August 29, 2018 – Evansville Western Railway, 6001 and 6000 lead local MVL1 as the crew performs interchange work with CSX at the south end of Howell Yard in Evansville, Indiana. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #fujixt1 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 29, 2018 – PRLX 691 passes over the Walbash River bridge on Norfolk Southern 168 as it heads West on the NS Southern-West District at Mt. Carmel, Indiana at MP 151. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #fujixt1 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
August 29, 2018 – CSX local J721-29 passes the signals at Darmstadt, Indiana as it makes it’s way south through a light rain on the CE&D Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
July 25, 2018 – Savatrans 1912 heads up an empty coal train as it waits for a crew at the Sitran Dock, at Mount Vernon, Indiana. The Chris Cline Group are owners of the company “Savatrans” which purchased three ES44AC locomotives which operate from Sugar Camp Mine in Akin, IL to the coal terminal near the Mount Vernon/West Franklin area for loading onto barges. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway
July 25, 2018 – Evansville Western Railway 3839 leads a local north, past EVWR 6003. 6002, LTEX 8740 and 6001 siting at the yard office in Mount Vernon, Indiana. The LTEX is one of the SD60’s that CSX sold off before Hunter Harrison died. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #evwr #evansvillewesternrailway
July 5, 2018 – Norfolk Southern 6956 and 9356 lead 60A (Rockport, IN – Middletown, OH), pulling an empty coil train, east through what used to be Tunnel Hill, east of Depauw, Indiana, as the sun dips behind the clouds and the day comes to a close on the NS Southern-East District. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway
July 5, 2018 – After a couple hours of working in the Norfolk Southern yard at Princeton, Indiana the conductor and engineer of I24 leave NS Heritage Unit 1068, The Erie, in front of the yard office after turning it on the wye. The engine sat there about an hour and then was added as a DPU onto the end of 799, an empty coal train headed to pickup a load of coal on the Evansville Western Railway. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway #heritageunits #nsheritageunit
June 6, 2018 – Indiana Southern Railroad 3385 leads an empty coal train south across the NS/IS diamond at Oakland City, Indiana with 3372 in trail, as it heads for the load out at Somerville Central Mine.
According to Wikipedia: The Indiana Southern Railroad (reporting mark ISRR) is a short line or Class III railroad operating in the United States state of Indiana. It began operations in 1992 as a RailTex property, and was acquired by RailAmerica in 2000. RailAmerica was itself acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in December 2012.
Indiana Southern Railroad operates 176 miles of track from Indianapolis to Evansville. From Mars Hill (a neighborhood on the southwest side of Indianapolis) southwest through Martinsville and Spencer to Bee Hunter in Greene County, the ISRR runs on tracks that once made up the majority of the former Indianapolis & Vincennes Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. State Route 67 parallels the ISRR along much of this section. From Bee Hunter to Elnora, the ISRR has trackage rights over the Indiana Rail Road. ISRR tracks resume from Elnora through Petersburg before terminating in Evansville, IN along the former New York Central’s Evansville & Indianapolis Branch.
The railroad’s traffic comes mainly from coal and grain products, including corn and soybeans. The ISRR hauled around 70,000 carloads in 2008. It also is supplying coal to the Edwardsport power plant since 2012. There are around 2 trains per week supplying it with coal and carrying byproducts from the plant. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #isrr #indianasouthernrailroad
June 6, 2018 – Norfolk Southern Railway Geometry Train platform #38, commonly known as “The Brick” sits in the siding at the east end Huntingburg, Indiana, as the warm light of the setting sun illuminates the scene on the NS Southern-East District. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway #norfolksouthernrailway
June 15, 2017 – CSXT 292 is reflected in the Patoka river as it heads up an empty grain train at Patoka, Indiana on its way north on the CSX CE&D Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
June 6, 2018 – Norfolk Southern inspection train known as “The Brick” makes it’s way east at the NS/Indiana Southern Diamond in downtown Oakland City, Indiana.
Light from the bottom of the cars on the geometry train take a digital profile of the track which is used for maintenance and upgrades.
The NS Research platform 38 The Brick was rebuilt using the frame and trucks of former NS/NW EMD SD40 1620. It contains sensing and measuring equipment to record track geometry and rail profile (rail wear), as well as the power supply for itself and NS Research car.
The Research 36 car contains the recording and processing equipment for the data supplied by NS 38. Here its being pulled by NS 9272 as it does its testing on the NS Southern-East District. #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway #norfolksouthernrailway
June 18, 2018 – NS Heritage “Southern” unit, 8099, leads a loaded Duke Energy Coal train westbound as it passes through the east end of Lyle Siding at Princeton, Indiana, running as a second train (Q0T) of 71T, from Francisco, IN to East Mt. Carmel, IN to Duke Energy. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway #nsheritageunit
June 9, 2018 – “Southern Ghost!” NS Heritage unit 8099, the Southern, prepares to pull away from another engine in the early evening fog at the Norfolk Southern yard at Princeton, Indiana. This unit has and is being used as the leader lately on the Duke Energy coal run between Alliance and Francisco load-outs. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #nsrailway #nsheritageunit
June 15, 2018 – Lease Unit CEFX 3072, operated by Road and Rail Services, sits at the Toyota Plant at Princeton, Indiana as vehicles are loaded onto autoracks.
According to their website, Road & Rail Services was founded in 1987 by Tom and Pete Gerstle. From an initial contract to perform inspections on intermodal trailers, within three years, the company was performing pre-trip and other mechanical work for rail companies and manufacturers, and had grown to 110 employees.
Today, Road & Rail Services has expanded to nearly 2,000 employees working at 52 sites across 18 states. The companys diversified portfolio encompasses railroads, auto manufacturers and shippers of a wide range of commodities that move by rail, truck or barge, as they have expanded their offerings to include a comprehensive array of railcar, train and track services as well as automotive handling and transloading of commodities of all types. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway
June 18, 2018 – NS Heritage “Southern” unit, 8099, leads a loaded Duke Energy Coal train westbound past the restored depot at Princeton, Indiana, as a second train (Q0T) of 71T that runs from Francisco, IN to East Mt. Carmel, IN (Duke Energy). – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway #nsheritageunit
June 18, 2018 – Around 7pm CST Sunday, June 17th, a southbound CSX mixed freight, Q0513-17,(Avon, IN – Waycross, GA) derailed midway into it’s train just south of Princeton, Indiana on the CE&D Subdivision. The power for the train remained upright and the crew escaped without injury, according to reports. The initial thoughts are that the derailment was caused by a kink in the tracks due to the high heat, causing the train to derail close to the north end of King Siding, next to the Toyota tracks. The area was evacuated overnight tank cars, reportedly carrying propane burned off.
The derailment caused a major CSX route that includes the Henderson and CE&D Subdivisions to be out of service through the area, except for some local traffic. RJ Corman derailment and reportedly Hulcher services clean-up crews arrived early this morning and cleanup of the site is underway.
As of about 3pm CST the area was re-opened to residents and traffic. Just how long before the track is open to trains, remains unknown at this time. –#jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads#train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad
June 15, 2018 – Norfolk Southern 8343 leads NS 224 (Atlanta, GA-Kansas City, MO) west across the Walbash River at Mt. Carmel, Illinois with ex-Conrail D8-40CW leading the way on the Southern West District. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway
June 6, 2018 – As the last light of dusk fades from the sky, Indiana Southern Railroad 3052 leads local PL-2 south through Elberfeld, Indiana as it heads to Evansville for interchange work with CSX.
According to Wikipedia: The Indiana Southern Railroad (reporting mark ISRR) is a short line or Class III railroad operating in the United States state of Indiana. It began operations in 1992 as a RailTex property, and was acquired by RailAmerica in 2000. RailAmerica was itself acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in December 2012.
Indiana Southern Railroad operates 176 miles of track from Indianapolis to Evansville. From Mars Hill (a neighborhood on the southwest side of Indianapolis) southwest through Martinsville and Spencer to Bee Hunter in Greene County, the ISRR runs on tracks that once made up the majority of the former Indianapolis & Vincennes Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. State Route 67 parallels the ISRR along much of this section. From Bee Hunter to Elnora, the ISRR has trackage rights over the Indiana Rail Road. ISRR tracks resume from Elnora through Petersburg before terminating in Evansville, IN along the former New York Central’s Evansville & Indianapolis Branch.
The railroad’s traffic comes mainly from coal and grain products, including corn and soybeans. The ISRR hauled around 70,000 carloads in 2008. It also is supplying coal to the Edwardsport power plant since 2012. There are around 2 trains per week supplying it with coal and carrying byproducts from the plant. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #isrr #indianasouthernrailroad
June 15, 2018 – Norfolk Southern 8163 leads 70Q Extra (East Mt. Carmel, IN (Duke Energy) – East Mt. Carmel, IN (Sunrise Coal), as it arrives at the Load out in East Carmel, Indiana to pick-up a load at the newly located load-out. This is a new train that only has to travel a few miles from Duke Energy to load at the new facility. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #coaltrain #nsrailway
June 6, 2018 – I think this shot is a good example of how sometimes it’s worth turning around an getting a going away shot! Norfolk Southern 167 (Granite City, IL-Danville, KY) heads downgrade at Hatfield Junction with several flats of CAT Dozers, as it heads east on the NS Southern-East District at Oakland City, Indiana with NS 9237 leading the way. – #jimstrainphotos #indianarailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #ns #nsrailway
From left, Jim, Javid and Ryan waiting to shoot some street running action at La Grange, Ky – Photo by Adam Hill
This past weekend my good friend Ryan Scott from the Ft. Branch, Indiana area and I set-out on a day-long trip to photograph trains between Princeton, Indiana and what started out to be Louisville, Ky, but turned out to be La Grange, Ky. Our plan was to meet up with a fellow railfan friend of ours from Facebook, Javid Beykzadeh. Little did I realize that I’d end up meeting several more friends from Facebook while we were at it including, Adam Hill, Josh Kellerman, and Erik Landrum.
The railfanning community is actually fairly large, if you take in the world and that’s pretty much what Facebook does for us. I have friends who are railfans from pretty much all over the world and it’s always cool to meetup in person in our travels in search of that perfect train picture!
All my family already know my obsession with trains and photographing them whenever I can. Even, my nieces and nephews know about my love for trains, and I hope that I’m passing some of that onto them, but I digress.
As railfan trips go, this was a really good one with Ryan and I photographing 5 different railroads before the day was over. Evansville Western Railway, CSX, Norfolk Southern, Indiana Southern Railway and Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. As day road trips go for me railfanning, this was a really good one!
Some of our group photographing Southbound with BNSF War Bonnet 791 at La Grange, Ky, – Photo by Jim Pearson
Other favorite photos of mine from our day-long trip are posted below.
June 9, 2018 – There’s just something about the lure of street running trains and when you throw in a BNSF War Bonnet, well, it makes it even better. Here we have a southbound CSX Q231-08 as begins to make it’s way through downtown La Grange toward Louisville, Ky.
June 9, 2018 Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 8099, “Southern” passes the signal at milepost 209.8, at Jefferson Township, Indiana, as it makes its way west on the NS Southern-East District. This scheme is from the Southern Railway (GE) which originated as the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company in 1827. On Christmas Day, 1830, it put into service the nation’s first regularly scheduled steam passenger train, “The Best Friend of Charleston.” Southern was incorporated in 1894 from the reorganization and consolidation of numerous predecessors, and absorbed another 68 railroad companies over the next six years.
June 9, 2018 – Here we find a crew getting NS Heritage 8099, Southern Unit, ready for pickup by an, Duke Energy coal train, at the NS Yard Office in Princeton, Indiana, after storms passed through the area. We got lots of great photographs, which you’ll see over the days to come and also met-up with several fellow railfans in person that we’ve been friends with on Facebook for sometime!
June 9, 2018 Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit 8099, “Southern” passes the signal at milepost 209.8, at Jefferson Township, Indiana, as it makes its way west on the NS Southern-East District. This scheme is from the Southern Railway (GE) which originated as the South Carolina Canal and Rail Road Company in 1827. On Christmas Day, 1830, it put into service the nation’s first regularly scheduled steam passenger train, “The Best Friend of Charleston.” Southern was incorporated in 1894 from the reorganization and consolidation of numerous predecessors, and absorbed another 68 railroad companies over the next six years.