Rambling through on an eastbound excursion.

The leaves are leaving and the weakening sun flames on the horizon as the oddly numbered westbound freight tops another rise approaching the end of their crew day at Bristol.

Originally SOU, this model was unique to this system. Here one is leading a mixed freight that ran with an EB number on this line. So much has changed. The "back track" is totally gon... (more)

1065 leads manifest NS 127 west through Abingdon, VA.

Forty seven fifty, forty seven fifty, to I hear 5000? Brand new Juniata rebuild heads our daily intermodal which is once again thankfully, really intermodal.

Mastodon. In 1958, the Norfolk & Western Railway donated 433 (4-8-0, Alco) to the Town of Abingdon, Virginia as a monument to the end of steam on the Abingdon or Virginia Creeper Branch. B... (more)

Semi-intermodal train on a superelevated curve, finally in the light, after two earlier attempts resulted in a speedy cloud zipping over from left field to blot out the sun. If it hasn’t happe... (more)

Imagine my surprise to find a UP on the EB “gut” freight. The second unit was a four-axle, actually working. The first one I’ve seen here in literally years.

Imagine my surprise to find a UP on the EB “gut” freight. The second unit was a four-axle, actually working. The first one I’ve seen here in literally years.

Never ones to quibble about power NS has assigned a big GE ES44AC to handle the three car local today. As the WB intermodal rushes by the local cools it’s heel in the siding, late in the day.

Clear air is for wimps! Real men like their oxygen with a little TEXTURE. Anyway, if all else fails blame it on them furriners.

Passing thru a scene with props dating from the late 1800s this westbound freight is about twent minutes from a crew change in Bristol where the former N&W meets the former Southern.

Westbound mixed freight at the place where dispatcher likes to hold them if Bristol is backed up.

My favorite -2 SD is the rebuilt version, more nicely proportioned than the later “kid in tennis shoes”. Rare here but on this day one was handling the local.

Bathed in the reddish sun of a late afternoon a WB mixed freight passes under the iconic pedestrian overpass.