The last Heritage unit of 2012. DL&W 1074 on the CNO&TP

[E.M. Bell]

After spending the day Saturday out playing in the snow on the Louisville District, I had figured I would just hang around home on Sunday ( 12/30/12) and try to work on processing some pictures and get a little closer to getting caught up. That plan soon changed with the word that the Lackawanna Heritage unit, NS 1074, was leading train 117 South.

After a short nap, Carmon and myself where up at 0630 that morning and ready to go, figuring we would have to hustle to get ahead of the train. It had arrived in Cincinnati a little after midnight and should have been pretty far South by the time the sun came up. As luck would have it, the train had gotten some delay in Cinncy waiting on a new crew, and then had even more delay meeting trains on the 1st District. We hung around the house and watch the trains progress on ATCS, and finally headed out about 0900.

We started close to home in Burgin KY, and the rest of the day would be spent following them South. At our first shot in Burgin, we had snow on the ground and the temp was in the teens, but by the time we got our last shot at Pemberton TN (just South of Onidea) it was up to 40 and had turned into a rather pleasant afternoon...and not a cloud in the sky the whole day!

Not counting the event in Spencer NC, this makes 13 of the heritage units we have shot in service on the road so far. Hopefully, 2013 will allow us to get the rest of them!

Below are few small samples, and the entire set can be found at my 2012 Heritage gallery on Pbase..This link will take you to 14 new images from 12/30/12 (top of the page) plus the rest of the stuff from the year, all in larger size and resolution!

Pbase Link >>>>    http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/ocs12

"Phoebe Snow in the Kentucky snow"  NS 117 at Burgin KY


DL&W 1074 brings 117 under the signals and around the big curve at Palm, KY


117 tops over the hill at Kings Mountain KY, in perfect light.


After a crew change in Burnside, 117 starts the long climb out of the Cumberland River Valley as they head South. The train is seen here at Garlands Bend, just South of Tateville KY


In the cut at Parkers Lake, KY.


117 rolls past the K&T depot at Stearns KY, with a Northbound 797 empty coal train waiting for a light at Whitley.


The last shot of the day as 117 climbs out of Onidea and passes under the signals at Pemberton TN