Southern 8099 on home rails on the CNO&TP

[E.M. Bell]

Monday, 12/28/15, Southern 8099 was the leader on train 224 out of Atlanta.  It had been on 229 the week before Christmas, and turned back North.  It seems like that the power bounces back and forth on the pig trains a lot, so she will probably be back South in a few days if we are lucky...maybe on a sunny day..

John Owens and myself headed out Monday morning into a very wet, cloudy day to get a few shot of her as 224 made its way North through Kentucky.  This part of Kentucky was under storm and flood warnings, but being the type that like that sort of weather, it seemed like a perfect opportunity (yea...I know I am weird, but snow...rain...fog...bring it on! )   The train made good time into the crew change point at Burnside, KY and left there a lot earlier than normal.  We had hoped to shoot it on the Louisville District with a few of the old signals that are left, but that plan soon went out the window as 224 encountered  heavy Southbound traffic and picked up a LOT of delay. By the time they left Danville and turned West, it was almost dark. 

We didn't get all the shots we wanted, but here are a few of what we did get on the CNO&TP.  You can find the entire set at this link >>>  http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/nsheritageocs2015


12/28/15

224 works through the misty rain as it comes across the roller coaster at Gradison, KY


The train is seen here dropping off the steep grade from Kings Mountain, taking #1 track at Southfork, KY.    This scene was a lot nicer a year ago when the old Searchlight signals still stood..


224 gets back on the move at Geneva, KY after a 4 train meet that took up just about every available inch of Double track between Palm and Southfork.  They would follow a 10k foot  EYE -76 on to
Danville.

[steveiez]

Is this line busy or have they too laid off crews?

[E.M. Bell]

The CNO&TP is still extremely busy, as is the Louisville District.  They have more trains to run than they have crews to run them....  The NS in Kentucky is sort of a funnel, with the majority of the traffic from points North and West having to run run across the Central DiV to get to where they need to go in the South....and Vice Versa..