Loads off the P-D await crews to take them to the Pocahontas main at Wharncliffe. What a day, with snow, rain, and deep snow later at Clarks Gap. Thanks to Jay for being the navigator riding shotg... (more)

97J is tied down in Pigeon Creek Yard for the day surrounded by stored cars and MOW equipment

With an SD40-2 of NW heritage leading as designed, long hood foward, 97J heads east out of Tunnel 7 toward Pigeon Creek Yard at Naugatuck with 8 ballast cars and a caboose in tow.

Welcome to throughbred MOW country!

Local MOW train 97J runs nearly everyday of the year maintaining the Kenova District ROW but on December 30 its tied down for the New Year holiday.

CPLs are still up on the Wolf Creek Branch of the Pocahontas as a worktrain with clamshell approaches the sidings at the Toptiki coal loadout. At times the coalfields can be sweltering, even in th... (more)

Smoking thru an S curve on a humid day, worktrain 97J heads toward McClure after passing Peter Cave on the Wolf Creek Branch of the Pokey. Note the crew using Mother Natures AC.

4626 is turned at Naugatuck, West Virginia.

In a scene reminiscent of the early seventies, high hood 4105 backs up amid terrible track conditions loaded with clinkers. The Excel Toptiki loadout is just around the corner of this remote secti... (more)

Bringing up the rear of 97J, the caboose crosses over Wolf Creek just east of the old Addington McClure loadout. The worktrain is headed to Toptiki. For anyone monitoring the Pokey, "The King" sho... (more)

On a day so humid you could cut the air, worktrain 97J ambles toward Toptiki to drop off a clamshell, then spend the rest of the day loading ties. Slidefence is typical of the Pokey.

Worktrain 97J and caboose on the Pokey main. The clam bucket is used for everything from cut brush to ties to cleaning out the ditches along the ROW.

Backing up to clear the main, 97J and a friendly brakeman prepares to cross the defect detector on the way to Glen Alum. Common to find a caboose on the Pokey most any day.

An ancient GP38AC prepares to leave the small yard on the Lenor Branch to do MOW ditchwork. This won't be the only work on the main as nothing was moving on the mainline for hours.

Work train 97J has the brakeman set the switch as it idles out to the Pokey main to do ditch work, caboose and all. The Pokey was slow the first half of the day with work going on from one end to ... (more)