June 2, 2020 - This is one of my favorite shots from a 5 state, 22hr railfan trip, with fellow railfan Ryan Scott! This is a Canadian Nation local running long hood forward as it passed the iconic Memphis Pyramid with Grand Trunk 4917 at the North Parkway crossing in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. We just barely made it to this crossing before it showed up! Although there was a work curfew at the diamond in downtown, which affected the traffic, we both came back with a nice set of pictures! A big shout out goes to the folks on the Memphis Railfans Group for their help!! We departed my house at 4am in the morning and railfanned through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois over a span of the 22 hours. A long, but very productive trip for us both. Look for more images to come over the next few weeks! According to Wikipedia: The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, the Tomb of Doom and the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, at the banks of the Mississippi River. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/4, 1/3200sec, ISO 140.

The CN Woodstock Switcher at Memphis, TN

June 2, 2020 – This is one of my favorite shots from a 5 state, 22hr railfan trip, with fellow railfan Ryan Scott! This is a Canadian Nation local (The Woodstock Switcher) running long hood forward as it passed the iconic Memphis Pyramid with Grand Trunk 4917 at the North Parkway crossing in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. We just barely made it to this crossing before it showed up!

Although there was a work curfew at the diamond in downtown, which affected the traffic, we both came back with a nice set of pictures! A big shout out goes to the folks on the Memphis Railfans Group for their help!!

We departed my house at 4am in the morning and railfanned through Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois over a span of the 22 hours. A long, but very productive trip for us both. Look for more images to come over the next few weeks!

According to Wikipedia: The Memphis Pyramid, initially known as the Great American Pyramid, formerly referred to as the Pyramid Arena and locally referred to as The Pyramid, the Tomb of Doom and the Bass Pro Shops Pyramid, was originally built as a 20,142-seat arena located in downtown Memphis, in the U.S. state of Tennessee, at the banks of the Mississippi River.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm, f/4, 1/3200sec, ISO 140.

May 15, 2020 - The crew of West Tennessee Railroad (WTNN) Fulton Turn (T92) sit on a rise at as it waits for permission to cross the WTNN/CSX Diamond southbound at Milan, Tennessee with 5543 and 4071 as power. According to their website: The West Tennessee Railroad began in 1984 on a portion of the former Mobile & Ohio Railroad main line between Jackson and Kenton, Tennessee. In 2001, the WTNN expanded operations, acquiring operating rights over the former ICG line between Corinth, Mississippi and Fulton, Kentucky. WTNN operates on a daily basis and has interchanges with CSX, KCS, NS, and CN. Car storage and transloading services are provided in several convenient areas along the WTNN line. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 lens @ 370mm, 1/640 sec, f/6.3, ISO 280.

West Tennessee Railroad (WTNN) Fulton Turn (T92)…

May 15, 2020 – The crew of West Tennessee Railroad (WTNN) Fulton Turn (T92) sit on a rise at as it waits for permission to cross the WTNN/CSX Diamond southbound at Milan, Tennessee with 5543 and 4071 as power.

According to their website: The West Tennessee Railroad began in 1984 on a portion of the former Mobile & Ohio Railroad main line between Jackson and Kenton, Tennessee. In 2001, the WTNN expanded operations, acquiring operating rights over the former ICG line between Corinth, Mississippi and Fulton, Kentucky.

WTNN operates on a daily basis and has interchanges with CSX, KCS, NS, and CN. Car storage and transloading services are provided in several convenient areas along the WTNN line.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Sigma 150-600 lens @ 370mm, 1/640 sec, f/6.3, ISO 280.

May 15, 2020 - Today I spent trackside with fellow railfan Cooper Smith, where he navigated me through some of his favorite spots in west Tennessee. I'd been here before back on New Years Day, but only caught 1 train moving on the trip. Today was a lot different as just about everywhere we went, a train showed up shortly after we got there! One of our goals was to catch the West Tennessee Railroad (WTNN) working somewhere in the area and we found their Fulton Turn (T92) crossing the WTNN/CSX Diamond at Milan, Tennessee as 5543 and 4071 lead the way south back to their yard at Jackson, TN past the old diamond sitting in the grass. A good day trackside and a big shout out to those that provided train updates and locations! According to their website: The West Tennessee Railroad began in 1984 on a portion of the former Mobile & Ohio Railroad main line between Jackson and Kenton, Tennessee. In 2001, the WTNN expanded operations, acquiring operating rights over the former ICG line between Corinth, Mississippi and Fulton, Kentucky. WTNN operates on a daily basis and has interchanges with CSX, KCS, NS, and CN. Car storage and transloading services are provided in several convenient areas along the WTNN line. Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm lens, 1/800 sec, f/11, ISO 125.

West Tennessee Railroad Fulton Turn at Milan, TN

May 15, 2020 – Today I spent trackside with fellow railfan Cooper Smith, where he navigated me through some of his favorite spots in west Tennessee. I’d been here before back on New Years Day, but only caught 1 train moving on the trip. Today was a lot different as just about everywhere we went, a train showed up shortly after we got there!


One of our goals was to catch the West Tennessee Railroad (WTNN) working somewhere in the area and we found their Fulton Turn (T92) crossing the WTNN/CSX Diamond at Milan, Tennessee as 5543 and 4071 lead the way south back to their yard at Jackson, TN past the old diamond sitting in the grass. A good day trackside and a big shout out to those that provided train updates and locations!

According to their website: The West Tennessee Railroad began in 1984 on a portion of the former Mobile & Ohio Railroad main line between Jackson and Kenton, Tennessee.  In 2001, the WTNN expanded operations, acquiring operating rights over the former ICG line between Corinth, Mississippi and Fulton, Kentucky.


WTNN operates on a daily basis and has interchanges with CSX, KCS, NS, and CN.  Car storage and transloading services are provided in several convenient areas along the WTNN line.

Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Irex 11mm lens, 1/800 sec, f/11, ISO 125.

March 12, 2020 - In this 600mm view we find CSXT 436 slowly pulling Q237 into the siding at the north end of Chapel Hill on the S&NA North Subdivision to wait on a northbound Q028 intermodal at Chapel Hill, Tennessee. The 600mm lens compresses everything and as a result makes the track look worse than it is.

Q237 into the siding at the north end of Chapel Hill, TN

March 12, 2020 – In this 600mm view we find CSXT 436 slowly pulling Q237 into the siding at the north end of Chapel Hill on the S&NA North Subdivision to wait on a northbound Q028 intermodal at Chapel Hill, Tennessee. The 600mm lens compresses everything and as a result makes the track look worse than it is.

March 12, 2020 - Due to a slow order because of a bridge crew working, CSXT 3336 slowly leads intermodal Q026-11 across the Duck River as it makes its way north on the S&NA North Subdivision at Chapel Hill, Tennessee.

CSX Q026-11 crosses the Duck River at Chapel Hill, TN

March 12, 2020 – Due to a slow order because of a bridge crew working, CSXT 3336 slowly leads intermodal Q026-11 across the Duck River as it makes its way north on the S&NA North Subdivision at Chapel Hill, Tennessee.

December 20, 2019 - RJ Corman's Cumberland City turn local exits the bridge over the Cumberland River as it makes it's return trip northbound on the Memphis Line at Clarksville, Tennessee with RJC 3801 and 3837 leading with their long noses forward elephant style for their return trip to Guthrie, KY. It is a Swing through truss bridge and was constructed in 1891 by the Pencoyd Bridge & Construction Company for the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway. It is still an operating bridge on the river and sees at most two trains a day, but most days only one. Trains head to Cumberland City, TN (SB) usually around 9:30am CST and return north on average about 2:30-3:30pm CST.

RJ Corman’s Cumberland City turn local…

December 20, 2019 – RJ Corman’s Cumberland City turn local exits the bridge over the Cumberland River as it makes it’s return trip northbound on the Memphis Line at Clarksville, Tennessee with RJC 3801 and 3837 leading with their long noses forward elephant style for their return trip to Guthrie, KY.

It is a Swing through truss bridge and was constructed in 1891 by the Pencoyd Bridge & Construction Company for the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway. It is still an operating bridge on the river and sees at most two trains a day, but most days only one. Trains head to Cumberland City, TN (SB) usually around 9:30am CST and return north on average about 2:30-3:30pm CST.

January 1, 2020 - RSSX 3021 backs a couple cars into a track at the Kellogg plant in Jackson, Tennessee as it does it's work on New Years Day. The unit is leased from Rail Switching Service by the Kellogg Company and from what I can find online is it's a GP30 that was rebuilt into a LEAF unit and was originally built as DRGW 3021 in February 1963. According to Wikipedia: The Railserve Leaf is a genset locomotive built by Railserve. It is constructed in both single- and dual-engine variants, and is primarily used in low-speed and high tractive effort switching and shortline applications. The Leaf was introduced in the single-engine model in 2010, of which 32 had been built by the end of 2012. The dual-engine version of the locomotive, powered by two 600-horsepower Cummins QSX15 engines, was introduced in 2012. In 2016, the locomotive was updated to meet EPA Tier 4 emissions standards and the first Tier 4–compliant Leaf entered service in mid-2017.

RSSX 3021 backs a couple cars into a track at the Kellogg plant in Jackson, Tennessee…

January 1, 2020 – RSSX 3021 backs a couple cars into a track at the Kellogg plant in Jackson, Tennessee as it does it’s work on New Years Day. The unit is leased from Rail Switching Service by the Kellogg Company and from what I can find online is it’s a GP30 that was rebuilt into a LEAF unit and was originally built as DRGW 3021 in February 1963.

According to Wikipedia: The Railserve Leaf is a g… See More

January 1, 2020 - On a very quiet New Years Day I waited and waited and waited and waited and a train never appeared for this picture from a grade crossing around Gibson, Tennessee on the CSX Memphis Subdivision. Sometimes it happens, but the scene makes for a nice shot at 600mm!! I'll revisit this spot with my long lens on a day there's regular traffic for sure! Remember, there doesn't always have to be a train to come back with a great picture!

On a very quiet New Years Day I waited and waited and…

January 1, 2020 – On a very quiet New Years Day I waited and waited and waited and waited and a train never appeared for this picture from a grade crossing around Gibson, Tennessee on the CSX Memphis Subdivision. Sometimes it happens, but the scene makes for a nice shot at 600mm!! I’ll revisit this spot with my long lens on a day there’s regular traffic for sure! Remember, there doesn’t always have to be a train to come back with a great picture!

December 20, 2019 - RJ Corman's Cumberland City turn local exits Palmyra Railroad Tunnel as it makes it's return trip northbound on the Memphis Line at Palmyra, Tennessee with RJC 3801 and 3837 leading with their long noses forward elephant style for their return trip to Guthrie, Ky. Palmyra is a very small town southwest of Clarksville, TN and from what I can find the tunnel is about 800-1000 ft. long. The Memphis line follows the Cumberland River between Clarksville and Cumberland City and here at Palmyra, there is a large bluff overlooking the river which required a tunnel to be blasted through it. The line was originally built by the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad (MC& L) which eventually became part of L&N.

RJ Corman’s Cumberland City turn…

December 20, 2019 – RJ Corman’s Cumberland City turn local exits Palmyra Railroad Tunnel as it makes it’s return trip northbound on the Memphis Line at Palmyra, Tennessee with RJC 3801 and 3837 leading with their long noses forward elephant style for their return trip to Guthrie, Ky.

Palmyra is a very small town southwest of Clarksville, TN and from what I can find the tunnel is about 800-1000 ft. long.

The Memphis line follows the Cumberland River between Clarksville and Cumberland City and here at Palmyra, there is a large bluff overlooking the river which required a tunnel to be blasted through it.

The line was originally built by the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad (MC& L) which eventually became part of L&N.

January 1, 2020 - A string on power sits next to the engine house at the West Tennessee Railroad engine house at their yard in Jackson, Tennessee on a very quiet New Years Day. From front to back are, 3576, 7855, 3560 and SCTR 483 (The Duck River Route). According to Wikipedia: The West Tennessee Railroad (reporting mark WTNN) is a shortline railroad in the Southern U.S., connecting Corinth, Mississippi, to Fulton, Kentucky, via western Tennessee. The company began operating in 1984 on a portion of the former Mobile and Ohio Railroad (M&O) main line between Jackson and Kenton, Tennessee. It significantly expanded operations in 2001 through the lease, from the Norfolk Southern Railway, of the ex-M&O south to Corinth and a former main line of the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) north to Fulton, as well as a branch from Jackson to Poplar Corner (ex-Birmingham and Northwestern Railway, acquired by the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad in 1924). All of these lines were part of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad (ICG) prior to its 1980s program of spin-offs, during which Gibson County purchased the Jackson-Kenton line and the Southern Railway acquired the Corinth-Fulton line and Poplar Corner branch. The company is under common control with the South Central Tennessee Railroad and the Tennken Railroad. Its main line was upgraded as part of the MidAmerica Corridor, an initiative by the Canadian National Railway and Norfolk Southern Railway to improve rail service between Illinois and the Southeast. The Mobile and Ohio Railroad completed a line between Mobile, Alabama, and Columbus, Kentucky, in 1861, and the Mississippi Central Railroad, an Illinois Central Railroad predecessor, completed its north-south line between New Orleans, Louisiana and Cairo, Illinois in 1873. The Birmingham and Northwestern Railway opened a line between Jackson, where the M&O and IC lines crossed, and Dyersburg in 1912 and was purchased by the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad in 1924. Through mergers, all of these lines became part of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in 1972. The Gibson County Railroad Authority acquired the line between Jackson and Kenton in August 1984, and the new West Tennessee Railroad began operations in October that same year.[5] The Southern Railway bought the Corinth-Jackson-Fulton and Jackson-Poplar Corner lines from the ICG in June 1988,[6] and in August 2001 the Norfolk Southern Railway, successor to the Southern, leased them to WTNN. (The Southern also acquired the ICG's line southeast to Haleyville, Alabama, and trackage rights from Fulton north to Centralia, Illinois, and NS sold the former, where not abandoned, to the Redmont Railway in 1995.)

A string on power sits next to the engine house…

January 1, 2020 – A string on power sits next to the engine house at the West Tennessee Railroad engine house at their yard in Jackson, Tennessee on a very quiet New Years Day. From front to back are, 3576, 7855, 3560 and SCTR 483 (The Duck River Route).

According to Wikipedia: The West Tennessee Railroad (reporting mark WTNN) is a shortline railroad in the Southern U.S., connecting Corinth, Mississippi, to Fulton, Kentucky, via western Tennessee. The company began operating in 1984 on a portion of the former Mobile and Ohio Railroad (M&O) main line between Jackson and Kenton, Tennessee.

It significantly expanded operations in 2001 through the lease, from the Norfolk Southern Railway, of the ex-M&O south to Corinth and a former main line of the Illinois Central Railroad (IC) north to Fulton, as well as a branch from Jackson to Poplar Corner (ex-Birmingham and Northwestern Railway, acquired by the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad in 1924).

All of these lines were part of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad (ICG) prior to its 1980s program of spin-offs, during which Gibson County purchased the Jackson-Kenton line and the Southern Railway acquired the Corinth-Fulton line and Poplar Corner branch.

The company is under common control with the South Central Tennessee Railroad and the Tennken Railroad. Its main line was upgraded as part of the MidAmerica Corridor, an initiative by the Canadian National Railway and Norfolk Southern Railway to improve rail service between Illinois and the Southeast.

The Mobile and Ohio Railroad completed a line between Mobile, Alabama, and Columbus, Kentucky, in 1861, and the Mississippi Central Railroad, an Illinois Central Railroad predecessor, completed its north-south line between New Orleans, Louisiana and Cairo, Illinois in 1873. The Birmingham and Northwestern Railway opened a line between Jackson, where the M&O and IC lines crossed, and Dyersburg in 1912 and was purchased by the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad in 1924. Through mergers, all of these lines became part of the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad in 1972.

The Gibson County Railroad Authority acquired the line between Jackson and Kenton in August 1984, and the new West Tennessee Railroad began operations in October that same year.[5] The Southern Railway bought the Corinth-Jackson-Fulton and Jackson-Poplar Corner lines from the ICG in June 1988,[6] and in August 2001 the Norfolk Southern Railway, successor to the Southern, leased them to WTNN. (The Southern also acquired the ICG’s line southeast to Haleyville, Alabama, and trackage rights from Fulton north to Centralia, Illinois, and NS sold the former, where not abandoned, to the Redmont Railway in 1995.)

December 20, 2019 - RJ Corman's Cumberland City local passes the old L&N Railroad Station at Clarksville, Tennessee as it heads south on the Memphis Line with RJC 3837 and 3801 leading as it heads to Cumberland City to do its work for the day. According to Wikipedia: The L & N Train Station is a restored railroad station in Clarksville, Tennessee. It was opened by the Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad in 1859. It was restored in 1996 to circa 1901 AD condition and includes a diesel locomotive and caboose donated by RJ Corman railroad. It is currently home to the local farmers market and a local art society. It can also be rented out for events. The station was at first widely believed to be the one referenced in The Monkees 1966 song "Last Train to Clarksville", though this turned out to be just a coincidence.

RJ Corman’s Cumberland City local passes the old L&N Railroad Station at Clarksville, Tennessee

December 20, 2019 – RJ Corman’s Cumberland City local passes the old L&N Railroad Station at Clarksville, Tennessee as it heads south on the Memphis Line with RJC 3837 and 3801 leading as it heads to Cumberland City to do its work for the day.

According to Wikipedia: The L & N Train Station is a restored railroad station in Clarksville, Tennessee. It was opened by the Memphis, Clarksville and Louisville Railroad in 1859.

It was restored in 1996 to circa 1901 AD condition and includes a diesel locomotive and caboose donated by RJ Corman railroad. It is currently home to the local farmers market and a local art society. It can also be rented out for events.

The station was at first widely believed to be the one referenced in The Monkees 1966 song “Last Train to Clarksville”, though this turned out to be just a coincidence.

December 20, 2019 - RJ Corman's Cumberland City turn local prepares to cross the bridge over the Cumberland River as it makes it's return trip northbound on the Memphis Line at Clarksville, Tennessee with RJC 3801 and 3837 leading with their long noses forward elephant style for their return trip to Guthrie, Ky. It is a Swing through truss bridge and was constructed in 1891 by the Pencoyd Bridge & Construction Company for the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway. It is still an operating bridge on the river and sees at most two trains a day, but most days only one. Trains head to Cumberland City, TN (SB) usually around 9:30am CST and return north on average about 2:30-3:30pm CST.

RJ Corman’s Cumberland City turn at the Cumberland River, Clarksville, TN

December 20, 2019 – RJ Corman’s Cumberland City turn local prepares to cross the bridge over the Cumberland River as it makes it’s return trip northbound on the Memphis Line at Clarksville, Tennessee with RJC 3801 and 3837 leading with their long noses forward elephant style for their return trip to Guthrie, Ky.

It is a Swing through truss bridge and was constructed in 1891 by the Pencoyd Bridge & Construction Company for the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis Railway. It is still an operating bridge on the river and sees at most two trains a day, but most days only one. Trains head to Cumberland City, TN (SB) usually around 9:30am CST and return north on average about 2:30-3:30pm CST.

December 20, 2019 - RJ Corman's Cumberland City turn local prepares to enter Palmyra Railroad Tunnel as it makes it's return trip northbound on the Memphis Line at Palmyra, Tennessee with RJC 3801 and 3837 leading with their long noses forward elephant style for their return trip to Guthrie, Ky. Palmyra is a very small town southwest of Clarksville, TN and from what I can find the tunnel is about 800-1000 ft. long. The Memphis line follows the Cumberland River between Clarksville and Cumberland City and here at Palmyra, there is a large bluff overlooking the river which required a tunnel to be blasted through it. The line was originally built by the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad (MC& L) which eventually became part of L&N.

RJ Corman’s Cumberland City turn at Railroad Tunnel

December 20, 2019 – RJ Corman’s Cumberland City turn local prepares to enter Palmyra Railroad Tunnel as it makes it’s return trip northbound on the Memphis Line at Palmyra, Tennessee with RJC 3801 and 3837 leading with their long noses forward elephant style for their return trip to Guthrie, Ky.

Palmyra is a very small town southwest of Clarksville, TN and from what I can find the tunnel is about 800-1000 ft. long.

The Memphis line follows the Cumberland River between Clarksville and Cumberland City and here at Palmyra, there is a large bluff overlooking the river which required a tunnel to be blasted through it.

The line was originally built by the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville Railroad (MC& L) which eventually became part of L&N.