Torpedo boat Geep FLSX 71 loads grain cars in this top-down view at Consolidated Grain and Barge, just west of County Road 475, at Lyles Station, Indiana at their elevator on June 16th, 2022. I understand that FLSX is Great Miami, Inc., and the locomotive is ex-CERA/CIND 1751, ex-MKT 120, nee-MKT 1761.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, Altitude 270ft, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.
Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad (RCPE) 3482 leads a train westbound through downtown Wall, South Dakota on May 29th, 2022, as it passes its eastbound counterpoint at Dakota Mill and Grain.
According to Wikipedia: Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad (reporting mark RCPE) is a Class II railroad operating across South Dakota and southern Minnesota in the northern plains of the United States. Portions of the railroad also extend into Wyoming and Nebraska. It is owned and operated by Genesee & Wyoming.
The Genesee & Wyoming, a holding company of mostly shortline railroads, formed the Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern to acquire the western end of the former Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) rail line from the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The acquisition was completed on May 30, 2014, for $210 million. Most of its employees came over from the DM&E.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 270mm, f/5.6, 1/2500, ISO 280.
D&I Railroad 3020 (also nicknamed the Dakota and Iowa Railroad) heads across the Floyd River amid a maze of diamonds at Sioux City, Iowa on the Aberdeen Subdivision on June 3rd, 2022, with a loaded train.
According to Wikipedia: The D&I Railroad (DAIR) (also nicknamed the Dakota and Iowa Railroad) is a Class III shortline railroad which is a wholly owned subsidiary of L. G. Everist, Inc. The line hauls ethanol, dried distillers grains (DDG), corn oil, plastic pellets, cement, sand, gravel, and Sioux Quartzite, which is mined from two large quarries in Dell Rapids.
The D&I has a trackage rights agreement with BNSF that allows it to travel on three BNSF subdivisions to deliver and sell products, as they must use BNSFs system to reach their southern half of their trackage. The D&I operates on both former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad and Chicago and Northwestern Railroad trackage, which were handed over to the state of South Dakota in 1980-1981 after the Milwaukee Roads bankruptcy and subsequent abandonment of unprofitable lines.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 100.
Progress Rail EMDs 7223 and 7218 head up strings of locomotives that are stored on the tracks at just outside the KCS East St. Louis, IL yard as downtown St. Louis and the Arch looms in the background a misty rainy day on May 21st, 2022.
According to Wikipedia: Progress Rail Services Corporation (reporting mark PRLX), a wholly owned subsidiary of Caterpillar since 2006, is a supplier of railroad and transit system products and services headquartered in Albertville, Alabama. Founded as a recycling company in 1982, Progress Rail has increased the number of its product and service offerings over time to become one of the largest integrated and diversified suppliers of railroad and transit system products and services in North America. Progress Rail markets products and services worldwide and maintains 110 facilities in the United States, 34 in Mexico, four in Canada, two in Brazil, five in UK, one in Italy, and one in Germany.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 500mm, f/6, 1/500, ISO 500.
Paducah and Louisville Railway 2118 heads up the morning local on January 28, 2009 as it waits for a MOW crew to arrive at Richland, Kentucky to remove an ice laden tree from the tracks during the 2009 Ice Storm, as people around the state woke to over 2 of ice covering most of Western Kentucky.
This photo was made from the bottom of my driveway the morning of the ice storm, after I slowly made my way down the driveway to get the photo. At this time, I was still working for the Messenger Newspaper, and it ran on the front page as well on the Associated Press wire services.
It was an interesting time and my home, which is on a hill to the right out of frame, was without power for about 10 days, till I was finally able to get a generator to power the house. Of course, a day later I got the power restored, but the generator has been used several times since then when we lost power!
Tech Info: Nikon D300, JPG, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/2.8, 1/250, ISO 1600.
Evansville Western Railway 2115 leads the way as it heads south over the Canadian Nationals Centralia Subdivision in downtown Ashley, Illinois as it makes its way back to Mount Vernon, IN after working the Agripride Grainery in Nashville, IL on April 27th, 2022.
The Evansville Western Railway (reporting mark EVWR) is a Class III common carrier shortline railroad operating in the southern Illinois and Indiana region. It is one of three regional railroad subsidiaries owned and operated by Paducah and Louisville Railway Transportation.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2500, ISO 150.
On March 14th, 2022, United States Army Gensets 6519 and 6520 head south as they approach the Locus Grove Road crossing at Hopkinsville, Kentucky with another loaded military train, returning from military exercises somewhere out west.
The equipment was delivered by CSX S864, which was a Rose Lake, IL Hopkinsville, Ky train and was one of about 5 trains that ran down the CSX CE&D and Henderson Subdivisions to Hopkinsville over the past week, returning equipment from training to Ft. Campbell.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 360mm, f/5.6, 1/400, ISO 100.
Paducah and Louisville Railway 4518 & 4523 lead a loaded Louisville Gas and Electric coal train, as it crosses over the 148′ high and 891 ft. long, Big Clifty bridge, at Big Clifty, Kentucky on its way north to Louisville, KY on April 7th, 2022.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1000, ISO 130
Paducah and Louisville Railway local Z464, with PAL 2109, 2110, 2111 and 2118, back into CSX Atkinson Yard at Madisonville, Kentucky with what appears to be a newly rebuilt locomotive, CAGX 1039 (can’t find any information on this leasing company) with Ardent Mills Markings trailing in the line of power on February 25th, 2022.
I’m told it is an ex CNW 1625…GP7. that was acquired by NRE on 3/28/2013 and the placard in the window lists it as NRE 501. Now it’s moving south as CAGX 1039 and headed to ADM in Tampa, Florida.
According to Wikipedia: Ardent Mills was born out of a long history of community mills coming together. We are an independent joint venture by combining ConAgra Mills™ and Horizon Milling® and we have over 150 years of rich milling history. Our history is tied to the legacies of the individual mills and facilities that form us, and we’re proud to look towards the future with an appreciation of the past.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/500, ISO 110.
#trainphotography #railroadphotography #trains #railways #dronephotography #trainphotographer #railroadphotographer #jimpearsonphotography
On a freezing cold afternoon CSX Z464, a Paducah and Louisville Railway, Louisville Gas and Electric coal train, waits on the PeeVee Spur as a CSX team works on clearing a downed tree in its path at Madisonville, Ky on February 3rd, 2022.
After it was cut, the rest of the team man handled the cut piece off the track and the train continued its trip to Warrior Coal mine close to Nebo, Ky. The storm that moved across the country covered the trees with ice and this tree, along with many others throughout the path of the storm, fell due to the added weight of the ice.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 420mm, f/8, 1/400, ISO 2000.
LORAM Railgrinder 401 sits south of Princeton, Kentucky on the Paducah and Louisville Railway on a beautiful fall afternoon on November 11th, 2021.
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 on 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.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 140.
Reading Northern Blue Mountain Railroad switcher 1546 passes the sand tower as it works the yard at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania on a beautiful fall morning on November 5th, 2021
According to Wikipedia: The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (reporting mark RBMN), sometimes shortened to Reading and Northern Railroad, is a regional railroad in eastern Pennsylvania. Its headquarters is in Port Clinton. The RBMN provides freight service on 300 miles (480 km) of track. Its mainline consists of the Reading Division between Reading and Packerton and the Lehigh Division between Lehighton and Dupont. Its main freight cargo is anthracite coal.
Passenger excursions also run on RBMN tracks. The RBMN itself operates excursion service from Reading and Port Clinton to Jim Thorpe, while the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway (LGSR) offers service between Jim Thorpe and Lehigh Gorge State Park.
According to their website: Locomotive 1546 is an EMD SW-1500, built in Feb 1970 and is ex CR 1606; Indianapolis Union Rwy 28; nee EMD demo 112. It is passing engine 5017, an EMD SD50, built in November of 1984 and is ex UP 5017; nee MP 5017.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-20 @19mm, f/4.2, 1/320, ISO 400.
Reading & Northern 2010 heads up a freight train as it passes under the signal bridge at Pulpit, on its way south out of their yard at Port Clinton, Pennsylvania, bound for Redding, PA on November 5th, 2021.
This location must be one of the most railfan friendly rail operations I’ve encountered in a long time! Our first day here we met up with fellow railfan Ryan Bruno who railfans the area a lot and he gave us the tour and told us all we had to do is stop at the yard office, sign in and they’d give us a pass to shoot in the yard, while keeping all normal safety practices in mind! We had a great time! This photo was taken on our second day chasing the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad, after returning for the early morning sun. It was worth it!
They run a passenger service with Steam, but we arrived a week too late to photograph their steam operations.
According to Wikipedia: The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad (reporting mark RBMN), sometimes shortened to Reading and Northern Railroad, is a regional railroad in eastern Pennsylvania. Its headquarters is in Port Clinton. The RBMN provides freight service on 300 miles (480 km) of track. Its mainline consists of the Reading Division between Reading and Packerton and the Lehigh Division between Lehighton and Dupont. Its main freight cargo is anthracite coal.
Passenger excursions also run on RBMN tracks. The RBMN itself operates excursion service from Reading and Port Clinton to Jim Thorpe, while the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway (LGSR) offers service between Jim Thorpe and Lehigh Gorge State Park.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/2000, ISO 100.
The DPU end of Paducah and Louisville Railway Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train brings up the rear as it heads north past Pond Rivers siding on October 25th, 2021, with the entire train in view from this drone viewpoint on a stormy fall afternoon, east of Madisonville, Ky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/800, ISO 100.
In this infrared photo we find Evansville Western Railway 4517, 4519 and 6002 as they sit tied down at the entrance of the Mt. Vernon Transfer Terminal, while they wait for their next assignment at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. There wasn’t a coal train in the transloading facility so the only thing I can figure is they were waiting to pick up cars at the Port of Indiana.
According the EVWR website: The Mt. Vernon Transfer Terminal is a coal-loading terminal on the Ohio River at Mt. Vernon, Indiana. Coal is delivered to Mt. Vernon by both rail and truck. The terminal has a capacity of 8 million tons per year with existing ground storage. Mt. Vernon is capable of receiving and unloading 105-car unit trains of coal via EVWR (with direct connections to the majority of Class I railroads) that can transfer to ground storage and/or direct to barge(s).
Tech Info: Fuji XT-1, RAW, Converted to 720nm B&W IR, Sigma 24-70 @ 24mm, f/5.6, 1/500, ISO 400, October 13th, 2021.
X marks the spot! I keep returning to this location known as Monarch, where the CSX Henderson Subdivision passes under the Paducah and Louisville Railway at Madisonville, KY, as someday I’ll catch a train on both lines at the same time! It’s just a matter of patience, determination, and a lot of luck! It hasn’t happened yet, but it will!
Here we find Paducah and Louisville Railway’s (PAL) Louisville Gas and Electric loaded coal train as it heads north with PAL 2013, University of Louisville locomotive leading the way, on October 25th, 2021, passing over the CSX Henderson Subdivision at Arklow, as the fall color begins to show in the trees.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/160, ISO 100.
Indiana Southern Railroad (ISRR) 3371, 3388, 3372 and 3387, lead an empty coal train north at Washington Township, Indiana, as the crew takes the train to Elnora, IN where they tied it down for the Indiana Railroad (INRD) to pick up. The INRD crew will then take the train on their railroad to Bear Run Mine at Dugger, IN for another load of coal for the Petersburg Generating Station at Petersburg, IN.
According to Wikipedia: The Indiana Southern Railroad (reporting mark ISRR) is a short line or Class III railroad operating in the United States state of Indiana. It began operations in 1992 as a RailTex property and was acquired by RailAmerica in 2000. RailAmerica was itself acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in December 2012. They operate 186 miles of track from Indianapolis to Evansville, Indiana.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 @ 500mm, f/6.3, 1/640, ISO 400.
Paducah and Louisville Railway 4518 leads a southbound load of coal over the Tradewater River at Dawson Springs, Kentucky, with a splash of fall color beginning to show in the surrounding trees.
According to Wikipedia: The Paducah & Louisville Railway 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 line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August of 1986.
The 270-mile (430 km) line was purchased from Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in August 1986 and 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
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/730, ISO 100.
Indiana Southern Railroad (ISRR) 3371, 3388, 3372 and 3387, lead an empty coal train north, past Kent Grain in Plainville, Indiana on October 9th, 2021. The crew will take the train to Elnora, IN where they tie it down for the Indiana Railroad (INRD) to pick up. The INRD crew will then take the train on their railroad to Bear Run Mine near Dugger, IN for another load of coal for the Petersburg Generating Station at Petersburg, IN.
According to Wikipedia: The Indiana Southern Railroad (reporting mark ISRR) is a short line or Class III railroad operating in the United States state of Indiana. It began operations in 1992 as a RailTex property and was acquired by RailAmerica in 2000. RailAmerica was itself acquired by Genesee & Wyoming in December 2012. They operate 186 miles of track from Indianapolis to Evansville, Indiana.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/4000, ISO 100.