Dark, foggy, and just a bit too quiet… Sitting atop the rock cliffs, looking down into the fog filled cut, the silence and stillness of middle of nowhere West Virginia is briefly interrupted ... (more)

An SD70ACe and C44-9W lead the way as the U86 crew brings an empty Norfolk Southern coal train from Gilbert to the Affinity Mine for loading. The train is now on the Winding Gulf Branch that follo... (more)

Coal country mornings… Running on approaches behind U87, who just shoved a loaded train off the Cub Creek Branch, U86 struggles through Lincoln as fall colors make an early appearance along t... (more)

An SD70ACe and C44-9W lead the way as the U86 crew brings an empty Norfolk Southern coal train from Gilbert to the Affinity Mine for loading. After emerging from Tunnel No. 4, the train is crossin... (more)

Norfolk Southern train U86 with Ittman loads passes the Virginian Railway signal bridge at 'Simon' on NS's Guyandotte River District.

NS U86 eases over the trestle in Princeton, Wv that soars over I77 on the Princeton Deepwater District. The AC44C6M and ACe are pulling the train toward Princeton, Wv to load rock.

NS U86 eases over the trestle in Oakvale, Wv on the Princeton Deepwater District. The AC44C6M and ACe are pulling the train toward Princeton, Wv to load rock.

A pair of old logo dash 9's pull empty coal hoppers over the Guyandotte River in Simon, Wv. This train is on the small Cub Creek Branch that goes to "coal mountain" to load. The area to the right ... (more)

One final trip over the hill.... U86 crosses the iconic curved ex-Virginian bridge at Garwood, West Virginia on their way to Clarks Gap to clean out the storage cars from the yard. This is most li... (more)

Norfolk Southern job U86 passes through the small West Virginian town of Sophia only a mile out of the Affinity Loadout with a long string of loaded coal hoppers beginning its trek south on the Wi... (more)

Passing the Virginian doll arm signal at Algonquin, U86 heads east to tie down it's coal train at Clark's Gap and then head west back to Elmore Yard light power.

The second "hill job" of the day sweeps around the massive Virginian trestle at Garwood, WV on a beautiful September afternoon. The leaves are starting to change in what will be the las... (more)

Covel from the trees. Framed through the trees, U86, having left Elmore about 20 minutes prior, passes over the massive trestle at Covel, headed up the 2.2% grade to Clarks Gap. This is the last w... (more)

U86 passes the Searchlight signals at Algonquin. He will drop his helpers off ahead at Clarks Gap, and they will also take the lead unit back to Elmore before the U86 continues downgrade to Prince... (more)

Early morning haze and mist lies in the surrounding valley, as hill-run job No. U86 crawls across the massive, but beautiful, viaduct spanning the old mining town of Covel, W.Va., with three GE's ... (more)