A little Fall color on the CNO&TP 11/02/08

[E.M. Bell]

Finally, after months of working weekends, and not feeling like doing anything on the days I was off, I managed to drag myself out on the Second District today... With a couple of small exceptions, I hadnt aimed a camera at a train since May (and for me, thats gotta be a record)  It felt good to head back South again and get back in the groove..hold the canon in my hands again and.....well, never mind all that. 

With the summer long lack of precipitation this part of  KY has went through, I held little hope of there being any fall color out there at all. Around the Jreb world HQ here in Salvisa, its all brown and bare tree's, but as I got South of Danville the hills showed at least a hint of color.  It was almost like there was a line around Junction City..to the North, nothing, to the South, color... NS provided plenty of action as well, with a Southbound every Half hour or so all day. I only went as far as South Fork today, well within radio range of the Danville yard, and it seemed there was always a train fueling, and one waiting behind for its turn. Every 30 to 40 minutes the yardmaster would turn one loose...now thats good service!  Best part, it was not a total fish fest, and there was not a punkin to be seen leading or otherwise.. 

enough of the jibber jabber, on to the main event. 

Just after sun-up, I arrived at North WYe  to find a crewless W75 tied down, and a pair of Southbounds close at hand.  Up first was 143 with a standard issue fish leading, and then a 179 with a Deuce..here they are in the harsh early morning light, then a roster of the ES44 leading the W75.



179



and the leader on the W75



I made the (not so hard) decision to get ahead of the 179 while he was swapping out and shoot him a couple of times more...it was a EMD afterall...  The light was a little less harsh and the colors a tad better as he rolled through Bowen.



179 had to lay back at Geneva for a Northbound, giving me time to wiggle into the block at Southfork for one of my favorite winter shots.. Here is 179 one last time, running for the hill.



The next Southbound would be a 167 with a fish, seen here taking #1 track at Palm Ky.



With about 20 minutes or so to kill, I moved back North to Bowen again for a 283, being led by a tophat.



Running right behind the 283 was the ever hot 223 off the Louisville Side. I scooted back down to Mooreland for him.



And just minutes behind 223 was the Y4A grain train...like I said, it was rather busy all day.  Here is the Y4A at Milidgeville Ky.



40 or so minutes later, 215 follows the Y4a South, seen here at the Green River Dip just North of Southfork Ky.



A little later in the afternoon, A 923 Herzog ballast train is seen struggling aganst the hill as it crosses the Green River Viaduct at Southfork.  The lead ES44 was dead, and the train was down to a crawl before he even got to the worst part of the pull up to Kings Mountain, but somehow they made it over the top. 



The North End dispatcher had the 175 layback in case he would have to shove the rock train up the mountain. After the 923 made it to Kings Mountain, 175 made his run for the hill, seen here passing the former location of the depot at South Fork Ky.




The last train of the day would be the M-11.  As the shadows grew long, he blasted down the valley at Palm.



















 

[Michael Knight]

Nice pictures, EM! It's been too long since you've posted a photo report! What about that single GE pulling 923 up the mountain? That example just goes to show how great of a locomotive that GE builds.

[E.M. Bell]

Nice pictures, EM! It's been too long since you've posted a photo report! What about that single GE pulling 923 up the mountain? That example just goes to show how great of a locomotive that GE builds.

Are you high or bad off sick or somthing?????  That must be it.....  

[mbgphoto79]

Great series, man.

[cmherndon]

It's suWhat about that single GE pulling 923 up the mountain? That example just goes to show how great of a locomotive that GE builds.

I don't know about them making a great locomotive.  A grill, on the other hand...  ;D

Good stuff, Emmett.  I see you had a much more productive day today than I had on Saturday.

[ORVILLE]

Great photos EM   ;D

[E.M. Bell]

Thanks for the comments guys. Here are a few I didnt feel like fooling with last night...the B roll so to speak. 

another framed shot of 283 at Bowen. My timing was just a hair off on this I think.. 



179 at the 127 underpass just South of downtown Mooreland KY.



A wide angle shot of 223 at Mooreland. I kinda liked the tele smash version of this better, but this is not to bad I dont guess.




And lastly..a backlit look at 167 smokin it up down the valley at Palm.

[JCagle]

Glad to see you are back out and about for some rest and relaxation track side.  Nice to see a trip report out of you! Great stuff as usual. Maybe I'll get some free time before long so I can have some to share other than the random shot here and there.

[E.M. Bell]

Thanks Jason,

It did feel good to get back out. I have been blaming my work on a lot of my apathy towards the hobby this year, but to tell the truth, I think I was just getting burnt out to some degree.  Several of us have fanned balls to the wall the past few years, and it kinda started to get old. Sunday, it was new again, exciting again, and I didnt just feel like I was going through the motions.

Expect more with a little more regularity...anybody up to join me for a deathmarch towards the end of this month??  Oh yea.....

[JCagle]

I don't know about one of your death marches, but I've been considering heading to East Tennesse possibly before Thanksgiving for a little get away now that gas is down.

[E.M. Bell]

ET???  we got more trains, better scenery, prettier women and cheap booze...here is where u need to come  

Deathmarches are fun..just ask Caleb. Besides, who better to go on with than your friendly neighborhood undertaker.

[JCagle]

My visit to Eastern Tennessee is kind of for a get together and it would make it convenient. I havn't seen what the guys with a dark future have up there but it's something different. Bart and I are talking about doing our own little steam death march some time next year with a stop in your neck of the woods.

[TRNBUF]

Great Job!!!  I always enjoy looking at your photos...

It looks like you were doing some burnouts on the road on one of your B-shots.  ;D

Awesome stuff..thanks for sharing!!!!

~Mike

[Michael Knight]

Are you high or bad off sick or somthing?????  That must be it.....   

No, I was just pointing out that an EMD SD70M-2 demonstrator unit isn't the only thing that can single-handily pull a tonnage train up a CS mountain grade. 

[stillbre]

Nice to see you out and about again EM.  Always look forward to seeing your work.  I'm always down for a death march on the Rathole but doubt I could get away for it.  I am gonna be up in your neck of the woods this weekend and again Thanksgiving but solely to see my grand dad in the hospital.  Would love to be able to take in some of the rail action but that will have to wait.
Speaking of death marches, where's little Caleb been lately?  Last I heard he had a woman over in CSX territory and then he's disappeared.