Snow is coming down as a train comes down the mountain.

SD40E pushers help guide a westbound down the mountain in wintry conditions as the first big storm of the season begins to wind down. About 8 inches of snow has fallen in the past 18 hours.

It's cold! Pushers help a train up the snowy mountain.

Winter storm warnings remain in place as an intermodal passes resting power at Cresson. Cold air is rushing in behind the departing storm with air temps near 18 degrees F.

Snow intensifies as an oil train rolls downgrade. It has been 20 years since my first visit here and 9 since my last. Changes since 2010 are less coal and more oil trains as well as more GE power.

As a winter storm begins to tighten it's grip, yet another NS freight hustles west as pushers help with descent.

As a winter storm begins to tighten it's grip, yet another NS intermodal hustles west.

A westbound emerges out of the snow on the west slope as the winter storm intensifies. The storm would bring about 8 inches of snow give or take along with some freezing rain.

Pushers assist an intermodal up the mountain. Lots of things have changed since my last visit here about 9 years ago. But the volume of trains has not changed at all.

NS trains pass at Casandra as the first big winter storm of the season moves into the region.

An NS train rolls west as the first major winter storm of the season gets started on the west slope. This was one of the very few coal trains we saw, dramatically less than 10 years ago.

The historic depot in Stevenson, Alabama, is all decked out for Christmas. It was built in 1872 as a joint venture between the Memphis and Charleston Railroad, and the Nashville and Chattanooga R... (more)

76th Santa Train, on schedule, soon to make its stop at St Paul.