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

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)

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.

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.

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)

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

All downhill from here, for 30 miles. Brake is tied down on a loaded coal drag idling away, waiting for a fresh crew.

Locked up, NS 77G has been idling for hours on the Jellico Branch after loading a unit train the night before. After a fresh crew taxis in, it'll be all downhill to Clinton and then John Sevier Ya... (more)

Half the power loads the first cut of a unit train while the other half idles to the right on the storage track. The unit train will be taken in halves to John Sevier Yard to be reassembled due to... (more)

Showing several years of hard work in the field, this old horse either needs to be repainted or set out to pasture. For some reason this is common on alot of SD70s.

With frontend loaders waiting at the ready, 77G pullls the first cut of coal hoppers alongside the loadout. With three loaders working like ants, it'll take almost six hours to load this unit trai... (more)

After having loaded half a unit train, it's time for a fresh crew and a job briefing on the Jellico Branch. The first half will be taken by the original crew downgrade to Clinton, with the second ... (more)

Fixing to make the connection, a brakeman rides 77G back as he talks the engineer thru the move.

One to couple. Conductor awaits the meet as 77G backs up to mty coal cars before loading at the National Coal loadout on a sweltering summer day. The trailing half will be set off before backing t... (more)

Awaiting a crew change on the Jellico Branch before loading the second half. With the coal stockpile in the background, they could probably load several unit trains.