May 18, 2018 – Monticello Railway Museum’s Southern 401 pulls into the depot at Monticello, Illinois, during Southern Rail Production’s Photo Charter event. The engine is a 2-8-0 Consolidation class locomotive built for Southern Railway by Baldwin locomotive works in 1907. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #southern401 #southernsteam #steamtrain #southernrailproductions #monticellorailwaymuseum
May 18, 2018 – As the day starts to draw to a close, Southern Steam engine 401 pulls past Stair Tower at the Monticello Railway Museum, in Monticello, Illinois. – #jimstrainphotos #illinoisrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #southern401 #southernsteam #steamtrain #southernrailproductions #monticellorailwaymuseum
May 18, 2018 – Southern Steam engine 401 heads into downtown Monticello, Illinois, during Southern Rail Production’s Photo Charter event. It is a 2-8-0 Consolidation class locomotive built for Southern Railway by Baldwin locomotive works in 1907.
The Monticello Railway Museum, is an all-volunteer organization in central Illinois with an operational railroad main line yard open to the public.
They offer train rides on Saturdays and Sundays from May through October, regardless of weather conditions, as well as a number of special events throughout the year. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #southern401 #southernsteam #steamtrain #southernrailproductions #monticellorailwaymuseum
May 18, 2018 – Southern Steam engine 401 heads across the Camp Creek Trestle at Monticello, Illinois towards downtown from the Monticello Railway Museum, as a couple enjoys a picnic below. The Monticello Railway Museum, is an all-volunteer organization in central Illinois with an operational railroad main line yard open to the public. They offer train rides on Saturdays and Sundays from May through October, regardless of weather conditions, as well as a number of special events throughout the year. This scene was captured during the Southern Rail Productions Photo Charter event, held Thursday and Friday.
May 18, 2018 – The last light of the day begins to fade from the sky as Southern Steam engine 401 idles at Stair Tower at the Monticello Railway Museum, in Monticello, Illinois.
The Monticello Railway Museum, is an all-volunteer organization in central Illinois with an operational railroad main line yard open to the public.
They offer train rides on Saturdays and Sundays from May through October, regardless of weather conditions, as well as a number of special events throughout the year. This scene was captured during the Southern Rail Productions Photo Charter event, held Thursday and Friday. – #jimstrainphotos #kentuckyrailroads #trains #nikond800 #railroad #railroads #train #railways #railway #southern401 #southernsteam #steamtrain #southernrailproductions #monticellorailwaymuseum
May 17, 2018 – Southern 401 sits beside the Nelson Crossing Station at the Monticello, Illinois Railway Museum during the Southern Rail Productions night photo session.
August 1, 2004 – Ohio Central (ex Grand Trunk Western) 4-8-4 #6325 is running at track speed on one of several excursions run in conjunction with the Dennison, Ohio Railfest in 2004. This shot was made on one of the runs north from the Railfest site in Dennison.
September 9, 2017 – Southern Railway steam locomotive 630 heads for the East Chattanooga shops and station with a loaded passenger train during the 2017 Railfest at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, at Chattanooga, Tennessee.Southern Railway steam locomotive 630 heads for the East Chattanooga shops
September 9, 2017 – Southern Railway steam locomotive 630 enters the west end of Missionary Ridge Tunnel, with a loaded passenger train, during the 2017 Railfest at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, as it heads for the station at East Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Completed in 1858 the tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through and the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an otherwise double-track railroad, Southern Railway abandoned the three mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether.
The museum restored rails through the tunnel in 1971 and continues to use the pre-Civil War Tunnel on a daily basis.
September 9, 2017 – Disrupting the quietness of the early morning with it’s huffing and puffing as Southern Railways steam locomotive 630 pulls through a tunnel of trees with a loaded passenger train heading west, on a return trip to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum at Chattanooga, TN during 2017 Railfest.630 heading for Chattanooga, TN
May 8, 1989 – Throwback Saturday! This is a scan from a slide I made of Southern Pacific’s 4449 and Union Pacific’s 8444 (now 844) as they headed up the Cajon Pass in southern California. This was after they were on display for the 50th Anniversary of Los Angeles Union Station in 1989. It was an amazing thing to watch, photograph and chase!
September 9, 2017 – POWER! There’s nothing like a living, breathing, moving steam locomotive and when you put two together it’s amazing sight to see and witness! Here we have Southern steam locomotives 630 and 4501 after exiting Missionary Ridge Tunnel on their way back to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum shops, at East Chattanooga, TN, after a full day of passenger runs during the museum’s recent 2017 Railfest.
September 9, 2017 – Southern steam locomotive 4501 rounds a curve, with it’s passenger train, as it heads west to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN, from their East Chattanooga Shops, during 2017 Railfest. #jimstrainphotos
September 9, 2017 – Planes, Trains, and …. Southern steam locomotives 630 and 4501 sit at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN as they prepare for the first run of the day at their 2017 Railfest, as a plane takes off over them to parts unknown, as early railfans work to get their “perfect shots” of the newly arrived locomotives.
September 9, 2017 – Southern Railway steam locomotive 630 bursts from the east end of Missionary Ridge Tunnel with a loaded passenger train during the 2017 Railfest at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, as it heads for the station at East Chattanooga, Tennessee.
Completed in 1858 the tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through and the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an otherwise double-track railroad, Southern Railway abandoned the three mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether.
The museum restored rails through the tunnel in 1971 and continues to use the pre-Civil War Tunnel on a daily basis.
September 9, 2017 – Southern Railway diesel locomotives 5000, 3170, 2594, with a freight train, sits on the Chickamauga Creek bridge at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum during the museum’s 2017 Railfest night photo shoot.
September 9, 2017 – In the quietness of the early morning the sound of the approaching steam locomotive is heard before it can be seen. Anticipation builds as Southern Railways 4501 pulls into view with a loaded passenger train west, around a sweeping curve, on the return trip to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum at Chattanooga, TN during 2017 Railfest.
2017 Railfest, Chattanooga, TN – I’m often torn when I decide to shoot video trackside, because I invariably hate “missing” a good photograph, but Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s Railfest lended itself so well to video that I made an effort to get some footage using my iPhone 7 Plus. The below, slightly over 13 minute, video is a bit longer than I normally do, but I think it flows pretty good and I hope you enjoy getting a glimpse into the event.
It’s a selection of videos from the 2017 Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum Railfest Operations, Chattanooga, Tennessee of Steam and Diesel operations around the museum and between Chattanooga and East Chattanooga.
September 9, 2017 – I was thinking that this scene would make for a nice shot if only I had a central subject, other than the platform and passenger cars, when I heard the patter of little feet running up behind me and this little boy ran past me, at the East Chattanooga, TN Depot sign at the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, into the scene and looked back! The fact that he was dressed as an engineer made it even better!
How many of us can recall what it was like to be a child this enthused by a steam train or any train for that matter! I hope the child in all of us never goes away when it comes to our passion for photographing, riding, watching, observing or anything else that has to do with trains!
When out shooting your rail photography don’t forget to record the people and not just the trains! One without the other won’t exist, especially when it comes to historic preservation!
September 9, 2017 – Southern Railway steam locomotive 630 heads into the west end of Missionary Ridge Tunnel with a loaded passenger train during the 2017 Railfest at Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum, as it heads for the station at East Chattanooga, Tennessee. By the way, I love long lenses!!!
Completed in 1858 the tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through and the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an otherwise double-track railroad, Southern Railway abandoned the three mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether.
The museum restored rails through the tunnel in 1971 and continues to use the pre-Civil War Tunnel on a daily basis.
September 10, 2017 – A gentle cool breeze and birds can be heard in the surrounding trees until till the shrill of a steam whistle and sounds of an approaching locomotive breaks the quietness as it approaches the west end of Missionary Ridge Tunnel.
Next thing you know, it has covered the 900 feet and then Southern Railway steam locomotive 4501 breaks out of the east side of the tunnel as it heads to Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum’s East Chattanooga station and shops, with a train load of passengers, during the 2017 Railfest.
Completed in 1858 the tunnel is the primary reason TVRM runs on the three-mile section of the former Southern Railway. As railroad equipment grew too large to pass through and the single-track tunnel became a traffic jam for an otherwise double-track railroad, Southern Railway abandoned the three mile portion of the line and built a new section around the end of Missionary Ridge, avoiding the tunnel altogether. The museum restored rails through the tunnel in 1971 and continues to use the pre-Civil War Tunnel on a daily basis.