With the rugged ridges of WV rising behind, pusher set J52 prepares to take a loaded coal drag east over the Elkhorn Grade. The crew has the EOT device stored on the catcher up front.

Looking like retirement is close by, this old battle scarred SD60 idles away just across the state line in Harrogate after doing tie work thru Cumberland Gap.

Worktrain W058 blasts out of Vasper tunnel on the KD Sub. The south portal is in light less than a couple of hours a day.

A heavy coal drag splits the signals as it grinds up Duff Mountain, with a helper on the end in notch eight.

Waiting on a pusher set, fifty cars of coal from Carbo prepare to head to Auville Yard and the Pocahontas mainline.

NS 750 puts a coal drag together as it passes under the yard bridge. The drag will soon turn east at Iaeger and head to Bluefield with a fresh crew just dropped off by the van in the distance.

With new paint not yet soiled by the grit of the coalfields, this rare GP38-3 does MOW work along the Pokey.

Conrail led 81M crests the summit at Bandy Tunnel, enroute to the Clinch Valley and Cedar Bluff. Fall has arrived in the southern coalfields of Appalachia.

A rare GP38-3 sits tied down for the night on the Devon storage tracks, as the last rays of light shuffle thru the clouds overhead.

Within seconds after exiting, the late evening sun would be gone from the Tug Fork valley, putting the Glen Alum tunnel in shadows. Grain train with plenty of power heads west toward Williamson.

Somehow keeping the gloss and shine on the Pokey, worktrain 98J passes recent maintenance work as it comes off the Buchanan Branch.

Completely enshrouded in coal dust, J52 pushers shove hard on the rear of a coal drag just off the Buchanan Branch. In seconds my gear and truck were covered in black gold.

A busy coal yard on the Pokey, NS 750 puts a coal drag together before heading east toward the Elkhorn Grade. Traffic has picked up at Auville with new mines opening further south on the branches ... (more)

With a friendly wave from the crew, coal drag 82M with three pushers on the rear head up the grade to Bandy summit. Just around the corner are War and Yukon, both oddly named towns in the coalfiel... (more)

The morning sun has just hit the Dry Fork valley as 132 pound rail manufactured at the Lackawanna mill rusts away. Leading to the Amonate Consol prep plant, the rail will soon see a minerun.