CSX unit train N100 crawls across the Hogcamp Branch trestle on a cold snowy morning. Over 100 cars back the hillhelper is grinding the steel, providing a shove south.

Crews working on both sides of a derailed loaded coal hopper. The car must be unloaded by hand before being rerailed, not an easy task in blowing snow and cold temps.

She jumped the track. The result of a hopper door coming open and derailing the car. 110 tons of coal must now be unloaded by hand before rerailing.

NS 8910 and two sisters sit idling in snow showers as workers attempt to fix a derailment. Hopper doors came open and spilled the load, then derailed when pulled forward.

Hammerhead. A closeup study of a helper units business end. Some crews run a rope from the cab door to the knuckle release, allowing them to release on the fly after shoving coal drags over.

Helper power heads back north for another coal drag, a job that's repeated countless times daily for the SE Kentucky coal headed south.

Mixed freight Q539 hustles by the waiting helper and old coaling tower at Chaska on the KD Sub. Coal and the occasional grain train are all that require a shove over the mountain.

Coal drag heads south over the Hogcamp Branch trestle on a cold and windy Feb. day.

Pusher set returns to Elmore after shoving a Hill Run over Clarks Gap on the old Virginian.

Power heads back for the second cut after problems on the Hill above Elmore Yard. Tunnel #12 looms ahead after dropping cars off at Weyanoke on the other side of Clarks Gap. This area is extremely... (more)

Left Fork Processing engine does switching work on the Stone Coal Branch, parking loads which will be picked up by NS U93 the following day. Note the engine is down in a sump, a common track condi... (more)

Tied down between English and Yukon, WV at Lomax, this battered ol' girl awaits a fresh crew before lumbering south on the Dry Fork of the Pokey.

Time for a crew change along a remote part of the Pokey known as Cedar. With mine run U57 passing and Fall colors showing on the KY side of the Tug, the engines are idled while crews unload their ... (more)

CSX Chaska hillhelper has just let go from a southbound coal drag after traversing Duff Mountain. Crews do this on the fly, then await a clear signal before heading back north for another move.

The Spirit of the Clinchfield drifts downgrade at South Kilsyth after getting help over the mountain. From here it'll be all downhill to Ivydale and Big Creek Gap and Lafollette.