Location Quiz

[Ponce de Leon]

Here's a little fun quiz to test everyone's Southern Railway expertise. This is a photo I took in 1965. The power is obviously two GP35s (on trade-in Alco trucks) and three GP30s. Where was this shot taken?

An NS cupie doll to the first person to get it right

[dschlegel]

I am sure this is wrong as I have no idea what these units would be doing at my guess location in 1965, but that looks an awful lot like Belt Line Junction used to look on the north end of Reading PA. It's been reconfigured over the years and looks a lot different now, today NS calls it CP Belt.

[thpbears]

Church Hill Tennessee at Holiston Mills ?

[Ponce de Leon]

I am sure this is wrong as I have no idea what these units would be doing at my guess location in 1965, but that looks an awful lot like Belt Line Junction used to look on the north end of Reading PA. It's been reconfigured over the years and looks a lot different now, today NS calls it CP Belt.

No. That would be a stretch to find Southern units there in 1965.

[Ponce de Leon]

Church Hill Tennessee at Holiston Mills ?

No. The Appalachia District wasn't signaled in 1965, and besides, the signals used now are tri-lights, not search lights (as shown here).

[NSMoWandS]

I have no clue... but, my guess is somewhere on Washington District Mainline between Manasass and D.C. ??? Dan

[Badhorse79]

I was thinking spencer North Carolina?

[mbgphoto79]

Hmm, if that water tower was further to the left it could pass as CP Fields on the H line in Greensboro, NC. Certain it's not because there is no A&Y yard on the left.

Matt

[Ponce de Leon]

OK---I can see this one is going to be almost impossible, so here goes:

This was in June 1965 (sorry, but I don't have the exact date). I had ridden the C&O's eastbound Louisville section of the George Washington from Louisville to Winchester, KY, where they crossed the L&N's "KY" Cincinnati-Corbin main line. I had over a three hour layover there before southbound L&N passenger train 17 would arrive and take me to Corbin, where I would retrieve my car and drive home (the train arrived about midnight at Corbin, and I was VERY sleepy by the time I arrived at my grandparents' home in Loyall, KY.).

With so much time to kill, I walked about a mile south to the tower at Patio, where the EK line to Ravenna and Hazard swings off. The tower was still open, and the operator told me he was expecting a "Southern detour." A derailment somewhere between Cincinnati and Lexington was the reason for this unusual movement. As the afternoon daylight grew dim, the southbound "Big Clipper" from Cincinnati rolled into Patio, and swapped ends. The scene I first shared shows the power after they had retrieved the caboose, which had been cut off and left on the main.

After swapping ends, the train was ready to depart for Lexington via L&N's EK Subdivision, which branched off westward at North Cabin, immediately north of the C&O-L&N crossing at Winchester.

It was unusual (for me at least) to be so fortunate as to be there when a Southern hotshot rolled through---on the L&N. I doubt there were any features in the scene to help locate this event, but I attached another shot as the "Clipper" was leaving for Lexington. For those familiar with Patio, I'm sure this shot is more obvious.

[E.M. Bell]

If you wanted to stump somebody, you certainly got me.  I was thinking more along the lines of a northbound train at South Danville (KY).  The signals sort of looked right, and I though I could almost make out an overhead  bridge in the far background which would have also fit.  The buildings on the left didnt really fit, but being that long ago I thought "maybe"

I even went so far as to copy the image, open it up in photoshop and try to adjust the contrast ect to make out the town name on the water tower

[AD4YJ]

I had this one....for real...Here is a shot I took a couple of years ago from almost the exact same spot....

Paul

[Ponce de Leon]

I had this one....for real...Here is a shot I took a couple of years ago from almost the exact same spot....

Paul

Wow! That's quite a string of leased motive power!

[Ponce de Leon]

If you wanted to stump somebody, you certainly got me...

I even went so far as to copy the image, open it up in photoshop and try to adjust the contrast ect to make out the town name on the water tower

Did the bypass at South Danville exist in 1965 (I can't recall)? You were on the right path, though, EM--because those L&N searchlight signals in the distance are virtually identical to those used on the CNO&TP.

This shot was taken with my old Argus 35mm and Tri-X Pan black and white film---which was "super fast" for the time (ISO 400), but very grainy. The shot you enlarged was back-lit quite a bit already. I have some other shots of the power passing the tower at Patio, and maybe one or two other shots. It was getting dark by the time I walked back to the passenger depot to await the L&N train, and I think the Southern freight had departed for Lexington by then. I wish an L&N freight had passed so I could have put the scene into context a little better.

One other thought: The SD24s ruled most heavy freights on the CNO&TP at the time, but other power also filled in. The GP30s and 35s were popular for a time, but after the SD35s starting arriving later in that year (1965), many of them started working with the SD24s. The "CS" has always been a haven for six-motor power, going back to the FM Train Masters of 1955.

I'll keep the cupie doll in the closet for now, but I may pull out another old shot for a "Where are we?" quiz again one day.

[E.M. Bell]

The bypass in Danville didn't exist as a 4 lane back then, but I am pretty sure the old 127 still crossed the tracks there.  127 was made a 4 lane road in the early 80's...I can remember the work being done around home..

I have not been over to patio voluntarily since the tower and old iron bridge over the North leg of the wye came down several years ago. Im sure it was an interesting place in its day, with the L&N and C&O both in town!