After living in Nitro for five years, I finally found "Big Red" the Par Industrial Park switcher. A couple years ago, while doing research on the industrial park, I found a small red switcher located on one of the industrial tracks in a satellite image. I asked a few railfans about the history of the switcher and the industries it visited, although very little information was gathered. I had previously seen NS switch out tank cars in the park, so I figured the switcher was most likely sold or, unfortunately, perhaps even scrapped. Today, January 4th, during a light snow squall, I decided to check out the industrial park, just in case it was roaming around, etc. To our surprise, the infamous "Big Red" switcher was indeed switching a cut of cars! Here, we see the conductor throwing a switch to a small spur while the engineer looks at me rather confused as to what I am doing.
This is dedicated (with permission) to the skilled and gifted photographer - Chase Gunnoe - who regularly posts and is on staff with RP. I believe he deserves a gallery showcasing his remarkable photos. This is for you Chase! (More great photos to come!)
