Union Pacific Railroad 7756 leads as it heads north on CSX B426, at Breton, Ky with an empty coke train on the CSX Henderson Subdivision on March 22nd, 2023, bound for another load at Proviso, IL (UP). This train is returning from its run to Calvert City, Ky loadout, via the Paducah and Louisville Railway to drop off a load of coke.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 190.
LoRam shoulder ballast cleaner SBC-2401 kicks up a dust storm as it makes its way north on the CSX Henderson Cuttoff through the beautiful spring countryside of Mortons Gap, Kentucky on May 10th, 2022, as it moves slowly along cleaning the ballast on both sides of the rails.
Shoulder ballast cleaning consists of removing ballast at the end of the ties, screening the ballast, and discarding fines and fouling material and restoring the good ballast to the shoulder. Integrated scarifiers break open end of tie mud pockets, removes fines, and restores ballast voids in the shoulders and under the tie ends and release damaging trapped water.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 130.
CSX M512 makes its way north from the location know as Monarch on the railroad as it heads north at Madisonville, Ky on the CSX Henderson Subdivision on March 20th, 2023.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/3200, ISO 280.
A southbound CSX I025, with a string of autoracks carrying Tesla’s, passes through the North end of Kelly, Ky as it meets M648 waiting in the siding for them to pass through on June 8th, 2022, on the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 120.
On June 24th, 2022, I caught Norfolk Southern Heritage unit 8114 “Norfolk Southern” as it prepared to begin loading at the Warrior Coal Loop outside Nebo, Kentucky! It’s one of 20 locomotives painted as Heritage units by NS. It’s been just over 10 years since the first engine rolled out and I’ve been fortunate to have photographed all 20 of them out working on the road!
According to the NS website: As part of its 30th anniversary celebration in 2012, NS painted 20 new locomotives in the color schemes of predecessor railroads. The commemorative units quickly became known as NS’ Heritage Locomotives.
Since the 1820s, hundreds of railroad companies were built, merged, reorganized, and consolidated into what eventually became Norfolk Southern, itself created from the consolidation of Southern Railway and Norfolk and Western Railway in 1982. In 1999, Norfolk Southern acquired a portion of Conrail. The Heritage Locomotives represent railroads that played significant roles in Norfolk Southern’s history. The first unit, Conrail 8098, rolled out of Altoona, Pa., March 15, and the final one, Lackawanna 1074, rolled out of Muncie, Ind., on June 27, 2012.
Each paint scheme was modified to fit contemporary locomotives while staying as true as possible to the original designs. Norfolk Southern employees in Altoona and Chattanooga, Tenn., painted GE ES44AC locomotives, while the EMD SD70ACe units were painted at Progress Rail Services’ facility in Muncie, Ind. The Heritage Locomotives are used in freight service across Norfolk Southern’s 19,500-mile, 22-state network.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 130.
Norfolk Southern 1053 and Grand Trunk 5860 in original paint, lead and empty rail train through the countryside between Union City, TN and Fulton, Ky as they head north on the CN Fulton Subdivision, on March 25th, 2023.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 110.
CSX 7015 leads CSX B231 passes over a short bridge at Mortons Gap, Ky, with a train of Phosphate Loads, as it heads north on March 18th, 2023. The loads run from Mulberry, FL, to Bensenville, IL (CP) via the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 280.
Canadian Pacific 8830 heads up CSX 212 as it clears the signal at the north end of Casky with a train with Phosphate Empties, as it heads south from Bensenville, IL (CP) to Mulberry, FL, on March 18th, 2023, at Hopkinsville, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 110.
Northbound CSX M648 is stopped short of Monarch at Madisonville, Kentucky with the CSXT 911, Honoring First Responders locomotive leading, on the Henderson Subdivision on March 9th, 2023. It was waiting on two southbound trains to clear Arklow, north of Madisonville, so they didn’t block crossings through downtown.
CSXT 911 is painted in vibrant red with white and gold striped accents along with the logo of program partners First Responders Children’s Foundation and Operation Gratitude. It also features generic police, fire and emergency medical services logos.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 150.
CSXT 739 leads loaded grain train G419 southbound past the old Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Railroad Depot after our first snowfall of the year on the Henderson Subdivision on January 7th, 2022. The snow which began to fall on the 6th brought a total of 4-6 inches of snow to the region and caused delays on the railroad due to switch problems along the line due to the snow and cold.
According to Wikipedia: “The L &N Railroad Depot in the Hopkinsville Commercial Historic District of Hopkinsville, Kentucky is a historic railroad station on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built by the Louisville & Nashville Railroad in 1892.
The year 1832 saw the first of many attempts to woo a railroad to Hopkinsville. This first attempt was to connect Hopkinsville to Eddyville, Kentucky. In 1868 Hopkinsville finally obtained a railroad station, operated by the Evansville, Henderson, & Nashville Railroad. The Louisville & Nashville Railroad acquired the railroad in 1879.
The Hopkinsville depot is a single-story frame building with a slate roof. It has six rooms: A Ladies Waiting room (the room closest to the street), a General Waiting Room, a Colored Waiting Room, a baggage room (the furthest room from the street), a ticket office (the only room which connected to all three waiting rooms), and a ladies’ restroom. Immediately outsides were warehouses for freight, usually tobacco.
Its last long-distance (passenger) train was the Louisville and Nashville’s Georgian, last operating in 1968.
During its operating years, the Hopkinsville depot was a popular layover spot for those traveling by train. It was the only Louisville & Nashville station between Evansville, Indiana and Nashville, Tennessee where it was legal to drink alcohol. Hopkinsville got the nickname “Hop town” due to train passengers asking the conductors when they would arrive at Hopkinsville, so they could “hop off and get a drink”.
The Hopkinsville L & N Railroad Depot was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on August 1, 1975. CSX, which bought out the Louisville & Nashville, still run trains on the tracks next to the depot, but do not stop.”
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/3200, ISO 110.
CSXT 6481 leads local L385 as they deliver tank cars of LP Gas to Fortner Gas in Madisonville, Ky, just off the CSX Morganfield Branch on March 16th, 2023, under stormy skies.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 150.
Southbound Union Pacific 8144 leads PAL WW1 as it exits the Paducah and Louisville Railway tunnel at Dawson Springs, Kentucky on its way south to Calvert City, Kentucky with a loaded coke train on March 13th, 2023.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 100.
Northbound CSX M648 passes under the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Monarch at Madisonville, Kentucky with the CSXT 911, Honoring First Responders locomotive leading, on the Henderson Subdivision on March 9th, 2023.
CSXT 911 is painted in vibrant red with white and gold striped accents along with the logo of program partners First Responders Childrens Foundation and Operation Gratitude. It also features generic police, fire and emergency medical services logos.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 170.
CSXT 3242 leads CSX M513 on its journey south after passing Anaconda at Robards, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision on March 9th, 2023 and the unique dwarf signals on the spur that leads out into an industrial area at Sebree, Kentucky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 180.
Nickel Plate Road (NKP) 765 leads the American History Train as sits in the station at Pleasant Lake, Indiana on the Indiana Northeastern Railroad on September 24th, 2022.
NKP 765 was pulling the American History Train between Pleasant Lake from Angola, Indiana during the annual American History Days Festival. It took guests back to the 1940s for a living history experience. The passengers then got a 45-minute layover at Pleasant Lake where they visited with WWII reenactors, listened to live music and much more.
According to Wikipedia: Nickel Plate Road 765 is a class “S-2” 2-8-4 “Berkshire” type steam locomotive built for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the “Nickel Plate Road”.
No. 765 continues to operate in mainline excursion service and is owned and maintained by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 12, 1996.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 110.
Digital Photo Art – The American History Train, being led by Nickel Plate Road (NKP) steam locomotive 765, passes the old New York Central Depot on September 24th, 2022, at Pleasant Lake, Indiana.
NKP 765 was pulling the American History Train between Pleasant Lake from Angola, Indiana during the annual American History Days Festival. It took guests back to the 1940s for a living history experience. The passengers then got a 45-minute layover at Pleasant Lake where they visited with WWII reenactors, listened to live music and much more.
According to Wikipedia: Pleasant Lake depot is also known as the New York Central Railroad Depot and is a historic train station located at Pleasant Lake, Steuben Township, Steuben County, Indiana. It was built in 1882 by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, and is a one-story, rectangular, Gothic Revival style frame building. It has a gable roof and is clad in board and batten siding.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2001 as the Pleasant Lake Depot.
Nickel Plate Road 765 is a class “S-2” 2-8-4 “Berkshire” type steam locomotive built for the New York, Chicago & St. Louis Railroad, commonly referred to as the “Nickel Plate Road”.
No. 765 continues to operate in mainline excursion service and is owned and maintained by the Fort Wayne Railroad Historical Society and was also added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 12, 1996.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/100, ISO 110.
#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.
CSX M513 passes the Sullivan Grain Company and its Shuttlewagon Rail Car Mover, as it makes its way south on the CSX CE&D Subdivision at Sullivan, Indiana on September 22nd, 2022.
According to their website: Shuttlewagon is a direct-to-market provider of rail-based car handling solutions. Whether you require new equipment, service support, aftermarket parts or various on-site services rest assured Shuttlewagon is there to implement the right solution at the right moment in time so that your operations continue to propel your business forward.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/4000, ISO 110.
Meadow River Lumber Company steam locomotive, Heisler No. 6, leads a freight train past a wetlands area at Hosterman, West Virginia during the Mountain Rail WV, Rail Heritage Photography Weekend. The event was held at the Durbin & Greenbrier Valley Railroad, Durbin, WV, and Cass Scenic Railroad, Cass, WV, from November 4-6th, 2022.
According to Wikipedia: The Durbin and Greenbrier Valley Railroad (reporting mark DGVR) is a heritage and freight railroad in the U.S. states of Virginia and West Virginia. It operates the West Virginia State Rail Authority-owned Durbin Railroad and West Virginia Central Railroad (reporting mark WVC), as well as the Shenandoah Valley Railroad in Virginia.
Beginning in 2015, DGVR began operating the historic geared steam-powered Cass Scenic Railroad, which was previously operated by the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources as part of Cass Scenic Railroad State Park.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.
CSXT 7254 leads M512 as it passes under the US 41 overpass at Barnsley, Kentucky on the way north along the Henderson Subdivision on March 7th, 2023. The cargo just behind the power is truck frames bound for Toyota in Indiana. This train runs between Radnor Yard in Nashville, TN and Avon, IN, along with its counterpart, M513.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 120.
Two engines from Brightline’s Orange 2 trainset sit nose to nose in the siding at Crofton, Kentucky on CSX S993 as it waits to continue its move south on the CSX Henderson subdivision, on February 13th, 2023, on its way to Orlando, Florida.
According to the GoBrightline Facebook page, “This completes our fleet of 10 train sets and is the final of the five new trains for our Orlando extension! We can’t wait to welcome Bright Orange 2 to our Vehicle Maintenance Facility in Orlando. Safe travels, and see you soon, Bright Orange 2!””
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/4000, ISO 200.
CSX I025 rolls through the wetlands area on the Henderson Subdivision as they make their way south approaching the city limits of Earlington, Kentucky on February 15th, 2023. The autoracks behind the power are loaded with brand new Tesla’s bound for Jacksonville, Florida. I015 runs between Bedford Park, IL and Moncrief Yard at Jacksonville, FL.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/150, ISO 2000.