On March 14th, 2022 United States Army Gensets 6520 and 6519 prepare to pull south to Ft. Campbell, Ky, under the Lovers Lane Overpass, at Hopkinsville, Kentucky with another loaded military train, returning from military exercises somewhere out west.
The equipment was delivered by CSX S864, which was a Rose Lake, IL – Hopkinsville, Ky train and was one of about 5 trains that ran down the CSX CE&D and Henderson Subdivisions to Hopkinsville over the past week, returning equipment from training to Ft. Campbell.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/3000, ISO 100.
On March 14th, 2022 United States Army Gensets 6520 and 6519 build air on their train as they prepare to pull south to Ft. Campbell, Ky, over US 41A at Hopkinsville, Kentucky with another loaded military train, returning from military exercises somewhere out west.
The equipment was delivered by CSX S864, which was a Rose Lake, IL – Hopkinsville, Ky train and was one of about 5 trains that ran down the CSX CE&D and Henderson Subdivisions to Hopkinsville over the past week, returning equipment from training to Ft. Campbell.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100.
I love it when a plan finally falls into place! If you’ve caught my last few posts, you’ll recall that I’ve talked about issues I had a couple days ago when I was trying to get shots of Ft. Campbell Rail picking up military loads from the Ft. Campbell Wye after BNSF brought their equipment north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision. Well, today everything fell into place from my perspective as you can see in the attached photo. Train was where I wanted it, light was perfect, and I had great clouds!!
Here we have United States Army units USAX 6520, 6519 and 1871 headed from the Hopkinsville, KY on August 11th, 2021, as the train passes over the Rock Bridge Branch bridge, just south of Lovers Lane overpass.
This is another follow-up to my post yesterday where I discussed that my gear that just didn’t want to co-operate! Well today, I used my iPhone 11pro instead of the iPhone 6s that I normally keep on my drone controller, and I didn’t have any overheating problems at all and was able to fly normally. I guess the newer iPhones do a better job with the heat that the older ones as with the 11 I didn’t get any warnings at all during the flights, and it was much hotter than the other day.
Tech Info: Wide Photo: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.
United States Army units USAX 6520, 6519 and 1871 head south after picking up a load of equipment from the Ft. Campbell wye in Hopkinsville, KY that was dropped off by CSX on August 9th, 2021, as the train approaches the Rock Bridge Branch bridge, just south of Lovers Lane overpass.
This is a follow-up to my post yesterday where I discussed that my gear just didn’t want to co-operate on this chase! This was my first spot with the drone and as soon as I launched it the DJI Fly app complained that the device (iPhone) was too hot, and performance would be reduced! Well, it’s been an ongoing issue since they updated their software a few weeks ago, so as you can see from these two shots, I didn’t get the drone in place where I wanted it, which is the far end of the bridge, looking back toward the train as it came toward me.
The drone moved so slow a sluggish that I couldn’t get far enough ahead of the train to get the camera into position and so what I got instead are a couple of going away shots of the power instead. Don’t get me wrong, I like both shots that I did get, but neither of them was what I had in mind. I wanted the power with the military loads trailing off into the distance. So, I will revisit this location and try again to get the shot I want!
I just got word this afternoon that there’s another loaded train headed for Hopkinsville for Ft. Campbell, which should arrive sometime tonight. My plan is to head back to this location early in the morning to hopefully get the shot I am looking for as they don’t normally pickup trains from the wye for Ft. Campbell after dark.
Tech Info: Wide Photo: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 110. Tight Photo: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.
United States Army units USAX 6520, 6519 and 1871 head south after picking up a load of equipment from the Ft. Campbell wye in Hopkinsville, KY that was dropped off early this morning by CSX on August 9th, 2021.
My gear just didn’t want to co-operate on this chase today! At my first spot with the drone as soon as I launched it the DJI Fly app complained that the device (iPhone) was too hot, and performance would be reduced! Well, it’s been an ongoing issue since they updated their software a few weeks ago, so I didn’t get the drone in place where I wanted it. You’ll see that shot tomorrow.
This infrared shot is close to what I had in my mind, but I started my shots a little early and I had planned on the power being closer to the crossing, but the camera started dragging, and this was my closest frame. I’m happy with the shot, but not what I saw in my mind’s eye though! I could crop it in tighter, but after looking at the finished shot, I think I like better with having someplace for the train to go!
My next two spots I had planned to shoot as it made its way to the base, I never made it to in time because of traffic and lights! Go figure. Some days railfanning is like that!
Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Fuji 18-55 @18mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 200.
June 1, 2018 – Ft. Campbell Railroad GenSets USAX 6519 and 6520 pull southbound with a loaded military freight through a tunnel of trees, approaching the “Tiny Town” grade crossing, as it heads back to the post.
Both Locomotives are N-ViroMotive model 3GS-21B, manufactured by the National Railway Equipment Company, headquartered in Mount Vernon, Ill. Fort Campbell has about 40 miles of Army railroad tracks located both on post and leading to Hopkinsville where it interchanges with CSX on the Henderson Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad #militaryrailroad #ftcampbellrail #usarail
May 30, 2018 – Ft. Campbell Railroad and the US Army were nice enough to send this beautiful train set my way for my birthday this afternoon!
I figured they’d move the cargo delivered to the Ft. Campbell Wye yesterday evening by CSX off the Henderson Subdivision, sometime this afternoon. So I set out around noon in search of the train and went all the way to the yards on the post and didn’t find the power anywhere! (I’m retired Air Force so I have access, although I don’t photograph on the post.)
When I came through Hopkinsville, Ky earlier there were two strings of flats with the equipment on them and I was pretty sure they were going to pick them up today, but not until I was on the road back to Hopkinsville from Ft. Campbell, did is see USAX 6519 and 6520 heading back to the post at Oak Grove, Ky. I kinda figured they’d got past me in the tree line somewhere as the power was gone from the post at Ft. Campbell. Either way, I’m happy with my birthday shot!! – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad #militaryrailroad #ftcampbellrail #usarail
