Jim Pearson Photography – Page 26

April 2nd, 2014 – Blast from The Past – Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern 6071 (City of Ft. Pierre) at Mortons Gap, Ky

April 2nd, 2014 – Blast from The Past – Looking though my archives I stumbled across this image of Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern 6071 (City of Ft. Pierre) and 6030 leading a mixed freight hauling truck frames behind the power just south of Mortons Gap, Kentucky headed north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. These frames are hauled by M512 today, so I’m guessing perhaps back then it would have been Q512.

According to eh Global Energy Monitor Wiki website: The Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad reporting mark is a Class II railroad subsidiary of the Canadian Pacific Railway operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesota in the northern plains of the United States. Portions of the railroad also extend into Wyoming, Nebraska and Iowa.

DM&E began operations on September 5, 1986, over tracks that were spun off from the Chicago and Northwestern Transportation Company in South Dakota and Minnesota. Much of the negotiations were handled by the office of Senator Larry Pressler and his legal counsel Kevin V. Schieffer. After a successful decade of growth for DM&E, Schieffer succeeded J. C. McIntyre as president of the railroad on November 7, 1996. In 1997 DM&E announced plans to build into Wyoming’s Powder River Basin to become the third railroad (after BNSF Railway and Union Pacific Railroad) to tap into the region’s rich coal deposits. The Surface Transportation Board (STB) released the final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on November 19, 2001; with the final EIS in place and approval from the STB, the railroad has federal authority to construct the project.

DM&E purchased the assets of I&M Rail Link railroad in 2002, renaming it Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad and combining its management and dispatching duties with those of DM&E under the holding company Cedar American Rail Holdings. Schieffer served as president and CEO of Cedar as well as serving as president of DM&E. The combined system directly connects Chicago, Illinois through Iowa to Kansas City, Missouri, Minneapolis-St. Paul and continues as far west as Rapid City, South Dakota. Smaller branches extend into portions of Wisconsin, Wyoming and Nebraska.

In September 2007 it was announced that Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) would acquire the DM&E upon approval by the Surface Transportation Board of the US Department of Transportation. The STB announced its approval of the purchase plan on September 30, 2008, with the official last day of operations for DM&E scheduled for October 30, 2008. The merger is complete as of October 31, 2008

Tech Info: Nikon D100, Nikon 70-300mm @70mm, f/32, 1/400, ISO 800.

In this week’s Saturday Infrared photo I caught these two Norfolk Southern freight trains at Decatur, IL

In this week’s Saturday Infrared photo I caught these two Norfolk Southern freight trains meeting at the WABIC Diamond in Decatur, Illinois on August 24th, 2024,on the NS Lafayette District.

Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Nikon 10-25 @15mm, f/4, 1/800, ISO 200.

August 31st, 2024 – Episode 87 Saturday Edited Video from Jim Pearson Photography

This week’s video is of some of the last Norfolk Southern Triple Crown RoadRailers (NS 255 WB and 256 EB) running between Sidney and Decatur, Illinois on the NS Lafayette District on the 17th and 24th of August 2024 from the ground and the air. Sit back, turn up the sound, expand to full screen and enjoy the trains!! Please like, share, subscribe and thanks for watching! Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to Subscribe and Ring the Notification Bell so you won’t miss any of my future videos! Have a blessed day everyone!!

Norfolk Southern Nickel Plate Road Heritage Unit 8100 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 256 at Decatur, IL

Norfolk Southern Nickel Plate Road Heritage Unit 8100 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 256 eastbound as it passes the over the WABIC Diamond at Decatur, Illinois on August 24th, 2024, as they head east on the NS Lafayette District.

The NS RoadRailer trains are now a thing of the past as the last one ran on the 25th of August 2024, and the service has now been discontinued and the will transition fully to standard double-stack trains.

According to Wikipedia: A RoadRailer is a trailer or semi-trailer that can be hauled on roads by a tractor unit and then by way of a fifth wheel coupling, operate in a unit train on railway lines. The RoadRailer system allows trailers to be pulled by locomotives without the use of flatcars, instead attaching trailers directly to bogies.

Triple Crown, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Railway, remains a user of RoadRailer transportation as of 2022. However, on August 12th, 2024, they announced the last RoadRailer Trains would be running the weekend of August 24 and 25, 2024. The RoadRailer trains will be replaced temporarily with Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) service before transitioning fully to a standard double-stack container trains.

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

Norfolk Southern 9839 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 255 westbound as the conductor gives a friendly wave…

Norfolk Southern 9839 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 255 westbound as the conductor gives a friendly wave, as they pass their counterpart NS 256, at Tolono, Illinois on August 24th, 2024, as they head west on the NS Lafayette District.

The NS RoadRailer trains are now a thing of the past as the last one ran yesterday, 25th of August 2024, and the service has now been discontinued and they will transition fully to standard double-stack trains.

According to Wikipedia: A RoadRailer is a trailer or semi-trailer that can be hauled on roads by a tractor unit and then by way of a fifth wheel coupling, operate in a unit train on railway lines. The RoadRailer system allows trailers to be pulled by locomotives without the use of flatcars, instead attaching trailers directly to bogies.

Triple Crown, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Railway, remains a user of RoadRailer transportation as of 2022. However, on August 12th, 2024, they announced the last RoadRailer Trains would be running the weekend of August 24 and 25, 2024. The RoadRailer trains will be replaced temporarily with Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) service before transitioning fully to a standard double-stack container trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 26mm, f/5, 1/1600, ISO 100.

Norfolk Southern 4340 leads a mixed freight westbound as it passes over the WABIC Diamond at Decatur, Illinois

Norfolk Southern 4340 leads a mixed freight westbound as it passes over the WABIC Diamond at Decatur, Illinois on August 24th, 2024, as they head west on the NS Lafayette District.

The NS RoadRailer trains are now a thing of the past as the last one ran yesterday, 25th of August 2024, and the service has now been discontinued and they will transition fully to standard double-stack trains.

From what I can find on the web: WABIC Junction (Diamond) next to the Wabash Depot Antique Mall in Decatur, Illinois, is where the Norfolk Southern’s Springfield-Hannibal/Brooklyn districts and Canadian National’s Peoria Subdivision cross. Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad also uses the diamond for switching sometimes.

WABIC is named for the Wabash (WAB) and Illinois Central (IC), which used to cross here back in the good ole days, but times have changed. There were LOTS more tracks back then, along with a tower, and the WAB/Norfolk & Western, Baltimore & Ohio, and IC, as well as the Pennsylvania Railroad crossed here in the past.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/5000, ISO 170.

Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad (DERI) local heads east at La Place, Illinois

Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad (DERI) local with WAMX 4244, 4134, 5909 and Wisconsin & Southern 3872 leading the way, passes through La Place, Illinois on August 24th, 2024, as they head east to Terre Haute, Indiana (where they interchange with CSX) on the former CSX Danville Subdivision (now the DERI).

According to Wikipedia: The Decatur & Eastern Illinois Railroad (reporting mark DREI) is an American regional railroad that is a subsidiary of Watco Companies operating in eastern Illinois and western Indiana.

In January 2018, CSX Transportation announced that it was seeking offers to buy the Decatur Subdivision and the Danville Secondary Subdivision as part of a system-wide sale of low-traffic routes, and in July, Watco, via the DREI, was identified as the winning bidder. Following regulatory approval from the Surface Transportation Board, The DREI began operations on September 9, 2018.

The DREI operates two intersecting routes totaling 126.7 miles (203.9 km)—the former Decatur Subdivision between Montezuma, Indiana and Decatur, Illinois, and the former Danville Subdivision between Terre Haute, Indiana and Olivet, Illinois. It interchanges traffic with CSX, the Eastern Illinois Railroad, the Norfolk Southern Railway, the Canadian National Railway, and the Union Pacific Railroad. The railroad is headquartered in Decatur, Illinois.

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

Canadian National 8820 leads a mixed freight as it pass the old Old Illinois Central Railroad Depot at Bethany, IL

Canadian National 8820 leads a mixed freight as it pass the old Old Illinois Central Railroad Depot at Bethany, Illinois as they head south on the CN Peoria Subdivision on August 24th, 2024.

According to waymarking.com, this station was built by the Illinois Central Railroad in 1923 and taken out of service in 1969. The building has seen several uses since that time and now appears vacant but in very good condition. Obvious additions have been made to the building’s exterior that contrast sharply with its original architecture.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 210.

Canadian National 3356 leads a mixed freight as it passes over the WABAC Diamond at Decatur, Illinois

Canadian National 3356 leads a mixed freight as it passes over the WABAC Diamond at Decatur, Illinois as they head south on the CN Peoria Subdivision on August 24th, 2024.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.

Norfolk Southern Nickel Plate Road Heritage Unit 8100 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 256 out of Tolono, IL

Norfolk Southern Nickel Plate Road Heritage Unit 8100 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 256 eastbound out of at Tolono, Illinois on August 24th, 2024, as they head east on the NS Lafayette District.

The NS RoadRailer trains are now a thing of the past as the last one ran yesterday, 25th of August 2024, and the service has now been discontinued and the will transition fully to standard double-stack trains.

According to Wikipedia: A RoadRailer is a trailer or semi-trailer that can be hauled on roads by a tractor unit and then by way of a fifth wheel coupling, operate in a unit train on railway lines. The RoadRailer system allows trailers to be pulled by locomotives without the use of flatcars, instead attaching trailers directly to bogies.

Triple Crown, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Railway, remains a user of RoadRailer transportation as of 2022. However, on August 12th, 2024, they announced the last RoadRailer Trains would be running the weekend of August 24 and 25, 2024. The RoadRailer trains will be replaced temporarily with Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) service before transitioning fully to a standard double-stack container trains.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 27mm, f/5, 1/1600, ISO 100.

Norfolk Southern 9839 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 255 westbound at Decatur, IL

Norfolk Southern 9839 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 255 westbound as it passes over the WABAC Diamond as they depart from Decatur, Illinois after a crew change on August 24th, 2024, as they head west on the NS Springfield/Hannibal District.

The NS RoadRailer trains are now a thing of the past as the last one ran yesterday, 25th of August 2024, and the service has now been discontinued and they will transition fully to standard double-stack trains.

According to Wikipedia: A RoadRailer is a trailer or semi-trailer that can be hauled on roads by a tractor unit and then by way of a fifth wheel coupling, operate in a unit train on railway lines. The RoadRailer system allows trailers to be pulled by locomotives without the use of flatcars, instead attaching trailers directly to bogies.

Triple Crown, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Railway, remains a user of RoadRailer transportation as of 2022. However, on August 12th, 2024, they announced the last RoadRailer Trains would be running the weekend of August 24 and 25, 2024. The RoadRailer trains will be replaced temporarily with Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) service before transitioning fully to a standard double-stack container trains.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.

Norfolk Southern Nickel Plate Road Heritage Unit 8100 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 256 at Tolono, IL

Norfolk Southern Nickel Plate Road Heritage Unit 8100 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 256 eastbound as it passes the United Prairie and Premier Cooperative grain complexes at Tolono, Illinois on August 24th, 2024, as they head east on the NS Lafayette District.

The NS RoadRailer trains are now a thing of the past as the last one ran yesterday, 25th of August 2024, and the service has now been discontinued and the will transition fully to standard double-stack trains.

According to Wikipedia: A RoadRailer is a trailer or semi-trailer that can be hauled on roads by a tractor unit and then by way of a fifth wheel coupling, operate in a unit train on railway lines. The RoadRailer system allows trailers to be pulled by locomotives without the use of flatcars, instead attaching trailers directly to bogies.

Triple Crown, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Railway, remains a user of RoadRailer transportation as of 2022. However, on August 12th, 2024, they announced the last RoadRailer Trains would be running the weekend of August 24 and 25, 2024. The RoadRailer trains will be replaced temporarily with Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) service before transitioning fully to a standard double-stack container trains.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.

Norfolk Southern 9839 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer NS 255, passing the rear of 256 at Sidney, IL

Norfolk Southern 9839 leads Triple Crown RoadRailer NS 255 as it passes the tail end of it’s counterpart, NS 256 at Sidney, Illinois on the NS Lafayette District on August 24th, 2024.

This is the end of an era for this scene with RoadRailers as both trains are being changed over to Intermodals and today was the last run for eastbound 256 and the 25th was the last run for NS 255.

According to Wikipedia: A RoadRailer is a trailer or semi-trailer that can be hauled on roads by a tractor unit and then by way of a fifth wheel coupling, operate in a unit train on railway lines. The RoadRailer system allows trailers to be pulled by locomotives without the use of flatcars, instead attaching trailers directly to bogies.

Triple Crown, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Railway, remains a user of RoadRailer transportation as of 2022. However, on August 12th, 2024, they announced the last RoadRailer Trains would be running the weekend of August 24 and 25, 2024. The RoadRailer trains will be replaced temporarily with Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) service before transitioning fully to a standard double-stack container trains.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.

CSX M513 heads south out of Casky Yard as it continues it’s run south from Hopkinsville, Kentucky

CSX M513 heads south out of Casky Yard as it continues it’s run south from Hopkinsville, Kentucky, with CSX Heritage Unit L&N 1972 Family Lines System Leading, on August 16th, 2024, on the Henderson Subdivision.

According to CSXT: Our fleet of heritage locomotives is growing again as we unveil CSX Locomotive 1972, a tribute to the Family Lines System! The #ONECSX team in Waycross, GA recreated this unit to celebrate the special time from 1972-1982 when the Seaboard Coast Line, Clinchfield and L&N railroads were marketed as one. Eventually merging to become the Seaboard System Railroad, and ultimately the CSX we know today, the Family Lines System represents an integral part of our railroad’s rich history.

The CSX heritage series is reinforcing employee pride in the history of the railroad that continues to move the nation’s economy with safe, reliable, and sustainable rail-based transportation services.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 170.

A single Norfolk Southern engine lead brings up the rear as DPU on NS 168 at New River, TN

A single Norfolk Southern engine lead brings up the rear as DPU on NS 168 as they make their way across the New River Bridge northbound on the NS CNO&TP (Rathole) Subdivision at New River, Tennessee. On April 29th, 2024.

According to the Historic Bridges website: This bridge is a very large high level deck cantilever truss bridge. It was constructed in 1963 and as such is a late example of its type, but still noteworthy as an uncommon structure type and for its size. Typical of 1960s truss bridges, the bridge still has riveted built-up beams, but v-lacing and lattice are absent in the built-up beams, and truss connections are bolted instead of riveted. It is 1,622.0 Feet (494.4 Meters) long, with 3 Main Span(s) and 6 Approach Span(s) is over 300 feet above the river.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 110.

May 5th, 2004 – Blast from The Past – A conductor performs a roll-by inspection at Cape Girardeau, Missouri

May 5th, 2004 – Blast from The Past – A conductor performs a roll-by inspection at the siding at Freeze, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri on the BNSF River Subdivision.

From what I find online the subdivision runs between St. Louis, MO and Memphis, TN and is an ex-Frisco line that hugs the west bank of the Mississippi River for about 100 miles or so.

This image from a trip I did over 20 years ago with a group of good friends from the Western Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society and for one reason or another this, along with many other images from the trip were never processed. So, expect to see other images from this trip in the weeks to come on Saturdays! Thankfully the D100 had an option for doing voice recordings tied to the images where I gave locations and other information. Otherwise, the captions would have a lot less information.

Tech Info: Nikon D100, Nikon 24mm, f/13, 1/500, ISO 500.

In this week’s Saturday Infrared photo, we catch L391 at Kelly, Kentucky

In this week’s Saturday Infrared photo, we catch L391 as it heads south through the north end of Kelly, Kentucky, on August 13th, 2024, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Irex 11mm, f/4, 1/500, ISO 200.

August 24th, 2024 – Episode 86 Saturday Edited Video from Jim Pearson Photography

This week we catch trains between Henderson and Hopkinsville, Ky, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. For our look back at the past video we catch Federal Railroad Administration inspection car DOTX 217 arriving at P&L Railroad’s West Yards at Madisonville, Ky headed up by P&L 2129 on May 25, 2011. Sit back, turn up the sound, expand to full screen and enjoy the trains!! Please like, share, subscribe and thanks for watching! Thanks for watching! Don’t forget to Subscribe and Ring the Notification Bell so you won’t miss any of my future videos! Have a blessed day everyone!!

Norfolk Southern 9800 leads westbound Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 255 at Lafayette, Indiana

Norfolk Southern 9800 leads westbound Triple Crown RoadRailer train NS 255 as it heads out of the NS Lafayette East Yard at Lafayette, Indiana, while passing the CSX yard, on the NS Lafayette District on August 17th, 2024.

The RoadRailer trains will become a thing of the past as of the weekend of 24-25th of August 2024, as the service will be discontinued and transitioned fully to standard double-stack trains.

According to Wikipedia: A RoadRailer is a trailer or semi-trailer that can be hauled on roads by a tractor unit and then by way of a fifth wheel coupling, operate in a unit train on railway lines. The RoadRailer system allows trailers to be pulled by locomotives without the use of flatcars, instead attaching trailers directly to bogies.

Triple Crown, a subsidiary of Norfolk Southern Railway, remains a user of RoadRailer transportation as of 2022. However, on August 12th, 2024, they announced the last RoadRailer Trains would be running the weekend of August 24 and 25, 2024. The RoadRailer trains will be replaced temporarily with Trailer on Flat Car (TOFC) service before transitioning fully to a standard double-stack container trains.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100.

CSX Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Heritage Unit (RF&P) 1836 and CSX 911 SB at Mortons Gap, Ky

CSX Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac Heritage Unit (RF&P) 1836 and CSX 911 Honoring first Responders were paired up on August 19th as they led CSX M513 south at Mortons Gap, Kentucky on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.

According to a CSX Press Release: February 15, 2024 – CSX has once again demonstrated its commitment to honoring the legacy of American railroads by launching its latest heritage locomotive, the RF&P 1836. This addition to the heritage fleet represents a significant milestone for the company, marking the tenth locomotive in this distinguished series.

This new locomotive, numbered 1836, pays tribute to the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac (RF&P) Railroad’s founding year. The RF&P 1836 is a testament to CSX’s dedication to preserving and celebrating railroad history, as well as its commitment to innovation and modernization.

“Heritage goes far beyond the paint, the font and the schemes,” said Adam Oakley, CSX Supply Chain Manager, who assisted with the project. “Heritage is the people who make these railroads.”

The RF&P 1836 made its debut after being released from the CSX Waycross paint shops. With a modern business look up front and a fun heritage look in the back, the CSX heritage scheme has been described as a “mullet” in the world of locomotives.

The launch of the RF&P 1836 follows a series of similar releases by CSX, each paying homage to a different railroad that has made significant contributions to the industry. The company’s heritage program continues to be a way for CSX to honor the past while also looking towards the future.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 110.

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 exits Missionary Ridge Tunnel…

Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 exits Missionary Ridge Tunnel as it approaches East Chattanooga, Tennessee with a trainload of passengers, on April 27th, 2024.

According to Wikipedia: Southern Railway 630 is a 2-8-0 “Consolidation” type steam locomotive built in February 1904 by the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) of Richmond, Virginia for the Southern Railway as a member of the Ks-1 class. It is currently owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, Tennessee where it resides today for use on excursion trains.

According to the Tennessee River Valley Tourism site: Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s passenger trains run on an historic route which includes Missionary Ridge Tunnel, completed in 1858 and on the National Register of Historic Places. The tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through, the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an other wise double-track railroad. Southern Railway abandoned the three-mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether. TVRM restored rails through the tunnel in 1971 and continues to use the pre-Civil War Tunnel daily.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, Sigma 150-600 @ 370mm, f/6, 1/250, ISO 1100.