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!
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!!!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
August 5, 2017 – Hoosier Southern 468, a GP15-1, sets next to the depot and flood wall in Tell City, Indiana after finishing its day of work along the line, under the glow of the night lights and moon.
August 4, 2017 – Norfolk Southern 7320 and Squaw Creek 21 sit idling in the stillness of the night at Squaw Creek the NS loaded train waits for a crew to move the loaded coal into the Alcoa Warrick Operations at Yankee Town Dock, just outside of Newburgh, Indiana.
August 4, 2017 – CSX Q647 (Chicago, IL (BRC)-Waycross, GA) heads south across Trident on the Henderson Subdivision, as empty coal train N013, (Warrior Coal-Palatka, FL) waits to cross over onto the Morganfield Branch at Madisonville, Ky on its way to Warrior Coal.
August 2, 2017 – Paducah and Louisville 2129 leads the local off the East Diamond lead onto the Henderson Cutoff as it makes its way north to CSX’s Atkinson Yard to do interchange work on the Henderson Subdivision.
July 19, 2017 – Paducah and Louisville local with 2128, Salute the Veterans Unit, 2119 and 2112, pull a string a cars out of West yard at Madisonville, Ky as the conductor keeps an watchful eye on the operation at the switch.
July 25, 2017 – CSX R530, running with Union Pacific Power, pulls through Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Ky, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision.
July 25, 2017 – CSX 3359, with UP and NS power trailing, head through the switch at Mortons Junction as it leads its train south through Mortons Gap, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision.
July 24, 2017 – CSXT 7812 leads hot intermodal Q029-24 as it sails past Citirail 1511 leading X851-24 in the siding at the south end of Romney, outside Nortonville, Ky, as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision.
July 28, 2017 – CSXT 3112 leads Q647-28 past MP 268 as it rounds the curve coming down the Earlington Cut off,approaching Mortons Junction, on its way south on the Henderson Subdivision.
I’ve added a new page to my site that will have listings to Scanner feeds and Web Camera Feeds for areas that I frequent for rail photography. I hope you enjoy the new page and some of the feeds. Click Here to visit the page or you’ll find it on the Menu Bar at the top of every page.
July 24, 2917 – CSX Q028-24 approaches the Crofton cut as it heads north out of Crofton, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision with its hot intermodal and a hot summer’s day.
March 27, 2017 – Paducah and Louisville Railway’s “Salute the Troops” engine 2121 with 3807 trailing sits tied down at West Yards in Madisonville, Ky. It’s been working a ballast train that’s part of a MOW crew which has been working the area for a couple weeks now.
I’ve added a new page under my Railfanning section on Railfanning the Paducah and Louisville Railroad.
This is by no means a complete list of places to shoot along the Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL). I’ll update this list as time goes by. If you have a favorite spot send me a google map link and I’ll add it to the list. I know there’s a bunch around Louisville and Paducah I haven’t found yet.
NS runs trains via Louisville on the PAL to Madisonville to pick up coal, usually at Warrior in Nebo, Ky. CSX, UP and NS run coal/coke trains between Madisonville and Calvert City, Ky to the coal loadout there. BNSF and UP I’ve found running to Calvert City also from Paducah.
For the most part the Paducah and Louisville Railway follows Highway 62 most of the way between Paducah and Louisville, Ky. It does leave it from time to time, but it always comes back to 62. If you keep in mind which side of the highway the tracks are on you can take side roads to check out the crossings. There’s many of them I haven’t listed here. These are my favorites from a picture standpoint. (Click here for More)