Loram Rail Grinder 514 at Richland, Ky

 

August 31, 2017 – This afternoon I had just got home from railfanning and was sitting on my front porch here in Richland, Ky, when Paducah and Louisville high rail trucks pulled up to the crossing in front of my house and 4 workers got out with flags in their hands. Well, I figured something different was going on and grabbed my camera and walked down the hill to the crossing.

Loram Rail Grinder 514 was working it’s way north along the PAL and it appeared to be a brand new rail grinder. My 5-year old nephew Damion called it a rail polisher! They spent several minutes as they grinded across the defect detector and crossing in front of the house, before they headed on north.

Some days things just come to me, others I have to go looking! LOL

CSX Q647-25 SB with Ferromex 4663 at North Romney, Nortonville, Ky

August 25, 2017 – This photo just screamed vertical to me!

When I got a heads up from a fellow railfan about Ferromex 4663 leading Q647-25 south on the Henderson Subdivision I decided to head down to Nortonville, Ky to wait for it. I like this section of track because of all the work going on to make it a double-track main between the south end of Romney to the north end of Nortonville sidings.

Well, when I arrived I was happy to see that CSX had this huge auger setup that was drilling holes for steel beams that are to be used to build a new retaining wall next to and under the bridge that goes over the tracks at New Salem Circle in Nortonville. The equipment setting idle as the train rolls by slowly, with the operator waiting for it to pass, helps make the photo stronger.

I can’t wait for this work to be finished and be able to shoot the two track main though this area! The construction has opened up a whole wealth of new photographic locations!!

CSX Q647 with AARX 11144 and 11145 at Mortons Gap, Ky

August 27, 2017 – I got word late Sunday evening from a fellow railfan, Ryan Collins, that Q647 was headed south out of Evansville, Indiana with a couple green engines in the consist, making its way down the Henderson Subdivision. I headed to Mortons Gap, Ky after about 45 minutes, as I figured it’d take them that long to get here.

I’m told the units are headed to Tullahoma, TN to the Caney Fork and Western RR.

Well, as you can see the sun had set and dusk was getting pretty much gone as it rolled through Mortons Junction with AARX 11144 and 11145 in tow at the end of the string of power.

I’m told that this is about the third time these two engines have been up and down the Henderson Subdivision in the past few weeks. Looking for their home I guess? LOL

They are Association of American Railroads C7 units that have been rebuilt or modified over time (former ATSF CF7s), from what I can find online. Not sure what the “X” stands for as I can’t find anything online that says.

According to Wikipedia: The Association of American Railroads (AAR) is an industry trade group representing primarily the major freight railroads of North America (Canada, Mexico and the United States). Amtrak and some regional commuter railroads are also members. Smaller freight railroads are typically represented by the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA), although some smaller railroads and railroad holding companies are also members of the AAR. The AAR also has two associate member programs, and most associate members are suppliers to the railroad industry.

CSX Q029-23 southbound with KCS 4771, Nortonville, Ky

August 23, 2017 – Kansas City Southern 4771 leads CSX Q029-23 (Chicago, IL-Atlanta, GA) through the S curve approaching the north end of Romney where he’ll take the siding, with BNSF 4980 trailing, as it heads south at Nortonville, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision. In the background you can see where CSX workers are cutting the bank back as part of their double tracking of the Romney siding to the Nortonville siding project that is ongoing.

CSX Q648 NB passes RJC Shops, Guthrie, Ky

August 23, 2017 – CSXT 3316 leads Q648 (Waycross, GA-Chicago, IL) north along the Henderson Subdivision as maintenance workers service RJ Corman’s 3836 at their shops on the Memphis Line at Guthrie, Ky.

CSX Q647-25 SB with Ferromex 4663 at North Kelly, Ky

August 25, 2017 – CSX Q647-25 heads south through the north end of the siding at Kelly, Ky on the main, as Ferromex 4663 leads the Chicago, IL to Waycross, GA mixed freight south on the Henderson Subdivision on a beautiful springlike summer day. Not sure why, but here over the last couple weeks we’ve been seeing a bunch of foreign power running up and down CSX’s Henderson Sub, not that I’m complaining! LOL

CSX Q029-23 SB at Red River Cut, Adams, TN

August 23, 2017 – Kansas City Southern 4771 leads CSX Q029-23 (Chicago, IL-Atlanta, GA) through the cut just south of the Red River bridge at Adams, Tennessee, with BNSF 4980 trailing, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision. I like most of us seem not to shoot as many verticals of trains, or many other subjects these days. The computer monitors and TV’s have conditioned us too much to the horizontal format! I for one plan to do better! After all, it doesn’t take much to turn the camera!CSX Q029-23 SB at Red River Cut, Adams, TN

INRD 9010 passes Davidson Machine Works at Sullivan, IN

August 16, 2017 – Indiana Railroad 9010 and 9013 pass Davidson Electric & Machine Works as it heads through Sullivan, Indiana, to deliver about 100 loaded gondola coal cars to Hoosier Energy’s Merom Generating Station outside Sullivan.

CSX Q645-15 heads south under the coaling tower at Sullivan, IN

August 16, 2017 – Dusk falls as Union Pacific 4061 leads CSX Q645 (Chicago, IL-Waycross, GA), south underneath the old C&EI coaling tower that was built in 1941 to service steam locomotives, as it headed south on CSX’s CE&D Subdivision at Sullivan, Indiana! Of the three CSX trains I caught under this tower today and the only one of the trains that ran with CSX power and it was trailing.

CSX Q101-15 heads south under the coaling tower at Sullivan, IN

August 16, 2017 – As dusk begins to fall, BNSF 4477 and NS 8554 lead intermodal train CSX Q101-15 (Chicago, IL-Savannah, GA), south underneath the old C&EI coaling tower, which was built in 1941 to service steam locomotives, as it headed south on CSX’s CE&D Subdivision at Sullivan, Indiana! Of the three CSX trains I caught under this tower today and only one of the trains had any CSX power and it was trailing. Thought it was a bit unusual!

CSX Q028-16 northbound at Sullivan, Indiana

August 16, 2017 – BNSF 7608 and 7643 were a great surprise when I found them leading CSX Q028-16 as it popped out underneath the old coaling tower as it headed north on CSX’s CE&D Subdivision at Sullivan, Indiana!

Good friend and fellow railfan Ryan Scott and I headed up to this spot late in the afternoon hoping to catch some traffic under this tower that was built in 1941 to service steam locomotives with coal during their runs. Another friend, Ryan Collins had posted a picture from here earlier in the week and I knew I wanted to catch a few photos from here so I made the two hour trip north and picked up Ryan along the way.

When we got there we were listening to the scanner and became concerned that we wouldn’t get much before it got dark because Q645 had broken a knuckle and went into emergency a bit further to the north and they didn’t have one on their engine. Plus Q101 was behind them and we knew 28 was heading toward them.

Both the southbounds were in a siding and Q028 had a knuckle on their train so they pulled on up to where the conductor on 645 was waiting and dropped off the knuckle. Of course they had to replace the knuckle and make sure all the cars on their 10,000+ foot train were still upright before 28 could continue past them.

I thought sure we weren’t going to catch any southbounds before we lost all of our light at the coaling tower, but we were fortunate that the railfan God shined upon us and we caught both of them before it got too dark! I’ll post the other two photos over the next few days!

We also were fortunate enough to catch some Indiana Railroad action while we were waiting as well! Those will be coming over the next few days as well! A totally great afternoon/evening trackside!!!

Looking for CSXT 323!!!

August 15, 2017 – This morning about 10am CSXT 323 leading, with the L&N Herald on it, passed my house in Richland, Ky headed south toward Calvert City Loadout. I didn’t have time to give chase so I figured I give it enough time to get there and start its way around the loop.

So I headed down about 1pm, following the Paducah and Louisville line which the train takes to Calvert City, Ky. I checked Princeton Yard to make sure it wasn’t there and it wasn’t so I headed on down to the loadout.

When I arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find this empty BNSF train getting ready to depart toward Paducah, Ky. There was another train in the loop and so I figured the CSX train had already started around and decided to head down to the Paducah and Louisville Yard and get some shots of the BNSF train there, as it would take awhile for CSXT 323 get get back around the loop where I wanted to shoot it.

Well, I got the shots at Paducah I wanted, plus a few others that I’ll share over the next few days, and headed back to Calvert City, as I figured I had given the train there enough time for the engine to move around the loop where I could photograph it.

Well, I arrived back and a train was right where I figured it would be, but it wasn’t CSX, but a loaded P&L coal train from Warrior Coal in Madisonville! So, now I’m still trying to figure out where they put the CSX train as I checked all the accessible sidings between Princeton and Calvert City. So, I’m guessing they put it into the siding at Dawson Springs, Ky as I didn’t stop there and check of course. You can’t see the head end of a train in the siding there anyway as it’s about 1/2 mile from any crossing and around a curve.

Some days just don’t go as planned! LOL Still got a few nice shots and stopped for some great BBQ on the way home! Maybe I’ll get lucky and catch it tomorrow on its way back north!

PAL 2129 on Local at East Diamond lead, Madisonville, Ky

August 2, 2017 – A Paducah and Louisville Railway local sits on the East Diamond lead, with 2129 leading, as they wait for CSX Q102 to make its way north on the Earlington Cutoff as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision.

CSX W219 at Atkinson Yard, Madisonville, Ky

August 8, 2017 – CSX loaded coke train, W219, pases the south end of the power siding at Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Ky where they stopped at the yard office to pick up a relief Paducah and Louisville crew who took the train on south to Calvert City Loadout on the Paducah and Louisville line.

PAL Salute the Troops 2127 at West Yard, Madisonville, Ky

August 8, 2017 – Paducah and Louisville 2127, “Support the Troops,” engine, leads the afternoon local as it makes its way through the yard while 2101 waits on the first track in the yard. You can’t tell from the shot but a CSX loaded coke train was creeping down the main waiting for the local to clear so it could continue its run to Calvert City load out. A busy afternoon at West Yard in Madisonville, Ky.

CSX N013 crossing Trident at Madisonville, Ky

August 4, 2017 – CSX empty coal train N013, (Warrior Coal-Palatka, FL) crosses over Trident on the Henderson Subdivision onto the Morganfield Branch at Madisonville, Ky on its way to Warrior Coal to pickup a load.

Hoosier Southern engines at Tell City, IN

August 4, 2017 – A railfan trip with good friend Ryan Scott turned up this string of Hoosier Southern units tied to their caboose and some other cars at the end of their trackage at Tell City, Indiana. While we were off to night photography on this outing, I couldn’t pass up a nicely lit shot like this! The units are, 465, 467 and 464, which have been retired from service on their line after the purchase of some newer GP-15-1s.

Squaw Creek 21 and Norfolk Southern 7320 at Yankeetown, Indiana

August 4, 2017 – Squaw Creek 21 and Norfolk Southern 7320 sit idling in the stillness of the night at Alcoa/Yankeetown Docks yard. The NS loaded train waits for a crew to move its load of coal into the Alcoa Warrick Operations at Yankee Town Dock, just outside of Newburgh, Indiana. at