Well, since we don’t have snow today on Christmas here in Western Kentucky I looked back and found a shot from the past that thought I’d share today!
January 17, 2018 – A early morning Paducah and Louisville Railway 2106 leads a loaded coal train as it heads south through the snow covered cut at Charleston as it heads for the loadout at Calvert City, Ky.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 70mm, f/6.3, 1/1250, ISO 320.
Paducah and Louisville Railway loaded coal drag heads south across Barkley Dam at Grand Rivers, Kentucky on September 2nd, 2020 as it makes its way to the Calvert City Terminal.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 70mm, f/8, 1/1600, ISO 320.
A driver uses a John Deer Bulldozer to push and smooth coal up a very large pile at the Calvert City Terminal in Calvert City, Kentucky. In case you’re wondering, it takes a lot of coal and coke trains to build a pile that high and they come from Paducah & Louisville Railway, BNSF, CSX, Union Pacific and occasionally Norfolk Southern to add to the piles at the terminal, where the coal and coke is blended and transloaded onto barges and trains for shipment where ever the customer is.
When you’re out shooting pictures trackside, don’t forget that not every shot needs to have the train! Look for the details and work surrounding the operation as there’s always great pictures to be had!
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 390mm, f/6.3, 1/800, ISO 900.
Paducah & Louisville PRX1 SB through the clouds at Nebo, Ky
Calm winds prevailed for me as PRX1 makes its way through the the marshlands as Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4501 pull their freshly loaded coal train away from the Warrior Coal Mine loop at Nebo, Kentucky on December 5th, 2020 providing wonderful reflections!
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100, Exp. Comp -3 (for detail in the highlights).
CSXT 3113 & 214 lead loaded coal train N040-09 as its shadow chases along on the track next to it as it passes the Planters Bank Grain silos headed south on the Henderson Subdivision at Sebree, Kentucky on December 9th, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.
The late afternoon light plays across the marshland as Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4501 pull their freshly loaded coal train away from the Warrior Coal Mine loop from Nebo, Kentucky on December 5th, 2020.
This is my first photograph I’m sharing from my new Mavic Air 2 drone that shoots RAW! With the Mavic Mini I’ve not been happy with it only shooting JPG and being very hard to control highlights and the skies in my photography. This drone for me is a game changer, when it comes to being able to pull all the detail out of the image! My clouds and skies are back!!
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.
BNSF 9196 leads SPC1 as it comes off the P&I Railroad Branch onto Chiles Junction with a empty coal drag in West Paducah, Kentucky as it heads north onto the Bluford Subdivision as the setting sun bathes the train in its warm glow.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 100.DCIM\100MEDIA\DJI_0751.JPG
N015 Evansville, IN (EVWR) – Palatka, FL
CSX loaded coal train N015 weaves its way through the countryside as the late evening like rakes across the tops of trees as it heads south through Nortonville, Kentucky on November 12th, 2020 on the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 100.
E303 – Stilesboro, GA – Evansville, IN (EVWR)
CSXT 3062 passes under the North Main Street overpass on November 5th, 2020, with empty coal train E303, as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision at Madisonville, Ky as it heads to Evansville, Indiana. There the Evansville Western Railway will pick-up the empty train and load it at Sugar Camp Mine (Akin, IL).
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.
Waycross, GA – Avon, IN
The glow of the late evening sunset illuminates the sides of loaded coal hoppers on CSX N015 as it waits in the siding at Kelly, Kentucky, as CSXT 32 leads the daily Q512 north on the Henderson Subdivision on November 3rd, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 200.
PAL UK and U of L SB Load of Coal
Paducah & Louisville Railway 2012 (University of Kentucky) and 2013 (University of Louisville) locomotives lead a loaded coal train as it travels next to Ky Hwy 70 at Richland as it heads south to Calvert City, Kentucky after picking up another load at Warrior Coal loadout at Nebo, Ky, on October 27, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 200.
PAL UK and U of L leading empty coal
A Paducah and Louisville Railway empty coal train travels along the Warrior Coal Mine Lead , with University of Kentucky (2012) and University of Louisville (2013) leading the way, as it approaches AC Slaton road at Madisonville, Ky as it makes its way to Warrior Coal mine to pick up another load of coal for the Calvert City Terminal on October 27, 2020 in a light foggy mist.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 100.
PAL Northbound loaded coal
Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 and 4503 lead the afternoon Louisville Gas and Electric coal train northbound at McHenry, Kentucky on its way to Louisville on September 21, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
Lunch Break!
Union Pacific 6493 and 7188 pull away from their Paducah and Louisville Railway PRX2 loaded coal train just outside Princeton, Kentucky after the crew received permission to stop for lunch from PAL dispatch on October 17, 2020.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
September 24, 2020 – Paducah & Louisville (PAL) 4512 and Evansville Western 4511 lead a 5,400ft loaded coal train across Barkley Dam at Grand Rivers, Kentucky on the Cumberland River, as they head for the Calvert City Coal Terminal at Calvert City, Ky.
Barkley Dam construction along with Kentucky Dam formed the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area by stopping the flow of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, forming Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake respectively and the PAL mainline runs right across the dam.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.
September 21, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 leads the afternoon Louisville Gas and Electric coal train as it skirts the downtown area of Central City, Kentucky on its way north to Louisville.
The grassy area below is the general location of the old Illinois Central depot from the days when passenger trains used to service Central City. There used to be an elevator that took the passengers up to the tracks to catch their trains.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
September 17, 2020 – CSXT 3439 and 275 lead loaded coal train CSX N040 south on the Henderson Subdivision as it approaches the John Rivers Rd. crossing at south Casky in Hopkinsville, Kentucky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.
September 14, 2020 – BNSF 5794 and 6299 lead a loaded coal train through the loop at the Calvert City Terminal in Calvert City, Kentucky as it is halfway through unloading its train.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.
August 20, 2020 – CSXT 3182 heads up CSX E040-16 as it heads through the cross-over from track 2 to track 1 as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision at Nortonville, Kentucky. It set on track 2 as it waited for CSX Q025 to pass and its counterpart, loaded coal train N040-20 was also waiting for Q025 on the same track about 1/4 mile away from the cross-over.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 250mm, f/11, 1/1250, ISO 900.
July 20, 2020 – CSX loaded coal train N040-18 makes its way south through the Red River cut at Adams, Tennessee with CSXT 956 leading the way.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 195mm, f/5.3, 1/320, ISO 220.