Showing the sheer size and height of the Trace Branch trestle, pushers for mine run U39 shove toward Cedar Bluff on the Dry Fork Branch of the Pocahontas Division. Speed here is down to barely a w... (more)

Mtys just set at the Black Wolf Mining loadout on the Sand Lick Branch of the Tug Branch of the Pocahontas. With the steep grade, sand has just been poured on the rails before loading by gravity a... (more)

With sparks flying, a track worker grinds a weld recently made just west of Glen Alum tunnel. On the east side, another weld is being made that has traffic running on Main 2.

Having just passed the west leg of the Gilbert Branch wye at Wharncliffe, freight 194 heads east along the bluffs of the Tug Fork valley on a humid summer day.

NS 18M exits the east portal of the Glen Alum tunnel, soon slated for major overhead clearance work.

At MP 440, this coal drag blasts out of the west portal of Glen Alum tunnel on it's way to Williamson Yard.

Workers splice together two more sections of welded ribbon rail as it feeds out for miles along the Pokey. This area suffers fast wear on the iron due to heavy coal tonnage and extreme curvature.

Slowly easing onto the Buchanan Branch, a loaded coal drag passes the wye across the Tug Fork and stores the 111 loaded coal Top Gons in the siding. This was the site of a derailment a week ago, i... (more)

A ribbon rail train lays out welded rail, sandwiched between the bluffs of War Eagle and the Tug Fork river on the state line. The extreme curves of this remote and rugged area cause heavy wear on... (more)

Shuffling eastward in early morning light, autorack 184 bursts into WV, with the middle section in KY and the rear still in WV.

Milepost on the Dry Fork freshly painted, with an old Southern gondola used for scrap metal and ties rusting away on a siding. Just to the north is Bandy Tunnel and then beginning of a long downhi... (more)

Having just left Mohegan, 83Q crosses the Capels bridge over the Tug Fork in a seldom photographed location. Pushers have already been added to the rear for the assault up the Elkhorn Grade.

Dwarfed by the huge iron bridge across the Dry Fork, the pusher set on U39 prepares to hook up and begin the long push up and over the Dry Fork Branch

With six engines for power and two old Conrails, 77G backs uphill to load six cars of coal at a time. The second half of the unit train sits on the Jellico Branch main, while the center siding sto... (more)

Taking nine or more scoops to load each coal hopper, a team of loaders work hard on the first half of a unit train destined for Duke Energy. Shot taken on the Jellico Branch of NS.