CSXT 119 leads W016, a loaded rail train, through downtown Mortons Gap, Kentucky on August 25th, 2023, as it heads north on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 120.

CSX 8882 leads rail train W010 as it passes the old Louisville and Nashville Railroad Depot at Madisonville, Kentucky on April 17th, 2023, as it heads 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, working on their own success stories.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1600 sec, ISO 170.

CSXT 5398 leads Geometry Train W001 through the signals at the south end of Kelly siding at they inspect their way south on the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Kelly, Ky on April 5th, 2023.

A track geometry train is a track inspection train on a rail transport system used to test several parameters of the track geometry without obstructing normal railroad operations. Some of the parameters generally measured include position, curvature, alignment of the track, smoothness, and the cross level of the two rails. The cars use a variety of sensors, measuring systems, and data management systems to create a profile of the track being inspected.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 24mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 180.

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.

CSXT 911 leads B419 with a loaded coke train as it meets Loram shoulder ballast cleaner SBC-2401 waiting in the siding at the north end of Slaughters, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision on May 15th, 2022. The coke train made its way to Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, KY where it was picked up by the Paducah and Louisville Railway and taken on their line to the Calvert City Terminal at Calvert City, KY.

CSXT 911 is one of several specialty painted units that CSX has painted in the last few years and this unit honors First Responders.

The shoulder ballast cleaner removes ballast at the end of the ties, screens the ballast and discards 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, Altitude 61ft, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 140.

LoRam shoulder ballast cleaner SBC-2401 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, 1/1250, ISO 100.

CSXT 6025 leads CSX W001 inspection train as it splits the signals on the north end of the siding at Kelly, Kentucky with Southern Pacific Birch Grove, CSX Florence and TGC2 Geometry Car trailing, as they make their way south on the Henderson Subdivision on July 13, 2021.

Research from a friend reveals: Built by The Budd Company in 1950 as 6 double bedroom, 10 roomette sleeping car 9020 for service on the Southern Pacific’s Los Angeles-New Orleans “Sunset Limited.” The car was acquired by Amtrak in 1971 and renumbered 2696. Converted to Heritage 10-6 sleeper with handicapped roomette in 1980 and renumbered to 2451 and named Birch Grove.

The Car was retired in 1995 and sold to Cincinnati Railway Company. It was upgraded 2002-03 and had a complete interior upgrade in 2005. As of 2014 it was owned by the Cincinnati Railway Company.

CSX purchased the Birch Grove car from the Cincinnati Railway in September of 2020 and from what I find online they plan to use it as part of its executive fleet. They also bought the dome car Moonlight Dome from them for the same reason.

According to Wikipedia: A track geometry car (also known as a track recording car) is an automated track inspection vehicle on a rail transport system used to test several parameters of the track geometry without obstructing normal railroad operations. Some of the parameters generally measured include position, curvature, alignment of the track, smoothness, and the cross level of the two rails. The cars use a variety of sensors, measuring systems, and data management systems to create a profile of the track being inspected.

One of the earliest track geometry cars was Car T2 used by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Project HISTEP (High-Speed Train Evaluation Program). It was built by the Budd Company for Project HISTEP to evaluate track conditions between Trenton and New Brunswick, NJ, where the DOT had established a section of track for testing high-speed trains, and accordingly, the T2 ran at 150 miles per hour or faster.

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