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.
July 17, 2020 – Norfolk Southern 3645 leads a empty coal train out of Ramsey, Indiana, as it heads west with an empty coal train on the NS Southern-East District.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 300mm, f/5.6, 1/250, ISO 1400.
July 17, 2020 – Norfolk Southern 3645 leads a empty coal train as it passes through the cut at Tunnel Hill road overpass, just west of Ramsey, Indiana, with stormy skies looming to the east on the NS Southern-East District. This cut was constructed to bypass the original tunnel through this area and I’m told it can still be seen via Google Earth Maps of the area.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 1600.
June 22, 2020 – Norfolk Southern locomotive 1098 leads empty coal train WYX1 past a string of empty grain cars at the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard at Madisonville, Kentucky as it heads for Warrior Coal Main in Nebo, Ky to pickup a load of coal.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, ISO 400.
June 4, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 4504 & 4502 pull a northbound loaded coal train through Cecilia, Kentucky as they head north to the Louisville Gas & Electric plant at Louisville, Ky.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/8, 1/1250, ISO 560.
June 22, 2020 – A fresh Paducah and Louisville Railway crew climbs aboard Norfolk Southern locomotive 1098 at Central City, Kentucky as they prepare to continue to move empty coal train WYX1 on south to Warrior Coal mine, west of Madisonville, Ky.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 260mm, f/5.6, 1/1000, ISO 500.
June 26, 2020 – A scene about as timeless as railroading itself, the only thing that has changed is the equipment and people, is a crew change on the railroad. Here the crew on Paducah and Louisville’s LG1 that loaded the coal train at Warrior coal in Nebo, Kentucky does a briefing with the engineer and conductor at West Yard in Madisonville, that will take the train on to the Mill Creek Louisville Gas and Electric plant at Louisville.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/11, 1/1600, ISO 220.
June 18, 2020 – Tagged onto the end of a coal train as the DPU, Norfolk Southern 4001 “Sonic Bonnet” gets a top off on its sand as it sits at the Peabody Francisco Mine loadout at Francisco, Indiana on the NS Southern-East District as it prepares to depart for Duke Energy with another load of coal.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/13, 1/800, ISO 220.
June 22, 2020 – Norfolk Southern T4 locomotive 1098 leads empty coal train WYX1 through the pouring rain as it pulls up a hill as it heads south on the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Milepost 135, south of Bremen, Kentucky.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 600mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 5000.
June 16, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville loaded coal train PNX2 heads down the Warrior Coal lead after picking up a load of coal at the Warrior loadout at Nebo, Kentucky with 4518 leading the way.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 550mm, f/13, 1/1600sec, ISO 1000.
March 10, 2020 – CSXT 3066 leads CSX loaded coal train N320 south on the Henderson Subdivision Cutoff at MP HC 271.6, south of Madisonville, Ky. The trackage to the left leads to a switch that used to be for what was called the Grapevine Loadout, a spot where there was a temple where coal trucks used to haul coal to for loading onto L&N coal trains.
February 8, 2020 – BNSF 6353 & CN 2126 lead a northbound empty coal train, 7,400ft (135 car), with BNSF 5997 as the trailing DPU. Here it makes it’s way north through the valley approaching Caneyville, Kentucky where it will meet up with a fresh crew to take the train on to Louisville.
February 8, 2020 – The engineer from Paducah, Ky, on BNSF 6353, steps down from a northbound empty coal train, at Caneyville, Kentucky as he and the conductor prepare to turn the train over to a Louisville Crew for the rest of the trip to Louisville on the Paducah and Louisville Railway.
February 8, 2020 – BNSF 6353 & CN 2126 lead a northbound empty coal train, 7,400ft (135 car), with BNSF 5997 as the trailing DPU. Here it makes it’s way north through the valley approaching Caneyville, Kentucky where it will meet up with a fresh crew to take the train on to Louisville.
February 8, 2020 – BNSF 6365 & CN 2126 lead a northbound empty coal train, 7,400ft (135 car), with BNSF 5997 as the trailing DPU. Here it approaches the KY 1245 overpass at the cut just north of Rockport, Kentucky on the Paducah and Louisville Railway.
January 29, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 4516 & 2012 head up a northbound loaded Louisville Gas & Electric Coal train as it pulls out of the siding at Pond River, at Madisonville, Ky. Behind it sits a PAL Local waits patiently for it to clear.
January 29, 2020 – Paducah & Louisville Railway 4516 and 2012 (UK engine) lead a loaded Louisville Gas and Electric Coal train through the cut approaching the KY-70 overpass at Bremen, Kentucky as they head north.
January 23, 2020 – Indiana Railroad (INRD) Veterans Unit 4005 sits tied down next to a loaded coal train at Hoosier Energy Merom Generating Station at Sullivan, Indiana along with INRD units 9009 & 9001, while waiting for their next crew.
The Merom Generating Station is a 2-Unit, 1080-MW rated coal-fired power plant located between Merom, Indiana and Sullivan, Indiana. It is owned by Hoosier Energy, a Touchstone Energy cooperative. The plant has been in operation since 1982.
It was announced by the company a few days ago that the plant will be shut down sometime in 2023, affecting the jobs of approximately 185 workers.
According to Indiana Public Media’s website: Hoosier Spokesperson Greg Seiter says the decision is in large part a cost savings move.
“We’re looking at potentially saving our members in excess of $700 million over the next two decades,” he says.
That’s in part because Hoosier Energy won’t be locked into coal, which is more expensive. It can diversify its mix, including using renewable energy sources like solar and wind power.
While it’s a few years off, if you plan to catch the INRD servicing this power plant with coal, you had better do it sooner than later!