New Year?s Grandkid Loop

[TonytheTiger]

New Year?s Grandkid Loop

This past New Year?s weekend I, and my 6 year old daughter, went on a long loop to visit my older kids, and my grandkids.  Of course, trains would be part of the agenda.  This trip report includes both NS and CSX locations, so bear with me.  My first stop was the terminal town of Shenandoah, Virginia.  Norfolk Southern had shut down for the holiday, so the place was deserted.  I took these photos at the station . . . .

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=266672
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452263

Just south of the station, there were two northbound trains laying over in the yard . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452264

In the middle of one of the consists was this Norfolk and Portsmouth Belt Line unit . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452265

Our next stop was Radford, Virginia.  Just east of town is the junction where the Bluefield and Knoxville mainlines split off, and I wanted to check it out.  No trains were running, but it looks like a good place to return to in the future.  Downtown, the power for a local train was parked behind the gas station I stopped at to top off my tank . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452262

The next day was New Year?s Day, and I had no expectation that I would be able to catch anything moving, but I did stop at the yard at Yuma, Virginia, and the junction at Frisco, Tennessee, both places to return to in the future.  We were headed for Corbin, and I always stop at Loyall on the way.  The yard was packed, so packed that I couldn?t get any photos of the power parked at the engine terminal.  However, this little gem was parked near the yard office . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452303
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452305

The next morning dawned gray and rainy, but we went down to the yard at Corbin just the same.  I found this southbound coal train sitting on the mainline behind City Hall . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452329
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452200

The local was preparing to leave the yard northbound, so I quickly repositioned to catch it . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452323
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452322

A southbound was leaving at exactly the same time, so I missed it, but I did catch the next one . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452283
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=266681

I tried to find the local as we headed north, but it was back in an industrial area, and I was not able to get a photo.  I have always liked the GP30, and, even as a slug, it still has those great lines.

Coming into Science Hill, Kentucky, I heard a train on the scanner, but I must have missed it.  I found a great spot for a southbound photo, so we stopped for lunch and waited.  Nothing showed up, so it was on to Danville.  Just as we arrived, a southbound was pulling past the station . . . .

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=266677
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452199

Then things began to back up as more and more southbounds showed up . . . .

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=266675
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452192
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452201

There was even a southbound autorack train waiting north of town at the junction at Faulconer . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452197

Arriving in Louisville, the sun was getting really low, so photography was difficult.  A northbound train was departing and another northbound was sitting on the main at Osborn Yard.  I did take these photos simply because I really like switchers . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452196
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452195

Two southbounds showed up at the stadium, but the shadows were too long to get photos.  That was enough for this day.  The next day we were heading for Cincinnati via the back roads of Indiana and Kentucky.  Just outside Jeffersonville, Indiana, I spotted this old B&O tower back in the woods.  At one time it controlled the movements between the B&O main into Louisville and the branches to New Albany and the Indiana Ammunition Plant at Jeffersonville . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452194
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452193
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452183

I wanted to follow a portion of the old L&N mainline between Louisville and Cincinnati, so we crossed the Ohio River at Madison, Indiana, and headed for Worthville, Kentucky, where I found the power for the local laying over . . . .

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=266679
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452191

We followed the mainline between here and Glencoe, Kentucky, and found plenty of good photo spots, but no action.  I then headed for the interstate and the junction at Walton, Kentucky, to see what I could find.  I could hear trains on the scanner, but the signals here were all red or blank, so I couldn?t figure out where they were or even what mainline they were on.  From here we headed for DeCoursey, simply because I had never been there before.  There were a couple of northbound trains at the north end of the yard, but vegetation made photography impossible.  I was surprised that the hump tower and yard office were still standing after years of CSX?s scorched earth policy.  We then headed for the main L&N junction in downtown Covington.  The photo opportunities were great, but no trains came.  Of course I made a loop around Queensgate before heading to our motel.  One of these days I will have to spend an entire day (or a couple of days) here in Cincinnati.

On our last day, we were headed east on I-70 when I had to pop off at Zanesville just to see if there was anything in the Ohio Central (now Genesee & Wyoming, ex CSX) yard.  There was a pair of ex-Conrail B23-7Rs parked there, one painted for the New Castle Industrial Railroad . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452190
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452189

My next planned stop was along the Monongahela River north of I-70 and south of Elizabeth, Pennsylvania.  I caught two CSX trains on one side of the river, and two NS trains on the other (I also just missed another southbound NS train).  The weather was crappy, but it was the first time I had been in this area, so I had to take photos . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452189
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452187
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452185
http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452186

We then hopped over the mountain to the CSX ex-B&O mainline between Sutersville and West Newton to see if we could get lucky (trainwise), well, we didn?t, but it did put me into the mindset that I had to come back.  I did take a photo of the forlorn station at West Newton.  I do hope that someone is going to save it . . . .

http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452184

That was it for this trip.  The railfanning had to be fit in with the family stuff, but it was plenty.  I was able to find some new places to visit, and I did get some fairly good photos.  Until my next excursion . . . . stay safe, and enjoy the show trackside.

[ssmith1627]

I thought I responded to this this morning but maybe I never hit Post.   Things got crazy once they announced today was the day for our layoffs !

Thanks for taking the time to post all these.  I enjoyed reading through it.   Such a wide array.....pretty amazing.

I am sorry though....I can't bring myself to call that CSX RV a "gem" !  haha

Steve

[SpikeDriver]

I should know/remember, as I used to work at Danville yard for NS, but I can't remember.

Looking at this picture :


http://rgkitchen.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1452192


That is the North end of Danville yard.

The old crew dormitory should be just out of the picture on the right side and just a little South.

BurkMan Mills feed milling company is on the left of the photo and actually owns right up to the rails on that side.

The main to Faulkner, High-Bridge, and points North proceeds from the top of the picture.

What I can't remember is that branch that is on the left of the photo, on the West side of the main, going off into the bushes to the North; where does that branch go ??

It seems to me like there were some industrial plants and the like on that branch, but I can't remember what.

Thanks.

[ssmith1627]

Welcome to the board, Spike.  It's a great site and a great group of guys.  I'm still new here myself and they've been very welcoming.   Looks like you have plenty to offer !

Steve