Southern Heritage, finally on home rails in Kentucky

[E.M. Bell]

Saturday, April 20th was a day I had patiently been waiting for, and a day that was almost a year in the making. Ever since the NS Heritage units started to roll out in 2012, I knew the One that I most wanted the opportunity to photograph  in Central and Southern Kentucky was the Southern 8099. We have been lucky enough to have a multitude of those pretty paint jobs make it through here in the past year (heck..8 this year alone, in 4 months!) but the 8099 had eluded me. Besides the Spencer shindig and  a couple of "static" shots of her on the bottom of a coal train in Onidea TN earlier in the year, I had yet to get the 8099 leading..

Friday the 19th, the 8099 came into Louisville as a trailing unit on train 22A, and I hoped that the standard power turn would hold true and it would stand to lead 23G back East the next day. Sure enough, I got a phone call early that morning that it was confirmed to be the leader, and was getting ready to depart the K&I yard. Carmon and I made our way West, stopping a couple of times to shoot a few trains along the way. By the time we got to the Tucker siding (just East of downtown Louisville) the train was filling out on tonnage at the intermodal yard in Whitner.

We waited for over 2 hours at Tucker for 23G to finally get on the move (and watching the light get worse and worse) only to have it get even more delay waiting for a pair of Westbound trains.  23G is usually a fairly predictable train as far as timing is concerned, but it seemed that anything that could delay them did, and it was after 1430 before they got a signal. By this time, the light was going to be tough for a Eastbound train, and I had to rethink my plan. I had a few "must have" locations I wanted to shoot at, and we skipped several locations, focusing more on quality than quantity. The day would end just before dark at Bowen Ky as 23G sped off into the growing darkness, leaving both of us with smiles on our faces after one last shot.. Sometimes you have to make the best of what you have to work with, and stick with it to the end. We didnt come away with a lot of shots, but I was pleased with what we did get.

Below are a few of my favorites from the day. If you have a few minutes, take a look at my 2013 Heritage gallery on Pbase to see the entire set at this link . >>>>  http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/nsheritage_2013_eb

After racking up more delay than a hot stack train should get, NS 23g finally gets a signal at East Tucker and starts the trip across the Louisville District.


A handy 25mph slow order allowed us to easily catch up with the train again just a couple of miles from Tucker. Southern 8099 leads across the infamous Pope Lick Bridge near Fisherville Ky


After the shot at Pope Lick, we skipped the usual shots at Shelbyville and Waddy and headed straight for the One location I HAD to get. Here is the 8099 at my "signature shot" passing the Aggee farm in Vanarsdale Ky...I had waited a year to get her leading, and more specifically, waited a year to get her leading at this location!


23G is getting back up to track speed at Bellows Mill Ky,  after the street running in downtown Harrodsburg


I had figured that once the train made it onto the CNO&TP and turned South, we would have better light for the rest of the day, but after a fairly quick trip across the Louisville District, it would again get delayed. After waiting for close to an hour, SR 8099 rolls her train under the tower at Danville KY.


The sun and shadows dance across the nose of 8099 as the train passes the GRS searchlight signals at South Danville. The delay the train had getting through the yard cost us the good light here, but I was feeling froggy and gave it a try anyway.


The setting sun cast a golden glow as 23G passes through the CP at Bowen KY on the CNO&TP. 5 more minutes and the light would be gone for the day.

[Ptrainman]

Great shots EM. The old girl is a lot dirtier than the last time I saw her when she was pushing here for a couple weeks. We didn't get a chance to shoot it here in VA because they were over 5 hours late by the time they made it this far and the sun was all wrong. Very few places to shoot a eastbound in the afternoon on the N&W.


Paul

[srman]

Great stuff Emmett! I wish that I could have gone with it awhile myself however my job comes first.Here
is one at LS Jct. in Louisville before I had to be there.

[chipallen16]

Congratulations! Now if only she can get on the Piedmont, we'll be talking!

-Chip 

[butch]

And another good day was had by all.  Wish I could have joined you...oh wait, never mind....

[Southern6482]

That Bowen shot is the stuff dreams are made of!

[E.M. Bell]

Thanks guys...guess I will have to find me a new White Whale now...