CNOT&TP McKee's Hollow

[butch]

Spent some time this week trying to figure out the location of an old picture that Ron Flanary had.  Finally narrowed it down to McKee's Hollow bridge.  That was the next bridge south of the one that spanned the south end of Sloan's Valley below Burnside.  I was looking for an excuse to get out today so I headed down and hiked the old grade in from the old Alpine spur.  I checked McKee's Hollow and Sloan's Valley.

Both ends of the bridge and most of the old concrete bases are still visible as I hiked down to the creek and then up the other side.  On the old grade to Sloan's Valley, I found a 50+ year old air hose.

[butch]

Here is the view from the south end of the old Sloan's Valley bridge.  I also checked out an old culvert and found an old tie plate.

[butch]

And here is the picture that I went to get compared to Ron's pic.  If it weren't for all the trees and the missing bridge, they'd look the same.

[Ponce de Leon]

Butch, EM and I have been discussing this particular spot for several days now. Thanks, Butch, for your work this weekend on some additional "railroad archaeology." While I can't tromp through the woods as much as I once did, I enjoy tapping into my imagination to wonder what it was like to see a thundering southbound hammer upgrade over Bridge 60 at this spot. Now--as Butch's images confirm--Mother Nature is still reclaiming what was once hers, but given up by Southern in 1963 when the now-familiar deep cut route from Tateville to Greenwood was placed in service.

That old air hose probably burst, causing an emergency brake application at that spot. That meant the poor old head brakeman or flagman (maybe both of them) had to trudge to that car with a big wrench and replacement hose in hand. Who knows---it could have been at 2 AM on a very cold, winter morning with deep snow on the ground. It had to be addressed, however, because a stranded train on this single-track stretch of railroad quickly brought everything to a standstill. I'm sure they just tossed the old hose right there--and some 50 years later, it's still there!

Those are the hard realities of railroading---then and now. Thanks for your efforts, Butch. That's fascinating stuff.

[kbarnett]

Ron, who took the picture of the Ps-4 on the bridge? A distant cousin of mine, Doyle B. Inman of Whitley City, KY took quite a few pics in the 30's and 40's along the CNO&TP. Some were even published in an article in TRAINS in the 1950's, that photo looks like some that he took. A friend of mine had his negatives but I have not talked to him about them in quite a few years.

[Ponce de Leon]

Ron, who took the picture of the Ps-4 on the bridge? A distant cousin of mine, Doyle B. Inman of Whitley City, KY took quite a few pics in the 30's and 40's along the CNO&TP. Some were even published in an article in TRAINS in the 1950's, that photo looks like some that he took. A friend of mine had his negatives but I have not talked to him about them in quite a few years.

It's not identified on the print, but it was my guess that it was taken by Doyle Inman. The shot is consistent with other images I've seen of his published. He and David Noble did the article in Trains you mentioned. Mr. Noble contacted me many years ago and donated his L&N negatives to the L&N Historical Society. He sent them to me, and they were fantastic (just not too many of them). I immediately wondered what happened to the negatives he and Doyle Inman took on the CNO&TP, but I didn't ask. I don't even know if he's still living.

If those negatives still exist, you should make it a priority to have them scanned.

[butch]

ATVs keep the growth on the old grade down until you get to the old bridge location.  I tried to tempt Emmitt into going with me, but hiking up/down at the creek would have been hard on his knee.  And as Ron mentions, I did take a momment to reflect on what it would have been like to hear the sound of steam working up the grade.

[E.M. Bell]

Butch, I applaud your (normal) intestinal fortitude for going and checking that spot out, and after what you have said about getting back in there, its probably a good thing I didn't make the trip. If you ever go back down there again, and can find that old air hose, take a look at see if you can find a date or a RR name in the rubber. They used to have that info on them years ago...might give you a clue to how long it had been there...just for fun.

Kelly, I second what Ron said about those negatives. I remember some of the prints you showed me one time at your Granddads place in Whitley, and those are some invaluable resources! If you can ever get your hands on the negatives (or even any of the prints), I would be more than happy to volunteer my services to scan and digitize them for you.