CSXT 3320 and 5414 lead on CSX I025 as it passes the Earlington-Madisonville cutoff at Mortons Junction in Mortons Gap, Kentucky, on June 13th, 2024, on the Henderson Subdivision as it makes its way south.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
A farmer works on preparing his fields as CSX M512 heads north on the viaduct at Rahm, Indiana, on June 13th, 2024, with a string of 30 M1 Tanks in their consist as they head north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The viaduct here travels over a flood plain on the Ohio River.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 130.
CSX Seaboard System Heritage Locomotive 1982 passes over Arch Street at the old Louisville and Nashville Railroad depot in downtown Madisonville, Kentucky, on June 13th, 2024, as it leads CSX I026 north on the Henderson Subdivision.
This depot was originally dedicated in 1929 and last saw passenger service about 1968 when L&N built an office at Atkinson Yard in Madisonville and the passenger train service was moved to that location. Currently the station is owned by the city of Madisonville and houses one of the hubs of the Kentucky Innovation Stations, which helps courageous entrepreneurs, creative business founders, high-growth startups, and savvy investors star in their own success stories.
According to Wikipedia: The Seaboard System Railroad, Inc. (reporting mark SBD) was a US Class I railroad that operated from 1982 to 1986.
Since the late 1960s, Seaboard Coast Line Industries had operated the Seaboard Coast Line and its sister railroads, notably the Louisville & Nashville and Clinchfield, as the “Family Lines System”. In 1980, SCLI merged with the Chessie System to create the holding company CSX Corporation; two years later, CSX merged with the Family Lines railroads to create the Seaboard System Railroad.
In 1986, Seaboard renamed itself CSX Transportation, which absorbed the Chessie System’s two major railroads the following year.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 140.
A farmer works on preparing his fields as CSX M512 heads north on the viaduct at Rahm, Indiana, on June 13th, 2024, with a string of 30 M1 Tanks in their consist as they head north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. The viaduct here travels over a flood plain on the Ohio River.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 130.
CSX hot intermodal I025, right, passes M513 at the south end of Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Kentucky on April 23rd, 2024, as they head south on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100.
CSX M513 heads south along the power siding at CSX Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Kentucky on May 7th, 2024, as they head south on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.
CSX local 391 comes off the cutoff onto the Henderson Main, at Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, Ky, as it makes the return trip to Casky Yard in Hopkinsville, Kentucky on May11th, 2024 after working on drop off and pickups at CSX Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Ky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 120.
Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 4523, 4142, 2101 and 2104, lead an 8,100ft military train across the Tennessee River at Kentucky Dam at Gilbertsville, Kentucky, on May 17th, 2024.
The crew took the train on to Paducah, Ky where it was tied down for the night. Where it went beyond there I’ve not heard, but in the past BNSF has picked up these moves and took them on west.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 160.
Norfolk Southern 1145 leads 279 as they make their way north across the New River Bridge on the NS CNO&TP (Rathole) Second District at New River, Tennessee. On June 7th, 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 130.
Norfolk Southern intermodal 28C heads northbound across High Bridge on June 8th, 2024, crossing the Kentucky River on the NS CNO&TP First District at Highbridge, Kentucky.
According to Wikipedia: The High Bridge is a railroad bridge crossing the Kentucky River Palisades, that rises approximately 275 feet from the river below and connects Jessamine and Mercer counties in Kentucky. Formally dedicated in 1879, it is the first cantilever bridge constructed in the United States. It has a three-span continuous under-deck truss used by Norfolk Southern Railway to carry trains between Lexington and Danville. It has been designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
In 1851, the Lexington & Danville Railroad, with Julius Adams as chief engineer, retained John A. Roebling to build a railroad suspension bridge across the Kentucky River for a line connecting Lexington and Danville, Kentucky west of the intersection of the Dix and Kentucky rivers. In 1855, the company ran out of money and the project was resumed by Cincinnati Southern Railroad in 1873 following a proposal by C. Shaler Smith for a cantilever design using stone towers designed by John A. Roebling (who designed the Brooklyn Bridge).
The bridge was erected using a cantilever design with a three-span continuous under-deck truss and was opened in 1877 on the Cincinnati Southern Railway. It was 275 feet (84 m) tall and 1,125 feet (343 m) long: the tallest bridge above a navigable waterway in North America and the tallest railroad bridge in the world until the early 20th century. Construction was completed using 3,654,280 pounds of iron at a total cost of $404,373.31. In 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes and Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attended the dedication.
After years of heavy railroad use, the bridge was rebuilt by Gustav Lindenthal in 1911. Lindenthal reinforced the foundations and rebuilt the bridge around the original structure. To keep railroad traffic flowing, the track deck was raised by 30 feet during construction and a temporary trestle was constructed. In 1929, an additional set of tracks was built to accommodate increased railroad traffic and the original limestone towers were removed.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 160.
Norfolk Southern 9758 leads 29F as they make their way south across the New River Bridge on the NS CNO&TP (Rathole) Second District at New River, Tennessee. On June 7th, 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, 1/1000, ISO 100.
Norfolk Southern intermodal 29F heads southbound across High Bridge on June 8th, 2024, crossing the Kentucky River on the NS CNO&TP First District at Highbridge, Kentucky.
According to Wikipedia: The High Bridge is a railroad bridge crossing the Kentucky River Palisades, that rises approximately 275 feet from the river below and connects Jessamine and Mercer counties in Kentucky. Formally dedicated in 1879, it is the first cantilever bridge constructed in the United States. It has a three-span continuous under-deck truss used by Norfolk Southern Railway to carry trains between Lexington and Danville. It has been designated as a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
In 1851, the Lexington & Danville Railroad, with Julius Adams as chief engineer, retained John A. Roebling to build a railroad suspension bridge across the Kentucky River for a line connecting Lexington and Danville, Kentucky west of the intersection of the Dix and Kentucky rivers. In 1855, the company ran out of money and the project was resumed by Cincinnati Southern Railroad in 1873 following a proposal by C. Shaler Smith for a cantilever design using stone towers designed by John A. Roebling (who designed the Brooklyn Bridge).
The bridge was erected using a cantilever design with a three-span continuous under-deck truss and was opened in 1877 on the Cincinnati Southern Railway. It was 275 feet (84 m) tall and 1,125 feet (343 m) long: the tallest bridge above a navigable waterway in North America and the tallest railroad bridge in the world until the early 20th century. Construction was completed using 3,654,280 pounds of iron at a total cost of $404,373.31. In 1879 President Rutherford B. Hayes and Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman attended the dedication.
After years of heavy railroad use, the bridge was rebuilt by Gustav Lindenthal in 1911. Lindenthal reinforced the foundations and rebuilt the bridge around the original structure. To keep railroad traffic flowing, the track deck was raised by 30 feet during construction and a temporary trestle was constructed. In 1929, an additional set of tracks was built to accommodate increased railroad traffic and the original limestone towers were removed.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 180.
Norfolk Southern 4796 leads 40D south on the NS CNO&TP Third District as they pass the old depot in downtown Spring City, Tennessee as the sun sets and stormy skies roll through the area, on June 6th, 2024.
According to https://theclio.com website: The restored railroad depot was built In 1900 by the Queen and Crescent Railroad Company that extended out of Cincinnati Ohio built for the purposes of extending travel and commerce to the south.
In addition to it’s function of providing access to the southern areas of the United States, the Depot eventually became a museum that chronicled the story of a group of female rebels dubbed “The Rhea County Spartans.” During the course of the Civil War these Women Served as spies for the Confederate Army. However they were eventually caught and as a result of their actions they were arrested and sent 54 miles to the Market Street in Chattanooga. It was there that they were forced to swear allegiance to the Union before being sent back home on foot.
Today it houses the Spring City History Museum.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 400.
Norfolk Southern New York Central Heritage Unit, 1066, with BNSF 3809 and 7174 lead NS 167 past the old Southfork Coal Company mine loadout at Revelo outside Sterns, Kentucky as they head southbound with a mixed freight on the NS CNO&TP (Rathole) Subdivision, on June 7th, 2024.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 150.
This week we’re chasing trains between Robards and Crofton, Kentucky including CSX M502 at Hanson, Ky with CSX Locomotive 1899 Honoring the Pere Marquette Heritage Locomotive leading. That and also some CP and BNSF action! Sit back, turn up the sound, expand to full screen, enjoy and please like, share, subscribe!
CSX M502 through the south end of Atkinson Yard at Madisonville, Ky with CSX Pere Marquette Heritage Unit, 1899, leading the way on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, on May 20th, 2024.
According to a CSX Press Release: May 1, 2024 – CSX has introduced the latest addition in its heritage locomotive series, paying homage to the rich history of the Pere Marquette Railroad. This new unit showcases the Pere Marquette’s legacy, dating back to its inception on November 1, 1899.
The Pere Marquette Railroad, operating in the Great Lakes region of the United States and parts of southern Ontario, Canada, derived its name from Jacques Marquette, a notable French Jesuit missionary credited with founding Michigan’s first European settlement in Sault Ste Marie. After years of operation, the company merged with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway (C&O) on June 6, 1947, eventually becoming part of the renowned CSX network.
The design of the Pere Marquette heritage locomotive was meticulously crafted by employees at the CSX Waycross Locomotive Shop. According to CSX Carman Painter Eric Lee, “We had to measure each stripe precisely and position the words just right to ensure it captured the look of the original design. It took us about four days just to lay out the stripes before we could begin painting.”
A fascinating tidbit related to the history of Pere Marquette is its cameo in the 2004 film “The Polar Express.” The steam locomotive Pere Marquette 1225 served as the inspiration for the train depicted in the movie, with audio recordings of the actual locomotive in operation featured in the film. Interestingly, the locomotive had been donated to Michigan State University and was exhibited near the university’s football stadium. The author of “The Polar Express” book drew inspiration from seeing this locomotive on display during childhood, solidifying its place in popular culture.
CSX’s dedication to honoring the history and significance of the Pere Marquette Railroad through this new locomotive underscores the company’s commitment to preserving and celebrating the heritage of American railroads. Keep an eye out as this remarkable piece of history moves across the CSX network, bridging the past with the present.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 100.
Canadian Pacific 8925 leads CSX B647, a loaded ethanol train, head southbound at Sebree, Kentucky on May 25th, 2025, on the CSX Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/8, 1/1000, ISO 180.
Norfolk Southern local T36 works the yard at Emory Gap, Tennessee at the start of their day on the NS CNO&TP Division, on April 29th, 2024.
According to American-rails.com, It used to be called the Rathole Division when it was the Southern Railway and is often remembered as a road with relatively flat and tangent main lines due to the region in which it operated. However, the system did feature its share of steep, circuitous main lines such as Saluda Grade in western North Carolina and its famed “Rathole Division” through Kentucky and Tennessee that reached as far north as Cincinnati.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/8000, ISO 150.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 crosses over the Chickamauga Creek Bridge as it heads to Grand Junction at West Chattanooga, Tennessee, 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.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr., along with a group of local railway preservationists. They wanted to save steam locomotives and railway equipment for future historical display and use. Today, the museum offers various tourist excursions from stations in Chattanooga and Etowah, Tennessee.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 320.
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s steam locomotive Southern Railway 630 pulls east from the siding around a westbound on the main, as it heads to 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.
The Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum was founded as a chapter of the National Railway Historical Society in 1960 by Paul H. Merriman and Robert M. Soule, Jr., along with a group of local railway preservationists. They wanted to save steam locomotives and railway equipment for future historical display and use. Today, the museum offers various tourist excursions from stations in Chattanooga and Etowah, Tennessee.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 110.
Norfolk Southern 178 crosses the Emory River at Harriman, TN, just south of Harriman Junction, on the NS CNO&TP (Rathole) Third District as it heads north on April 29th, 2024.
According to American-rails.com, It used to be called the Rathole Division when it was the Southern Railway and is often remembered as a road with relatively flat and tangent main lines due to the region in which it operated. However, the system did feature its share of steep, circuitous main lines such as Saluda Grade in western North Carolina and its famed “Rathole Division” through Kentucky and Tennessee that reached as far north as Cincinnati.
Technically, this stretch of the Southern main line was known as the 2nd District of subsidiary Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific (CNO&TP), which was plagued for years by numerous tunnels resulting in its famous nickname by the crews which operated over it.
Over the years the Southern worked to daylight or bypass these obstacles as the route saw significant freight tonnage, a task finally completed during the 1960s. Today, the Rathole remains an important artery in Norfolk Southern’s vast network.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 180.