CSX Track Inspection trainset W001 southbound at Kelly, KY 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.

CSX Track Inspection trainset W001 southbound at Kelly, KY

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.

CSX GMS2 track geometry car at PAL west yard, Madisonville, KY. On August 4th, 2021, I was headed home with my niece Elaina this afternoon as we passed over the crossing at the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard at Madisonville, Kentucky when I spotted this scene with GMS2 track geometry car sitting pretty much by itself and did an immediate U-turn! The light, sky, clouds, and car were just screaming to me to be photographed in Infrared! After trying different angles and lenses this in the shot I ended up liking the best! From 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." Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Fuji 18-55 @32.9mm, f/5, 1/500, ISO 200.

CSX GMS2 track geometry car at PAL west yard, Madisonville, KY

On August 4th, 2021, I was headed home with my niece Elaina this afternoon as we passed over the crossing at the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard at Madisonville, Kentucky when I spotted this scene with GMS2 track geometry car sitting pretty much by itself and did an immediate U-turn! The light, sky, clouds, and car were just screaming to me to be photographed in Infrared! After trying different angles and lenses this in the shot I ended up liking the best!

From 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.”

Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Fuji 18-55 @32.9mm, f/5, 1/500, ISO 200.

CSX Track Inspection trainset W001 at Mortons Junction, Mortons Gap, KY CSXT 6025 leads CSX W001 inspection train as it passes through Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, 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, 1/400, ISO 100.

CSX Track Inspection trainset W001 at Mortons Junction, Mortons Gap, KY

CSXT 6025 leads CSX W001 inspection train as it passes through Mortons Junction at Mortons Gap, 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, 1/400, ISO 100.

Modern-Day Gandy Dancers Today while out railfanning with fellow rail enthusiast and Facebook follower, Gary Winsett, we ran by the AB Brown power plant at West Franklin, Indiana to see if they were any trains there to catch and stumbled upon track crews from Alltrack Inc, working on placing a new track panel on the lead going into the power plant. We were fortunate enough to get there just in time for me to grab this shot on April 9th, 2021 of the crew working a new section of track in place right before the overpass on Lower Mt. Vernon Road, in a great spot for photographing these modern-day Gandy Dancers at work. According to Wikipedia: Gandy dancer is a slang term used for early railroad workers in the United States, more formally referred to as "section hands", who laid and maintained railroad tracks in the years before the work was done by machines. According to their website: Alltrack Inc. was established in March of 1988 by Lee Clark, Lester Binegar, and Robert Butler to perform railroad construction and maintenance work in the Indiana area. In January of 1998 Jim & Jon Lawyer bought the business and later moved their operations to Pendleton, IN. Alltrack Inc. has grown in recent years to service the entire Midwest & parts of the South. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-14mm @10mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 180.

Modern-Day Gandy Dancers

Today while out railfanning with fellow rail enthusiast and Facebook follower, Gary Winsett, we ran by the AB Brown power plant at West Franklin, Indiana to see if they were any trains there to catch and stumbled upon track crews from Alltrack Inc, working on placing a new track panel on the lead going into the power plant.

We were fortunate enough to get there just in time for me to grab this shot on April 9th, 2021 of the crew working a new section of track in place right before the overpass on Lower Mt. Vernon Road, in a great spot for photographing these modern-day Gandy Dancers at work.

According to Wikipedia: Gandy dancer is a slang term used for early railroad workers in the United States, more formally referred to as “section hands”, who laid and maintained railroad tracks in the years before the work was done by machines.

According to their website: Alltrack Inc. was established in March of 1988 by Lee Clark, Lester Binegar, and Robert Butler to perform railroad construction and maintenance work in the Indiana area. In January of 1998 Jim & Jon Lawyer bought the business and later moved their operations to Pendleton, IN. Alltrack Inc. has grown in recent years to service the entire Midwest & parts of the South.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-14mm @10mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 180.

Traffic flowing again after a dispatcher's nightmare Looking at this photograph of hot intermodal CSX Q026 passing a tied down CSX W017 rail train just north of the yard at Guthrie, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision, you wouldn’t know what transpired over 7 hours before their arrivals here! Well, here’s what happened! On March 20th, 2021 at approximately 9am CSX Q513 (12,000+ feet long) was about halfway through Adams, Tennessee when their train ripped a coupler completely out of a refrigerated car about 2/3 through their train and went into full emergency, which ended up causing a major problem on the Henderson Subdivision! Since the train separated on the main, nothing could get around it and before it was over all four hot intermodals on the Henderson Subdivision, Q029, Q025, Q026 and Q028, were now delayed, as were many other trains, including this rail train as a result! They finally figured out a plan that worked where the power from Q029 was brought up from Guthrie, Ky and hooked onto the rear of Q513 to hold the last 1/3 of Q513 in place. Q513 then pulled the front 2/3 of their train south into the siding at Cedar Hill, Tennessee where a bracket was welded onto the reefer car, to hold the EOT device, as a new coupler couldn’t be installed due to the damage. The power on Q513 then pulled away from its train at Cedar Hill, where it went out the south end of the siding and back north on the main to pickup the rest of its train. They then brought the rest of Q513 back to Cedar Hill where they backed into the siding and hooked onto the rest of their train. By this time the crew was now out of time and they the train down, till a fresh crew showed up later to take it on south. Finally, Q029, Q025 and loaded a loaded coal train went on south where Q026 and Q028 were waiting to come north, and the railroad got to moving again! As a result of all this, the rail train, which sat at the south end of Trenton, Ky for all this time, ended up being brought on up to Guthrie where their train was also tied down just short of the crossing at Park Street. The crew was sent to a hotel and I’m not sure if it’s because they ran out of time or if the dispatcher didn’t want a slow speed train (30mp train and 10mph through turnouts and sidings) on the line as everything had been backing up for six hours! Just another day on the railroad!! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

Traffic flowing again after a dispatcher’s nightmare

Looking at this photograph of hot intermodal CSX Q026 passing a tied down CSX W017 rail train just north of the yard at Guthrie, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision, you wouldn’t know what transpired over 7 hours before their arrivals here! Well, here’s what happened!

On March 20th, 2021 at approximately 9am CSX Q513 (12,000+ feet long) was about halfway through Adams, Tennessee when their train ripped a coupler completely out of a refrigerated car about 2/3 through their train and went into full emergency, which ended up causing a major problem on the Henderson Subdivision!

Since the train separated on the main, nothing could get around it and before it was over all four hot intermodals on the Henderson Subdivision, Q029, Q025, Q026 and Q028, were now delayed, as were many other trains, including this rail train as a result!

They finally figured out a plan that worked where the power from Q029 was brought up from Guthrie, Ky and hooked onto the rear of Q513 to hold the last 1/3 of Q513 in place.

Q513 then pulled the front 2/3 of their train south into the siding at Cedar Hill, Tennessee where a bracket was welded onto the reefer car, to hold the EOT device, as a new coupler couldn’t be installed due to the damage.

The power on Q513 then pulled away from its train at Cedar Hill, where it went out the south end of the siding and back north on the main to pickup the rest of its train.

They then brought the rest of Q513 back to Cedar Hill where they backed into the siding and hooked onto the rest of their train. By this time the crew was now out of time and they the train down, till a fresh crew showed up later to take it on south.

Finally, Q029, Q025 and loaded a loaded coal train went on south where Q026 and Q028 were waiting to come north, and the railroad got to moving again!

As a result of all this, the rail train, which sat at the south end of Trenton, Ky for all this time, ended up being brought on up to Guthrie where their train was also tied down just short of the crossing at Park Street.

The crew was sent to a hotel and I’m not sure if it’s because they ran out of time or if the dispatcher didn’t want a slow speed train (30mp train and 10mph through turnouts and sidings) on the line as everything had been backing up for six hours!

Just another day on the railroad!!

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

CSX MOW train northbound at Monarch, Madisonville, Ky CSXT 8060 leads CSX W035, a loaded Maintenance of Way train, under the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Monarch as it heads north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Madisonville, Kentucky on March 13th, 2021 under winter cloudy skies. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

CSX MOW train northbound at Monarch, Madisonville, Ky

CSXT 8060 leads CSX W035, a loaded Maintenance of Way train, under the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Monarch as it heads north on the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Madisonville, Kentucky on March 13th, 2021 under winter cloudy skies.

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

Running from the Law on the CSX Henderson Subdivision Well, that's what they call it when the train crew is getting close to being out of crew time, based on the laws that govern how long they can work. When they get to this point, they're trying to get to a spot they can do a crew change or tie their train down. A good friend Charles Lavender gave me a heads up that this W035 was northbound with loaded Maintenance of Way train coming out of Goodlettsville, TN on March 13th, 2021. I was still at home when I got the word and at least 30 minutes from Casky Yard in Hopkinsville, Kentucky where I planned on catching it. There were also unconfirmed reports that they would tie the train down at Casky as well. Well, I got to the first exit for Hopkinsville when I got word from another fellow railfan, Steve Miller, that the train had already cleared the yard and was continuing north, which had me changing to my second spot at Kelly, Kentucky. This train was flying, partly because they were running out of time and also, because hot intermodal CSX Q028 was hot on his tail!! As I launched the drone and found my spot in the sky, dark clouds and the light band prefect between them and the ground helped add drama to the scene!!, I knew I had my favorite shot for this train! All in all, a hectic and rushed chase, but I was able to get my drone at three different locations and still able to do a live video of the move north at Crofton, Kentucky. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 100.

Running from the Law on the CSX Henderson Subdivision

Well, that’s what they call it when the train crew is getting close to being out of crew time, based on the laws that govern how long they can work. When they get to this point, they’re trying to get to a spot they can do a crew change or tie their train down.

A good friend Charles Lavender gave me a heads up that this W035 was northbound with loaded Maintenance of Way train coming out of Goodlettsville, TN on March 13th, 2021.

I was still at home when I got the word and at least 30 minutes from Casky Yard in Hopkinsville, Kentucky where I planned on catching it. There were also unconfirmed reports that they would tie the train down at Casky as well.

Well, I got to the first exit for Hopkinsville when I got word from another fellow railfan, Steve Miller, that the train had already cleared the yard and was continuing north, which had me changing to my second spot at Kelly, Kentucky.

This train was flying, partly because they were running out of time and also, because hot intermodal CSX Q028 was hot on his tail!!

As I launched the drone and found my spot in the sky, dark clouds and the light band prefect between them and the ground helped add drama to the scene!!, I knew I had my favorite shot for this train! All in all, a hectic and rushed chase, but I was able to get my drone at three different locations and still able to do a live video of the move north at Crofton, Kentucky.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 100.

Broom work is never done after a good snow on the PAL! It's February 16th, 2021 and a cool 10 degrees outside (even colder with the wind chill) as two Paducah and Louisville Railway employees work on clearing snow and ice from the switches at West Yard in Madisonville, Kentucky. On shortline and regional railroads this scene is repeated a lot, even on many of the class ones, epically with the recent snow front that moved through much of south in areas that normally don't get snow! I'm told that CSX in the Nashville area had crews doing this same thing all around the city! Remember, it's not always about the power on the railroad! It's folks behind the scenes like the maintainers, MOW folks, Dispatchers, ect. that make it all move! Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 185mm f/5, 1/1250, ISO 100 -0.7 Exp. Comp.

Broom work is never done after a good snow on the PAL!

It’s February 16th, 2021 and a cool 10 degrees outside (even colder with the wind chill) as two Paducah and Louisville Railway employees work on clearing snow and ice from the switches at West Yard in Madisonville, Kentucky.

On shortline and regional railroads this scene is repeated a lot, even on many of the class ones, epically with the recent snow front that moved through much of south in areas that normally don’t get snow! I’m told that CSX in the Nashville area had crews doing this same thing all around the city!

Remember, it’s not always about the power on the railroad! It’s folks behind the scenes like the maintainers, MOW folks, Dispatchers, ect. that make it all move!

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 185mm f/5, 1/1250, ISO 100 -0.7 Exp. Comp.

LORAM Maintenance at Madisonville, Ky Crews work on the grinding wheels of LORAM Grinder 54 as it sits just south of the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard at Madisonville, Kentucky on a crisp cool fall morning on November 10th, 2020. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @450mm, f/6, 1/640, ISO 320.

LORAM Grinder 4 at Paducah and Louisville West Yard, Madisonville, Ky

LORAM Maintenance at Madisonville, Ky

Crews work on the grinding wheels of LORAM Grinder 4 as it sits just south of the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard at Madisonville, Kentucky on a crisp cool fall morning on November 10th, 2020.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @450mm, f/6, 1/640, ISO 320.

Northbound Geometry Train Running under the remnants of Hurricane Zeta, CSXT 9969 passes the granary at Pembroke, Kentucky with a geometry train as it inspects the Henderson Subdivision between Nashville, TN and Evansville, IN on a rainy fall afternoon. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 720.

CSX Geometry Train W003 at Pembroke, Ky

Northbound Geometry Train

Running under the remnants of Hurricane Zeta, CSXT 9969 passes the granary at Pembroke, Kentucky with geometry train W003 as it inspects the Henderson Subdivision between Nashville, TN and Evansville, IN on a rainy fall afternoon.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70mm @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 720.

Northbound Ballast Train CSXT 5201 leads J009-12 as it waits on the south side of CP Anaconda at Robards, Kentucky with a loaded ballast train, as it waits for a signal to continue north on the Henderson Subdivision on October 12, 2020. It was headed north to Henderson, Kentucky where it dropped this load of ballast along the River Branch at Henderson, Kentucky. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 200.

CSXT 5201 leads J009-12 north at Robards, Ky

Northbound Ballast Train

CSXT 5201 leads J009-12 as it waits on the south side of CP Anaconda at Robards, Kentucky with a loaded ballast train, as it waits for a signal to continue north on the Henderson Subdivision on October 12, 2020.

It was headed north to Henderson, Kentucky where it dropped this load of ballast along the River Branch at Henderson, Kentucky.

#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 200.

July 28, 2020 - CSX W024 makes its way through switch at Mortons Junction from the Earlington Cutoff, with a loaded rail train with CSXT 4046 (EMD SD40-3) leading long hood forward as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision. Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 250mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 360.

CSX W024 makes its way through switch at Mortons Junction…

July 28, 2020 – CSX W024 makes its way through switch at Mortons Junction from the Earlington Cutoff, with a loaded rail train with CSXT 4046 (EMD SD40-3) leading long hood forward as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 250mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 360.

August 10, 2020 -CSXT 5479 runs long hood forward on the Henderson Subdivision as it leads railtrain J012-10 toward the siding at Latham, in Hopkinsville, Ky, after dropping rails between the south end of Kelly, Ky, working its way south towards Guthrie, Ky. I'm told there will be a CSX MOW blitz beginning is just under two weeks with a daily work curfew. Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 300mm, f/9, 1/1250, ISO 640.

CSXT 5479 runs long hood forward on the Henderson Subdivision…

August 10, 2020 – CSXT 5479 runs long hood forward on the Henderson Subdivision as it leads railtrain J012-10 toward the siding at Latham, in Hopkinsville, Ky, after dropping rails between the south end of Kelly, Ky, working its way south towards Guthrie, Ky. I’m told there will be a CSX MOW blitz beginning is just under two weeks with a daily work curfew.

Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 300mm, f/9, 1/1250, ISO 640.

August 10, 2020 - Hot Intermodal CSX Q025-10 passes railtrain J012-10 sitting in the siding at Latham as it heads south at Hopkinsville, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision. The rail train was dropping rails between the south end of Kelly, Ky, working its way south towards Guthrie, Ky. I'm told there will be a CSX MOW blitz beginning is just under two weeks with a daily work curfew. Using good, strong leading lines in your photos will help draw your viewers eye to the subject of your picture. One of the many photographic mentors in my life told me, when shooting, if something doesn't contribute to what you want your photo to say, then eliminate it when you shoot by using a different lens, perspective or angle when shooting! Advice I use today in my pictures. Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 360mm, f/9, 1/1250, ISO 900.

Hot Intermodal CSX Q025-10 passes railtrain J012-10…

August 10, 2020 – Hot Intermodal CSX Q025-10 passes railtrain J012-10 sitting in the siding at Latham as it heads south at Hopkinsville, Ky on the Henderson Subdivision. The rail train was dropping rails between the south end of Kelly, Ky, working its way south towards Guthrie, Ky. I’m told there will be a CSX MOW blitz beginning is just under two weeks with a daily work curfew.

Using good, strong leading lines in your photos will help draw your viewers eye to the subject of your picture. One of the many photographic mentors in my life told me, when shooting, if something doesn’t contribute to what you want your photo to say, then eliminate it when you shoot by using a different lens, perspective or angle when shooting! Advice I use today in my pictures.

Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 360mm, f/9, 1/1250, ISO 900.

July 28, 2020 - CSX W024 makes its way through the S curve at Nortonville, Ky, with a loaded rail train with CSXT 4046 (EMD SD40-3) leading long hood forward as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision. Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 200mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 360.

CSX W024 Rail Train Southbound at Nortonville, Ky

July 28, 2020 – CSX W024 makes its way through the S curve at Nortonville, Ky, with a loaded rail train with CSXT 4046 (EMD SD40-3) leading long hood forward as it heads south on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 200mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 360.

June 6, 2020 - LORAM Railgrinder 403 approaches the Davis Road overpass just south of Mannington, Kentucky, as it heads south to it's next grinding spot on the Henderson Subdivision, as it's lights illuminate the right-of-way in the fading daylight. According to Wikipedia: A rail grinder is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track. Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/160, ISO 3200.

LORAM Railgrinder 403 approaches the Davis Road overpass…

June 6, 2020 – LORAM Railgrinder 403 approaches the Davis Road overpass just south of Mannington, Kentucky, as it heads south to it’s next grinding spot on the Henderson Subdivision, as it’s lights illuminate the right-of-way in the fading daylight.

According to Wikipedia: A rail grinder is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track.

Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/160, ISO 3200.

June 17. 2020 - CSX Jewelers work to replace the diamond at Trident, where the Henderson Subdivision, Morganfield Branch and the MH&E branch cross at Madisonville, Kentucky. Much of the two latter branches were shut down within the last year and are now used for storage, but locals and coal trains still use them to some degree. The Henderson subdivision however still sees on average of 20-25 trains a day so this diamond still sees a lot of traffic! Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 with a 1.4 teleconverter @ 700mm, f/13, 1/1600sec, ISO 1800.

CSX Jewelers work to replace the diamond at Trident…

June 17. 2020 – CSX Jewelers work to replace the diamond at Trident, where the Henderson Subdivision, Morganfield Branch and the MH&E branch cross at Madisonville, Kentucky. Much of the two latter branches were shut down within the last year and are now used for storage, but locals and coal trains still use them to some degree. The Henderson subdivision however still sees on average of 20-25 trains a day so this diamond still sees a lot of traffic!

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 with a 1.4 teleconverter @ 700mm, f/13, 1/1600sec, ISO 1800.

June 6, 2020 - LORAM Railgrinder 403 at Mannington, Kentucky, as it south to it's next grinding spot on the Henderson Subdivision, as the last light of the day begins to fade from the sky. According to Wikipedia: A rail grinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/160sec, ISO 3200.

LORAM Railgrinder 403 at Mannington, Kentucky

June 6, 2020 – LORAM Railgrinder 403 at Mannington, Kentucky, as it south to it’s next grinding spot on the Henderson Subdivision, as the last light of the day begins to fade from the sky.

According to Wikipedia: A rail grinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/160sec, ISO 3200.

June 6, 2020 - A dazzeling lightshow breaks darkness of the night as the roar of LORAM Railgrinder 403 screaches it's way through a curve, just south of Crofton, Kentucky, as it grinds it's way south on the Henderson Subdivision on a hot and muggy spring night. According to Wikipedia: A railgrinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/125sec, ISO 2500.

LORAM Railgrinder 403 at Crofton, Ky

June 6, 2020 – A dazzeling lightshow breaks darkness of the night as the roar of LORAM Railgrinder 403 screaches it’s way through a curve, just south of Crofton, Kentucky, as it grinds it’s way south on the Henderson Subdivision on a hot and muggy spring night.

According to Wikipedia: A railgrinder (or rail grinder) is a maintenance of way vehicle or train used to restore the profile and remove irregularities from worn tracks to extend its life and to improve the ride of trains using the track.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8. 1/125sec, ISO 2500.

July 8, 2010 - A CSX MOW rail train crew works on picking up old track through downtown Mortons Gap, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision. Tech info: Nikon D300, RAW, Nikon 70-300mm @ 300mm, f/7, 1/400 at ISO 500.

July 8, 2010 – A CSX MOW rail train crew works at the dangerous job of picking up old track through downtown Mortons Gap, Kentucky on the Henderson Subdivision.

Tech info: Nikon D300, RAW, Nikon 70-300mm @ 300mm, f/7, 1/400 at ISO 500.

WEB-08.08.09 CSXT 154 Leads SB Work Train at Covington, Ky

CSXT 154 & 395 as it led a maintenance of way train…

August 8, 2009 – During one of my many trips over the years to Summer Rail I caught CSXT 154 & 395 as it led a maintenance of way train, with two switches in gondolas, as it crossed over the Ohio River at Covington, Kentucky as it headed south off the C&O Railroad bridge from Cincinnati, Ohio.