LIVE – December 1, 2021 – CSX G379 heads south through the Red River cut at Adams, Tennessee on the Henderson Subdivision
Live – November 15, 2021 – LORAM Railgrinder 401 northbound at West Yard in Madisonville, KY
November 9, 2021 – CSXT 1 leads P001-18 OCS at Hopkinsville , Ky.
LORAM Railgrinder 401 grinds its way north on the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Madisonville, KY
LORAM Railgrinder 401 grinds its way north on the Paducah and Louisville Railway on a beautiful fall afternoon as it crosses over the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Arklow in Madisonville, Kentucky on November 15th, 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, 1/500, ISO 100.
CSX P001-18 OCS Business Train heads north at Red River Bridge, Adams, TN
CSXT 1, 2 and 3 (three former Amtrak F40PHs) head across the Red River Bridge at Adams, Tennessee, on a beautiful fall afternoon, as they lead CSX P001-18 Office Car Special passenger train north on the Henderson Subdivision on November 9th, 2021.
The train was carrying VIPs from CSX Transportation, who were on an inspection tour of some of their lines and the facilities along them.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 110.
CSX Office Car Special P001-18 sits on Main 1 at Casky Yard, Hopkinsville, KY
CSXT 1, 2 and 3 (three former Amtrak F40PH’s) sit stopped on Main 1 at Casky Yard in Hopkinsville, Kentucky in its beautiful B&O paint.
The crew was waiting for the VIPs on CSX P001-18 Office Car Special passenger train to finish an inspection tour of the yard, before heading on north on the Henderson Subdivision on November 9th, 2021.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 120.
Union Pacific 7495 leads CSX 423 south on the Henderson Subdivision from Kelly, KY
Union Pacific 7495 leads CSX K423, a loaded ethanol tank train out of the siding at the south end of the siding at Kelly, Kentucky as it continues its south movement on the CSX Henderson Subdivision with a second UP and a Canadian Pacific unit trailing on November 1st, 2021.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 120.
CSX J732 southbound from Atkins Yard at Madisonville, Ky with 11 locomotives
CSX J732 with CSXT 4083, 4049, 4384, 278, 749, 7231, GMTX 2149, 2135, 2201, 2152 and 2151 departs CSX Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Kentucky as it begins its return trip on the Henderson Subdivision to CSX Casky yard at Hopkinsville, KY after finishing its work at Madisonville.
While an impressive power move for a local being pulled by SD40s, the lead three engines were the only ones running as they departed the empty south end at Atkinson on September 19th, 2021.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 340mm, f/5.6, 1/640, ISO 640.
October 28, 2021 – Drone Livestream from Slaughters, Kentucky
CSX W884-03 head north with a military train at Pembroke, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision
Infrared photograph of BNSF 5743 and 8363 as they head up a 7,600ft military train on August 11th, 2021, as it passes through Pembroke, Kentucky, with CSX W844-03. This was a third military move heading north to Hopkinsville, KY this week. At Hopkinsville they backed the train onto the Ft. Campbell wye where Ft. Campbell rail took it on the rest of the way to the base.
Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, sensor converted to 720nm B&W IR, Sigma 150-600mm @400mm, f/7.1, 1/250, ISO 200.
Paducah and Louisville loaded coal northbound at Pond River, Madisonville, KY
The DPU end of Paducah and Louisville Railway Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train brings up the rear as it heads north past Pond Rivers siding on October 25th, 2021, with the entire train in view from this drone viewpoint on a stormy fall afternoon, east of Madisonville, Ky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.
Paducah and Louisville Railway LGE loaded coal train northbound at Monarch, Madisonville, KY
X marks the spot! I keep returning to this location known as Monarch, where the CSX Henderson Subdivision passes under the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Madisonville, KY, as someday I’ll catch a train on both lines at the same time! It’s just a matter of patience, determination, and a lot of luck! It hasn’t happened yet, but it will!
Here we find Paducah and Louisville Railway’s (PAL) Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train as it heads north with PAL 2013, University of Louisville locomotive leading the way, on October 25th, 2021, passing over the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Arklow, as the fall color begins to show in the trees.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 100.
CSX loaded grain train G390 heads south on the Henderson Subdivision at Mortons Gap, KY
The fall harvests have started moving south on the CSX Henderson Subdivision as with many other railroads around the country. Here I caught CSX G390 as the late evening light rakes across the landscape with a Grain Express unit train, headed up by CSXT 5213, 3021 and 9010 as they approach Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Kentucky, on October 13th, 2021.
To the right is the cutoff track that bypasses downtown Earlington and Madisonville, Ky allowing dispatch to run trains past each other, and the grain train is on the mainline that goes through the towns. In the past there has been movements to double-track the cutoff and pull up the track in the two towns for a rails to trails, but the money for such an venture has never been raised.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 130.
Paducah and Louisville Railway 4518 heads south with a load of coal at Dawson Springs, KY
Paducah and Louisville Railway 4518 leads a southbound load of coal over the Tradewater River at Dawson Springs, Kentucky, with a splash of fall color beginning to show in the surrounding trees.
According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The 270-mile line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August of 1986.
The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August 1986 and the 223-mile (359 km) main route runs between Paducah and Louisville, with branch lines from Paducah to Kevil and Mayfield, Kentucky, and another from Cecilia to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The PAL interchanges with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Canadian National (CN), formerly Illinois Central Railroad, in Paducah
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/730, ISO 100.
CSXT 3398 leads CSX 513 as it passes windmill parts train W986 at Hanson, Kentucky
CSXT 3398 leads CSX 513 as it passes windmill parts train W986 tied down in the siding at Hanson, Kentucky, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision, with a 10,980-foot train, as the fall colors begin to show in the landscape on October 21st, 2021.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100.
CSX W989 with Union Pacific 2603 leading a brand new Brightline Inter-City Trainset at Robards, KY
CSX W989 with Union Pacific 2603 leading a brand new Brightline Inter-City Trainset, passes a northbound empty coal train at Robards, Kentucky, as it heads south as on the Henderson Subdivision to Florida on October 8th, 2021.
According to Wikipedia: Brightline is a privately run inter-city rail route between Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida. Brightline began operating over its current route in January 2018 and the company is currently building an extension to the Orlando International Airport which is expected to enter service in 2022.
As of August 2020, it is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the United States. The line was developed starting in March 2012 as All Aboard Florida by Florida East Coast Industries, a Florida real estate developer owned by Fortress Investment Group. Construction began in November 2014 on stations and improvements to tracks owned by the Florida East Coast Railway, which at the start of construction, was also owned by Fortress (it was sold in January 2018).
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 100.
Trackside in Southern Indiana with UP Dave on the CSX Henderson Subdivision
On October 13th, 2021, I spent most of the day trackside with Virtual Railfan Moderator UP Dave, (David Siteman) showing him around some of my favorite spots in Western Kentucky and southern Indiana. We both had a great day trackside, and it was finally great to meet him in person! If youre not already a member, check out Virtual Railfan Live and Virtual Railfan Lounge here on Facebook!
Here we find CSXT 5110 as it leads empty coal train CSX E300-12, a Stilesboro, GA (Plant Bowen) to Effingham, IL (CN) train, across the Ohio River bridge from Henderson, KY on the way north to Evansville, IN on the Henderson Subdivision. This bridge was originally built by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad and was intended to be double tracked eventually, but it never happened.
According to Wikipedia: The Bridge spans the Ohio River between Henderson, Kentucky and Vanderburgh County, Indiana. The bridge is owned by the CSX Transportation.
The original bridge was constructed in 1884 to 1885 by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad at a cost of $2,000,000. The single-tracked bridge was approximately 3,686 feet (1,123 m) long, and its longest span, at 525 feet (160 m), was reputed to be the longest trestle span in the world at that time. The bridge ran from the northern edge of Main Street in Henderson to the low water mark on the Indiana side, resting on 15 stone piers. It was designed to carry two 118,000-pound (54,000 kg) engines followed by 60,000-pound (27,000 kg) coal tenders, and its maximum uniform load capacity was 2,500 pounds per foot (3,700 kg/m). A crowd of 8,000 watched the first train cross the 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. The bridge reduced the travel time by several hours.
By 1930 the volume and weight of train traffic were taxing the capabilities of the original bridge. Construction of a new bridge just upstream of the old one began in May 1931. The new bridge, costing over $3,000,000, opened on December 31, 1932. Including its approaches, It is 12,123 feet (3,695 m) long, and its span over the main channel is 648 feet (198 m) long. The demolition of the old bridge, using dynamite, was completed on December 11, 1933.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.
Union Pacific 2603 leads a brand new Brightline Commuter Trainset south at Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Union Pacific 2603 leads a brand new Brightline inter-city Trainset as it heads south as CSX W989 on the Henderson Subdivision at John Rivers Road Crossing at CSX Casky yard in Hopkinsville, Kentucky as it heads south to Florida on October 8th, 2021.
According to Wikipedia: “Brightline is a privately run inter-city rail route between Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida. Brightline began operating over its current route in January 2018 and the company is currently building an extension to the Orlando International Airport which is expected to enter service in 2022.
As of August 2020, it is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the United States. The line was developed starting in March 2012 as All Aboard Florida by Florida East Coast Industries, a Florida real estate developer owned by Fortress Investment Group. Construction began in November 2014 on stations and improvements to tracks owned by the Florida East Coast Railway, which at the start of construction, was also owned by Fortress (it was sold in January 2018).”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.
Brightline inter-city Trainset southbound at CSX Casky Yard, Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Union Pacific 2603 leads a brand new Brightline inter-city Trainset as it heads south as CSX W989 on the Henderson Subdivision at CSX Casky yard in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on its way south to Florida on October 8th, 2021.
According to Wikipedia: “Brightline is a privately run inter-city rail route between Miami and West Palm Beach, Florida. Brightline began operating over its current route in January 2018 and the company is currently building an extension to the Orlando International Airport which is expected to enter service in 2022.
As of August 2020, it is the only privately owned and operated intercity passenger railroad in the United States. The line was developed starting in March 2012 as All Aboard Florida by Florida East Coast Industries, a Florida real estate developer owned by Fortress Investment Group. Construction began in November 2014 on stations and improvements to tracks owned by the Florida East Coast Railway, which at the start of construction, was also owned by Fortress (it was sold in January 2018).
In late 2018, it was announced that Virgin Group would become a minority investor in the railroad and would provide rights to rebrand the service as Virgin Trains USA. In August 2020 they reverted to the Brightline name, ending the branding deal, claiming that Virgin had not provided the agreed investment money.”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.
Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4522 LGE coal train Northbound at Madisonville, KY
Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4522 (UK paint scheme) roll across Interstate 69 at Madisonville, Kentucky as they head north with their loaded coal train, bound for the Louisville Gas and Electric power plant in the Kosmosdale neighborhood of Louisville, Kentucky on October 5th, 2021.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 120.