L&N 1058 - a former C&EI unit - has recently received a stealthy gray dip job that is darker than L&N or FL gray, and perhaps even a bit darker than the Seaboard System gray. It is fronting a loc... (more)

A Birmingham-bound freight has just about completed its run from Sheffield as it passes above BNSF's former Frisco.

For many years, Southern/NS served Lafayette (and until 1982, Roanoke) with a turn out of Opelika. By 1994, the NS had ceased keeping power in Opelika, so the turn originated in Columbus, GA. A fe... (more)

The M&B doesn't get much attention, and what it does get often seems focused on the west end of this bridge, which is a steel through-truss span over the main channel of the Black Warrior River. I... (more)

The curve through Loachapoka is superelevated, which is great for southbounds running downhill at 50+, but tough on the lower, inside rail when northbounds drag up the grade at 10-12 mph. This so... (more)

L&N 2768 and another U23B start south with an intermodal train back in a time when trailers were still more common than containers. Don't usually think of U23Bs as best choice for this sort of se... (more)

L&N 3005 sits at the head of its train at the south end of Union Station's trainshed. As passenger service shrank, L&N used the trackage around Union Station more and more to accommodate freight ... (more)

In May 1993, KCS had taken over, but there were still lots of MidSouth units around, with solid sets still fairly common. It appeared that perhaps there was some effort - at least in the early day... (more)

The return leg of the Lafayette turn drops down into Opelika on CSX's Atlanta-Montgomery main using trackage rights dating back decades to Central of Georgia/Western Railway of Alabama days.

After working the N&W and Conrail interchanges, the power for DT&I's southbound local climbs the connection back to the main. Even though this line is no longer an important main, this fill - whi... (more)

NS 198 is the southbound half of what may be the most important pair of trains on this stretch of line, but it still has to cool its heels at Smithville until second class train C87 - headed from... (more)

The NS (Central of Georgia) turn to Lafayette (Trains 7/8 in pre-CSX days) used about two miles of rights over the CSX (Western Railway of Alabama) between Opelika and Roanoke Junction. Here, #7 ... (more)

On a cloudy-bright winter afternoon, a trio of SD50s - led by an ex-UP unit still grimy from its recent coal country service on the A&O - runs light toward OKC, where it will power a northbound ro... (more)

Oil train passes the D&R connection as it rolls south on UP's Van Buren Sub.

The engineer started up the grade to Oakland Heights with just 16 pulling, but the SW1 apparently is having a problem. Not to worry, as Alco 18 is following a few hundred feet behind, and can com... (more)