Waiting on a northbound grain train to clear, at MP 212.

Throwing sand on the iron, a 132 car long mixed train crawls up the grade at Oaks, with PPDs Habersham just around the corner.

A rare sight on the KD, engine 676 begins the assault on the grade over Duff Mountain. Moments later the second motor would fail though the crew would keep going south to Knoxville with one motor ... (more)

With a crewmember watching, a currently rare autorack train rolls downhill by coaldrag U150.

Throwing sand and scratching at rail, coal drag U150 passes ballast train F041 on the way up Duff Mountain. Both a southbound rail train and the ballast train had the KD c-locked this morning.

On a warm winter day with remnants of snow on the ground, coal drag N226 grinds over Duff Mountain and Hogcamp trestle. A helper on the rear is easing things along thru the heart of the Cumberland... (more)

In what has to be the ugliest color on any CSX motor today, best described as being pinkish orange, E231 glides off Duff Mountain at Habersham, TN.

With the paint still wet and dripping, an ES44AH heads south by the signal at Oaks. Special thx to Laurel Anne for technical asst.

A weather beaten old signal stands guard over the crossover at Oaks.

With grain sprouting between the iron and the redbuds in full bloom, the first of four northbounds rounds the curve at Habersham. A southbound will hold at either Savoy or Chaska.

With dynamics howling, mty coal drag N158 comes downhill off Duff Mountain in a freshly fallen snow. With two northbounds behind and one southbound ahead, it's a busy day on the KD.

A freshly painted GP40-2 and mother slug awaiting the green signal while coal drag N158 heads north. After several inches of snow overnight, flurry storms still hung around throughout the day maki... (more)

One has to wonder how this milepost stands with all the cracks running thru it over the decades. Coal drag N549 tries to make headway up the steep Duff grade, down to a baby crawl.

About the only move other than coal requiring a shove over the hill is a grain train, as G762 and two other engines smoke away on the grind up the grade. C212 out of Chaska is hard on the rear.

A trio of GEs assaults the Duff Mountain grade with a southbound loaded coal train. A pair of SD40-2 pushers is one mile back, adding their music to the FDL symphony on the head-end.