The Battle for Cumberland Mountain
Three CSX EMD GP40-2's howl up the steep Cumberland Mountain grade in southeast Tennessee with the M780 local in tow. 780 is bound for home base in Tullahoma with 39 loads of limestone on the drawbars from Anderson, Alabama, at the base of the grade. This version of the local is so heavy that the Cowan, TN, based helper engines have been called over the mountain to shove the train up the incredibly steep east grade to the top at Cumberland Mountain tunnel. Even with helper on the rear, and all 17,000 combined horsepower wide open uphill, this train is barely clearing 15mph on the climb. The grade here exceeds 2% climbing up the east face of the mountain. The Nashville Chattanooga and Saint Louis railroad blasted several huge rock cuts through ridgelines that stood in their way towards the summit during construction. These cuts are some of the tightest, and most impressive on any class one railroad in the east. Getting here is not something anyone should attempt alone, and I'm grateful I had the opportunity to experience it firsthand. The roar of a loaded train ascending the grade is a deafening, but awesome experience to take in here...
Thanks for looking!
The Battle for Cumberland Mountain
Three CSX EMD GP40-2's howl up the steep Cumberland Mountain grade in southeast Tennessee with the M780 local in tow. 780 is bound for home base in Tullahoma with 39 loads of limestone on the drawbars from Anderson, Alabama, at the base of the grade. This version of the local is so heavy that the Cowan, TN, based helper engines have been called over the mountain to shove the train up the incredibly steep east grade to the top at Cumberland Mountain tunnel. Even with helper on the rear, and all 17,000 combined horsepower wide open uphill, this train is barely clearing 15mph on the climb. The grade here exceeds 2% climbing up the east face of the mountain. The Nashville Chattanooga and Saint Louis railroad blasted several huge rock cuts through ridgelines that stood in their way towards the summit during construction. These cuts are some of the tightest, and most impressive on any class one railroad in the east. Getting here is not something anyone should attempt alone, and I'm grateful I had the opportunity to experience it firsthand. The roar of a loaded train ascending the grade is a deafening, but awesome experience to take in here...
Thanks for looking!