It's a couple minutes 'til 1 am on the early morning hour of Dec. 8, 2011, as two locomotives and 150 empty hoppers bound for the coalfields of southern West Virginia approach Alleghany Summit, the highest point on the C&O, at an elevation of 2,078 feet. It's a full moon and temperatures have dropped into the teens. Despite the less-than-stellar shooting conditions, it's another great night on the C&O watching coal loads go east, and empties west, in the core of Appalachia's mountain railroading. The tower has seen been torn down and only remnants of its foundation remain now. The coal still rolls by here, though, just as it has since the building was first erected generations ago.
A continuously growing album of photos that IMHO reveal the awesome and seldom-seen beauty of the railroad world from the dimming of day to dawn's early light! From dusk to dawn, trains roll on! (I'm still finding gems of sunset-to-sunrise surprises!)
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!)
