EMD's, Old, Rebuilt and Untouched on the CNO&TP and Louisville District

[E.M. Bell]

This past Saturday (April 13th) the day dawned crisp and cool, without a cloud in the sky and the promise of warmer temps. The railroad radio and ATCS was alive with tons of trains, so Carmon and I decided to head out and see what we could find to point a camera at. While we stayed (relatively) close to home, it was one of the better days out I have had for awhile.

NS was busy, and by the time the day was done we had seen over 20 trains in less than 6 hours. The morning started out with us following train 223 across the Louisville District (with a freshly rebuilt SD60E leading), allowing a few shots of that shiny new paint job in several places. After 223 dissapeared into the yard at Danville for a few hours of block swapping, we eased on down South to get into place for the Southbound pig parade. In less that 3 hours time, we shot 295, 229, 215, 285, 23G, 216, 264 & 224 PLUS a whole mess of manifest trains. With all those trains running, it was hard to move from one place to another without missing something, but considering the less than stellar power they all had, it was no big deal.

After spending the afternoon with that all you could eat GE orgy, we started back towards home but not before we got lucky with a few more EMD's. A quick stop back by the yard in Danville netted a GP38-2 (running LHF) and a SD40-2 working the East side yard job. We spent a while sitting there listening to that pair drag a few huge cuts in and out of the yard making up train 200 for later that night, and then headed on West. I had heard train 375 out at the wye just North of Danville changing crews, so we headed there to see what he had. Luck was with us, as 375 had a great pair of former CR SD60's! We wound up following him back towards home, getting a few shots in the perfect evening light....not a bad way to end the day at all!

Below are a few of my favorites from the day. The whole set of 18 new images are on Pbase, but spread across my galleries for the 1st and 2nd Districts of the CNO&TP and the Louisville District gallery. This link will take you to the main page, where you can check those out by clicking on each gallery. >>>>  http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/2013rail_eb

NS 223 with SD60E #6939 leading,  crossing Town Branch Creek, and then the Corning glass plant at Harrodsburg KY




A new look for a old spot. Southbound 229 starts the long, torturous climb up to Kings Mountain, seen here passing through downtown Southfork KY on a perfect Spring afternoon. I have passed by here a 1000 times and my eye never caught this angle until yesterday. I think it will look even better in the fall.


"Unmistakeably Southern" Even without a train in the frame, one quick glance at this image and you cant deny you are somewhere on the Southern RR. The station sign at Southfork KY with the old GRS signals mounted on a bridge made from freight car parts in the background could not be mistaken for any other road.


I would love to have seen all the things those old signals have seen pass under them. NS 23G streaks South under the signal bridge at Junction City, KY


Carmon gains a little altitude to frame up a shot of M43 at Bowen KY.


"Time Machine" NS 5020 and 3232 pause under the yard tower at Danville Ky on a perfect Spring evening. This could have been taken 15 or 20 years ago, and that long hood forward GP38-2 could have been on the point of a hot pig train ready to burn up the rails on the 1st district. The reality is that they have been demoted to being lowly yard power, and even the tower itself is now closed, and probably destined to come down in the near future.


Late in the afternoon, a pair of SD60's drag train 375 around the wye and onto the Louisville District main at Shuttleworth KY


NS 375 at Harrodsburg, KY with that old CR RS3T horn sounding like a sick goose as it blows for all the crossings in town.

[etalcos]

......maybe more like "Unmistakeably CNO&TP".....

[E.M. Bell]

Excellent point....