Several firsts for me in this drone image from June 24th, 2022, showing the whole loop at Warrior Coal outside Nebo, Kentucky! On this Norfolk Southern coal train, we find NS Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit 1072 leading with Paducah and Louisville University of Kentucky locomotive, 4522 trailing, as they prepare to load an empty coal drag, with NS Southern Heritage Unit 8114 bringing up the rear. This was my first time catching a coal train with a heritage unit leading and as a DPU on the rear, plus doing so on the Paducah and Louisville Railway with one of the University of Kentucky units in the consist was pretty cool! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1500, ISO 130. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography

NS Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit 1072 leading with Paducah and Louisville University of Kentucky locomotive, 4522 trailing and NS Southern Heritage Unit 8114 as DPU

Several firsts for me in this drone image from June 24th, 2022, showing the whole loop at Warrior Coal outside Nebo, Kentucky! On this Norfolk Southern coal train, we find NS Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit 1072 leading with Paducah and Louisville University of Kentucky locomotive, 4522 trailing, as they prepare to load an empty coal drag, with NS Southern Heritage Unit 8114 bringing up the rear.

This was my first time catching a coal train with a heritage unit leading and as a DPU on the rear, plus doing so on the Paducah and Louisville Railway with one of the University of Kentucky units in the consist was pretty cool!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1500, ISO 130.

On June 24th, 2022, I caught Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8114 "Norfolk Southern" as it prepared to begin loading at the Warrior Coal Loop outside Nebo, Kentucky! It;s one of 20 locomotives painted as Heritage units by NS. It’s been just over 10 years since the first engine rolled out and I;ve been fortunate to have photographed all 20 of them out working on the road! According to the NS website: As part of its 30th anniversary celebration in 2012, NS painted 20 new locomotives in the color schemes of predecessor railroads. The commemorative units quickly became known as NS' Heritage Locomotives. Since the 1820s, hundreds of railroad companies were built, merged, reorganized, and consolidated into what eventually became Norfolk Southern, itself created from the consolidation of Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway in 1982. In 1999, Norfolk Southern acquired a portion of Conrail. The Heritage Locomotives represent railroads that played significant roles in Norfolk Southern’s history. The first unit, Conrail 8098, rolled out of Altoona, Pa., March 15, and the final one, Lackawanna 1074, rolled out of Muncie, Ind., on June 27, 2012. Each paint scheme was modified to fit contemporary locomotives while staying as true as possible to the original designs. Norfolk Southern employees in Altoona and Chattanooga, Tenn., painted GE ES44AC locomotives, while the EMD SD70ACe units were painted at Progress Rail Services; facility in Muncie, Ind. The Heritage Locomotives are used in freight service across Norfolk Southern;s 19,500-mile, 22-state network. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography

Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8114 “Norfolk Southern” at Warrior Coal Mine, Nebo, KY

On June 24th, 2022, I caught Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8114 “Norfolk Southern” as it prepared to begin loading at the Warrior Coal Loop outside Nebo, Kentucky! It;s one of 20 locomotives painted as Heritage units by NS. It’s been just over 10 years since the first engine rolled out and I;ve been fortunate to have photographed all 20 of them out working on the road!

According to the NS website: As part of its 30th anniversary celebration in 2012, NS painted 20 new locomotives in the color schemes of predecessor railroads. The commemorative units quickly became known as NS’ Heritage Locomotives.

Since the 1820s, hundreds of railroad companies were built, merged, reorganized, and consolidated into what eventually became Norfolk Southern, itself created from the consolidation of Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway in 1982. In 1999, Norfolk Southern acquired a portion of Conrail. The Heritage Locomotives represent railroads that played significant roles in Norfolk Southern’s history. The first unit, Conrail 8098, rolled out of Altoona, Pa., March 15, and the final one, Lackawanna 1074, rolled out of Muncie, Ind., on June 27, 2012.

Each paint scheme was modified to fit contemporary locomotives while staying as true as possible to the original designs. Norfolk Southern employees in Altoona and Chattanooga, Tenn., painted GE ES44AC locomotives, while the EMD SD70ACe units were painted at Progress Rail Services; facility in Muncie, Ind. The Heritage Locomotives are used in freight service across Norfolk Southern;s 19,500-mile, 22-state network.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

Several firsts for me in this latest drone image from June 24th, 2022, at Warrior Coal Loop outside Nebo, Kentucky! On this Norfolk Southern coal train, we find NS Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit 1072 leading with Paducah and Louisville University of Kentucky locomotive, 4522 trailing, as they prepare to load an empty coal drag, with NS Southern Heritage Unit 8114 bringing up the rear as the DPU. This was my first time catching a coal train with a heritage unit leading and as a DPU on the rear, plus doing so on the Paducah and Louisville Railway with one of the University of Kentucky units in the consist! Pretty cool! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography

NS Illinois Terminal Heritage Units 1072 and 8114 at Warrior Coal, Nebo, Kentucky

Several firsts for me in this latest drone image from June 24th, 2022, at Warrior Coal Loop outside Nebo, Kentucky! On this Norfolk Southern coal train, we find NS Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit 1072 leading with Paducah and Louisville University of Kentucky locomotive, 4522 trailing, as they prepare to load an empty coal drag, with NS Southern Heritage Unit 8114 bringing up the rear as the DPU.

This was my first time catching a coal train with a heritage unit leading and as a DPU on the rear, plus doing so on the Paducah and Louisville Railway with one of the University of Kentucky units in the consist! Pretty cool!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

Going Away shot - Looks can be deceiving as in this going away shot that looks like it is coming at us, as I caught Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 1072, Illinois Terminal, and NS 8090 bringing up the rear of a loaded coal train on April 7th, 2022, as it headed north on the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Central City, Kentucky. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1500, ISO 130. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography

Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 1072, Illinois Terminal northbound at Central City, Kentucky

Going Away shot – Looks can be deceiving as in this going away shot that looks like it is coming at us, as I caught Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 1072, Illinois Terminal, and NS 8090 bringing up the rear of a loaded coal train on April 7th, 2022, as it headed north on the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Central City, Kentucky.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1500, ISO 130.

Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8100, Nickel Plate Road, and Canadian National 5702 lead CSX Q512-24 (Radnor Yard - Nashville, TN - Avon, IN Daily) as it pulls out of the yard at Casky after picking up 10 loads of truck frames at Hopkinsville, Kentucky on the CSX Henderson Subdivision on February 24th, 2022. One of the things I like about railfanning the Henderson Subdivision is because we get all kinds of interesting and different foreign power that runs up and down the line! While most of it is CSX, we do get a mix of just about every major railroad on this line at some point in time during each week. You never know when it’s coming, but when it does as with this unit, railfans gather along the tracks for their own crack at capturing their own images of the move and I’m no exception! While you can’t control the weather for these shots, railroads operate in all kinds of weather and so I’m trackside when the train is! Hardest thing about shooting in bad weather is getting out the door in my opinion! A large golf umbrella helps a lot!! Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 210mm, f/4.5, 1/125, ISO 280. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer

Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8100, Nickel Plate Road leads CSX Q512 northbound from Casky Yard, Hopkinsville, Ky

Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8100, Nickel Plate Road, and Canadian National 5702 lead CSX Q512-24 (Radnor Yard – Nashville, TN – Avon, IN Daily) as it pulls out of the yard at Casky after picking up 10 loads of truck frames at Hopkinsville, Kentucky on the CSX Henderson Subdivision on February 24th, 2022.

One of the things I like about railfanning the Henderson Subdivision is because we get all kinds of interesting and different foreign power that runs up and down the line! While most of it is CSX, we do get a mix of just about every major railroad on this line at some point in time during each week. You never know when it’s coming, but when it does as with this unit, railfans gather along the tracks for their own crack at capturing their own images of the move and I’m no exception!

While you can’t control the weather for these shots, railroads operate in all kinds of weather and so I’m trackside when the train is! Hardest thing about shooting in bad weather is getting out the door in my opinion! A large golf umbrella helps a lot!!

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 210mm, f/4.5, 1/125, ISO 280.

Live Saturday from Jim Pearson Photography from the Princeton, Indiana area

Live Saturday – April 9, 2022 – CSX I025 heads south past the old depot at Princeton, Indiana on the CE&D Subdivision. This location is one of the Virtual Railfan cameras as well. I’ll do a walk around the depot after the train gets by.

This past Saturday I did a day of Live videos from the Princeton, Indiana area including CSX and Norfolk Southern Action. I plan to try and do at least one day a week of live videos from both the air and the ground so be sure to Follow my page on Facebook so you don’t miss any of the live action! You can view many more videos from April 9th, 2022 by visiting my YouTube Channel or Facebook Page!

Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 1072, Illinois Terminal, and NS 8090 bring up the rear of a coal train as they at the Warrior Coal Mine loop, outside Madisonville, Kentucky on March 18th, 2022. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography

Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 1072, Illinois Terminal, and NS 8090 load at Warrior Coal, Madisonville, KY

Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 1072, Illinois Terminal, and NS 8090 bring up the rear of a coal train as they at the Warrior Coal Mine loop, outside Madisonville, Kentucky on March 18th, 2022.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100.

#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography

Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8100, Nickel Plate Road, and Canadian National 5702 lead CSX Q512-24 (Radnor Yard - Nashville, TN - Avon, IN Daily) pulls up the Casky lead as it heads north into the yard at Casky to pick up 10 loads of truck frames at Hopkinsville, Kentucky on the CSX Henderson Subdivision on February 24th, 2022. One of the things I like about railfanning the Henderson Subdivision is because we get all kinds of interesting and different foreign power that runs up and down the line! While most of it is CSX, we do get a mix of just about every major railroad on this line at some point in time during each week. You never know when it’s coming, but when it does as with this unit, railfans gather along the tracks for their own crack at capturing their own images of the move and I’m no exception! While you can’t control the weather for these shots, railroads operate in all kinds of weather and so I’m trackside when the train is! Hardest thing about shooting in bad weather is getting out the door in my opinion! A large golf umbrella helps a lot!! Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 16mm, f/4.5, 1/800, ISO 720. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer

Norfolk Southern Nickel Plate Road Heritage unit pulls into CSX Casky Yard at Hopkinsville, Kentucky

Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8100, Nickel Plate Road, and Canadian National 5702 lead CSX Q512-24 (Radnor Yard – Nashville, TN – Avon, IN Daily) pulls up the Casky lead as it heads north into the yard at Casky to pick up 10 loads of truck frames at Hopkinsville, Kentucky on the CSX Henderson Subdivision on February 24th, 2022.

One of the things I like about railfanning the Henderson Subdivision is because we get all kinds of interesting and different foreign power that runs up and down the line! While most of it is CSX, we do get a mix of just about every major railroad on this line at some point in time during each week. You never know when it’s coming, but when it does as with this unit, railfans gather along the tracks for their own crack at capturing their own images of the move and I’m no exception!

While you can’t control the weather for these shots, railroads operate in all kinds of weather and so I’m trackside when the train is! Hardest thing about shooting in bad weather is getting out the door in my opinion! A large golf umbrella helps a lot!!

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 16mm, f/4.5, 1/800, ISO 720.

Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8100, Nickel Plate Road, and Canadian National 5702 lead CSX Q512-24 (Radnor Yard - Nashville, TN - Avon, IN Daily) pulls through Trenton, Kentucky on a cold, wet, foggy and rainy late afternoon as it heads north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision on February 24th, 2022. One of the things I like about railfanning the Henderson Subdivision is because we get all kinds of interesting and different foreign power that runs up and down the line! While most of it is CSX, we do get a mix of just about every major railroad on this line at some point in time during each week. You never know when it’s coming, but when it does as with this unit, railfans gather along the tracks for their crack at their own capture of the move and I’m no exception! While you can’t control the weather for these shots, railroads operate in all kinds of weather and so I’m trackside when the train is! Hardest thing about shooting in bad weather is getting out the door in my opinion! A large golf umbrella helps a lot!! Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 230mm, f/5.3, 1/800, ISO 900. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer

NS Nickel Plate Road heritage unit northbound at Trenton, Kentucky on the CSX Henderson Subdivision

Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8100, Nickel Plate Road, and Canadian National 5702 lead CSX Q512-24 (Radnor Yard – Nashville, TN – Avon, IN Daily) pulls through Trenton, Kentucky on a cold, wet, foggy and rainy late afternoon as it heads north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision on February 24th, 2022.

One of the things I like about railfanning the Henderson Subdivision is because we get all kinds of interesting and different foreign power that runs up and down the line! While most of it is CSX, we do get a mix of just about every major railroad on this line at some point in time during each week. You never know when it’s coming, but when it does as with this unit, railfans gather along the tracks for their crack at their own capture of the move and I’m no exception!

While you can’t control the weather for these shots, railroads operate in all kinds of weather and so I’m trackside when the train is! Hardest thing about shooting in bad weather is getting out the door in my opinion! A large golf umbrella helps a lot!!

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 230mm, f/5.3, 1/800, ISO 900.

CSX K442 (Hookers Point - Tampa, FL to Bensenville, IL) a empty ethanol train snakes off into the distance, being led by Norfolk Southern 7607, Union Pacific 3898 and BNSF 6872, waits in the siding at the north end of Kelly, Kentucky for an track inspector to get by, on January 17th, 2022. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 120. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer

CSX K422 waits to head north from Kelly, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision

CSX K442 (Hookers Point – Tampa, FL to Bensenville, IL) a empty ethanol train snakes off into the distance, being led by Norfolk Southern 7607, Union Pacific 3898 and BNSF 6872, waits in the siding at the north end of Kelly, Kentucky for an track inspector to get by, on January 17th, 2022.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 120.

Norfolk Southern railway Savannah & Atlanta 1065 Heritage Unit leads NS 167 as it passes through Southern Crossover over the CSX CE&D Subdivision at Princeton, Indiana, on its way east on the NS East-West District on December 3rd, 2021. This unit completes my goal of photographing all the 20 NS Heritage units! According to the NS Website: Savannah & Atlanta Railway (SR, EMD) began life as the Brinson Railway in 1906, slowly expanding from Savannah toward the Northwest. It was consolidated with other small railroads to become the Savannah & Atlanta in 1917. Central of Georgia bought the S&A in 1951. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 130. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography

Norfolk Southern railway Savannah & Atlanta 1065 Heritage Unit eastbound at Princeton, IN

Norfolk Southern railway Savannah & Atlanta 1065 Heritage Unit leads NS 167 as it passes through Southern Crossover over the CSX CE&D Subdivision at Princeton, Indiana, on its way east on the NS East-West District on December 3rd, 2021. This unit completes my goal of photographing all the 20 NS Heritage units!

According to the NS Website: Savannah & Atlanta Railway (SR, EMD) began life as the Brinson Railway in 1906, slowly expanding from Savannah toward the Northwest. It was consolidated with other small railroads to become the Savannah & Atlanta in 1917. Central of Georgia bought the S&A in 1951.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 130.

Norfolk Southern 4290 leads an empty coal train north out of Brownsville, Pennsylvania along the Monongahela River on the NS Mon line on a beautiful fall morning. According to Wikipedia: The Mon Line is an 85-mile-long Norfolk Southern rail line which runs along the Monongahela River for most of its route. The predecessor of this line is the Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Charleston Railroad. The northern portion (Pittsburgh to West Brownsville) of the line is the former main line of the Monongahela Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the southern portion (West Brownsville to Waynesburg) was once part of the Monongahela Railway's Waynesburg Southern Branch. Its northern terminus was formerly at the junction with the Panhandle Route at the Panhandle Bridge in Pittsburgh, and its southern terminus was near Brownsville, Pennsylvania where it had a connection to the Monongahela Railway. Conrail transferred the West Brownsville to Waynesburg trackage from the Waynesburg Southern Branch to the former main line of the PRR Monongahela Division and it became the new Mon Line. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 200. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography

Norfolk Southern 4290 leads an empty coal train out of Brownsville, Pennsylvania

Norfolk Southern 4290 leads an empty coal train out of Brownsville, Pennsylvania along the Monongahela River on the NS Mon line on a beautiful fall morning.

According to Wikipedia: The Mon Line is an 85-mile-long Norfolk Southern rail line which runs along the Monongahela River for most of its route.

The predecessor of this line is the Pittsburgh, Virginia, and Charleston Railroad. The northern portion (Pittsburgh to West Brownsville) of the line is the former main line of the Monongahela Division of the Pennsylvania Railroad, and the southern portion (West Brownsville to Waynesburg) was once part of the Monongahela Railway’s Waynesburg Southern Branch.

Its northern terminus was formerly at the junction with the Panhandle Route at the Panhandle Bridge in Pittsburgh, and its southern terminus was near Brownsville, Pennsylvania where it had a connection to the Monongahela Railway.

Conrail transferred the West Brownsville to Waynesburg trackage from the Waynesburg Southern Branch to the former main line of the PRR Monongahela Division and it became the new Mon Line.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 200.

Norfolk Southern 9790 leads a westbound intermodal on the NS Reading Number 2 line as it approaches the George Street overpass at Reading, Pennsylvania as the last light of day rakes across the scene on November 4th, 2021. This location is where the Pottsville Branch main starts off the Reading line and heads into the NS Reading Yard. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 70mm, f/4.5, 1/200, ISO 6400. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer

Norfolk Southern 9790 leads a westbound intermodal on the NS Reading Number 2 line at Reading, PA

Norfolk Southern 9790 leads a eastbound intermodal on the NS Reading Number 2 line at Belt Line Junction as it approaches the George Street overpass at Reading, Pennsylvania as the last light of day rakes across the scene on November 4th, 2021. This location is where the Pottsville Branch main starts off the Reading line and heads into the NS Reading Yard.


Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 70mm, f/4.5, 1/200, ISO 6400.
#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #jimpearsonphotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer