Port Harbor RR at the A&K Railroad Materials Yard Port Harbor (PHRR) switcher 8166, PHRR America's Central Port 2758, "Illini Terminal" No. 2301 and 2064 sit tied down on Saturday, November 7th, 2020 at the A&K Rail Yard in Granite City, Illinois, waiting for their next assignment. According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad (reporting mark PHRR) is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America's Central Port. PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at "WR Tower," a major railroad junction in Granite City. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.

Port Harbor RR at the A&K Railroad Materials Yard…

Port Harbor RR at the A&K Railroad Materials Yard

Port Harbor (PHRR) switcher 8166, PHRR America’s Central Port 2758, “Illini Terminal” No. 2301 and 2064 sit tied down on Saturday, November 7th, 2020 at the A&K Rail Yard in Granite City, Illinois, waiting for their next assignment.

According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad (reporting mark PHRR) is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America’s Central Port. PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at “WR Tower,” a major railroad junction in Granite City.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.

Port Harbor Railroad Salutes the Troops I thought Veterans Day was a good one to post the latest photographs I've shot of a locomotive painted to honor Veterans. This is Port Harbor Railroad's 5730, "Saluting Our Troops" engine as it works on dumping KCS Soybean Meal cars at America's Central Port in Madison, Illinois on November 7th, 2020. According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America's Central Port. PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at "WR Tower," a major railroad junction in Granite City. PHRR transports everything from steel and aluminum products to foods, lumber, paper, chemicals, minerals, grains and other products. The railroad is classified as a Class III Common Carrier. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @165mm, f/8, 1/800, ISO 280.

Port Harbor Railroad’s 5730, “Saluting Our Troops” at Madison, IL

Port Harbor Railroad Salutes the Troops


I thought Veterans Day was a good one to post the latest photographs I’ve shot of a locomotive painted to honor Veterans. This is Port Harbor Railroad’s 5730, “Saluting Our Troops” engine as it works on dumping KCS Soybean Meal cars at America’s Central Port in Madison, Illinois on November 7th, 2020.

According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America’s Central Port.

PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at “WR Tower,” a major railroad junction in Granite City.

PHRR transports everything from steel and aluminum products to foods, lumber, paper, chemicals, minerals, grains and other products. The railroad is classified as a Class III Common Carrier.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @165mm, f/8, 1/800, ISO 280.

Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis The conductor on BNSF 7447 throws one of several switches as it prepares to take its power out of the yard track to work on building his train at the Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) of St. Louis yard at Venice, Illinois, with a rainbow of power sitting in the yard. According to the TRRA website: "Since 1889, the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis has played a vital role in the railroad operations and growth of the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Association was originally created to satisfy the need for an efficient, safe, and economical method of interchanging rail traffic at the railroad hub of St. Louis, Missouri: the "Gateway to the West." Over 120 years later, the employees of the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis make the same commitment to efficiency, safety, and value to our customers, owners, and the public with each new day." Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @550mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 400.

Working the Terminal Railroad Yard at Venice, IL

Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis
 
The conductor on BNSF 7447 throws one of several switches as it prepares to take its power out of the yard track to work on building his train at the Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) of St. Louis Madison yard at Venice, Illinois, with a rainbow of power sitting in the yard.
 
According to the TRRA website: “Since 1889, the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis has played a vital role in the railroad operations and growth of the St. Louis metropolitan area.
 
The Association was originally created to satisfy the need for an efficient, safe, and economical method of interchanging rail traffic at the railroad hub of St. Louis, Missouri: the “Gateway to the West.”
 
Over 120 years later, the employees of the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis make the same commitment to efficiency, safety, and value to our customers, owners, and the public with each new day.”
 
 
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @550mm, f/6.3, 1/1000, ISO 400.
Port Harbor Railroad Honors 1st Responders A last bit of fall clings to the trees still on November 7th, 2020, as Port Harbor Railroad Corporation's (reporting mark PHRR) Honoring 1st Responders locomotive 8955 sits tied down at Granite City, Illinois at America's Central Port America's Central Port. According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America's Central Port. PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at "WR Tower," a major railroad junction in Granite City. PHRR transports everything from steel and aluminum products to foods, lumber, paper, chemicals, minerals, grains and other products. The railroad is classified as a Class III Common Carrier. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @150mm, f/16, 1/400, ISO 650.

Port Harbor Railroad Corporation’s Honoring 1st Responders locomotive 8955

Port Harbor Railroad Honors 1st Responders

A last bit of fall clings to the trees still on November 7th, 2020, as Port Harbor Railroad Corporation’s (reporting mark PHRR) Honoring 1st Responders locomotive 8955 sits tied down at Granite City, Illinois at America’s Central Port America’s Central Port.

According to Wikipedia: The Port Harbor Railroad is a short-line railroad in Granite City, Illinois, serving an industrial port district known as America’s Central Port.

PHRR began operations in 2004 as a subsidiary of the Respondek Railroad and connects with the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis at “WR Tower,” a major railroad junction in Granite City. PHRR transports everything from steel and aluminum products to foods, lumber, paper, chemicals, minerals, grains and other products. The railroad is classified as a Class III Common Carrier.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @150mm, f/16, 1/400, ISO 650.

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.
Workday end is near! The RJ Corman local arrives back at Guthrie, Ky to drop off its interchange work from a long day of picking up and dropping off freight along RJC's Memphis Line, to CSX on the Henderson Subdivision on October 16, 2020. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

RJ Corman local arrives back at Guthrie, Ky

Workday end is near!

The RJ Corman local arrives back at Guthrie, Ky to drop off its interchange work from a long day of picking up and dropping off freight along RJC’s Memphis Line, to CSX on the Henderson Subdivision on October 16, 2020.

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

RJC Interchange work The RJ Corman local arrives back at Guthrie from the Memphis Line to drop off its interchange work from the day, as long shadows from the setting sun rake across the scene on the Henderson Subdivision on October 16, 2020. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

The RJ Corman local arrives back at Guthrie, Ky

RJC Interchange work

The RJ Corman local arrives back at Guthrie, Ky from the Memphis Line to drop off its interchange work from the day, as long shadows from the setting sun rake across the scene on the Henderson Subdivision on October 16, 2020.

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

Shadows CSX a northbound Q028-15 passes through the CSX yard at Guthrie, Ky as the RJ Corman local arrives back at Guthrie from the Memphis Line to drop off its interchange work from the day, as long shadows from the setting sun rake across the scene on the Henderson Subdivision on October 16, 2020. #trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.

CSX Q028 passes RJ Corman Local at Guthrie, Ky

Shadows

CSX a northbound Q028-15 passes through the CSX yard at Guthrie, Ky as the RJ Corman local arrives back at Guthrie from the Memphis Line to drop off its interchange work from the day, as long shadows from the setting sun rake across the scene on the Henderson Subdivision on October 16, 2020.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1000, 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 3, 2020 – SavaTrans (SVTX) 1982 and Evansville Western Railway 4519 wait for a fresh crew as they head up an empty coal train after unloading at the Dock at West Franklin, Indiana. The Chris Cline Group are owners of the company “Savatrans” which purchased three ES44AC locomotives numbered to represent the Penn State Championship football years # 1912, 1982, & 1986. The company operates from Sugar Camp Mine in Akin, IL to Abee, IN near Mount Vernon/West Franklin, IN area. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/4000, ISO 100.

SavaTrans (SVTX) 1982 and Evansville Western Railway 4519 wait…

October 3, 2020 – SavaTrans (SVTX) 1982 and Evansville Western Railway 4519 wait for a fresh crew as they head up an empty coal train after unloading at the Dock at West Franklin, Indiana. The Chris Cline Group are owners of the company “Savatrans” which purchased three ES44AC locomotives numbered to represent the Penn State Championship football years # 1912, 1982, & 1986. The company operates from Sugar Camp Mine in Akin, IL to Abee, IN near Mount Vernon/West Franklin, IN area.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/4000, 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.

October 3, 2020 - Evansville Western Railway 6001 and 6002 lead a local freight past the siding at Abee, Indiana as they approach the Wildeman Road Crossing on their way back to Mount Vernon, IN after doing interchange work with CSX at Howell Yard in Evansville, IN. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1600, ISO 100.

Evansville Western Railway 6001 and 6002…

October 3, 2020 – Evansville Western Railway 6001 and 6002 lead a local freight past the siding at Abee, Indiana as they approach the Wildeman Road Crossing on their way back to Mount Vernon, IN after doing interchange work with CSX at Howell Yard in Evansville, IN.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/1600, 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.

September 29, 2020 - Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 2109, 2110, 2117 and 2120 lead local WW1 across Interstate 69 at Madisonville, Kentucky as they head to CSX's Atkinson yard with a lone car today for interchange with CSX. From here they will take the junction trackage called East Diamond and head back across the other bridge in the background to Atkinson at Madisonville where they dropped the car and picked up a much longer string of cars for the return trip to Princeton, Ky. PAL runs this local pretty much M-S from Princeton to Madisonville and there's another local that runs from Paducah to Princeton to move traffic between those cities with pretty much the same schedule. There's also another local that runs from Louisville to Paducah and back, but it is normally a night run in both directions. Occasionally I see these trains run also on Sunday, but it's not the norm. Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 200.

Paducah and Louisville Railway WW1 crosses I-69 at Madisonville, Ky

September 29, 2020 – Paducah and Louisville Railway (PAL) 2109, 2110, 2117 and 2120 lead local WW1 across Interstate 69 at Madisonville, Kentucky as they head to CSX’s Atkinson yard with a lone car today for interchange with CSX after dropping off a long string of cars at their West Yard in Madisonville. From here they will take the junction trackage called East Diamond and head back across the other bridge in the background to Atkinson at Madisonville where they dropped the car and picked up a much longer string of cars for the return trip to Princeton, Ky.

PAL runs this local pretty much M-S from Princeton to Madisonville and there’s another local that runs from Paducah to Princeton to move traffic between those cities with pretty much the same schedule. There’s also another local that runs from Louisville to Paducah and back, but it is normally a night run in both directions. Occasionally I see these trains run also on Sunday, but it’s not the norm.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 200.

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0173.JPG

Paducah and Louisville Coal Train southbound across Barkley Dam, Ky

September 24, 2020 – Paducah & Louisville (PAL) 4512 and Evansville Western 4511 lead a 5,400ft loaded coal train across Barkley Dam at Grand Rivers, Kentucky on the Cumberland River, as they head for the Calvert City Coal Terminal at Calvert City, Ky.

Barkley Dam construction along with Kentucky Dam formed the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area by stopping the flow of the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers, forming Lake Barkley and Kentucky Lake respectively and the PAL mainline runs right across the dam.

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, 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, on the elevated tracks past the location of the old Illinois Central (IC) Depot in Central City, Kentucky, after picking a load of rock cars from Scotty’s Contracting & Stone at Litchfield, bound for their Madisonville operation. Around 1920 the IC elevated the mainline through Central City, KY. As part of the project the IC built a new passenger station. The station was a bit unusual, for the actual depot was at street level, and passengers/baggage/freight would take an elevator up to the tracks. The IC crossed over the L&N's "Owensboro & Nashville" line (where the bridge is in the curve) from Owensboro south to Adairville, KY. The Louisville and Nashville (L&N) passenger trains also used the station until the L&N dropped service on the line in 1941. The IC discontinued passenger service on the Kentucky Division in 1957. It's suspected the Central City station was demolished soon afterwards. (Thanks to Cliff Downey for the information on the depot!) Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 100.

PAL 2107 leads Scotty’s Rock train at Central City, 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, on the elevated tracks past the location of the old Illinois Central (IC) Depot in Central City, Kentucky, after picking a load of rock cars from Scotty’s Contracting & Stone at Litchfield, bound for their Madisonville operation.
 
Around 1920 the IC elevated the mainline through Central City, KY. As part of the project the IC built a new passenger station. The station was a bit unusual, for the actual depot was at street level, and passengers/baggage/freight would take an elevator up to the tracks.
 
The IC crossed over the L&N’s “Owensboro & Nashville” line (where the bridge is in the curve) from Owensboro south to Adairville, KY. The Louisville and Nashville (L&N) passenger trains also used the station until the L&N dropped service on the line in 1941.
 
The IC discontinued passenger service on the Kentucky Division in 1957. It’s suspected the Central City station was demolished soon afterwards. (Thanks to Cliff Downey for the information on the depot!)
 
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 100.
 
 
DCIM100MEDIADJI_0160.JPG

Paducah & Louisville local WW1 at Monarch, Madisonville, Ky

September 22, 2020 – On the first day of fall Paducah & Louisville local WW1, led by PAL 2112 crosses of the CSX Henderson Subdivision at the location known as Monarch in Madisonville, Ky.

The local was on its way to CSX’s Atkinson yard to perform interchange work between the PAL and CSX after making their way from the PAL yard at Princeton, Kentucky. Still working on trying to catch two trains at this spot! It will happen!

Tech Info: DJI Mavic Mini Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/140, ISO 100.