October 17, 2019 - CSXT Locomotive #1, "Spirit of West Virginia," leads Q029-16 as it crests a hill at Mortons Junction in Mortons Gap, Kentucky as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision. According to wvncrails.org: More so than any locomotive on the current CSXT roster, the CW44AC has been the symbol of power in the Appalachian coalfields for the past two decades. It was this model that ultimately displaced SD40-2s and other EMD products from the bulk of this type of service. Rated at 4400 HP and 145,000 pounds of tractive effort, it proved well suited for lugging coal trains through the mountains of Appalachia. In recent years, CSX has modified a portion of this fleet and reclassified them as CW44AH (high adhesion) versions. The CW44AC has proved reliable as most that were ordered during the mid-1990s still hold a place on the roster. As newer GEs arrived on the scene in recent years, the CW44AC has become more utilitarian as it can be found in any type of service ranging from manifests to intermodals. Added to this has been the downturn in the coal industry and it----along with the newer AC models----has created a preponderance of AC traction motive power that was initially targeted for use in coal service. As a result, these locomotives are now used in all types of service which has further diminished the presence of older EMDs on the mainline. Delivered in 1994, the locomotive that eventually became the "Spirit of West Virginia" began life on the roster as #9100. It was among fourteen units numbered 9100-9113 that were later renumbered as 1-14. CSX used this as a beginning to number the CW44ACs in sequence from #1 to what now concludes at #602. Of note are units 600-602; these were originally CW60ACs but were derated from 6000 HP to 4400 HP. There is also another group of these locomotives on the roster with four digit numbers 5101-5122 although they have been reclassified as CW44AH models.

CSXT Locomotive #1, “Spirit of West Virginia,”…

October 17, 2019 – CSXT Locomotive #1, “Spirit of West Virginia,” leads Q029-16 as it crests a hill at Mortons Junction in Mortons Gap, Kentucky as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision.