A freshly painted and yet battered SD40-2 smokes southbound out of the Hickory Creek #2 tunnel.

On a sweltering summer day with humidty so thick you could cut it, coal is loaded the oldfashioned way at Mountain Energy Resources. The Model 4200 Trackmobile is shuffling mtys one at a time unde... (more)

Watseka Farmers & Grain 7210, an ex-LTV Mining Alco, idles away beside the mammoth grain elevator at Pittwood, IL.

The rear motor on a five engine set is a surprise. One never knows what they'll use for power on the Q542, though the switcher is probably being shuffled from Knoxville to Corbin yard.

Crawling under the hood, a worker labors to keep an old Whiting trackmobile operational.

So shiny you can see reflections in the paint, Operation Lifesaver Special 975 is shown in a closeup after arriving back from Kenova Yard.

Showing the notched ceiling for the upcoming doublestacks, Antler Number Two tunnel is ready for business when the corridor project is completed.

Making the ground literally shake, two SDs roar out of Hickory Creek #1 tunnel and across Hickory Creek. The helper shack at Chaska has just asked them to make it to Oaks and everything is maxed o... (more)

Exhaust mixes with fog coming off the snow, as pushers on the rear of a heavy coal drag near the top of Elkhorn Grade. The pushers have been on the rear since Farm in the long grueling climb to th... (more)

A frontend loader gets down as it loads a Top Gon. Not seen very often, this style of loading coal in Appalachia is very expensive due to fuel costs though is a necessity when there are no loadout... (more)

Grain train G796 needs no help today with three motors for the Duff Mountain grade. Good thing as the helper crew has just turned their motor and the helper equipment isn't cooperating.

Grain train G930 heads south over Hogcamp Branch with a helper on the end. The helper will get stuck at North Kilsyth after cutting off, allowing four northbounds to pass. What a day.

Jewell Smokeless Coal loadout. Did I say coal?

With plenty of power in the background for Hill Runs and cabooses for mine runs, NS 2624 has just turned around on the wye at Elmore Yard. Forest fires from the drought give a smoky atmosphere to ... (more)

Sporting an eclectic mix of power thru the rugged Hickory Creek gorge, the daily Q539 ambles out of Tunnel #1 enroute to Knoxville. An SD40-2 and slug bring up the rear of the power.