdivision.
Today this section has been double tracked from just south of Mortons Gap to just north of Mannington, Ky. A big improvement in the flow of trains through this area.
Tech Info: Nikon D300, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/8, 1/250, ISO 250.
Life moves on and so do the trains as in this shot of the Casky to Madisonville, Ky local J732 on its way north through the rubble and derailed Q500 from the tornado that passed through the region on December 10th. Here we find CSXT 5421 and 100 leading the daily local north on the Henderson Subdivision through Barnsley, Ky on December 20th, 2021.
Barnsley was one of many communities that suffered catastrophic damage to the community during the recent tornado. Fortunately, there were no fatalities in this community and even a rescue of two toddlers that took a ride on the tornado. They were in a bathtub and wrapped in blankets by their grandmother, who also walked away from her destroyed home. They were found by two Hopkins County Deputy Sheriffs and other rescue workers safe and sound with no physical injuries.
If youd like to watch the actual rescue it is in last Sunday’s 60 Minutes broadcast about the storm. Its available online.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 200.
December 13, 2021 – With the CSX Henderson Subdivision between Earlington and Mortons Gap line back open to traffic and surrounded by a flattened landscape, CSX X648 makes its way north through Barnsley, Kentucky, past the site of the December 10th tornado that derailed CSX Q500 and devastated the small community and many others along its path through 6 states.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 110.
December 10, 2021 – CSX W810, with BNSF 6277 sits at Arklow, just north of Madisonville, Kentucky as it waits for the arrival of the southbound hot intermodal I025 on the Henderson Subdivision. K810 was running with BNSF 6277,3954,6356 leading and CSXT 3155, NS 8084, NS 1005 as DPUs.
The storm clouds in the background were the first signs of the major tornado and storm out break that created a path of destruction across 6 states and derailed CSX Q500 later in the night.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 200.