With the helper still on the rear ninety some coal hoppers back, N294 clears the last swag before cresting over Duff Mountain on a beautiful sunny fall day.

With the sun dropping thru Big Creek Gap to the rear, an autorack attempts the grade to south Kilsyth. The second engine was dead, leaving the lead to smoke, well, like a freight train. Signal mai... (more)

Climbing out of the fog and rain, coal drag N296 has one last grade to ascend before dropping out of the Cumberland Mountains into the Tennessee ridge and valley system. The required helper is sti... (more)

With storm clouds brewing on the golden colored hills behind, the Chaska hill helper refuels at South Kilsyth. The crew just finished shoving a coal drag over the grade and will await a hirail bef... (more)

Shift on the fly....having just cut lose from southbound coal drag N214, the helper takes a few yards to glide to a stop before heading back north for more duty on the coal heavy KD Sub.

With two SDs pulling and one helper on the rear, coal drag N214 comes out of a swag at the end of the Duff Mountain grade and will soon be coasting down to Lafollette.

Coming up out of the swag at North Kilsyth, Q539 lumbers southward on a hazy dogday of summer. Helper service was not required over the grade.

Fill 'er up. Fuel truck driver fills the hillhelper up just below North Kilsyth on the KD Sub. Over 200 gallons per minute will flow thru the giant nozzle before the tank is topped off.

A coal drag begins the downhill part of Duff Moutnain grade, flying by the dwarf signal at North Kilsyth. The top light was made by a crewmember hanging a flashlight out the cab window.

Pulling a gaggle of seven engines including an SD50, SD60M, Dash 8, MP15DC, and a B36-7, the hillhelper powers up in a rare move to pull Q540 north over Duff Mountain.

The Chaska hillhelper conductor waves the engineer back to Q540 in a rare northbound pull over the mountain. Mty coal drag N276 awaits a clear signal north.

Coal drag N252 comes up a short swag after traversing Duff Mountain grade. A helper unit is on the other end, still shoving.

With N259 and a load of mtys on the siding, C212 gets a green light to head back north after shoving U356 over the mountain. The helper unhooks on the fly, saving time on congested days.

N259 struggles with a load of mtys going up the mountain as the ridges smoke and burn behind. In Appalachia burning the mountains is a great pastime for many.

U356 comes out of a swag and passes N259 and mtys on the siding at North Kilsyth on a very busy day on the KD. Best described as a bottleneck.