Leaning into the curve and shining as bright as she ever will, CSXT 987 and CSXT 988, a pair of consectively numbered brand new GE ES44AC releases from Erie lead an empty coal train toward Danville. The "How Tomorrow Moves" boxcar logo looks good in the morning sun, in addition to this crisp Dark Future paint scheme. By two weeks from now, these gems will be covered in a light, coal dust weathering, with their primary use for in the coalfields in DPU service. Very few of these new locomotives, numbered 950-999 have made it east of Huntington, with the majority of them being assigned to coal drags on the Big Sandy, Kingsport, and Blue Ridge Subdivisions along the Huntington West Division and former Clinchfield mainline. This was certainly a rare catch on the Huntington East Division, where AC4400's and earlier ES44AC's supply power to the mine runs and mainline coal drags.
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!)
