Sporting an eclectic mix of power thru the rugged Hickory Creek gorge, the daily Q539 ambles out of Tunnel #1 enroute to Knoxville. An SD40-2 and slug bring up the rear of the power.

Hodgepodge W772 makes it way toward the north portal of Vasper tunnel. For some reason the train had a trailing unit on the rear, most likely ferrying power to Etowah out of Corbin yard.

Alco and a GMC. Taking on water at the halfway point of a long awaited excursion run, Southern 520 idles away at the end of the Tennessee RR with the Baldwin coal prep plant visible in the backgro... (more)

With heavy fog lifting off Smoky Mountain in the background and hard rain abating, an excursion run on the old Tennessee RR prepares to take off down the branch from Devonia to Winona, TN.

With grain sprouting between the iron and the redbuds in full bloom, the first of four northbounds rounds the curve at Habersham. A southbound will hold at either Savoy or Chaska.

And you thought all these were gone. A B30-7 looking like she's got one foot in the grave does bridgework during a blitz on the KD Sub. The ol' gal must have five layers of paint on her, if not mo... (more)

And you thought all these were gone. A B30-7 looking like she's got one foot in the grave does bridgework during a blitz on the KD Sub. The ol' gal must have five layers of paint on her, if not mo... (more)

With frontend loaders preparing to fill the first cut of 55 cars, NS 77G glides downhill to the scalehouse first to weigh the mtys.

In a torrential downpour, coal drag N214 blasts out of Morley tunnel and over a new bridge that's been installed over Hickory Creek. Work is still awaiting with the toilets and other gear laying a... (more)

A rarity on the KD Sub, grain train K803 pulled by only one motor exits Hickory Creek Tunnel Two and crosses over Hickory Creek enroute to the Duff Mountain grade.

Deep within the confines of the Hickory Creek gorge, Q539 pulls a hodgepodge of flats, cars, and tankers thru the #2 tunnel. One has to wonder how this line was chiseled thru rock over a hundred y... (more)

Showing the grit and grime of the coalfields, NS 77G loads the first half of a unit train while National Coal workers run a dozer on the stockpile to keep the loaders fed. Space is at a minimum in... (more)

Showing an oddity for coal loadouts, a new track is being constructed above the main for sampling. A machine will run the track taking coal samples out of six cars at a time once operational.

The power for the second cut of a unit train awaits service on the siding at Turley on a humid, hazy day in the mountains.

Foreign power comes to the Jellico Branch by way of BNSF. As compared to what NS serves up, this motor was fresh and clean. The coal loading silo in the background is currently out of operation, w... (more)

How do you stop half a unit train worth of coal rolling downhill, roughly 6,000 tons? Close call?

With the sideview mirror turned down, a motor for NS 77G idles away while working on a branch coal run.

Under warranty. Enough said.

Mty coal gondolas pulled by lead engine 645 head north, back to the coalfields of KY. The gons have alot of reinforcing ribs, something not visible from ground level.

Yes, it has it's own motor and runs on the rail. Made by Johnson Industries out of Pikeville, KY, this coal auger sampling system takes less than two pounds out of each coal hopper and is the firs... (more)

Showing the scars of time, an ex-Conrail unit does duty in the coalfields of Appalachia for NS.

Under warranty and doing fine.

With an R.J. Corman crew manning the motors, leased power slowly creeps forward while being loaded at the National Coal Baldwin washer. Remnants of Hurrican Fay soaked everyone present for the day... (more)

At dawn with a heavy rain falling in front of the headlights, an RJ Corman crewmember looks back at the loadout to check on the status of loaded hoppers. A power outage an hour later would slow lo... (more)

With Corman vehicles below, their crew slowly idles leased NS power under the Baldwin prep plant loadout. Note the uniformity of the coal improving as each hopper is loaded. This was the first tim... (more)

Idling and crawling on the left, 76G loads coal at Turley on a sweltering day. Power for the second cut is turned off on the siding.

Yes, it has a motor and it runs on the rails. Made by Johnson Industries and the first in the US, this auger sampler takes coal from each utility bound hopper as it passes by at Turley. Refer to 2... (more)

A sampling auger swings in the background as the first cut of 76G grinds down the grade.

A weather beaten old signal stands guard over the crossover at Oaks.

With the paint still wet and dripping, an ES44AH heads south by the signal at Oaks. Special thx to Laurel Anne for technical asst.