The NS 901 led by the NS 6338 pulls the FRA DOTX 218 north up the Pumpkin Vine to Roanoke, Va.

At dawn, a manned helper set of SD40E's pops out of the New Portage Tunnel and heads down "The Slide" on the journey back to Altoona to help another train up the mountain. This is the steepest gra... (more)

Fire and Ice. NS 6304 and 6321 assist NS 16N down an icy "Slide," after the area is hit with a severe winter storm that covered the Alleghenies in a thick coating of ice. The house off to the left... (more)

6340 has come to a juddering halt at Hahira with a technical problem. It remained there for around 25 minutes, blocking the crossing on Main St, causing local traffic diversions.

The NS 6303 helps push another Intermodel west out of Altoona by ALTO Tower and soon through Horseshoe Curve.

A quartet of Altoona built SD40E's assist an eastbound freight over West Slope, passing the Route 53 bridge east of Cresson.

Seems like I was destined to shoot helpers all night! Another set shoves ballast up the hill under the Cassandra Railfan Bridge, moments after this photo, torrential rain hampered the evenings ac... (more)

A helper set rushes down track 3 under quite a famous landmark on the West Slope, to go fetch a heavy Eastbound coming off the Conemaugh Line west of here at Conpit, the sun is starting to paint ... (more)

Shortly before the sun rises above the Alleghenies, 12G gets a shove through Cassandra, also with a little a help of some night equipment to provide some fill flash.

A coal drag led by a helper set claws its way up the hill towards Cresson.

2 NS helper sets head down the West Slope and under the overlook at Cassandra.

Under a evening sky, NS 6333 prepares to back up into the Kenova yard after pulling ahead and stopping. Photo taken from a man-lift during the Tri-State Railfan Group Event on the 7th.

Time continues to tick away on the clock but the time for Alto operating as a manned tower was coming to a slow end as the NS was planning the towers closure. A SD40E helper set rolls past Alto as... (more)

A pair of SD40E's provide dynamic braking for a loaded coal train as they roll by the now closed Alto Tower.

A SD40E assigned to the general locomotive pool leads an empty gypsum train back to York Haven, PA after stopping for a crew change.