Okay, so this definitely is not the famed Copper Creek Viaduct on the Clinchfield that I’ve had the good fortune of actually shooting this locomotive on, but with the bridge, mountain, & said locomotive in this scene, I was having some, shall we say, memorable flashbacks to that day.
Leading a SARM/ETRC families/friends trip on Lhoist North America’s Crab Orchard Mine rail line, Clinchfield 800, the first diesel-electric locomotive the road ever bought, descends the ruling 2% grade off the Cumberland Plateau at Big Gulch Trestle on the former Tennessee Central mainline. In a show of appreciation for those that work that their Crab Orchard Mine, Lhoist invites their friends at the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum & East Tennessee Railcar to run a series a trips for the employees & their families so they can enjoy the very scenic rail line that they operate. With this years trips taking place right around the peak of the fall foliage in the area, & having seen a few teaser photos from a few days earlier, I knew I wanted to attempt a photo at this location. With the colors that their peak, the engine, & some good people that I know either riding or chasing, this day also turned out to be quite memorable as well.
