Pushers lean into a stack train while the blower waits. The blower has a small jet engine for blasting snow and ice out of switches.

Temperatures plunge toward 10F. The snow was winding down, but had kept up most of the day as yet another intermodal charges up the mountain.

Intermodal charging up the mountain at Casssandra. One had to climb over a snowbank to get to the bridge, but you know, train photos are important!

The sun comes out for a bit but it's about 12 degrees and windy so it does not matter at all. The windchill was biting and the platform was snow covered, but the shot was worth it.

Two big EMD's roll up the mountain bound for Cresson Engine House from Southfork. This was NS 55K that went light to Cresson, then changed power to drag an empty grain train west later.

SD40E pushers zip up the mountain at Cassandra.

SD40E pushers help guide a westbound down the mountain in wintry conditions as the first big storm of the season begins to wind down. About 8 inches of snow has fallen in the past 18 hours.

Winter storm warnings remain in place as an intermodal passes resting power at Cresson. Cold air is rushing in behind the departing storm with air temps near 18 degrees F.

Snow intensifies as an oil train rolls downgrade. It has been 20 years since my first visit here and 9 since my last. Changes since 2010 are less coal and more oil trains as well as more GE power.

As a winter storm begins to tighten it's grip, yet another NS freight hustles west as pushers help with descent.

As a winter storm begins to tighten it's grip, yet another NS intermodal hustles west.

A westbound emerges out of the snow on the west slope as the winter storm intensifies. The storm would bring about 8 inches of snow give or take along with some freezing rain.

Pushers assist an intermodal up the mountain. Lots of things have changed since my last visit here about 9 years ago. But the volume of trains has not changed at all.

NS trains pass at Casandra as the first big winter storm of the season moves into the region.

An NS train rolls west as the first major winter storm of the season gets started on the west slope. This was one of the very few coal trains we saw, dramatically less than 10 years ago.