A Perfect Southern Heritage Sunday (Saturday to!) on the CNO&TP

[E.M. Bell]

The past week was really  a treat, with some great weather and a lot of Southern Green and Gold to shoot.  In the span of Six days, I managed to shoot the Southern 8099 on all Three Districts of the CNO&TP from Cincinnati to Chattanooga (not to mention a ton of other good stuff along the way!)

March 30th (2014) was a perfect "Southern Sunday" on the 2nd & 3rd Districts down in Tennessee. The first Steam trips of the year had been scheduled for that weekend, but with SR 630 still in the TVRM shop getting some firebox and staybolt work completed, NS saw fit to let the 8099 handle the train.  Carmon & I had not planned on shooting the steam trips, as we had pretty well covered the 630 on the  AGS and South End over the past couple of years (plus the weather did not look promising). After learning what the "stand-in" power would be, We made a very last minute decision to shoot the Sunday trip from Chattanooga to Onidea TN and return.  

We left home at 0300 that morning and made a quick trip down South, and would follow the train for the rest of the day before enjoying dinner with a few friends and making that long drive back home.  The weather was awesome, and it was well worth the 20+ hours we spent on the road to cover it.   Later that week, the 8099 would come back North trailing on train 216 to Chicago, which set us up for another good day with the 8099 this past weekend.

Saturday April 5th, the 8099 would lead train 215 back South.  Carmon was not feeling well and I decided to let her have some peace and quiet and disappear for the day. I headed North (a rather bold move for me) and met up with Tyler at Sadieville KY early that morning, and would spend the rest of the day doing a little scouting on the 1st District (and letting him try to convince me there ARE some good places to shoot up that way) and then following the 8099 back South from Cincinnati. The 215 wasted no time getting South as fast as they could, and we had to pick our shots carefully. In the end, it was another successful day...even for a trip up "that" way.  

Below are a few low res samples of my efforts on these Two days. You can find all of these in High Res (plus a bunch more your not seeing here) at this link >>>  http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/nsocs_heritage2014

Sunday, March 30th.

"A Southern Sunday Morning" Southern 8099 (pinch hitting for the SR 630) leads a Northbound public excursion up the CNO&TP on a perfect Sunday morning, seen here passing a farm at Coulterville, Tennessee. Its not very often that I will say the first shot of the day is my favorite, but I could have turned right back around and went home happy after shooting this...everything else was just an added bonus!


"A Higher Calling" Southern 8099 leads NS 957 North as the trains leaps across the New River valley on a bridge that the original designers of the CNO&TP could have only dreamed of.  New River, TN.


Southbound 957 sprints through Sunbright, TN, climbing the last little uphill turn before the grade drops sharply down through Pilot Mountain, Lancing and Nemo.


"Never Question a Madman" The day was growing short and the sun was getting low as Southern 8099 brings NS 957 South through the S-Curve just South of Rockwood, Tn on the 3rd District of the CNO&TP. I am pretty sure Tyler and Gage questioned my sanity at choosing this location, as the shadows in the cut had all but taken over, but I saw that ONE little patch of sun, and that is all that was needed to light up that Green & Gold Southern smile. Sometimes you have to look above the rail to see what you have to work with, and roll the dice.


Just a couple of unsavory characters hanging out at the shoe store on a Sunday afternoon. Mr. Hardin and Mr. Starnes (One of my newest RR buddies, and One of my oldest) at Spring City, TN. (Mental Note...never let old friends get to telling stories of your past exploits to new friends over the buffet at Shoneys's. It will not end well)


Saturday April 5th

After a quick trip to Chicago on train 216, the 8099 still has that passenger shine on her as she brings train 215 South under the signal bridge at Adams, KY, about 25 miles South of Cincinnati on the 1st District of the CNO&TP


215 passes the leaning barn at Blanchet, KY


That old barn, located just South of Georgetown, KY, has seen its share of SOUTHERN motive power over the years.  I have seen pictures of the same barn with Southern PS4's pulling the Royal Palm, Green & Gold E units with the Ponce De Leon, and felt compelled to forgo some of the other well known locations to capture my own image of a modern version with it.  I am the only one who wished they could see all the cool stuff that barn has seen???.....Yea, I thought not!