First light, first train! I was afraid I'd miss this loaded coal train CSX N302 at first light on the Red River bridge at Adams, Tennessee as it made its way south on the Henderson Subdivision. I left my house at about 5:30am, much earlier than I'm accustomed to getting out, but I was meeting fellow railfan Cooper Smith at 7am at Guthrie, Kentucky and we were to meet at the CSX yard in Guthrie to do a full day of railfanning in the snow. After stopping to shoot the sun popping over the horizon just north of Trenton, Ky I got back in my nice and toasty SUV after getting my shot in the cold 14 degree weather and headed on south to meet up with Cooper. It was about this time I found out that he was running late and that there was a loaded coal train just ahead of me headed south. This was just after the last big snowfall that swept through the region the day before and even though the Kentucky and Tennessee road crews had do a great job of plowing US 41, which follows the Henderson Subdivision, there was still ice on the roads to contend with so I was worried that I wouldn't make it to this spot and get the drone up before the train got there, but as you can tell, lady luck was smiling in my direction! I arrived at this spot probably about 10 minutes before the train on February 19th, 2021 and the sun was just above the tree line here and was sending that beautiful early morning golden light, raking across the bare trees. A great start to a great day of being trackside, even if it was real early and went till after dark! We both came back with some great shots! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

First light, first train!

I was afraid I’d miss this loaded coal train CSX N302 at first light on the Red River bridge at Adams, Tennessee as it made its way south on the Henderson Subdivision.

I left my house at about 5:30am, much earlier than I’m accustomed to getting out, but I was meeting fellow railfan Cooper Smith at 7am at Guthrie, Kentucky and we were to meet at the CSX yard in Guthrie to do a full day of railfanning in the snow.

After stopping to shoot the sun popping over the horizon just north of Trenton, Ky I got back in my nice and toasty SUV after getting my shot in the cold 14 degree weather and headed on south to meet up with Cooper. It was about this time I found out that he was running late and that there was a loaded coal train just ahead of me headed south.

This was just after the last big snowfall that swept through the region the day before and even though the Kentucky and Tennessee road crews had do a great job of plowing US 41, which follows the Henderson Subdivision, there was still ice on the roads to contend with so I was worried that I wouldn’t make it to this spot and get the drone up before the train got there, but as you can tell, lady luck was smiling in my direction!

I arrived at this spot probably about 10 minutes before the train on February 19th, 2021 and the sun was just above the tree line here and was sending that beautiful early morning golden light, raking across the bare trees. A great start to a great day of being trackside, even if it was real early and went till after dark! We both came back with some great shots!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

BNSF Southbound Phosphate stopped at Guthrie, Ky If you recall from my March 3rd, 2021 post, I got a text at about 10 minutes till 7am that CSX K811-28, a phosphate train, with three BNSF units on it was headed south on the Henderson Subdivision and I decided to get out of bed and give chase! It was about 45 miles later at Guthrie, Ky when I finally got ahead of it enough to where I could launch the drone, after they stopped after getting red signal due to track work being done ahead at Cedar Hill, TN. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

BNSF Southbound Phosphate stopped at Guthrie, Ky

If you recall from my March 3rd, 2021 post, I got a text at about 10 minutes till 7am that CSX K811-28, a phosphate train, with three BNSF units on it was headed south on the Henderson Subdivision and I decided to get out of bed and give chase!

It was about 45 miles later at Guthrie, Ky when I finally got ahead of it enough to where I could launch the drone, after they stopped after getting red signal due to track work being done ahead at Cedar Hill, TN.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

Southbound Intermodal at Baker This morning (March 3rd, 2021) I got a text at about 10 minutes till 7am that there was a southbound phosphate train with three BNSF units on it! Needless to say I was still in bed and this isn't it! However, this turned out to be my favorite shot on a full day of chasing, which really was a spur of the moment thing starting with the early morning text message. It was about 30 miles later to the south on the Henderson Subdivision (HD) before I caught up with the BNSF train and so I figured since I was out in this early morning light and so far south I'd go ahead and spend the day shooting in the southern part of the HD so I could fly the drone in some locations that I hadn't done so yet, hence, this shot right here. Now, in all fairness this shot of hot intermodal Q029-03 heading south isn't the at spot I started out to shoot it at, but I'm glad I found it! I parked at the crossing on Baker Station Road, about 1.5 miles from the south end of the Baker Tunnel at Ridgetop, Tennessee and the plan was to fly back to the south end of Baker tunnel from there. However, due to the terrain, the drone had issues of maintaining a GPS signal unless I was was up much higher than I wanted to be. However, I passed the spot as I was flying back, about 1/2 mile from the crossing, and thought it'd make a good backup spot! When I got back to this location and got down low enough for what I wanted, I knew right away that I was going to love it! The only thing I was worried about is it was if the train would make it to the spot before I had to bring the drone back to me due to a lack of battery power and also if I could tell when it was coming so I could shoot in the spot I wanted! Keeping my ears open, eyes glued to the DJI Fly App on the iPhone screen, and I was able to get this shot of Q029 as it sliced its way south through this great crop of rocks! Yes, it was a good day to get out early (thanks Tom Wortham) for getting me out and trackside this morning! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100 Exposure Comp: -0.7 (helps control the highlights).

Southbound Intermodal at Baker

This morning (March 3rd, 2021) I got a text at about 10 minutes till 7am that there was a southbound phosphate train with three BNSF units on it! Needless to say I was still in bed and this isn’t it!

However, this turned out to be my favorite shot on a full day of chasing, which really was a spur of the moment thing starting with the early morning text message.

It was about 30 miles later to the south on the Henderson Subdivision (HD) before I caught up with the BNSF train and so I figured since I was out in this early morning light and so far south I’d go ahead and spend the day shooting in the southern part of the HD so I could fly the drone in some locations that I hadn’t done so yet, hence, this shot right here.

Now, in all fairness this shot of hot intermodal Q029-03 heading south isn’t the at spot I started out to shoot it at, but I’m glad I found it!

I parked at the crossing on Baker Station Road, about 1.5 miles from the south end of the Baker Tunnel at Ridgetop, Tennessee and the plan was to fly back to the south end of Baker tunnel from there. However, due to the terrain, the drone had issues of maintaining a GPS signal unless I was was up much higher than I wanted to be.

However, I passed the spot as I was flying back, about 1/2 mile from the crossing, and thought it’d make a good backup spot! When I got back to this location and got down low enough for what I wanted, I knew right away that I was going to love it!

The only thing I was worried about is it was if the train would make it to the spot before I had to bring the drone back to me due to a lack of battery power and also if I could tell when it was coming so I could shoot in the spot I wanted!

Keeping my ears open, eyes glued to the DJI Fly App on the iPhone screen, and I was able to get this shot of Q029 as it sliced its way south through this great crop of rocks!

Yes, it was a good day to get out early (thanks Tom Wortham) for getting me out and trackside this morning!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100 Exposure Comp: -0.7 (helps control the highlights).

A snowy meet at Arklow, Madisonville, Ky As the last light of the day fades the crew on board CSX K814 braves the cold, winter's snow as they step to the ground from Canadian Pacific 8109 at Arklow, to conduct a roll-by inspection of hot intermodal Q029 as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision at Madisonville, Kentucky. CSX Q029 is usually an early morning move, but due to the winter storms that blew through the region, it along with many other trains moved a lot slower than usual with the conditions making it harder for the crews getting their trains loaded and moving. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 400.

A snowy meet at Arklow, Madisonville, Ky

As the last light of the day fades the crew on board CSX K814 braves the cold, winter’s snow as they step to the ground from Canadian Pacific 8109 at Arklow, to conduct a roll-by inspection of hot intermodal Q029 as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision at Madisonville, Kentucky.

CSX Q029 is usually an early morning move, but due to the winter storms that blew through the region, it along with many other trains moved a lot slower than usual with the conditions making it harder for the crews getting their trains loaded and moving.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 400.

A snowy Paducah and Louisville Railway local Paducah and Louisville Railway 2100 leads a short snow covered local south after passing the south end of Pond River Siding at Madisonville, Ky on the early afternoon of February 16th, 2021. The one thing I'm still getting used to is the delay you get when photographing moving objects with a drone. This shot for instance was at least 1/2 engine length back when I fired the shutter on the drone controller, but the train moved that much before the drone actually made the photo. I still obviously like the shot, but there's been more than one shot I missed due to the delay and with patience and practice I'm getting better at my timing! When shooting, I try my best to frame the picture the way I want the final shot to look as this is the full frame I shot. However, it seems the answer may be to shoot a little wider then crop in a little when I process the image. When shooting the Air 2 at 48mp RAW/JPG this isn't a problem, but then at that quality I'll only get one shot as it takes longer to save the image to the card and the train will be past the position I want before I can shoot again. If shooting at the 12mp RAW/JPG size I can shoot several shots, but I like the larger 48mp size to work with, so I'll continue to work on my timing. If any of my fellow Drone pilots out there have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

A snowy Paducah and Louisville Railway local

Paducah and Louisville Railway 2100 leads a short snow covered local south after passing the south end of Pond River Siding at Madisonville, Ky on the early afternoon of February 16th, 2021.

The one thing I’m still getting used to is the delay you get when photographing moving objects with a drone. This shot for instance was at least 1/2 engine length back when I fired the shutter on the drone controller, but the train moved that much before the drone actually made the photo. I still obviously like the shot, but there’s been more than one shot I missed due to the delay and with patience and practice I’m getting better at my timing!

When shooting, I try my best to frame the picture the way I want the final shot to look as this is the full frame I shot. However, it seems the answer may be to shoot a little wider then crop in a little when I process the image.

When shooting the Air 2 at 48mp RAW/JPG this isn’t a problem, but then at that quality I’ll only get one shot as it takes longer to save the image to the card and the train will be past the position I want before I can shoot again. If shooting at the 12mp RAW/JPG size I can shoot several shots, but I like the larger 48mp size to work with, so I’ll continue to work on my timing.

If any of my fellow Drone pilots out there have any suggestions please leave them in the comments below!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

CSX hot intermodal rolls south across Gum Lick Trestle This picture really shows the difference a day or so can make! Two days before there was about 4-6 inches of at this location and the temperature was 17 degrees and on this day if was 65 degrees!!! Makes for very different photos, but both situations make for great photo possibilities! Here we have hot intermodal CSX Q029-23 with CSXT 928 leading on February 23rd, 2021 as it makes its way across the Gum Lick Trestle between Crofton and Kelly, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision on a beautiful winter (kinda) day. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

CSX hot intermodal rolls south across Gum Lick Trestle

This picture really shows the difference a day or so can make! Two days before there was about 4-6 inches of snow at this location and the temperature was 17 degrees and on this day if was 65 degrees!!! Makes for very different photos, but both situations make for great photo possibilities!

Here we have hot intermodal CSX Q029-23 with CSXT 928 leading on February 23rd, 2021 as it makes its way across the Gum Lick Trestle between Crofton and Kelly, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision on a beautiful winter (kinda) day.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

Southbound CSX local passes Monarch through fresh snowfall The fresh blanket of snow brings a quietness to the area surrounding Monarch, where the Paducah and Louisville Railway crosses over the CSX Henderson Subdivision, at Madisonville, Ky on February 16th, 2021, until the northbound Casky to Atkinson yards local, J732-16 arrives with three SD40's leading the way. I'm still (for several years now) am trying for a shot of a train on both tracks at the same time at this spot. It'll happen, it just takes a lot of patience and luck!! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

Southbound CSX local passes Monarch through fresh snowfall

The fresh blanket of snow brings a quietness to the area surrounding Monarch, where the Paducah and Louisville Railway crosses over the CSX Henderson Subdivision, at Madisonville, Ky on February 16th, 2021, until the northbound Casky to Atkinson yards local, J732-16 arrives with three SD40’s leading the way.

I’m still (for several years now) am trying for a shot of a train on both tracks at the same time at this spot. It’ll happen, it just takes a lot of patience and luck!!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

Southbound military move waiting at sunset I got a heads up on this military move from a fellow railfan and friend Travis Collins as CSX W809 headed south from up in Indiana around 10am on February 20th, 2021 on the CSX CE&D Subdivision. I kept up with its movement through southern Indiana via Facebook and fellow railfans that were out along the lines and tracked its progress in spits and starts along the way where it head to wait for higher priority trains that were moving north. After stopping at Howell yard in Evansville, Indiana it finally made its way onto the CSX Henderson Subdivision after taking on fuel and making a crew change at Howell, but by this time those of us waiting for it to make its appearance were starting to worry that we'd lose our light before it made it to where 7 of us railfans were waiting for it at Mortons Junction in Mortons Gap, Kentucky. That's where they put it on the cutoff that bypasses Madisonville and Earlington where it sat behind a loaded coal train to wait for hot intermodal Q028 and an empty coal drag to pass on the main at the junction. Finally the loaded coal train headed south and I knew the military move would be next and I decided to move on down to the south end of Nortonville where I hoped I would get some light on the train as by this time it was just about sunset. Here we find the train where it finally crawled to a stop just south of Nortonville with CSXT 5473 and 3348 leading the 5,000+ load of military vehicles elephant style to wait for another northbound Q648. This meet worked really well for my shot since the train came to a full stop and I was able to shoot with a slow shutterspeed to keep my ISO and noise down from the low light scene as the last rays of light swept across the valley! Patience pays off in the long run! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 100.

Southbound military move waiting at sunset

I got a heads up on this military move from a fellow railfan and friend Travis Collins as CSX W809 headed south from up in Indiana around 10am on February 20th, 2021 on the CSX CE&D Subdivision.

I kept up with its movement through southern Indiana via Facebook and fellow railfans that were out along the lines and tracked its progress in spits and starts along the way where it head to wait for higher priority trains that were moving north.

After stopping at Howell yard in Evansville, Indiana it finally made its way onto the CSX Henderson Subdivision after taking on fuel and making a crew change at Howell, but by this time those of us waiting for it to make its appearance were starting to worry that we’d lose our light before it made it to where 7 of us railfans were waiting for it at Mortons Junction in Mortons Gap, Kentucky.

That’s where they put it on the cutoff that bypasses Madisonville and Earlington where it sat behind a loaded coal train to wait for hot intermodal Q028 and an empty coal drag to pass on the main at the junction.

Finally the loaded coal train headed south and I knew the military move would be next and I decided to move on down to the south end of Nortonville where I hoped I would get some light on the train as by this time it was just about sunset.

Here we find the train where it finally crawled to a stop just south of Nortonville with CSXT 5473 and 3348 leading the 5,000+ load of military vehicles elephant style to wait for another northbound Q648. This meet worked really well for my shot since the train came to a full stop and I was able to shoot with a slow shutterspeed to keep my ISO and noise down from the low light scene as the last rays of light swept across the valley!

Patience pays off in the long run!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/80, ISO 100.

A snowy meet at Slaughters, Kentucky Another biting cold snow shot from February 17th, 2021 as loaded CSX coal train N302 heads south as empty ethanol train K442 waits in the siding for him to pass at Slaughters, ky on the Henderson Subdivision. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 400.

A snowy meet at Slaughters, Kentucky

Another biting cold snow shot from February 17th, 2021 as loaded CSX coal train N302 heads south as empty ethanol train K442 waits in the siding for him to pass at Slaughters, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 400.

Norfolk Southern Sonic Bonnets at Taswell, Indiana Norfolk Southern 1800 the Yellow Sonic Bonnets trails behind the black 4004 version, as they lead NS empty autorack train 124 west as they slowly pull into the siding at Taswell, Indiana to meet eastbound NS 168, on the NS Southern-East District on January 28th, 2021 at dusk. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 200.

Norfolk Southern Sonic Bonnets at Taswell, Indiana

Norfolk Southern 1800 the Yellow Sonic Bonnets trails behind the black 4004 version, as they lead NS empty autorack train 124 west as they slowly pull into the siding at Taswell, Indiana to meet eastbound NS 168, on the NS Southern-East District on January 28th, 2021 at dusk.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 200.

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KCS leads a southbound ethanol train at Slaughters, Ky It's not everyday we get Kansas City Southern leading any kind of train on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, so when I got reports from friends up the line to the north that CSX K443 was southbound with two coming I had to get trackside! It was a gray, overcast, drizzling rain kind of day that keeps folks inside normally, but when word got out about it's move then there were railfans waiting its arrival between here where I caught it a the south end of Slaughters, Kentucky, all the way to Nashville, Tennessee and I'm sure points south on January 30th, 2021. The hardest thing really about shooting pictures in bad weather is really just getting out the door!! I personally keep a couple large golf umbrellas just for this occasion! However on this occasion I really wanted to put my Air 2 drone up for a shot that would show the tank train disappearing off into the distance and fortunately the rain slacked off enough where I could do so and this is the resulting photograph shot in the 48mp mode on the drone. The weather resulted in a slower shutterspeed that I wanted and I didn't want to boost the ISO so I settled for just a tad of blur on the locomotive, which gives the feeling of the speed of the train! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 100.

KCS leads a southbound ethanol train at Slaughters, Ky

It’s not everyday we get Kansas City Southern leading any kind of train on the CSX Henderson Subdivision, so when I got reports from friends up the line to the north that CSX K443 was southbound with two coming I had to get trackside!

It was a gray, overcast, drizzling rain kind of day that keeps folks inside normally, but when word got out about it’s move then there were railfans waiting its arrival between here where I caught it a the south end of Slaughters, Kentucky, all the way to Nashville, Tennessee and I’m sure points south on January 30th, 2021.

The hardest thing really about shooting pictures in bad weather is really just getting out the door!! I personally keep a couple large golf umbrellas just for this occasion!

However on this occasion I really wanted to put my Air 2 drone up for a shot that would show the tank train disappearing off into the distance and fortunately the rain slacked off enough where I could do so and this is the resulting photograph shot in the 48mp mode on the drone. The weather resulted in a slower shutterspeed that I wanted and I didn’t want to boost the ISO so I settled for just a tad of blur on the locomotive, which gives the feeling of the speed of the train!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 100.

Taking the siding at Crofton, Ky The southbound daily local from Casky yard in Hopkinsville, KY, CSX J732-13, slides into the siding at the north end of Crofton, KY to meet northbound Q512 on January 13th, 2021 after completing it's work at Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, KY on the Henderson Subdivision with three SD40's leading the way. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

Taking the siding at Crofton, Ky

The southbound daily local from Casky yard in Hopkinsville, KY, CSX J732-13, slides into the siding at the north end of Crofton, KY to meet northbound Q512 on January 13th, 2021 after completing it’s work at Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, KY on the Henderson Subdivision with three SD40’s leading the way.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

CSX K870-12 Southbound loaded CP Potash Test Train CSX K870-12 with CP 9364 and CEFX 1002 leading, lead a 8,500ft loaded potash "Test" train south on the Henderson Subdivision through Nortonville, Kentucky on January 13, 2021. CN has been running these potash trains for awhile and I'm told this is a test train from CP to look at the feasibility of doing the same on a regular basis on CSX. The train also had CP 8135 and 9739 as mid-train DPU units. According to Wikipedia: Potash includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, which was the primary means of manufacturing the product before the Industrial Era. The word "potassium" is derived from "potash". Potash is produced worldwide in amounts exceeding 90 million tons per year, mostly for use in fertilizer. Various kinds of fertilizer-potash constitute the single greatest industrial use of the element potassium in the world. Potassium was first derived in 1807 by electrolysis of caustic potash (potassium hydroxide). Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

CSX K870-12 Southbound loaded CP Potash Test Train, Nortonville, Ky

CSX K870-12 with CP 9364 and CEFX 1002 leading, lead a 8,500ft loaded potash “Test” train south on the Henderson Subdivision through Nortonville, Kentucky on January 13, 2021.

CN has been running these potash trains for awhile and I’m told this is a test train from CP to look at the feasibility of doing the same on a regular basis on CSX. The train also had CP 8135 and 9739 as mid-train DPU units.

According to Wikipedia: Potash includes various mined and manufactured salts that contain potassium in water-soluble form. The name derives from pot ash, which refers to plant ashes or wood ash soaked in water in a pot, which was the primary means of manufacturing the product before the Industrial Era. The word “potassium” is derived from “potash”.

Potash is produced worldwide in amounts exceeding 90 million tons per year, mostly for use in fertilizer. Various kinds of fertilizer-potash constitute the single greatest industrial use of the element potassium in the world. Potassium was first derived in 1807 by electrolysis of caustic potash (potassium hydroxide).

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

CSXT 3114 and 241 lead Q025 South at Nortonville, Ky CSX hot intermodal Q025-13 (Bedford Park, IL - Jacksonville, FL Daily) rounds the curve coming into Romney at Nortonville, Kentucky as CSXT 3114 leads the train south on the Henderson Subdivision on a beautiful winter's morning on track 1. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

CSXT 3114 and 241 lead Q025 South at Nortonville, Ky

CSX hot intermodal Q025-13 (Bedford Park, IL – Jacksonville, FL Daily) rounds the curve coming into Romney at Nortonville, Kentucky as CSXT 3114 leads the train south on the Henderson Subdivision on a beautiful winter’s morning on track 1.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

Northbound CSX Q028 at Sebree, Kentucky CSXT 5204 leads the daily intermodal Q028 through the crossing in downtown Sebree, Kentucky as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

Northbound CSX Q028 at Sebree, Kentucky

CSXT 5204 leads the daily intermodal Q028 through the crossing in downtown Sebree, Kentucky as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

The crew on CSX K423-05 does a roll-by inspection of Q500 The Crew on CSX loaded tank train K423-05 does a roll-by inspection at the south end of the siding at Slaughters, Kentucky on January 6th, 2021 as CSX Q500 passes them headed north on the Henderson Subdivision at dusk. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 400.

The crew on CSX K423-05 does a roll-by inspection of Q500

The Crew on CSX loaded tank train K423-05 does a roll-by inspection at the south end of the siding at Slaughters, Kentucky on January 6th, 2021 as CSX Q500 passes them headed north on the Henderson Subdivision at dusk.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 400.

A three-way meet at the north end of Cedar Hill, Tennessee Crews on CSX W991-29 and E305 do a roll-by inspection during a three way meet with hot intermodal Q029-07 at the north end of Cedar Hill, Tennessee as it heads south along the Henderson Subdivision, on December 5th, 2020. W991-29 is carrying a GE high and wide load on GECX 021155 Heavy load, 16-axle, depressed center flat car, which is owned by General Electrical Gas Turbine division. The car is 147 feet 10 inches long and the load deck length is 38 feet according to what I find on the web. It Was built in May of 1995 and is used to transport heavy gas turbines built by General Electric. A Kasgro Rail Corporation (KRL) caboose 072 brings up the rear with a full crew. The caboose and engine crews kept a close eye on clearances as they made their way at 25mph! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/400, ISO 100.

The Meet

A digital photographic Art piece by Jim Pearson Photography

Paducah and Louisville load of coal southbound on a winter's day A loaded Paducah and Louisville coal train pulls south out of Warrior Coal Mine at Nebo, Kentucky, as it starts its run to Calvert City Terminal in Calvert City, Kentucky on a cold December 11th, 2020. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

Paducah and Louisville load of coal southbound on a winter’s day

A loaded Paducah and Louisville coal train pulls south out of Warrior Coal Mine at Nebo, Kentucky, as it starts its run to Calvert City Terminal in Calvert City, Kentucky on a cold December 11th, 2020.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

CSXT 117 in YN2 Paint leads K423-05 South on the Henderson Subdivision CSX loaded tank train K423-05 leads it's snake like train as it makes it's way through Anaconda between Robards and Sebree, Kentucky on January 6th, 2021 as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

CSXT 117 in YN2 Paint leads K423-05 South on the Henderson Subdivision

CSX loaded tank train K423-05 leads it’s snake like train as it makes it’s way through Anaconda between Robards and Sebree, Kentucky on January 6th, 2021 as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

BNSF and CN meet at Reevesville, Illinois On January 2nd, 2020 a empty BNSF grain train sits in the siding at Reevesville, Illinois as a empty CN coal train heads north, on CN’s Bluford Subdivision, under the old Illinois Central Steam Train coaling tower. According to Wikipedia: A coaling tower, coal stage or coaling station was a facility used to load coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives. Coaling towers were often sited at motive power depots or locomotive maintenance shops. Coaling towers were constructed of wood, steel-reinforced concrete, or steel. In almost all cases coaling stations used a gravity fed method, with one or more large storage bunkers for the coal elevated on columns above the railway tracks, from which the coal could be released to slide down a chute into the waiting locomotive’s coal storage area. The method of lifting the bulk coal into the storage bin varied. The coal usually was dropped from a hopper car into a pit below tracks adjacent to the tower. From the pit a conveyor-type system used a chain of motor-driven buckets to raise the coal to the top of the tower where it would be dumped into the storage bin; a skip-hoist system lifted a single large bin for the same purpose. Some facilities lifted entire railway coal trucks or wagons. Sanding pipes were often mounted on coaling towers to allow simultaneous replenishment of a locomotive’s sand box. As railroads transitioned from the use of steam locomotives to the use of diesel locomotives in the 1950s the need for coaling towers ended. Many reinforced concrete towers remain in place if they do not interfere with operations due to the high cost of demolition incurred with these massive structures. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 400.

BNSF and CN meet at Reevesville, Illinois

On January 2nd, 2020 a empty BNSF grain train sits in the siding at Reevesville, Illinois as a empty CN coal train heads north, on CN’s Bluford Subdivision, under the old Illinois Central Steam Train coaling tower.

According to Wikipedia: A coaling tower, coal stage or coaling station was a facility used to load coal as fuel into railway steam locomotives. Coaling towers were often sited at motive power depots or locomotive maintenance shops.

Coaling towers were constructed of wood, steel-reinforced concrete, or steel. In almost all cases coaling stations used a gravity fed method, with one or more large storage bunkers for the coal elevated on columns above the railway tracks, from which the coal could be released to slide down a chute into the waiting locomotive’s coal storage area. The method of lifting the bulk coal into the storage bin varied. The coal usually was dropped from a hopper car into a pit below tracks adjacent to the tower. From the pit a conveyor-type system used a chain of motor-driven buckets to raise the coal to the top of the tower where it would be dumped into the storage bin; a skip-hoist system lifted a single large bin for the same purpose. Some facilities lifted entire railway coal trucks or wagons. Sanding pipes were often mounted on coaling towers to allow simultaneous replenishment of a locomotive’s sand box.

As railroads transitioned from the use of steam locomotives to the use of diesel locomotives in the 1950s the need for coaling towers ended. Many reinforced concrete towers remain in place if they do not interfere with operations due to the high cost of demolition incurred with these massive structures.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 400.