Currently, this is a common scene in the Central Appalachian Coalfields: rusty rails and rusty coal hopper trucks. This SCWX hopper sits in Loyall, KY waiting for action.

On a cold, snowy day, EMDX 1204 eases through the south end of the Loyall Yard with empty GALX coal hoppers. It will soon receive a fresh crew and continue to Hilo to pick up a load of Black Diam... (more)

Two GEs are ready to take a train south after a summer rain storm at Loyall, KY. The ground is covered in spilled coal--so it's pretty obvious what commodity dominates this line.

The first six-motor units to ever operate on the L&N's Cumberland Valley Division was this trio of Alco C-628s. Scrubbed up a bit through the early morning hours at Corbin for the assignment, the ... (more)

As railroad photographers, too often we zone in entirely on the locomotives, the trains, or the infrastructure—and ignore the only reason these very things exist and operate: flesh and blood railr... (more)

Two Clinchfield SD45-2s are bracketed by two SD40s as the pooled six-motor units get underway to St. Paul, VA with a coal train at the L&N's Loyall, KY yard. Clinchfield power had only recently be... (more)

The first trick yard job at Loyall, Kentucky is making up the empty hoppers and other business for the next day's mine runs. The second trick job will take over shortly and continued weighing and ... (more)

This is an image I obtained from a retired L&N/CSX management friend of mine, David Orr (thanks, Dave!). The occasion is a special photo shoot for the L&N and U.S. Steel. The normally grubby Alcos... (more)

This is my first "action" shot: an L&N RS-3 working the first trick yard job at Loyall in April 1960. The shutter speed on my Kodak Brownie (the camera had no settings, so all you did was load the... (more)

Five days before Christmas 1965, L&N freight 66 rolls by the engine terminal at Loyall en route to Corbin, KY. The mixture of EMD and Alcos was becoming more common on the CV Division by that time... (more)

Conductor Clyde Robbins (left) confers with Assistant Trainmaster Ray Allen at Loyall as Extra 1511 South--a Lynch Turn---completes a set-off of common hoppers.

The inbound Martin's Fork Mine Run--train 36--eases into the south end of the yard at Loyall behind one of L&N's venerable Alco RS3s.

Conductor on Mine Run 3 ties down the head car on a cut of mtys just spotted in the yard.

Two Alco C420s switch out a few bad ordered hoppers at Loyall before heading "down the river" toward Blackmont to work a few mines.

Conductor prepares to throw the switch for 4 light engines arriving at the CSX Loyall Yard