With nearly a foot of snow on the ground, this welded ribbon train has been idling away for two days on the siding.

A faded lead engine crosses Hickory Creek after traversing thru three tunnels in the last three miles.

Crossing the extremely rusty and rundown Hogcamp Branch trestle. Just to the right of the motor was were the Westbourne Branch turned off at one time when the coalfields were booming.

An oddity on the KD, container train W827 makes its way north with a solo engine. A total of 5174 feet long.

Making it's way over Hickory Creek, the daily Q539 rumbles south toward Duff Mountain. With four clunker motors, it won't need help over the grade this day.

How to thaw out a frozen switch in nine degree weather, Take three fusees, a five gallon bucket of diesel, old shop rags, and....dedicated hard workers to say the least.

In extreme cold and icy conditions, a northbound heads thru Dead Ox Hollow on the Rathole. The ice formations made quite a sight in the many deep cuts along this stretch.

With a trackmobile and five coal hoppers behind, the crew uses plenty of diesel and fusees to unthaw a frozen switch in extremely cold temperatures.

A fast freight roars downhill over a remote section of the Rathole at Coleman, just below Nemo.

Pulling a heavy freight over Duff Mountain and running high hood forward, a helper comes out of the sump at North Kilsyth in the Cumberland Mountains.

Dwarfed by the Nemo Tunnel portal, a standard cab bursts out and heads south down the grade on the Rathole.

A surprise warbonnet on the Rathole, after a long and frosty hike along the Emory River. Thx Butch.

An RJ Corman crew uses battered NS power to load at the National Coal Baldwin coal prep plant. The New River plant currently loads one unit train a week destined for Georgia Power and should begin... (more)

With not enough power for Q539 to make it over the hill, the crew has hooked up a long hood forward helper unit normally reserved for coal drags. Q699 and others await the fix.

Been doing this for thirty six years he said, and will retire in three. Don't blame him at all. The only mainline switchback in the country, Hagans Switchback, and a conduit for coal out of Harlan... (more)