In the soft light of early morning, interchange is being picked up from the busy Norfolk Southern Louisville-St. Louis main line by the not-so-busy Amzoil shortline.

In a scene that doesn't happen much anymore a northbound empty hopper train meets southbound coal at this long siding lying between two steep mountain ridges. In another mile or so the former Cli... (more)

Pushed aside and left to rust, two retired locomotives molder in the heat slowing changing color and available prey for the all consuming kudzu.

I know it was SBD at this point but hey, I won't tell if you won't. I'm pushing the idea of a Ohio to Savannah MRL-type railroad with equal access and we could name it, well, Clinchfield. I can ... (more)

I was in town for a conference and had some time to get the exotica afterwards. I liked these ex-SOU rebuilt SD-24s.

Idling away the time until it returns to Avon.

On a roster dominated by big six-axle units these two units were almost orphans. Here they wheel and EB Conrail train through the interlocking. This was a nice day trip from Louisville for some ... (more)

A nice blue string on a snowy day, with a former Pennsy unit in the lead. Photo by Mike Dolenski, from my collection.

A grizzled veteran looking good in blue. Photo by Mike Dolenski, from my collection.

In the dappled early morning sun, a timeless scene, a small shortline locomotive in rural America, moving cars out to be interchanged with the big road.

As they now less frequently do, a unit coal train trundles westbound up a narrow valley as a cold March wind whistles through and only the green tips on the willows show any promise of spring.

Not long after being converted the mom and slug are looking good, well, okay, in the morning sun.

There are two pages of this unit on RP but no portrait so here it is.

Southbound on "The Short Line" this Louisville-bound freighter gives premonitions of the upcoming merger and was a rare occurrence in those days. At this point they are slowing down for... (more)