Jim Pearson Photography – Madisonville, Ky

Film Wednesday – October 9th, 2024, The Valley Railroad Company steam engine #97 outside Essex, Connecticut

Film Wednesday – October 9th, 2024, The Valley Railroad Company steam engine #97 does a blowout just outside of Essex, Connecticut with three passenger coaches, during a Dak Dillon Photography photo charter.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Valley Railroad No. 97 is a preserved 2-8-0 steam locomotive that was built in 1923 by the American Locomotive Company’s Cooke Works.

Tech Info: Mamiya C330 Professional, Ilford HP5 Film, Mamiya 80mm, f/5.6, 1/500, ISO 400.

Film Wednesday – October 6th, 2024, East Broad Top 16 returns to Rockhill Furnace, PA

Film Wednesday – October 6th, 2024, East Broad Top 16 leads a passenger train as they return to Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania.

According to Wikipedia: The East Broad Top Railroad (EBT) is a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge historic and heritage railroad headquartered in Rockhill Furnace, Pennsylvania. Operating from 1871 to 1956, it is one of the United States’ oldest and best-preserved narrow-gauge railroads and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1964. The railroad is now preserved for use as a tourist attraction until operations ceased in 2011. After a nine-year closure, in February 2020 it was announced that the railroad had been purchased by a non-profit foundation and regular train service resumed in the summer of 2021.

Tech Info: Mamiya C330 Professional, Ilford HP5 Film, Mamiya 80mm, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 400.

Film Wednesday – October 9th, 2024, The Valley Railroad Company steam engine #97

Film Wednesday – October 9th, 2024, The Valley Railroad Company steam engine #97 heads out of Essex, Connecticut with three passenger coaches, during a Dak Dillon Photography photo charter.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Valley Railroad No. 97 is a preserved 2-8-0 steam locomotive that was built in 1923 by the American Locomotive Company’s Cooke Works.

Tech Info: Mamiya C330 Professional, Ilford HP5 Film, Mamiya 80mm, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 400.

East Broad Top steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight at Rockhill Furnace, PA

East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight through the early morning fog as they head out of the yard 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 70-300 @70mm, f/4.5, 1/400, ISO 64.

East Broad Top steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight through the early morning fog

East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight through the early morning fog as they pull through the yard 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 70-300 @110mm, f/4.8, 1/250, ISO 320.

East Broad Top steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight through the early morning fog

East Broad Top (EBT) steam locomotive #16 pulls a mixed freight through the early morning fog as they head out of the yard 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 an overhaul when the EBT shut down. On February 1, 2023, the locomotive returned to service.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @70mm, f/4.5, 1/400, ISO 64.

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 pulls through the countryside…

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 pulls through the countryside on October 5th, 2024, during its first day of the year of pulling Fall Foliage Excursions, as it heads for Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania.

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 @ 78mm, 1/640, f/4.5, ISO 180.

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 passes the engine house at Port Clinton, PA

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 passes the engine house at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024 during the first day of the year of pulling 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 24-70 @ 32mm, 1/60, f/5.6, ISO 320.

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as dawn…

Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad steam locomotive 2102 sits outside the engine house as dawn begins at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on October 5th, 2024, as it waits to begin its first day of the year of pulling 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 24-70 @ 24mm, 2.5 seconds, f/5.6, ISO 200.

CSX M498, with the New York Central heritage 1877 unit leading at Mortons Gap, Kentucky

CSX M498, with the New York Central heritage 1877 unit leading, passes under the highway 41 overpass at Mortons Gap, Kentucky as it heads north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, on October 19th, 2024.

According to the CSX Website: January 3, 2024 – A CSX locomotive commemorating the New York Central Railroad has become the eighth unit in CSX’s heritage locomotive fleet.

Designated CSX 1853 in recognition of the year the NYC was founded, the newest heritage unit was repainted in a special design combining the current CSX colors with the traditional gray and white of the NYC system. The NYC heritage unit has been placed into regular revenue service, proudly carrying the NYC colors across the CSX network.

All of the heritage unit paint schemes have been created at the CSX Waycross Locomotive Shop, where employees performed the challenging work of applying the unique designs. Click below to watch a video of CSX 1853 rolling out of the Waycross shop and hear employees describe the 22-day effort to repaint the unit.

At its height, the New York Central system encompassed more than 11,000 track miles and provided vital transportation service between New England and the Midwest. It merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to become the Penn Central in 1968 and later became part of Conrail.

A majority of former NYC lines were acquired by CSX in 1998, and today CSX employees continue to operate trains across the primary NYC routes that have been carrying freight and supporting the U.S. economy for more than a century.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 190.

CSX M498, with the New York Central heritage 1877 unit leading, heads north at Henderson, Kentucky

CSX M498, with the New York Central heritage 1877 unit leading, heads north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, at Henderson, Kentucky, on October 19th, 2024.

According to the CSX Website: January 3, 2024 – A CSX locomotive commemorating the New York Central Railroad has become the eighth unit in CSX’s heritage locomotive fleet.

Designated CSX 1853 in recognition of the year the NYC was founded, the newest heritage unit was repainted in a special design combining the current CSX colors with the traditional gray and white of the NYC system. The NYC heritage unit has been placed into regular revenue service, proudly carrying the NYC colors across the CSX network.

All of the heritage unit paint schemes have been created at the CSX Waycross Locomotive Shop, where employees performed the challenging work of applying the unique designs. Click below to watch a video of CSX 1853 rolling out of the Waycross shop and hear employees describe the 22-day effort to repaint the unit.

At its height, the New York Central system encompassed more than 11,000 track miles and provided vital transportation service between New England and the Midwest. It merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to become the Penn Central in 1968 and later became part of Conrail.

A majority of former NYC lines were acquired by CSX in 1998, and today CSX employees continue to operate trains across the primary NYC routes that have been carrying freight and supporting the U.S. economy for more than a century.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 110.

CSX 498 with the New York Central heritage 1877 unit leading meets CSX M513 at the south end of the siding at Slaughters, Kentucky as it heads north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, on October 19th, 2024.

According to the CSX Website: January 3, 2024 - A CSX locomotive commemorating the New York Central Railroad has become the eighth unit in CSX’s heritage locomotive fleet.

Designated CSX 1853 in recognition of the year the NYC was founded, the newest heritage unit was repainted in a special design combining the current CSX colors with the traditional gray and white of the NYC system. The NYC heritage unit has been placed into regular revenue service, proudly carrying the NYC colors across the CSX network.

All of the heritage unit paint schemes have been created at the CSX Waycross Locomotive Shop, where employees performed the challenging work of applying the unique designs. Click below to watch a video of CSX 1853 rolling out of the Waycross shop and hear employees describe the 22-day effort to repaint the unit.

At its height, the New York Central system encompassed more than 11,000 track miles and provided vital transportation service between New England and the Midwest. It merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to become the Penn Central in 1968 and later became part of Conrail.

A majority of former NYC lines were acquired by CSX in 1998, and today CSX employees continue to operate trains across the primary NYC routes that have been carrying freight and supporting the U.S. economy for more than a century.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 110.

#picturesofrailways #besttrainphotograph #bestphoto #photographyoftrains #bestsoldpicture #JimPearsonPhotography

CSX 498 with the New York Central heritage 1877 unit leading meets CSX M513 at Slaughters, Kentucky

CSX M498, with the New York Central heritage 1877 unit leading, meets CSX M513 at the south end of the siding at Slaughters, Kentucky as it heads north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, on October 19th, 2024.

According to the CSX Website: January 3, 2024 – A CSX locomotive commemorating the New York Central Railroad has become the eighth unit in CSX’s heritage locomotive fleet.

Designated CSX 1853 in recognition of the year the NYC was founded, the newest heritage unit was repainted in a special design combining the current CSX colors with the traditional gray and white of the NYC system. The NYC heritage unit has been placed into regular revenue service, proudly carrying the NYC colors across the CSX network.

All of the heritage unit paint schemes have been created at the CSX Waycross Locomotive Shop, where employees performed the challenging work of applying the unique designs. Click below to watch a video of CSX 1853 rolling out of the Waycross shop and hear employees describe the 22-day effort to repaint the unit.

At its height, the New York Central system encompassed more than 11,000 track miles and provided vital transportation service between New England and the Midwest. It merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad to become the Penn Central in 1968 and later became part of Conrail.

A majority of former NYC lines were acquired by CSX in 1998, and today CSX employees continue to operate trains across the primary NYC routes that have been carrying freight and supporting the U.S. economy for more than a century.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 110.

CSX M648 with the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad (CE&I) heritage at Evansville, Indiana

CSX M648 with the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad (CE&I) heritage unit leading heads north from Evansville, Indiana on the CSX Evansville Terminal Subdivision on October 26th, 2024.

Here it’s passing under the pedestrian overpass for Mead Johnson at Evansville and on the subdivision that the CE&I originally ran on, between Evansville, Indiana and Chicago, Illinois.

According to the CSX Website: July 26, 2024 – CSX has unveiled its 17th heritage locomotive, paying tribute to the historic Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad. This locomotive is part of CSX’s ongoing series celebrating the rich legacy of America’s railroads.

The C&EI was established in 1877, initially serving as a regional line connecting Chicago with southern Illinois, St. Louis, Mo. and Evansville, Ind. Over time, it expanded its reach, becoming an important link between the Midwest and the southern United States. The C&EI played a vital role in transporting coal, agricultural products, and manufactured goods, significantly contributing to the region’s economic development.

In 1967, the C&EI was absorbed by the Missouri Pacific Railroad and the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. In the 1980s, as CSX expanded its network, it acquired various lines and assets from other railroads, including parts of former C&EI lines that had been integrated into the Missouri Pacific. This indirect acquisition process allowed CSX to incorporate the historic routes and legacy of the C&EI into its expansive system.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 110.

CSXT 154 & 395 as it led a maintenance of way train, with two switches in gondolas…

August 8, 2009 – During one of my many trips over the years to Summer Rail I caught CSXT 154 & 395 as it led a maintenance of way train, with two switches in gondolas, as it crossed over the Ohio River at Covington, Kentucky as it headed south off the C&O Railroad bridge from Cincinnati, Ohio.

Tech Info: Nikon D700, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 200mm, f/8, 1/500. ISO 640.

In this week’s Saturday Infrared photo, we catch East Broad Tops M1 motorcar at Rockhill, Pennsylvania

In this week’s Saturday Infrared photo, we catch East Broad Tops M1 motorcar sitting in the engine house at Rockhill, Pennsylvania, on October 6th, 2024.

According to their website: Built in 1927, the M-1 is the only original narrow-gauge gasoline electric motorcar still in existence in the United States. Constructed in the EBT’s very own shop complex, this one-of-a-kind piece of railroad history has been painstakingly restored and still runs using many of its original parts and components over the same railroad it was built to serve over 96 years ago.

Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Nikon 10-24 @17mm, f/4.5, 1/8, ISO 800.

November 2nd, 2024 – Episode 96 – Saturday Edited Video from Jim Pearson Photography

This week we catch steam action at The Valley Railroad Company during a two-day steam photo charter by Dak Dillon Photography around Essex, Connecticut from October 8-9th, 2024. Sit back, turn up the sound, expand to full screen and enjoy the trains!! Please like, share, subscribe and thanks for watching!

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits in s shroud of steam at the depot at Essex, Connecticut

The Valley Railroad Company #40 sits in s shroud of steam at the depot at Essex, Connecticut, on the night of October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 70mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 10,000.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests at the depot at Essex, Connecticut as the conductor and fireman talk…

The Valley Railroad Company #40 rests at the depot at Essex, Connecticut as the conductor and fireman talk, on the night of October 8th, 2024, during a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 40mm, 2.8, 1/100, ISO 10,000.

The Valley Railroad Company #40 steams out of Essex, Connecticut with a rare mixed freight move…

The Valley Railroad Company #40 steams out of Essex, Connecticut with a rare mixed freight move on the night of October 8th, 2024, after a photo charter conducted by Dak Dillion Photography.

According to Wikipedia: The Valley Railroad, operating under the name Essex Steam Train and Riverboat, is a heritage railroad based in Connecticut on tracks of the Connecticut Valley Railroad, which was founded in 1868. The company began operations in 1971 between Deep River and Essex and has since reopened additional parts of the former Connecticut Valley Railroad line. It operates the Essex Steam Train and the Essex Clipper Dinner Train.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 24mm, 2.8, 1/160, ISO 12,800.

Canadian National 89 heads to the depot at the Strasburg Railroad as It prepares to pull the first train of the day…

Canadian National 89 heads to the depot at the Strasburg Railroad as It prepares to pull the first train of the day on October 7th, 2024 from Strasburg, PA.

According to Wikipedia: The Strasburg Rail Road (reporting mark SRC) is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi of track in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad’s headquarters are outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Tech Info: Nikon D810, RAW, Nikon 24-70 @ 36mm, 2.8, 1/1600, ISO 250.

Canadian National 89 pulls a passenger train through the countryside on the Strasburg Railroad…

Canadian National 89 pulls a passenger train through the countryside on the Strasburg Railroad as It heads back to the depot at Strasburg, PA, on October 7th, 2024.

According to Wikipedia: The Strasburg Rail Road (reporting mark SRC) is a heritage railroad and the oldest continuously operating standard-gauge railroad in the western hemisphere, as well as the oldest public utility in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Chartered in 1832, the Strasburg Rail Road Company is today a heritage railroad offering excursion trains hauled by steam locomotives on 4.02 mi of track in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, as well as providing contract railroad mechanical services, and freight service to area shippers. The railroad’s headquarters are outside Strasburg, Pennsylvania.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.