This is one of the last images from my DJI Air 2 drone before it ended up in the top of a 30’ oak tree the next day at Dexter, MO after a Fly Away. In this shot Engineer Ed Dickens waves from the cab as Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy, passes under the signal bridge in downtown McRae, Arkansas on Friday, on August 27th, 2021, as they head north on the UP Hoxie subdivision on its way to Popular Bluff, MO. The Big Boy is an articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive which was manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York in 1941. There were a total 25 of these giants built and of the eight remaining locomotives this is the only operational one. According to Wikipedia: “The locomotive operated in revenue service until 1959, when it was donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society in late 1961 and thereafter displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California. In 2013, UP re-acquired the locomotive and launched a restoration project at their Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In May 2019, No. 4014 was operated for the first time after sitting dormant for almost six decades. It ran its first excursion, double-headed with Union Pacific 844, three days later on May 4, 2019. Now part of the Union Pacific's heritage fleet, it now operates in excursion service, in addition to hauling revenue freight during ferry moves.” The Big Boy is currently on a month-long tour around the Midwest through, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming before heading home to Cheyenne, Wyoming on September 7th. For the route and schedule visit: https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm to see if it’s stopping near you! Tech Info: Wide Photo: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100, August 27, 2021. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #jimpearsonphotography

Engineer Ed Dickens waves from the cab as Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy at McRae, Arkansas

This is one of the last images from my DJI Air 2 drone before it ended up in the top of a 30′ oak tree the next day at Dexter, MO after a Fly Away in 2021.

In this shot Engineer Ed Dickens waves from the cab as Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy, passes under the signal bridge in downtown McRae, Arkansas on Friday, on August 27th, 2021, as they head north on the UP Hoxie subdivision on its way to Popular Bluff, MO.


The Big Boy is an articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive which was manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York in 1941. There were a total 25 of these giants built and of the eight remaining locomotives this is the only operational one.

According to Wikipedia: “The locomotive operated in revenue service until 1959, when it was donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society in late 1961 and thereafter displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California.

In 2013, UP re-acquired the locomotive and launched a restoration project at their Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In May 2019, No. 4014 was operated for the first time after sitting dormant for almost six decades.

It ran its first excursion, double-headed with Union Pacific 844, three days later on May 4, 2019. Now part of the Union Pacific’s heritage fleet, it now operates in excursion service, in addition to hauling revenue freight during ferry moves.”

The Big Boy is currently on a month-long tour around the Midwest through, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming before heading home to Cheyenne, Wyoming on September 7th.

Tech Info: Wide Photo: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100, August 27, 2021.

Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy, passes over the Black River as it approaches downtown Corning, Arkansas on Friday, August 27th, 2021, as they head north on the UP Hoxie subdivision on its way to Poplar Bluff, AR. The Big Boy is an articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive which was manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York in 1941. There were a total 25 of these giants built and of the eight remaining locomotives this is the only operational one. According to Wikipedia: “The locomotive operated in revenue service until 1959, when it was donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society in late 1961 and thereafter displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California. In 2013, UP re-acquired the locomotive and launched a restoration project at their Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In May 2019, No. 4014 was operated for the first time after sitting dormant for almost six decades. It ran its first excursion, double-headed with Union Pacific 844, three days later on May 4, 2019. Now part of the Union Pacific's heritage fleet, it now operates in excursion service, in addition to hauling revenue freight during ferry moves.” The Big Boy is currently on a month-long tour around the Midwest through, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming before heading home to Cheyenne, Wyoming on September 7th. For the route and schedule visit: https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm to see if it’s stopping near you! Tech Info: Wide Photo: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100, August 27, 2021. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #jimpearsonphotography

Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy, passes over the Black River as it approaches downtown Corning, Arkansas

Union Pacific’s 4014, the Big Boy, passes over the Black River as it approaches downtown Corning, Arkansas on Friday, August 27th, 2021, as they head north on the UP Hoxie subdivision on its way to Poplar Bluff, AR.

The Big Boy is an articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive which was manufactured by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Schenectady, New York in 1941. There were a total 25 of these giants built and of the eight remaining locomotives this is the only operational one.

According to Wikipedia: “The locomotive operated in revenue service until 1959, when it was donated to the Railway and Locomotive Historical Society in late 1961 and thereafter displayed in Fairplex at the RailGiants Train Museum in Pomona, California.

In 2013, UP re-acquired the locomotive and launched a restoration project at their Steam Shop in Cheyenne, Wyoming. In May 2019, No. 4014 was operated for the first time after sitting dormant for almost six decades.

It ran its first excursion, double-headed with Union Pacific 844, three days later on May 4, 2019. Now part of the Union Pacific’s heritage fleet, it now operates in excursion service, in addition to hauling revenue freight during ferry moves.”

The Big Boy is currently on a month-long tour around the Midwest through, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Illinois, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Wyoming before heading home to Cheyenne, Wyoming on September 7th. For the route and schedule visit: https://www.up.com/heritage/steam/schedule/index.htm to see if it’s stopping near you!

Tech Info: Wide Photo: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100, August 27, 2021.

Film Wednesday – 1992 – USSR Locomotive 407053 sits in the yard at one of many stations at Moscow, Russia. This image is from a slide scan that I shot while I was taking part in a military humanitarian called Provide Hope. For a while I was the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Air Force’s Electronic Imaging Center stationed at Aviano, Italy, where Combat Camera was tasked to document the Provide Hope operation. I was there for six months, and we flew missions in and out of the USSR. This was on one trip to Moscow where we spent a couple days in the country, documenting the delivery of supplies to an orphanage. Of course, during my off time, I made sure to visit the train station that was just outside our hotel! According to Wikipedia: Operation Provide Hope was a humanitarian operation conducted by the U.S. Air Force to provide medical equipment to former Soviet republics during their transition to capitalism. The operation was announced by Secretary of State James A. Baker, III on January 22–23, 1992 and the initial shipment of supplies was sent on February 10, 1992. Twelve US Air Force C-5 and C-141 was carrying an estimated 500 tons of bulk-food rations and medicines into Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Minsk, and Chisinau from Germany and Yerevan, Almaty, Dushanbe, Ashkhabad, Baku, Tashkent, and Bishkek from Turkey. In total, for nearly two weeks sixty-five missions flew 2,363 short tons (2,144 t) of food and medical supplies to 24 locations in the Commonwealth of Independent States during the initial phase of operation. Much of these supplies was left over from the buildup to the Persian Gulf War. Small teams of US personnel from various government agencies (On-Site Inspection Agency, USAID, and USDA) had been placed in each destination shortly before the deliveries, to coordinate with local officials and to monitor to the best extent possible that the deliveries reached the intended recipients (i.e., orphanages, hospitals, soup kitchens, and needy families). Tech Info: Camera, Nikon F3, Kodachrome Slide Film, no other data recorded, Scanned with a PlusTek 82001i Film Scanner. #slidescan #filmphotography #trains #railroads #jimpearsonphotography #FilmPhotography

Film Wednesday – 1992 – USSR Locomotive 407053 sits in the yard at one of many stations around Moscow, Russia

Film Wednesday – 1992 – USSR Locomotive 407053 sits in the yard at one of many stations around Moscow, Russia. This image is from a slide scan that I shot while I was taking part in a military humanitarian called Provide Hope.

For a while I was the non-commissioned officer in charge of the Air Force’s Electronic Imaging Center stationed at Aviano, Italy, where Combat Camera was tasked to document the Provide Hope operation. I was there for six months, and we flew missions in and out of the USSR. This was on one trip to Moscow where we spent a couple days in the country, documenting the delivery of supplies to an orphanage. Of course, during my off time, I made sure to visit the train station that was just outside our hotel!

According to Wikipedia: Operation Provide Hope was a humanitarian operation conducted by the U.S. Air Force to provide medical equipment to former Soviet republics during their transition to capitalism. The operation was announced by Secretary of State James A. Baker, III on January 22–23, 1992 and the initial shipment of supplies was sent on February 10, 1992. Twelve US Air Force C-5 and C-141 was carrying an estimated 500 tons of bulk-food rations and medicines into Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Minsk, and Chisinau from Germany and Yerevan, Almaty, Dushanbe, Ashkhabad, Baku, Tashkent, and Bishkek from Turkey. In total, for nearly two weeks sixty-five missions flew 2,363 short tons (2,144 t) of food and medical supplies to 24 locations in the Commonwealth of Independent States during the initial phase of operation. Much of these supplies was left over from the buildup to the Persian Gulf War.

Small teams of US personnel from various government agencies (On-Site Inspection Agency, USAID, and USDA) had been placed in each destination shortly before the deliveries, to coordinate with local officials and to monitor to the best extent possible that the deliveries reached the intended recipients (i.e., orphanages, hospitals, soup kitchens, and needy families).

Tech Info: Camera, Nikon F3, Kodachrome Slide Film, no other data recorded, Scanned with a PlusTek 82001i Film Scanner.

Film Wednesday – 1993 – Today’s slide scan is of a train on the Budapest Cog-wheel Railway, Budapest, Hungary. According to Wikipedia: The Budapest Cog-wheel Railway (Hungarian: budapesti fogaskerekű vasút [ˈbudɒpɛʃti ˈfoɡɒʃkɛrɛkyː ˈvɒʃuːt]) is a rack railway in the Buda part of the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. It connects a lower terminus at Városmajor [hu], two tram stops away from the Széll Kálmán tér transport interchange, with an upper terminus at Széchenyihegy [hu]. The line is integrated into the city's public transport system as tram line number 60, is 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) in length, and was opened in 1874. The railway is operated by BKV, who also operate the city's tram and metro lines. It runs throughout the year between the hours of 0500 and 2300. As a fully integrated part of Budapest's public transport system, standard tickets and passes can be used. The Városmajor terminus is adjacent to the Budapest tram stop of the same name, whilst the Széchenyihegy terminus is a 250-metre (820 ft) walk from the similarly named terminus of the Budapest Children's Railway. Tech Info: Camera, Nikon F3, Ektachrome Slide Film, no other data recorded, Scanned with an PlusTek 82001i Film Scanner. #slidescan #filmphotography #trains #railroads #jimpearsonphotography #FilmPhotography

Film Wednesday – 1993 – Today’s slide scan is of a train on the Budapest Cog-wheel Railway, Budapest, Hungary

According to Wikipedia: The Budapest Cog-wheel Railway (Hungarian: budapesti fogaskerekű vasút [ˈbudɒpɛʃti ˈfoɡɒʃkɛrɛkyː ˈvɒʃuːt]) is a rack railway in the Buda part of the Hungarian capital city of Budapest. It connects a lower terminus at Városmajor [hu], two tram stops away from the Széll Kálmán tér transport interchange, with an upper terminus at Széchenyihegy [hu]. The line is integrated into the city’s public transport system as tram line number 60, is 3.7 kilometres (2.3 mi) in length, and was opened in 1874.

The railway is operated by BKV, who also operate the city’s tram and metro lines. It runs throughout the year between the hours of 0500 and 2300. As a fully integrated part of Budapest’s public transport system, standard tickets and passes can be used.

The Városmajor terminus is adjacent to the Budapest tram stop of the same name, whilst the Széchenyihegy terminus is a 250-metre (820 ft) walk from the similarly named terminus of the Budapest Children’s Railway.

Tech Info: Camera, Nikon F3, Ektachrome Slide Film, no other data recorded, Scanned with an PlusTek 82001i Film Scanner.

CSX I025 passes under the Sub Station Road overpass at the south end of Kelly, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads it southbound under dark threatening skies on April 2nd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The eleven autoracks behind the engine are loaded with Tesla’s bound for Florida and overseas market from what I’m told. Capturing this engine means I’ve caught all of CSX’s Heritage units except for the Georgia Heritage Unit, and that one is only a matter of time! According to a CSX Press Release: January 26, 2024 - In a tribute to its rich railroad history, CSX has unveiled its Monon 1897 heritage locomotive, marking the ninth release its ongoing heritage series honoring the company's predecessor railroads. “The Monon Railroad ran from Chicago down to Louisville but most of it was in Indiana,” explained CSX Carman Jason Merritt, who assisted with the heritage project. “Eventually it merged with the Louisville and Nashville Lines and was later absorbed by CSX.” The new heritage locomotive emerges fresh from the Class I railroad's paint shop in Waycross, Ga., showcasing a blend of modern and historic aesthetics. The design features the modern CSX design on the head end, transitioning seamlessly into the historic paint scheme and logo of the Monon line. This style reflects the approach taken with previous installations in the CSX heritage series, which often feature the current CSX paint scheme on the nose and the predecessor's scheme on the body. Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 100. #railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #trainsfromadrone #csxhendersonsubdivision #onecsx #csxheritageunit

CSX I025 passes under the Sub Station Road overpass at the south end of Kelly, Ky with the CSX Monon Heritage Unit

CSX I025 passes under the Sub Station Road overpass at the south end of Kelly, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads it southbound under dark threatening skies on April 2nd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The eleven autoracks behind the engine are loaded with Tesla’s bound for Florida and overseas market from what I’m told.

Capturing this engine means I’ve caught all of CSX’s Heritage units except for the Georgia Heritage Unit, and that one is only a matter of time!

According to a CSX Press Release: January 26, 2024 – In a tribute to its rich railroad history, CSX has unveiled its Monon 1897 heritage locomotive, marking the ninth release its ongoing heritage series honoring the company’s predecessor railroads.

“The Monon Railroad ran from Chicago down to Louisville but most of it was in Indiana,” explained CSX Carman Jason Merritt, who assisted with the heritage project. “Eventually it merged with the Louisville and Nashville Lines and was later absorbed by CSX.”

The new heritage locomotive emerges fresh from the Class I railroad’s paint shop in Waycross, Ga., showcasing a blend of modern and historic aesthetics. The design features the modern CSX design on the head end, transitioning seamlessly into the historic paint scheme and logo of the Monon line. This style reflects the approach taken with previous installations in the CSX heritage series, which often feature the current CSX paint scheme on the nose and the predecessor’s scheme on the body.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 100.

The crew on East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive16 prepares the locomotive to start their day, in the early morning fog, from outside the engine house at Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania on October 6th, 2024, during the museum’s Friends of the East Broad top event. According to the East Broad Top Website: Locomotive #16 was built in 1916 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works. Entering the age of modern steam in 1916, the EBT received its first of three large Mikados. Unlike the previous three smaller locomotives, #16 came with superheaters, piston valves, and Southern valve gear. One story mentions #16 pulled 60 empty hoppers from Mt. Union to Rockhill in one train, literally clearing out the yard. #16 underwent an overhaul in 1955 and made only a handful of trips in early 1956 before the railroad shut down. On February 1, 2023, the locomotive returned to service. Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 70mm, f/2.8, 1/50, ISO 640. steam locomotive, train, railways, vintage, smoke, green hillside, sunlight, iron bridge, transportation, travel, photography of trains, train photography, Jim Pearson Photography, trending photo, East Broad Top Railroad, steam train

The crew on East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive16 prepares the locomotive to start their day

The crew on East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive16 prepares the locomotive to start their day, in the early morning fog, from outside the engine house at Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania on October 6th, 2024, during the museum’s Friends of the East Broad top event.

According to the East Broad Top Website: Locomotive #16 was built in 1916 by the Baldwin Locomotive Works.

Entering the age of modern steam in 1916, the EBT received its first of three large Mikados. Unlike the previous three smaller locomotives, #16 came with superheaters, piston valves, and Southern valve gear. One story mentions #16 pulled 60 empty hoppers from Mt. Union to Rockhill in one train, literally clearing out the yard. #16 underwent an overhaul in 1955 and made only a handful of trips in early 1956 before the railroad shut down. On February 1, 2023, the locomotive returned to service.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 70mm, f/2.8, 1/50, ISO 640.

CSX M500 heads north at Mortons Gap, Kentucky as they pass CSX workers working on the communications tower on March 3rd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 180. #railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #trainsfromadrone #csxhendersonsubdivision #onecsx

CSX M500 heads north at Mortons Gap, Kentucky

CSX M500 heads north at Mortons Gap, Kentucky as they pass CSX workers working on the communications tower on March 3rd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 180.

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 steams through Tamaqua, PA, while spectators watch and photography the train as it heads back to Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024 after taking a trainload of passengers to Jim Thorpe, PA on the first day of the year of Fall Foliage Excursions. According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124. The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s. In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains. Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 240mm, 1/320, f/5.6, ISO 250. #railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #steamtrains #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #RBNRR

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 steams through Tamaqua, PA

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 steams through Tamaqua, PA, while spectators watch and photography the train as it heads back to Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024 after taking a trainload of passengers to Jim Thorpe, PA on the first day of the year of Fall Foliage Excursions.

According to their website: The Reading Company T-1 class #2102 was built in the Reading’s own locomotive shops in 1945. With drivers of 70” diameter, it weighs 404 tons, and its tender holds up to 26 tons of coal, and up to 19,000 gallons of water. After the Reading Steam era was over, the Reading Company used 2102 for the Reading Rambles on several different excursions. The 2102 has had many different owners since it was retired by the Reading Railroad. It is one of only four to survive. The other remaining locomotives are the 2100, 2101, and 2124.

The Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad purchased the 2102 in 1987, and it ran on the Temple to South Hamburg line into the early 1990’s. Once the Blue Mountain and Reading Railroad became the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern, the 2102 ran over Reading & Northern’s rails for a short time before it was removed from service in the early 1990’s.

In 2022, steam locomotive 2102 reentered service on the Reading & Northern. The locomotive has been used actively to pull both passenger excursions and revenue freight trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 240mm, 1/320, f/5.6, ISO 250.

CSX I025 heads south at Crofton, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads it under dark threatening skies on April 2nd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The eleven autoracks behind the engine are loaded with Tesla’s bound for Florida and overseas market from what I’m told. Capturing this engine means I’ve caught all of CSX’s Heritage units except for the Georgia Heritage Unit, and that one is only a matter of time! According to a CSX Press Release: January 26, 2024 - In a tribute to its rich railroad history, CSX has unveiled its Monon 1897 heritage locomotive, marking the ninth release its ongoing heritage series honoring the company's predecessor railroads. “The Monon Railroad ran from Chicago down to Louisville but most of it was in Indiana,” explained CSX Carman Jason Merritt, who assisted with the heritage project. “Eventually it merged with the Louisville and Nashville Lines and was later absorbed by CSX.” The new heritage locomotive emerges fresh from the Class I railroad's paint shop in Waycross, Ga., showcasing a blend of modern and historic aesthetics. The design features the modern CSX design on the head end, transitioning seamlessly into the historic paint scheme and logo of the Monon line. This style reflects the approach taken with previous installations in the CSX heritage series, which often feature the current CSX paint scheme on the nose and the predecessor's scheme on the body. Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 110. #railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #trainsfromadrone #csxhendersonsubdivision #onecsx #csxheritageunit

CSX I025 heads south at Crofton, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads

CSX I025 heads south at Crofton, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads it under dark threatening skies on April 2nd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The eleven autoracks behind the engine are loaded with Tesla’s bound for Florida and overseas market from what I’m told.

Capturing this engine means I’ve caught all of CSX’s Heritage units except for the Georgia Heritage Unit, and that one is only a matter of time!

According to a CSX Press Release: January 26, 2024 – In a tribute to its rich railroad history, CSX has unveiled its Monon 1897 heritage locomotive, marking the ninth release its ongoing heritage series honoring the company’s predecessor railroads.

“The Monon Railroad ran from Chicago down to Louisville but most of it was in Indiana,” explained CSX Carman Jason Merritt, who assisted with the heritage project. “Eventually it merged with the Louisville and Nashville Lines and was later absorbed by CSX.”

The new heritage locomotive emerges fresh from the Class I railroad’s paint shop in Waycross, Ga., showcasing a blend of modern and historic aesthetics. The design features the modern CSX design on the head end, transitioning seamlessly into the historic paint scheme and logo of the Monon line. This style reflects the approach taken with previous installations in the CSX heritage series, which often feature the current CSX paint scheme on the nose and the predecessor’s scheme on the body.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 110.

CSX I025 heads south through Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads it under dark threatening skies on April 2nd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The eleven autoracks behind the engine are loaded with Tesla’s bound for Florida and overseas market from what I’m told. Capturing this engine means I’ve caught all of CSX’s Heritage units except for the Georgia Heritage Unit, and that one is only a matter of time! According to a CSX Press Release: January 26, 2024 - In a tribute to its rich railroad history, CSX has unveiled its Monon 1897 heritage locomotive, marking the ninth release its ongoing heritage series honoring the company's predecessor railroads. “The Monon Railroad ran from Chicago down to Louisville but most of it was in Indiana,” explained CSX Carman Jason Merritt, who assisted with the heritage project. “Eventually it merged with the Louisville and Nashville Lines and was later absorbed by CSX.” The new heritage locomotive emerges fresh from the Class I railroad's paint shop in Waycross, Ga., showcasing a blend of modern and historic aesthetics. The design features the modern CSX design on the head end, transitioning seamlessly into the historic paint scheme and logo of the Monon line. This style reflects the approach taken with previous installations in the CSX heritage series, which often feature the current CSX paint scheme on the nose and the predecessor's scheme on the body. Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 150. #railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #trainsfromadrone #csxhendersonsubdivision #onecsx #csxheritageunit

CSX I025 heads south through Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit

CSX I025 heads south through Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads it under dark threatening skies on April 2nd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The eleven autoracks behind the engine are loaded with Tesla’s bound for Florida and overseas market from what I’m told.

Capturing this engine means I’ve caught all of CSX’s Heritage units except for the Georgia Heritage Unit, and that one is only a matter of time!

According to a CSX Press Release: January 26, 2024 – In a tribute to its rich railroad history, CSX has unveiled its Monon 1897 heritage locomotive, marking the ninth release its ongoing heritage series honoring the company’s predecessor railroads.

“The Monon Railroad ran from Chicago down to Louisville but most of it was in Indiana,” explained CSX Carman Jason Merritt, who assisted with the heritage project. “Eventually it merged with the Louisville and Nashville Lines and was later absorbed by CSX.”

The new heritage locomotive emerges fresh from the Class I railroad’s paint shop in Waycross, Ga., showcasing a blend of modern and historic aesthetics. The design features the modern CSX design on the head end, transitioning seamlessly into the historic paint scheme and logo of the Monon line. This style reflects the approach taken with previous installations in the CSX heritage series, which often feature the current CSX paint scheme on the nose and the predecessor’s scheme on the body.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 150.

CSX I025 heads south at Breton, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads it under dark threatening skies on April 2nd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The eleven autoracks behind the engine are loaded with Tesla’s bound for Florida and overseas market from what I’m told. Capturing this engine means I’ve caught all of CSX’s Heritage units except for the Georgia Heritage Unit, and that one is only a matter of time! According to a CSX Press Release: January 26, 2024 - In a tribute to its rich railroad history, CSX has unveiled its Monon 1897 heritage locomotive, marking the ninth release its ongoing heritage series honoring the company's predecessor railroads. “The Monon Railroad ran from Chicago down to Louisville but most of it was in Indiana,” explained CSX Carman Jason Merritt, who assisted with the heritage project. “Eventually it merged with the Louisville and Nashville Lines and was later absorbed by CSX.” The new heritage locomotive emerges fresh from the Class I railroad's paint shop in Waycross, Ga., showcasing a blend of modern and historic aesthetics. The design features the modern CSX design on the head end, transitioning seamlessly into the historic paint scheme and logo of the Monon line. This style reflects the approach taken with previous installations in the CSX heritage series, which often feature the current CSX paint scheme on the nose and the predecessor's scheme on the body. “A lot of hard work and planning goes into each project,” said Merritt. “We want to get these right, so we take pride in what we do, from the wash rack to moving them out the door.” The new Monon heritage locomotive is a testament to the enduring legacy of America's railroads. It stands as a symbol of the past while simultaneously pointing towards the future, embodying the spirit of evolution and innovation that drives CSX. Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 130. #railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #trainsfromadrone #csxhendersonsubdivision #onecsx #csxheritageunit

CSX I025 heads south at Breton, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 at Breton, Ky

CSX I025 heads south at Breton, Kentucky as CSX Monon Heritage Unit 1897 leads it under dark threatening skies on April 2nd, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The eleven autoracks behind the engine are loaded with Tesla’s bound for Florida and overseas market from what I’m told.

Capturing this engine means I’ve caught all of CSX’s Heritage units except for the Georgia Heritage Unit, and that one is only a matter of time!

According to a CSX Press Release: January 26, 2024 – In a tribute to its rich railroad history, CSX has unveiled its Monon 1897 heritage locomotive, marking the ninth release its ongoing heritage series honoring the company’s predecessor railroads.

“The Monon Railroad ran from Chicago down to Louisville but most of it was in Indiana,” explained CSX Carman Jason Merritt, who assisted with the heritage project. “Eventually it merged with the Louisville and Nashville Lines and was later absorbed by CSX.”

The new heritage locomotive emerges fresh from the Class I railroad’s paint shop in Waycross, Ga., showcasing a blend of modern and historic aesthetics. The design features the modern CSX design on the head end, transitioning seamlessly into the historic paint scheme and logo of the Monon line. This style reflects the approach taken with previous installations in the CSX heritage series, which often feature the current CSX paint scheme on the nose and the predecessor’s scheme on the body.

“A lot of hard work and planning goes into each project,” said Merritt. “We want to get these right, so we take pride in what we do, from the wash rack to moving them out the door.”

The new Monon heritage locomotive is a testament to the enduring legacy of America’s railroads. It stands as a symbol of the past while simultaneously pointing towards the future, embodying the spirit of evolution and innovation that drives CSX.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 130.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) sits outside the engine house during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend night photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022. According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain. Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain. The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as 'Spruce'. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor's office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 3sec exposure, +0.3 stops, ISO 200. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography #cassscenicrailway #trainsfromtheair #steamtrains

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) sits outside the engine house at Cass, WV

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotive number 11, (C-90-3) sits outside the engine house during the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend night photo shoot at Cass, West Virginia on November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 3sec exposure, +0.3 stops, ISO 200.

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotives 2, (C-80-3), and 11, (C-90-3) sit outside the engine house during a light rain, at the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend, at Cass, West Virginia on the night of November 5th, 2022. According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain. Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain. The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as 'Spruce'. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor's office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 24mm, f/9, 30 seconds, ISO 100. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography #cassscenicrailway #steamtrains

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotives 2, (C-80-3), and 11, (C-90-3) sit outside the engine house during a light rain

Cass Scenic Railway Shay locomotives 2, (C-80-3), and 11, (C-90-3) sit outside the engine house during a light rain, at the Rail Heritage Photography Weekend, at Cass, West Virginia on the night of November 5th, 2022.

According to Wikipedia: Cass Scenic Railroad, is an 11-mile (18 km) long heritage railway owned by the West Virginia State Rail Authority and operated by the Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad. The park also includes the former company town of Cass and a portion of the summit of Bald Knob, the highest point on Back Allegheny Mountain.

Founded in 1901 by the West Virginia Pulp and Paper Company (now WestRock), Cass was built as a company town to serve the needs of the men who worked in the nearby mountains cutting spruce and hemlock for the West Virginia Spruce Lumber Company, a subsidiary of WVP&P. At one time, the sawmill at Cass was the largest double-band sawmill in the world. It processed an estimated 1.25 billion board feet (104,000,000 cu ft; 2,950,000 m3) of lumber during its lifetime. In 1901 work started on the 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge railroad, which climbs Back Allegheny Mountain.

The railroad eventually reached a meadow area, now known as Whittaker Station, where a logging camp was established for the immigrants who were building the railroad. The railroad soon reached the top of Gobblers Knob, and then a location on top of the mountain known as ‘Spruce’. The railroad built a small town at that location, complete with a company store, houses, a hotel, and a doctor’s office. Work soon commenced on logging the red spruce trees, which grew in the higher elevations.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm @ 24mm, f/9, 30 seconds, ISO 100.

Film Wednesday – 1993 – Today’s slide scans are from a trip I took between Aviano, Italy and Zermatt, Switzerland. This was done from my window on the Glacier Express as we were headed to Zermatt. I haven’t a clue exactly to the location where this train set was at and again If anyone recognizes this location, let me know in the comments. According to Wikipedia: The Glacier Express is a direct Panorama Express (PE) train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of Zermatt and St. Moritz via Andermatt in the central Swiss Alps. The train provides a one-seat ride for an 8-hour end-to-end 291-kilometre (181 mi) journey, and omits stops made by local trains. The Glacier Express has been called the 'slowest express train in the world'. As St. Moritz and Zermatt are home to two well-known mountains, the Glacier Express is also said to travel from Matterhorn to Piz Bernina. Tech Info: Camera, Nikon F3, Kodachrome Slide Film, no other data recorded, Scanned with a PlusTek 82001i Film Scanner. #slidescan #filmphotography #trains #railroads #jimpearsonphotography #FilmPhotography

Film Wednesday – 1993 – Today’s slide scan is from a trip I took between Aviano, Italy and Zermatt, Switzerland

Film Wednesday – 1993 – Today’s slide scan is from a trip I took between Aviano, Italy and Zermatt, Switzerland. This was done from my window on the Glacier Express as we were headed to Zermatt.

I haven’t a clue exactly to the location where this train set was at and again If anyone recognizes this location, let me know in the comments.

According to Wikipedia: The Glacier Express is a direct Panorama Express (PE) train connecting railway stations of the two major mountain resorts of Zermatt and St. Moritz via Andermatt in the central Swiss Alps. The train provides a one-seat ride for an 8-hour end-to-end 291-kilometre (181 mi) journey, and omits stops made by local trains. The Glacier Express has been called the ‘slowest express train in the world’. As St. Moritz and Zermatt are home to two well-known mountains, the Glacier Express is also said to travel from Matterhorn to Piz Bernina.

Tech Info: Camera, Nikon F3, Kodachrome Slide Film, no other data recorded, Scanned with a PlusTek 82001i Film Scanner.

This is the shot that almost wasn’t! One of the critical things about drone photography is timing and sometimes it doesn’t go as planned! When I pressed the shutter for this photo the Seaboard System unit was places where the nose of the trailing unit is at. There’s always a delay between the time you shoot the picture unit the drone receives the signal to shoot, and that difference always seems to depend on distance and lay of the land. I always have my drone set to do a burst of 7 images and normally the one of the shots are right where I want it. In this shot of the Seaboard System Heritage Unit leading CSX M500 north across Gum Lick Trestle at Kelly, Kentucky, on March 28th, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision; this is the first image on the drone. All the other six, after it the engine was cut off! It’s a bit tighter than I like but it works. Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 120. #railroad #railroads #train, #trains #railway #railway #railtransport #railroadengines #picturesoftrains #picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography #trainsfromadrone #csxhendersonsubdivision #onecsx #csxheritageunit

Seaboard System Heritage Unit leading CSX M500 north across Gum Lick Trestle at Kelly, Kentucky

This is the shot that almost wasn’t! One of the critical things about drone photography is timing and sometimes it doesn’t go as planned! When I pressed the shutter for this photo the Seaboard System unit was places where the nose of the trailing unit is at.

There’s always a delay between the time you shoot the picture unit the drone receives the signal to shoot, and that difference always seems to depend on distance and lay of the land.

I always have my drone set to do a burst of 7 images and normally the one of the shots are right where I want it. In this shot of the Seaboard System Heritage Unit leading CSX M500 north across Gum Lick Trestle at Kelly, Kentucky, on March 28th, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision; this is the first image on the drone. All the other six, after it the engine was cut off! It’s a bit tighter than I like but it works.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 120.