Sunday, 02/17/13, after Adam and I had spent the morning in search of the Southern heritage unit in Tennessee, we met up with Butch and Caleb to do a little hiking around Burnside Ky. My goal of the afternoon was to get a shot or Two of a train crossing the Cumberland River bridge from a new and (not often seen) angel.
To accomplish that goal, we would hike South down the old CNO&TP RofW and through tunnels 3 & 4. It had been several years since I had made that hike, and Caleb and Adam had never seen the tunnels before. This is a section of the old CNO&TP that was bypassed in the 1950's, due to the creation of Lake Cumberland. The good citizens of the commonwealth gained a new lake, and the Southern railway gained a new double track route and bridge through the area while getting rid of Two more of the tight, single track "Ratholes".
While the old tunnels have not seen a train in over 65 years now, they are still in decently good condition except for the South end of #4 which has had some recent roof fall due to blasting from road construction above. The area around them is a mass of humanity, but I dare to say that the majority of people that pass near them everyday have no knowledge of the history below. Its a surreal experience to walk through the darkness of history, and easy to let your mind wander back to what used to be. If you stop and listen, you can almost hear a Southern PS4 pounding up the hill out of Burnside with a cut of varnish on her tank, and smell the coal smoke as it hangs heavy in the air while the markers disappear into the gloom.
Below are a few of the images from our hike through history. You can find the whole set, plus a lot more of the abandoned CNO&TP tunnels at this link. >> http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/cstunnels (http://www.pbase.com/kd4jsl/cstunnels)
North end of Tunnel #4.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fv-web%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2FBellpost13%2FCST4_021713_1.sized.jpg&hash=543f79955c4faf4f4a6a0be0dfecac5fbb045bca)
Caleb, Butch and Adam framed in the South Portal of #3, the midway point of our hike this day.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fv-web%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2FBellpost13%2FCST3_021713_3.sized.jpg&hash=42c7ae09550fd1f6baa879d1c0cd8e16ae263ade)
Looking North at the South end of #4. You can see the rocks that have been shaken loose from the blasting above during construction on US 27.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fv-web%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2FBellpost13%2FCST4_021713_3.sized.jpg&hash=119aa086a93f697d3640172089965648c17efc16)
Looking South out of tunnel #4. Southbound trains would exit the tunnel and immediately cross the Cumberland River bridge before entering "old" Burnside.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fv-web%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2FBellpost13%2FCST4_021713_4.sized.jpg&hash=d3cba2beb79c780233706be4eb469e4e06196189)
A Southbound grain train crosses the present day bridge over Lake Cumberland, as seen from the abutment of the old bridge
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fv-web%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2FBellpost13%2FNS56G_burnsideT4_021713.sized.jpg&hash=48a51a78afecb4636584441b38ddf1c6e2197fa4)
NS 143 crosses the lake from the same location
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fv-web%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2FBellpost13%2FNS143_T4_burnside_021713.sized.jpg&hash=d1c9f8f8b78f838ba076903c752514145a945929)
A group shot at the South end of T3..L to R you have Adam Wells, Butch Adkins, myself and Caleb Herndon.
(https://www.jreb.org/ns/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fjreb.org%2Fv-web%2Fgallery%2Falbums%2FBellpost13%2FT4group_021713.sized.jpg&hash=87adc06314c816ce1010146fca08692b53827327)
" A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.", we travel for travels sake.....
Good stuff, guys. Thanks so much for sharing these wonderful shots, and the history behind them.