September 22, 2019 - A Norfolk Southern loaded grain train prepares to pass through the NS/CSX Diamond in downtown Dalton, Georgia as it heads south on the NS Georgia Division. According to the website http://railfanlocations.weebly.com/ Downtown Dalton, Georgia is a railfan hotspot with 40 to 45 trains in an average day. Dalton is one of the few (if not only) places in Georgia where the CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway cross each other at grade. Norfolk Southern sold the former Southern Railway freight depot to the City of Dalton. The city has restored the old freight station and created an excellent train watching location, as well as a visitor’s center.

Norfolk Southern loaded grain train SB at Dalton, GA

September 22, 2019 – A Norfolk Southern loaded grain train prepares to pass through the NS/CSX Diamond in downtown Dalton, Georgia as it heads south on the NS Georgia Division.

According to the website http://railfanlocations.weebly.com/ Downtown Dalton, Georgia is a railfan hotspot with 40 to 45 trains in an average day. Dalton is one of the few (if not only) places in Georgia where the CSX and Norfolk Southern Railway cross each other at grade. Norfolk Southern sold the former Southern Railway freight depot to the City of Dalton. The city has restored the old freight station and created an excellent train watching location, as well as a visitor’s center.

September 21, 2019 - Somewhere on the ground behind remotely controlled engine NS 6181 stands a remote operator that is working on building a train as one of the towers at NS DeButts Yard and the train is bathed in the late evening light at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Remotely controlled engine NS 6181 at Chattanooga, TN

September 21, 2019 – Somewhere on the ground behind remotely controlled engine NS 6181 stands a remote operator that is working on building a train as one of the towers at NS DeButts Yard and the train is bathed in the late evening light at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

September 21, 2019 - A NS mixed freight slowly makes its way through DeButts Yard at Chattanooga, Tennessee with a Caterpillar Earth Mover High and Wide Load on its way south on the CNO&TP Third District.

A NS mixed freight slowly makes its way…

September 21, 2019 – A NS mixed freight slowly makes its way through DeButts Yard at Chattanooga, Tennessee with a Caterpillar Earth Mover High and Wide Load on its way south on the CNO&TP Third District.

September 22, 2019 - The early morning sunlight bathes the nose of BNSF 5749 as it makes its way past NS DeButts Yard at Chattanooga, Tennessee with a loaded coal train as it heads along the CNO&TP Third District. According to Wikipedia: The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway (abbreviated: CNO&TP; (reporting mark CNTP)) is a railroad that runs from Cincinnati, Ohio, south to Chattanooga, Tennessee, forming part of the Norfolk Southern Railway system. The physical assets of the road were initially financed by the city of Cincinnati in the 1870s, and are still owned by the city. It is the only such long-distance railway owned by a municipality in the United States. The CNO&TP continues to lease that property and operates one rail line, the Cincinnati Southern Railway, between Cincinnati and Chattanooga.

The early morning sunlight bathes the nose of BNSF 5749…

September 22, 2019 – The early morning sunlight bathes the nose of BNSF 5749 as it makes its way past NS DeButts Yard at Chattanooga, Tennessee with a loaded coal train as it heads along the CNO&TP Third District.

According to Wikipedia: The Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway (abbreviated: CNO&TP; (reporting mark CNTP)) is a railroad that runs from Cincinnati, Ohio, south to Chattanooga, Tennessee, forming part of the Norfolk Southern Railway system.

The physical assets of the road were initially financed by the city of Cincinnati in the 1870s, and are still owned by the city. It is the only such long-distance railway owned by a municipality in the United States. The CNO&TP continues to lease that property and operates one rail line, the Cincinnati Southern Railway, between Cincinnati and Chattanooga.

September 22, 2019 - Norfolk Southern 1206 leads a early morning mixed freight across the Tenbridge, over the Tennessee River, as it heads south on the CNO&TP Third District at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Norfolk Southern 1206 leads a early morning…

September 22, 2019 – Norfolk Southern 1206 leads a early morning NS 179-21 across the Tenbridge, over the Tennessee River, as it heads south on the CNO&TP Third District at Chattanooga, Tennessee.

August 31, 2019 - Norfolk Southern 975 departs Princeton, Indiana with NS 5642 "Training First Responders" unit pulling the Norfolk Southern Safety Train east on the NS Southern-East District at East Junction. According to their website: At Norfolk Southern, safety is our number one priority. Operation Awareness & Response (OAR), was launched in 2015 to educate the public about the economic importance of the safe movement of hazardous materials by rail and to connect emergency first responders in Norfolk Southern communities with information and training resources. The goal of OAR is to strengthen relationships with the first responders across the NS network. Norfolk Southern has been providing safety training for emergency responders through community outreach programs such as TRANSCAER® for years. OAR will build on those efforts focusing on closer relationships with local and state agencies, increased training opportunities (classroom, web-based, and on-line resources), table-tops drills and participation in full-scale exercises, and providing better resources for emergency responders such as the AskRail mobile app that allows and first responders to use their mobile phones to look up commodity and response information on shipments. The OAR program also includes a continued commitment to providing emergency responders high-level training at the Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) in Pueblo, Co. In April 2016, Norfolk Southern unveiled a brand new safety train, with a dedicated locomotive, specially equipped classroom box cars, and several tanks cars for additional hands-on training along our lines.

Norfolk Southern 975 departs Princeton, Indiana

August 31, 2019 – Norfolk Southern 975 departs Princeton, Indiana with NS 5642 “Training First Responders” unit pulling the Norfolk Southern Safety Train east on the NS Southern-East District at East Junction.

According to their website: At Norfolk Southern, safety is our number one priority. Operation Awareness & Response (OAR), was launched in 2015 to educate the public about the economic importance of the safe movement of hazardous materials by rail and to connect emergency first responders in Norfolk Southern communities with information and training resources.

The goal of OAR is to strengthen relationships with the first responders across the NS network. Norfolk Southern has been providing safety training for emergency responders through community outreach programs such as TRANSCAER® for years. OAR will build on those efforts focusing on closer relationships with local and state agencies, increased training opportunities (classroom, web-based, and on-line resources), table-tops drills and participation in full-scale exercises, and providing better resources for emergency responders such as the AskRail mobile app that allows and first responders to use their mobile phones to look up commodity and response information on shipments.

The OAR program also includes a continued commitment to providing emergency responders high-level training at the Security and Emergency Response Training Center (SERTC) in Pueblo, Co. In April 2016, Norfolk Southern unveiled a brand new safety train, with a dedicated locomotive, specially equipped classroom box cars, and several tanks cars for additional hands-on training along our lines.

August 31, 2019 - I spent the better part of the day waiting for the Norfolk Southern Safety Train to depart from Princeton, Indiana and for me this shot made it all worth it! NS 5642 "Training First Responders" engine pulls the Norfolk Southern Safety Train east from Huntingburg, Indiana as the setting sun begins to drop below the horizon on the NS Southern-East District.

NS 5642 “Training First Responders”

August 31, 2019 – I spent the better part of the day waiting for the Norfolk Southern Safety Train to depart from Princeton, Indiana and for me this shot made it all worth it! NS 5642 “Training First Responders” engine pulls the Norfolk Southern Safety Train east from Huntingburg, Indiana as the setting sun begins to drop below the horizon on the NS Southern-East District.

August 24, 2019 - The Norfolk Southern Safety Train (OAR, Operation Awareness & Response) sits tied down at MP 163 in the Yard at Princeton, Indiana where it waits for its next training class for first responders. It is headed up by NS 5642 the Training First Responders engine. According to the NS OAR Newsletter: Launched in June 2015, the goal of OAR is to educate the public about the economic importance of the safe movement of hazardous materials by rail and to connect emergency first responders in Norfolk Southern communities with information and training resources. The remaining schedule for the safety train for the year is: August 27-29 Princeton, IN September 10-12 Decatur, AL September 17-19 Corinth, MS October 1-3 New Orleans, LA October 8-10 Slidell, LA October 22-24 Savannah, GA November 5-7 Augusta, GA

Norfolk Southern Safety Train at Princeton, IN

August 24, 2019 – The Norfolk Southern Safety Train (OAR, Operation Awareness & Response) sits tied down at MP 163 in the Yard at Princeton, Indiana where it waits for its next training class for first responders. It is headed up by NS 5642 the Training First Responders engine.

According to the NS OAR Newsletter: Launched in June 2015, the goal of OAR is to educate the public about the economic importance of the safe movement of hazardous materials by rail and to connect emergency first responders in Norfolk Southern communities with information and training resources.

The remaining schedule for the safety train for the year is:

August 27-29 Princeton, IN
September 10-12 Decatur, AL
September 17-19 Corinth, MS
October 1-3 New Orleans, LA
October 8-10 Slidell, LA
October 22-24 Savannah, GA
November 5-7 Augusta, GA

August 17, 2019 - Norfolk Southern 8162 brings up the rear of WYX1 as the trains DPU, passing under the beltline at Warrior Coal outside Nebo, Kentucky as it finishes loading its coal train bound for the Paducah and Louisville Railway and points north.

Norfolk Southern 8162 brings up the rear…

August 17, 2019 – Norfolk Southern 8162 brings up the rear of WYX1 as the trains DPU, passing under the beltline at Warrior Coal outside Nebo, Kentucky as it finishes loading its coal train bound for the Paducah and Louisville Railway and points north.

August 17, 2019 - CSXT 972 leads a load of 75 coal cars on J800-16 as they round the curve coming approaching the Happy Lane Crossing on the Morganfield Branch at Manitou, Kentucky. This one of the last trains to pickup a load of coal from Dotki Mine in Clay, Ky since it ceased operations on August 14th, 2019.

CSXT 972 leads a load of 75 coal cars on J800-16…

August 17, 2019 – CSXT 972 leads a load of 75 coal cars on J800-16 as they round the curve coming approaching the Happy Lane Crossing on the Morganfield Branch at Manitou, Kentucky. This one of the last trains to pickup a load of coal from Dotki Mine in Clay, Ky since it ceased operations on August 14th, 2019.

August 17, 2019 - Norfolk Southern WYX1 craws downgrade on the Warrior Lead is it departs Warrior Coal with a loaded coal train bound for the Paducah and Louisville Railway and points north.

Norfolk Southern WYX1 craws downgrade…

August 17, 2019 – Norfolk Southern WYX1 craws downgrade on the Warrior Lead is it departs Warrior Coal with a loaded coal train bound for the Paducah and Louisville Railway and points north.

August 10, 2019 - Norfolk Southern engine 9318 leads a intermodal across the NS cantilever bridge over the Kentucky River at High Bridge, Kentucky as it heads south on the CNO&TP First District, also known as the Rathole. According to Wikipedia: High Bridge is a railroad bridge crossing the Kentucky River Palisades, that rises approximately 275 feet from the river below and connects Jessamine and Mercer counties in Kentucky. Formally dedicated in 1879, it is the first cantilever bridge constructed in the United States. It has a three-span continuous under-deck truss used by Norfolk Southern Railway to carry trains between Lexington and Danville. It has been designated as a National Civil Engineering Landmark. In 1851, the Lexington & Danville Railroad, with Julius Adams as Chief Engineer, retained John A. Roebling to build a railroad suspension bridge across the Kentucky River for a line connecting Lexington and Danville, Kentucky west of the intersection of the Dix and Kentucky Rivers. In 1855, the company ran out of money and the project was resumed by Cincinnati Southern Railroad in 1873 following a proposal by C. Shaler Smith for a cantilever design using stone towers designed by John A. Roebling (who designed the Brooklyn Bridge). The bridge was erected using the cantilever design with a three-span continuous under-deck truss and opened in 1877 on the Cincinnati Southern Railway. It was 275 feet (84 m) tall and 1,125 feet (343 m) long: the tallest bridge above a navigable waterway in North America and the tallest railroad bridge in the world until the early 20th century. Construction was completed using 3,654,280 pounds of iron at a total cost of $404,373.31. In 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes and Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attended the dedication. After years of heavy railroad use, the bridge was rebuilt by Gustav Lindenthal in 1911. Lindenthal reinforced the foundations and rebuilt the bridge around the original structure. To keep railroad traffic flowing, the track deck was raised by 30 feet during construction and a temporary trestle was constructed. In 1929, an additional set of tracks was built to accommodate increased railroad traffic and the original limestone towers were removed. The bridge is still accessible by Kentucky State Route 29. In 2005 the state and county jointly reopened a park near the bridge (which had been closed since the mid 1960s) at the top of the palisades above the river. It included a restored open air dance pavilion, first used in the 19th century; as well as a new playground, picnic area, and viewing platform that overlooks the bridge and river's edge from the top of the palisades.

Norfolk Southern engine 9318 leads a intermodal…

August 10, 2019 – Norfolk Southern engine 9318 leads a intermodal across the NS cantilever bridge over the Kentucky River at High Bridge, Kentucky as it heads south on the CNO&TP First District, also known as the Rathole.

August 10, 2019 - Norfolk Southern 7335 leads NS 273 as it passes through the west end of Waddy, Ky on its way east on the Louisville District.

Norfolk Southern 7335 leads NS 273…

August 10, 2019 – Norfolk Southern 7335 leads NS 273 as it passes through the west end of Waddy, Ky on its way east on the Louisville District.

August 10, 2019 - Norfolk Southern empty autorack train 276 passes through the east end of Huntingburg, Indiana as it heads to Princeton, Indiana on the NS Southern-East District to drop off the empty cars for Toyota. Can't tell it from this shot, but the trailing unit is NS Unit 8101, Central of Georgia heritage unit.

Norfolk Southern empty autorack train 276…

August 10, 2019 – Norfolk Southern empty autorack train 276 passes through the east end of Huntingburg, Indiana as it heads to Princeton, Indiana on the NS Southern-East District to drop off the empty cars for Toyota. Can’t tell it from this shot, but the trailing unit is NS Unit 8101, Central of Georgia heritage unit. When shooting your pictures, don’t get hung up on what everyone else considers the “best light or the “correct side.” I always go for what view I feel make the best picture!