Norfolk bound racks run through the early morning fog of the Tug Fork Valley at Old Joe.

Battling ticks and snakes was worth the image.

Having just passed the west leg of the Gilbert Branch wye at Wharncliffe, freight 194 heads east along the bluffs of the Tug Fork valley on a humid summer day.

A loaded coal train is crossing the left fork of Ben Creek as it decends the steep grade coming off the Gilbert Branch of The Pokey.

A slower coal train holds the center siding to allow the time freight to get ahead of it. The conductor of the coal train stands in the clear as he watches the freight by.

NS 8815 splits the signals as she backs up to begin floodloading at the Mingo Logan Loadout.

MOW ballast train splits the signals as it makes its way onto the Gilbert Branch.

A coal train eases up the Gilbert Branch and on to the Ben Creek spur to floodload the days second unit train.

MTY's wait for the green light to head up the Ben Creek Spur and on to the Mingo Logan Coal Loadout.

A mine run returning to the Auville Yard in Iaeger has just gathered 4 old N&W cabs. These old cabs are still used on most back-up mine runs along the Pokey branches.

With a nice crisp paintjob, worktrain 98J backs onto the west leg of the wye at Wharncliffe, clearing the Pokey main for oncoming coal traffic. Spring has just tinted the beautiful hills along the... (more)

With a friendly wave from the cab, mine run U23 from Bens Creek splits the signals and hits Pokey Main #2. U23 will soon be overtaken by coal drag 820, both headed east side by side in a race to I... (more)

Crew readies to depart the east leg of the wye at Wharncliffe, having just cleared Jerry on the Gilbert Branch with loads from Bens Creek.

Daily regular 17M leans into a sharp curve on the Pokey close to where WV, KY, and VA come together. The rugged stretch abounds in rock slide detector fences every few hundred yards.