With the lattice of tracks and sumps, as Dave would say, the crew prepares to set out a bad motor before loading coal. Luckily six engines are used, mainly for braking down the steep branch.

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

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)

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.

Under warranty and doing fine.

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

Worktrain FO40 crawls by Q541 on track #2 in an elevated curve on the KD Sub, enroute to Corbin yard. Not many of these ancient workhorses left.

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.

NS 76G runs gently over jointed rail at National Coals Turley facility. Mountains of stockpiled coal can be seen in the background beside the storage silo, no longer used.

With a colossal coal silo looming overhead, a sparkling GE ES40DC goes about work in the coalfields of Tennessee.

With remnants of the old tipple behind and the coal stockpile hovering overhead, 76G idles downgrade while being loaded seven cars at a time.

National Coal uses three wheel loaders to load a unit train in under six hours. The three engines are idling downgrade beyond the coal silo which has been abandoned.

Crew change on the Jellico Branch. A very "friendly" crew mounts their horse as the redbuds announce the beginning of Spring in the mountains.

Crews working on both sides of a derailed loaded coal hopper. The car must be unloaded by hand before being rerailed, not an easy task in blowing snow and cold temps.

She jumped the track. The result of a hopper door coming open and derailing the car. 110 tons of coal must now be unloaded by hand before rerailing.