Southbound PAL coal at Barkley Dam, Ky Paducah and Louisville Railway loaded coal drag heads south across Barkley Dam at Grand Rivers, Kentucky on September 2nd, 2020 as it makes its way to the Calvert City Terminal. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 70mm, f/8, 1/1600, ISO 320.

Southbound PAL coal at Barkley Dam, KY

Paducah and Louisville Railway loaded coal drag heads south across Barkley Dam at Grand Rivers, Kentucky on September 2nd, 2020 as it makes its way to the Calvert City Terminal.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 24-70 @ 70mm, f/8, 1/1600, ISO 320.

That's a lot of coal!! A driver uses a John Deer Bulldozer to push and smooth coal up a very large pile at the Calvert City Terminal in Calvert City, Kentucky. In case you're wondering, it takes a lot of coal and coke trains to build a pile that high and they come from Paducah & Louisville Railway, BSNF, CSX, Union Pacific and occasionally Norfolk Southern to add to the piles at the terminal, where the coal and coke is blended and transloaded onto barges and trains for shipment where ever the customer is. When you're out shooting pictures trackside, don't forget that not every shot needs to have the train! Look for the details and work surrounding the operation as there's always great pictures to be had! Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 390mm, f/6.3, 1/800, ISO 900.

That’s a lot of coal!!

A driver uses a John Deer Bulldozer to push and smooth coal up a very large pile at the Calvert City Terminal in Calvert City, Kentucky. In case you’re wondering, it takes a lot of coal and coke trains to build a pile that high and they come from Paducah & Louisville Railway, BNSF, CSX, Union Pacific and occasionally Norfolk Southern to add to the piles at the terminal, where the coal and coke is blended and transloaded onto barges and trains for shipment where ever the customer is.

When you’re out shooting pictures trackside, don’t forget that not every shot needs to have the train! Look for the details and work surrounding the operation as there’s always great pictures to be had!

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 390mm, f/6.3, 1/800, ISO 900.

Paducah & Louisville PRX1 NB through the clouds at Nebo, Ky Calm winds prevailed for me as PRX1 makes its way through the the marshlands as Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4501 pull their freshly loaded coal train away from the Warrior Coal Mine loop from Nebo, Kentucky on December 5th, 2020 providing wonderful reflections! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100, Exp. Comp -3 (for detail in the highlights).

Paducah & Louisville PRX1 SB through the clouds at Nebo, Ky

Paducah & Louisville PRX1 SB through the clouds at Nebo, Ky

Calm winds prevailed for me as PRX1 makes its way through the the marshlands as Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4501 pull their freshly loaded coal train away from the Warrior Coal Mine loop at Nebo, Kentucky on December 5th, 2020 providing wonderful reflections!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100, Exp. Comp -3 (for detail in the highlights).

Paducah & Louisville PRX1 departs Warrior Coal, Nebo, Ky The late afternoon light plays across the marshland as Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4501 pull their freshly loaded coal train away from the Warrior Coal Mine loop from Nebo, Kentucky on December 5th, 2020. This is my first photograph I'm sharing from my new Mavic Air 2 drone that shoots RAW! With the Mavic Mini I've not been happy with it only shooting JPG and being very hard to control highlights and the skies in my photography. This drone for me is a game changer, when it comes to being able to pull all the detail out of the image! My clouds and skies are back!! Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 100.

Paducah & Louisville PRX1 departs Warrior Coal, Nebo, Ky

The late afternoon light plays across the marshland as Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4501 pull their freshly loaded coal train away from the Warrior Coal Mine loop from Nebo, Kentucky on December 5th, 2020.

This is my first photograph I’m sharing from my new Mavic Air 2 drone that shoots RAW! With the Mavic Mini I’ve not been happy with it only shooting JPG and being very hard to control highlights and the skies in my photography. This drone for me is a game changer, when it comes to being able to pull all the detail out of the image! My clouds and skies are back!!

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

Paducah and Louisville Railway Shops A mixture of power sits around the shop area at the Paducah and Louisville Railway shop in Paducah, Kentucky. According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway (reporting mark PAL) is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August, 1986. The 223-mile (359 km) main route runs between Paducah and Louisville with branch lines from Paducah to Kevil and Mayfield, Kentucky and another from Cecilia to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The PAL interchanges with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Canadian National (CN), formerly Illinois Central Railroad, in Paducah. In Madisonville, the line interchanges with CSX Transportation (CSXT). In Louisville, the line interchanges with the Indiana Rail Road (INRD), CSX Transportation (CSXT) and Norfolk Southern (NS). Class III line connections are at Princeton with the Fredonia Valley Railroad (FVRR) and at Louisville with the Louisville and Indiana Railroad (LIRC). The line today carries over 200,000 carloads of traffic on a CTC-controlled mainline with welded rail and even a section of double track nearly 20 miles (32 km) long between Paducah and just east of Calvert City. This is a huge improvement from the little amount of traffic and poor condition the line was in by the time the ICG had sold it. Today it is a big regional class II railroad connecting with four class I railroads (listed above), as well as the three shortline connections it makes which are also listed above. It has 270 route-miles of track, of which 233 miles (375 km) are its mainline running between its namesake towns of Paducah and Louisville, as well as branch lines to Mayfield, Kevil, and Elizabethtown. The railroad serves "many chemical plants and other manufacturing companies, several coal mines, numerous clay and stone quarries, lumber and propane distributors, farm [including a few large grain elevators] and mine equipment suppliers, warehouses, transloads, bulk terminals, riverports, and one military base." The parent company of the PAL, P&L Transportation, also operates the Evansville Western Railway and the Appalachian and Ohio Railroad. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

Paducah and Louisville Railway Shops

A mixture of power sits around the shop area at the Paducah and Louisville Railway shop in Paducah, Kentucky.

According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway (reporting mark PAL) is a Class II railroad that operates freight service between Paducah and Louisville, Kentucky. The line is located entirely within the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August, 1986. The 223-mile (359 km) main route runs between Paducah and Louisville with branch lines from Paducah to Kevil and Mayfield, Kentucky and another from Cecilia to Elizabethtown, Kentucky. The PAL interchanges with Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) and Canadian National (CN), formerly Illinois Central Railroad, in Paducah. In Madisonville, the line interchanges with CSX Transportation (CSXT).

In Louisville, the line interchanges with the Indiana Rail Road (INRD), CSX Transportation (CSXT) and Norfolk Southern (NS). Class III line connections are at Princeton with the Fredonia Valley Railroad (FVRR) and at Louisville with the Louisville and Indiana Railroad (LIRC). The line today carries over 200,000 carloads of traffic on a CTC-controlled mainline with welded rail and even a section of double track nearly 20 miles (32 km) long between Paducah and just east of Calvert City. This is a huge improvement from the little amount of traffic and poor condition the line was in by the time the ICG had sold it.

Today it is a big regional class II railroad connecting with four class I railroads (listed above), as well as the three shortline connections it makes which are also listed above. It has 270 route-miles of track, of which 233 miles (375 km) are its mainline running between its namesake towns of Paducah and Louisville, as well as branch lines to Mayfield, Kevil, and Elizabethtown. The railroad serves “many chemical plants and other manufacturing companies, several coal mines, numerous clay and stone quarries, lumber and propane distributors, farm [including a few large grain elevators] and mine equipment suppliers, warehouses, transloads, bulk terminals, riverports, and one military base.”

The parent company of the PAL, P&L Transportation, also operates the Evansville Western Railway and the Appalachian and Ohio Railroad.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

Paducah and Louisville LG1 Northbound at Litchfield, Ky Paducah and Louisville Railway's University of Kentucky Locomotive 4522 leads LG1, a northbound Louisville Gas and Electric load of coal past Scotty's Rock Yard rail operations at Litchfield, Kentucky on October 30, 2020, where a southbound PAL local waits in their yard for it to clear. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

Paducah and Louisville LG1 Northbound at Leitchfield, Ky

Paducah and Louisville Railway’s University of Kentucky Locomotive 4522 leads LG1, a northbound Louisville Gas and Electric load of coal past Scotty’s Rock Yard rail operations at Leitchfield, Kentucky on October 30, 2020, where a southbound PAL local waits in their yard for it to clear.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

BNSF SPC1 arriving at Paducah, Ky A infrared view from November 17th, 2020 of BNSF 6092, 6370 and 9196 head up empty coal drag SPC1 a Paducah and Louisville Railway crew pulls it into the north end of the yard at Paducah, Kentucky from Calvert City Terminal. Here a fresh BNSF crew will pickup the train and take it on north for another load of coal. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #infraredtrainphotography Tech Info: Fuji XT-1 with a Fuji 18-55 @ 26mm, f/5.6, 1/110, ISO 3200 and a 720nm IR filter.

A infrared view from November 17th, 2020 of BNSF…

BNSF SPC1 arriving at Paducah, Ky A infrared view from November 17th, 2020 of BNSF 6092, 6370 and 9196 heads up empty coal drag SPC1 as a Paducah and Louisville Railway crew pulls it into the north end of the yard at Paducah, Kentucky from Calvert City Terminal. Here a fresh BNSF crew will pickup the train and take it on north for another load of coal.

#infraredtrainphotography Tech Info: Fuji XT-1 with a Fuji 18-55 @ 26mm, f/5.6, 1/110, ISO 3200 and a 720nm IR filter.

Waiting on a fresh crew at Calvert City, Ky On November 17th, 2020 BNSF 6092, 6370 and 9196 head up empty coal drag SPC1 as it sits in the loop at Calvert City Terminal waiting for a fresh crew from the Paducah and Louisville Railway to ferry the train back to their yard at Paducah, Kentucky. There a fresh BNSF crew will pickup the train and take it on north for another load of coal. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.

November 17th, 2020 BNSF 6092, 6370 and 9196 head up…

Waiting on a fresh crew at Calvert City, Ky

On November 17th, 2020 BNSF 6092, 6370 and 9196 head up empty coal drag SPC1 as it sits in the loop at Calvert City Terminal (CCT)waiting for a fresh crew from the Paducah and Louisville Railway to ferry the train back to their yard at Paducah, Kentucky. There a fresh BNSF crew will pickup the train and take it on north for another load of coal.

CCT offers its customers unprecedented flexibility through its rail & barge loading, rail & barge unloading, short- & long-term storage, and material blending services.

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

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.

PAL UK and U of L SB Load of Coal Paducah & Louisville Railway 2012 (University of Kentucky) and 2013 (University of Louisville) locomotives lead a loaded coal train as it travels next to Ky Hwy 70 at Richland as it heads south to Calvert City, Kentucky after picking up another load at Warrior Coal loadout at Nebo, Ky, on October 27, 2020. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 200.

PAL Loaded Coal SB at Richland, Ky

PAL UK and U of L SB Load of Coal

Paducah & Louisville Railway 2012 (University of Kentucky) and 2013 (University of Louisville) locomotives lead a loaded coal train as it travels next to Ky Hwy 70 at Richland as it heads south to Calvert City, Kentucky after picking up another load at Warrior Coal loadout at Nebo, Ky, on October 27, 2020.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/120, ISO 200.

Paducah & Louisville LG1 Northbound Paducah and Louisville Railway's University of Kentucky Locomotive 4522 leads LG1, a northbound Louisville Gas and Electric load of coal across the drawbridge at Rockport, Kentucky on October 30, 2020. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

Paducah & Louisville LG1 Northbound at Rockport, Ky

Paducah and Louisville Railway’s University of Kentucky Locomotive 4522 leads LG1, a northbound Louisville Gas and Electric load of coal across the drawbridge at Rockport, Kentucky on October 30, 2020.
 
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
PAL UK and U of L leading empty coal A Paducah and Louisville Railway empty coal train travels along the Warrior Coal Mine Lead, with University of Kentucky (2012) and University of Louisville (2013) leading the way, as it approaches AC Slaton road as it makes its way to Warrior Coal mine to pick up another load of coal for the Calvert City Terminal on October 27, 2020 in a light foggy mist. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 100.

PAL empty coal headed for Warrior Coal, Madisonville, Ky

PAL UK and U of L leading empty coal

A Paducah and Louisville Railway empty coal train travels along the Warrior Coal Mine Lead , with University of Kentucky (2012) and University of Louisville (2013) leading the way, as it approaches AC Slaton road at Madisonville, Ky as it makes its way to Warrior Coal mine to pick up another load of coal for the Calvert City Terminal on October 27, 2020 in a light foggy mist.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/200, ISO 100.

PAL Northbound loaded coal Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 and 4503 lead the afternoon Louisville Gas and Electric coal train northbound at McHenry, Kentucky on its way to Louisville on September 21, 2020. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

Paducah and Louisville Railway LGE train at McHenry, Ky

PAL Northbound loaded coal

Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 and 4503 lead the afternoon Louisville Gas and Electric coal train northbound at McHenry, Kentucky on its way to Louisville on September 21, 2020.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

Lunch Break! Union Pacific 6493 and 7188 pull away from their Paducah and Louisville Railway PRX2 loaded coal train just outside Princeton, Kentucky after the crew received permission to stop for lunch from PAL dispatch on October 17, 2020. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

Union Pacific 6493 and 7188 at Princeton, Ky

Lunch Break!

Union Pacific 6493 and 7188 pull away from their Paducah and Louisville Railway PRX2 loaded coal train just outside Princeton, Kentucky after the crew received permission to stop for lunch from PAL dispatch on October 17, 2020.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

October 7, 2020 - A Paducah and Louisville Railway yard job crew uses GMTX 397 switcher to push cars into their yard from the north end at Paducah, Ky. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

A Paducah and Louisville Railway yard job crew…

October 7, 2020 – A Paducah and Louisville Railway yard job crew uses GMTX 397 switcher to push cars into their yard from the north end at Paducah, Ky.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

October 7, 2020 - Paducah and Louisville Railway crew runs PRX3 south across the bridge at Kentucky Dam with a loaded CSX coal train at Gilbertsville, Ky as it heads for the Calvert City Terminal at Calvert City, Ky with another load as CSXT 63 leads the way. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100.

Loaded CSX coal train crosses bridge at Kentucky Dam…

October 7, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway crew runs PRX3 south across the bridge at Kentucky Dam with a loaded CSX coal train at Gilbertsville, Ky as it heads for the Calvert City Terminal at Calvert City, Ky with another load as CSXT 63 leads the way.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 100.

October 7, 2020 - A Paducah and Louisville Railway yard job crew uses GMTX 397 switcher to move cars around in at the north end of the yard in Paducah, Ky as a BNSF train waits for a crew with BNSF 2922, HCLX 3881 and 1058 as power. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

A Paducah and Louisville Railway yard job crew…

October 7, 2020 – A Paducah and Louisville Railway yard job crew uses GMTX 397 switcher to move cars around in at the north end of the yard in Paducah, Ky as a BNSF train waits for a crew with BNSF 2922, HCLX 3881 and 1058 as power.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

May 13, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 2107, leads LV1, a Scotty’s Rock train, south with PAL 2106, 2121 and 2100 trailing, as they roll through the valley at Caneyville, Kentucky, after picking a load of rock cars from Scotty’s Contracting & Stone at Litchfield, bound for their Madisonville operation. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

PAL Scotty’s Rock train at Caneyville, Ky

May 13, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 2107, leads LV1, a Scotty’s Rock train, south with PAL 2106, 2121 and 2100 trailing, as they roll through the valley at Caneyville, Kentucky, after picking a load of rock cars from Scotty’s Contracting & Stone at Litchfield, bound for their Madisonville operation.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

September 24, 2020 - Paducah & Louisville (PAL) 4512 and Evansville Western 4511 lead a 5,400ft loaded coal train through downtown Calvert City, Kentucky on its way to the Calvert City Loadout. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.

Paducah & Louisville (PAL) 4512 and Evansville Western 4511…

September 24, 2020 – Paducah & Louisville (PAL) 4512 and Evansville Western 4511 lead a 5,400ft loaded coal train through downtown Calvert City, Kentucky on its way to the Calvert City Loadout.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.

September 21, 2020 - Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 and 4503 lead the afternoon Louisville Gas and Electric coal train across the trestle at Big Clifty, Kentucky on its way north to Louisville. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

Paducah and Louisville Railway LG coal at Big Clifty, Ky

September 21, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky locomotive 2012 and 4503 lead the afternoon Louisville Gas and Electric coal train across the trestle at Big Clifty, Kentucky on its way north to Louisville.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.

September 24, 2020 - Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 2109 and its crew work their yard at Paducah, Kentucky as early signs of fall begin to appear in the trees. Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 180mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 450.

Paducah and Louisville Railway yard job works…

September 24, 2020 –

September 24, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 2109 and its crew work their yard at Paducah, Kentucky as early signs of fall begin to appear in the trees.
Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 180mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 450.

C (PAL) 2109 and its crew work their yard at Paducah, Kentucky as early signs of fall begin to appear in the trees.

Tech Info: Full Frame Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 70-300 @ 180mm, f/5, 1/1000, ISO 450.