It's all fossil fuels in this scene as UP oil train OCHSN 22 passes by a crewless UP coal train, 2CWEPA 19, with northbound oil empty OSJEE 21 on track 2.

The DPU of westbound coal empty is about to clear by the Kirkwood train station

On a foggy morning in the Mississippi River valley, the silhouette of a southbound Cora Dock coal train breaks the whiteness at Valmeyer.

Coal empties head north after meeting three southbounds at McBride. The storm light scene was, of course, nothing stormy at all, on this cool autumn day.

A pair of CSX motors hustles H GALMEM down the River Sub this afternoon, the first in a tight group of three southbounds.

After an afternoon of dodging and cursing clouds, and some missed opportunities because of them, the closing shot of the day wouldn't have been the same without them.

Southbound coal passes a colorful hill on UP's Chester Sub in Monroe County, IL.

Southbound oil travels past the colorful Mississippi River bluffs just south of Valmeyer, IL.

Fall is in full swing in the hills around Pacific, MO, as this coal empty heads west on track 1 of UP's Jeff City Sub. Along side is old U.S. 66.

Westbound local hustles eight cars for Pacific, MO through a cut at Eureka, MO.

DPU of an eastbound coal passes over the Meramec River in western Saint Louis County.

Eastbound coal passes over the Meramec River in western Saint Louis County.

Another guy taking pics pulled up in his 2010 R/T Classic, so we decided to shoot it as this UP coal train headed by. The GEs in the background take the prize for horsepower, but you can bet the c... (more)

CNW paint still rolls around the system quite a bit; this particular unit is a frequent visitor to the area. I decided to try to catch it in some favorable fall sun today.

A little fall color is starting to show around the area. The sunshine was enough to get me out briefly this morning to find this coal load topping the hill at Kirkwood.