September 19, 2019 – The sun begins to set over the Paducah and Louisville Railway at the crossing from West Yard in Madisonville, Ky as we approach the first day of fall.
Last Train from Dotki Mine at Providence, Kentucky
September 12, 2019 – It has been several weeks since Dotki Mine in Clay, Kentucky shut down and today the town of Providence, Ky turnout for the last load of coal (20 cars or so) from the mine. The last run today was dedicated in honor the miners who worked there–and the miner Jeremy Elder–who died just one week ago at Warrior Coal Mine in Madisonville, Ky.
In this photo we see the Elder family posing for pictures on Paducah and Louisville Railway’s 4522, University of Kentucky engine, which was heading up CSX Z464-12 on the last trip along the CSX Morganfield Branch.
Coal trains have been passing through Providence since the 1800’s according to a Facebook post by Providence Mayor Doug Hammers and a banner on the last coal car read; for the last 52 years the railroad has hauled a total of over 193 Million tons of coal from the Dotki Mine.
The mine was operated by Alliance Resource Partner’s (ARP) subsidiary, Webster County Coal LLC nad according to recent news reports by the Gleaner Newspaper in Henderson, Kentucky, the mine closed due to a decline in the coal market. “Unfortunately, weak market conditions made this action necessary,” said Joseph W. Craft III, chairman, president and chief executive officer of ARP. “We are saddened that production will be ending at the Dotiki Mine, which was opened in 1969 and is the oldest mine operated by ARLP.”
Norfolk Southern WYX1 craws downgrade…
August 17, 2019 – Norfolk Southern WYX1 craws downgrade on the Warrior Lead is it departs Warrior Coal with a loaded coal train bound for the Paducah and Louisville Railway and points north.
BNSF 6999 pulls a load of empty flats…
April 17, 2019 – BNSF 6999 pulls a load of empty flats past the Warrior Coal lead switch as it heads north on the Paducah and Louisville Railway. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #bnsf #bnsfrailway #pal #palrailway
Norfolk Southern Railway 1005 heads up…
April 13, 2019 – Norfolk Southern Railway 1005 heads up a loaded coal train as it sits at Milepost 143 as it waits for a green signal, just south of the Pond River Siding on the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Madisonville, Ky. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #PAL #paducahandlouisvillerailway #norfolksouthernrailway
February 10, 2019 Paducah and Louisville’s University of Kentucky locomotive 2012…
February 10, 2019 Paducah and Louisville’s University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 heads up a trio of light engines as they head north approaching PAL’s West Yard at Madisonville, Ky. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #paducahandlouisvillerailway
February 2, 2019 – Union Pacific 4091 heads up…
February 2, 2019 – Union Pacific 4091 heads up Paducah and Louisville Railway WYX1 (Z4091) as it pulls away from Grand Rivers, Ky, after completing a crew change, with a loaded train of coke bound for Calvert City Terminal. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #palrailway #paducahandlouisvillerailway
February 5, 2019 Paducah & Louisville Railway…
February 5, 2019 Paducah & Louisville Railway 4511 & 4510 pull a Military train (MI1) through West Yards in Madisonville, Ky as it heads south. –#jimstrainphotos#kentuckyrailroads#trains#nikond800#railroad#railroads#train#railways#railway#pal#palrailway#paducahandlouisvillerailway
February 2, 2019 – Paducah and Louisville Railway 3811…
February 2, 2019 – Paducah and Louisville Railway 3811 heads up a local as it finishes a dropoff and pickup at the Lubrizol plant in Calvert City, Ky. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #palrailway #paducahandlouisvillerailway
February 2, 2019 – Union Pacific 4091 heads up…
February 2, 2019 – Union Pacific 4091 heads up Paducah and Louisville Railway WYX1 (Z4091) as it heads away southbound over the Tennessee River at Kentucky Dam in Gilbertsville, Ky with a loaded train of coke bound for Calvert City Terminal. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #palrailway #paducahandlouisvillerailway
February 2, 2019 – An empty coal train, with BNSF 9085…
February 2, 2019 – An empty coal train, with BNSF 9085 and Citirail 1338, sit in the loop at the Calvert City Terminal in Calvert City, Ky as they wait for a crew.
February 2, 2019 – Union Pacific 4091 heads up…
February 2, 2019 – Union Pacific 4091 heads up Paducah and Louisville Railway WYX1 (Z4091) as it heads south over the Tennessee River at Kentucky Dam in Gilbertsville, Ky with a loaded train of coke bound for Calvert City Terminal. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #palrailway #paducahandlouisvillerailway
January 21, 2019 – Paducah and Louisville Railway’s 2601…
January 21, 2019 – Paducah and Louisville Railway’s 2601 heads up a local as it backs through the south end of CSX’s Atkinson Yard as it does local interchange work with CSX on the Henderson Subdivision. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad #pal #palrailway
January 21, 2019 – A Paducah and Louisville railway local at West Yard…
January 21, 2019 – A Paducah and Louisville railway local passes through PAL’s West Yard, with 3808 leading on its way south, as the last light of day begins to fade from the sky. Parked at the right is PAL 3801 (GP38), University of Louisville Cardinals engine. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #palrailway
January 21, 2019 – A Paducah and Louisville railway local…
January 21, 2019 – A Paducah and Louisville railway local passes over Bradley Sisk Road Road as it heads south at Richland, Ky on a cold winters eve with PAL3808, 2107 and 2106 as power. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #palrailway
January 17, 2018 – A early morning Paducah and Louisville Railway…
January 17, 2018 – A early morning Paducah and Louisville Railway loaded coal train heads south through the snow covered cut at Charleston, Ky as it heads for the loadout at Calvert City, Ky.
December 20, 2018 – Paducah and Louisville 2109 leads…
December 20, 2018 – Paducah and Louisville 2109 leads the local from Louisville as it passes the south end of the Pond River Siding at Madisonville, Ky as it heads south through the fog. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #palrailway
March 27, 2004 – Today I decided to go with…
March 27, 2004 – Today I decided to go with a blast from the past with Conrail 5476 heading up a string of Conrail units sitting in the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard at Madisonville, Ky, waiting to head to Paducah for rebuilding.
November 21, 2018 – BNSF 6504 leads an empty coal train…
November 21, 2018 – BNSF 6504 leads an empty coal train as it heads north across the Paducah and Louisville Railway yard at Paducah, Ky. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #bnsf #bnsfrailroad
November 29, 2018 – LoRam Railgrinder 405 grinds the main…
November 29, 2018 – LoRam Railgrinder 405 grinds the main as it heads south on the Paducah and Louisville Railway, approaching the hwy 62 overpass at Dawson Springs, Ky.
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. Rail grinders were developed to increase the lifespan of the tracks being serviced for rail corrugation. Rail grinding is a process that is done to stop the deformation due to use and friction on railroad tracks by removing deformations and corrosion.
Railroad tracks that experience continual use are more likely to experience corrugation and overall wear. Rail grinders are used to grind the tracks when rail corrugation is present, or before corrugation begins to form on the tracks. Major freight train tracks use rail grinders for track maintenance based the interval of tonnage, rather than time.
Transit systems and subways in major cities continue to use scheduled rail grinding processes to combat the corrugation common to heavily used tracks. Rail-grinding equipment may be mounted on a single self-propelled vehicle or on a dedicated rail-grinding train which, when used on an extensive network, may include crew quarters. The grinding wheels, of which there may be more than 100, are set at controlled angles to restore the track to its correct profile.
– #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #pal #palrailway
November 15, 2018 – After the recent winter storm passed…
November 15, 2018 – After the recent winter storm passed through Western Kentucky, Paducah and Louisville Railways 4512 leads a loaded coal train as it waits just short of the Pride Avenue crossing in Madisonville, Ky for a signal to cross the diamond at Trident on CSX’s Morganfield Branch. From here the coal train will head back onto their own property for the trip north to the Louisville Gas Electric power plant at Louisville, Ky. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #csx #csxrailroad