Mouth of the beast? Throat of the beast? This view of the tender, from the cab, shows the auger of the stoker. The coal would pass under the cab and into the firebox.

The Mt. Hope coal job heads west crossing the New River on a bridge shared with autos. Between the River chugging underneath and the coal cars bopping along side, the driver in the car must be hav... (more)

A close-up of the face of C&O Allegheny 1604. Unfortunately, this impressive engine is shoehorned into a buidling alongside other equipment in such a way that you can't really take her all in at ... (more)

A pair of classics

I had just arrived at Confluence and this helper unit sunk up on me. This is an unusual combination of turbo and no turbo charged units.

Potomac Eagle's C&O 8016 sits on display at Washington Union Station, the only F-unit in attendance. Sadly, it was tucked away on the far track away from the "stars" of the event.

Built July 1949 for the C&O " Chesapeake District " this series of steel cabooses were built to handle the increase of traffic after WWII. There were 100 of these built (90200-90299) with an addit... (more)

Thurmond station and empty coal train lighted by afternoon sun wait for the Mount Hope Crew.

Empty coal train ready to head west up the grade to Mount Hope.

A caboose sits close to the entrance at the Mr. Tree Christmas tree farm, far away from any tracks, the closest track is a couple miles away, the former PRR/B&O panhandle line, now owned by Ohio C... (more)

This Island Creek coal facility served a tunnel mine, a shaft mine and a strip mine and generated 50 or more loads a day prior to unit trains.