Under threatening skies, rainbow colored ridges, and down to a literal crawl, pusher set J61 shoves hard uphill over the massive Trace Fork trestle enroute to Cedar Bluff. Undergoing tests with th... (more)
While the brakeman lines the switches to head back north, a trackhoe snags one more overhanging cedar to clear the ROW. The worktrain will soon enter the tunnel under Cumberland Mountain and pop o... (more)
Showing the tight confines of Appalachia where houses, rails, and roadways share the valley bottoms, NS 2771 has just left Dismal Yard headed to Weller.
Showing the sheer size and height of the Trace Branch trestle, pushers for mine run U39 shove toward Cedar Bluff on the Dry Fork Branch of the Pocahontas Division. Speed here is down to barely a w... (more)
Hand braking down the steep grade at Virginia Energys loadout, mty coal hoppers are rolled under the loadout in a scene reminiscent of the forties.
Left over from a recent MOW blitz, tie plates and spikes await pickup at Hagans Switchback in Lee County, Virginia.
Not one, but two old C39-8s led this coal drag between Norton and St. Paul on the Clinch Valley. This one appears to have been in a wreck and is the worse for wear.
After traversing the Dry Fork Branch, 80A prepares to hit the Clinch Valley and head east at Dry Fork Junction.
Having just exited Bandy Tunnel, the front half of 80A begins the descent to Cedar Bluff. Most of the unit train is still ascending a near 1.5 percent grade and hasn't entered the portal yet.
In a never ending pattern on the Dry Fork Branch, 731 with mtys prepares to head west to Auville Yard as loaded coal gons pass at Indian #3. On this humid evening the Dry Fork had nonstop action f... (more)
Conrail led 81M crests the summit at Bandy Tunnel, enroute to the Clinch Valley and Cedar Bluff. Fall has arrived in the southern coalfields of Appalachia.
Waiting on a pusher set, fifty cars of coal from Carbo prepare to head to Auville Yard and the Pocahontas mainline.
With a couple of mtys stored on the siding, a C39-8 idles away on the Clinch Valley awaiting a fresh crew. Not many of these left, but still show up often on the Pokey.
Showing the worse for wear, a favorite SD60 engine with an EOT and dirt idles away at the Carbo Yad office yards from the bridge leading to the Clinch Valley main. The yard serves the huge Moss #3... (more)
Strange move on the New River Sub. Both engines were running light and the rear had two American flags on the front of the cab. They told the dispatcher they'd try to make it to Salem and were fly... (more)
Conrail led coal drag 81M slows to a crawl as it approaches the summit at Bandy, crossing over Trace Branch several times enroute. On the rear is a pusher set, needed on this trip to Cedar Bluff a... (more)
With the sun in his eyes, a brakeman directs V19 forward as they build a train in the yard on this blustery morning. The brakeman had to throw the switch for over an hour as the power moved on the... (more)
NS V19 with a rare GP59 begins the long task of building a train. Thanks to my daughter Laurel for assistance on this shot.
25N idles away in the Bristol yard in halves, soon to block State Street while rebuilding the train and heading to Knoxville.
Idling for hours before heading back to Bluefield for fuel, this pusher set threads the rock canyon on the Clinch Valley.
As a lazy needed rain falls, a caboose in Norton awaits service up one of the many coal branches.
A worktrain laying ribbon rail prepares to head toward Big Stone Gap, with work done for the day.
Switch signal lock, thrown tens of thousands of times in the coalfields of Appalachia.
With the closed Island Creek Coal VP#1 plant rusting away in the background, Alco #2 is slowly being reclaimed by the weeds after being cannibalized for parts. The complex is part of the massive V... (more)
Jewell Smokeless Coal loadout. Did I say coal?
Old GP at the dismantled Island Creek Coal Virginian Pocahontas operation. Several years ago a worker was killed on this engine while changing parts out when a large piece fell off the flatbed, ca... (more)
An old Alco set out to pasture at Seaboard Mining, which has been reclaimed. The branchline main from Richlands to Whitewood goes north from here and enters Blair Tunnel a couple of miles away at ... (more)
This worktrain about needs a swivel in the middle to crawl out of the sump it finds itself in.
Been doing this for thirty six years he said, and will retire in three. Don't blame him at all. The only mainline switchback in the country, Hagans Switchback, and a conduit for coal out of Harlan... (more)
