View allAll Photos Tagged LOADOUT
Greeted by the finest sunrise West Virginia has to offer, empty NS coal train S11-30 for the Coal Mountain loadout slowly rolls hundreds of feet in the air above the winding Guyandotte River near Clear Fork, WV on the former Virginian Cub Creek Branch.
With the throttle in the corner the Helpers are rolling Westbound through Kyune with black diamonds from the Wildcat loadout.
Back in December of 2015, I managed to find the BEEM S2 113 handling the road train duties. By this time, the 113's 2 decade plus tenure on the road was coming to a close, and it also coincided with the beginning of myself making the drive down to shoot the Beech Mountain when I could find the info on them running.
Unfortunately for my sake, I have many more "subpar" photos, than I do of quality pictures I would add in my trips following the 113's reassignment and relegation to the loadout at Star Bridge. But this day I managed to luck out with a clutch sun pocket to really make this photo pop.
Moving forward to 2019, the 113 has now been strictly on loadout duties for the last 2+ years. In discussions with the mine personnel, 113 is really starting to show it's age which makes it more and more unlikely that we will ever see this unit out on the road again. The distant threat of replacing these alco's have been mentioned in the last couple of years with possibly a pair of SW1200's, but nothing concrete has yet to come from the rumors.
NS 590 ducks underneath the remains of the former Maple Creek Mining loadout, which was permanently shut down in 2004 eliminating 470 jobs.
The DEP had issued no subsidence permits for the mine a few years prior that Murray Energy tried to have changed to no avail. In order to comply with this order the DEP denied Murray Energy's request to be able to long wall mine underneath of a stream in their mining pathway.
Ultimately the powers that be decided it was no longer going to be feasible to continue mining. The only way to comply with the permitting process was to switch from longwall mining to room and pillar mining in that section of the mine. With that said, Murray Energy cited a lack of timeliness with orders and the cost effectiveness to do so as being the reason for the closure. It was hoped to be only temporary, but became permanent.
In 2009, the majority of the 50 year old prep plant was demolished. Yet oddly enough, these 2 structures are still standing 12 plus years later.
A loaded Minorca pellet train eases past a weighing Minntac load at Highland on New Year's Eve 2002. Missabe achieved its desired unit reduction when they purchased 20 SD40-3 units in the mid-1990s, using two on each I/D pellet train versus three older units.
You could usually tell the Minorca trains as they didn't weigh at Highland, given that plant's ability to weigh cars after loading. Today with Minntac having a scale on both loadouts the weigh-in-motion scales at Proctor and Highland are seldom used and will likely be removed.
Recent news escaped that the Spurlock loadout near Martin, Kentucky would be shutting its doors on May 14th, 2020. In better times, a CSX mine run is seen here arriving at the loadout on a gloomy Sunday morning. This is just yet another sad refection of the fate of coal country in Appalachia.
C612 has just scanned its cars through the loadout and is ready to load the first cut at Balkan with a nice YN2 up top.
RJC-3 lumbers by the Belford Mine loadout. This was once one of the biggest customers for RJ Corman Pa Lines, now, they load a handful of cars every few months.
A fresh, glossy pair of rebuilt GEs slither their way north along the Levisa Fork River Valley at Lancer, Kentucky on the former C&O Big Sandy deep in the Appalachian foothills. Today’s “black diamonds” are from the McClure Mine, the only active coal loadout on the former Clinchfield territory to the south, and a busy one at that. An identical pair of rebuilt 7200 series CM44AHs were spliced into the middle of the train’s consist. I suspect the whole train may have been split in half somewhere up the line and the resulting two trains parted ways for different destinations.
The old Cabin Coal "Lancer" loadout makes a nice photo prop to the right, as I understand coal is still mined here but only leaves the property via truck.
A fine display of Grand Trunk heritage leads CN's L504 north past Peabody Energy's Gateway Mine loadout as it approaches Coulterville, IL.
504 originates in Centralia on Tuesdays and Fridays and works Kaskaskia Regional Port District dock 2 near Baldwin, a trip that includes CN's Centralia and St. Louis subs, a 10-mile stretch of UP's Sparta Sub, and about 8 miles of ex-GM&O trackage on the CN Sparta sub.
The crew departed Centralia light but returned with 13 loads of coiled steel.
815 passes an abandoned coal loadout just outside the small town of Honaker, VA on their way down the Clinch Valley to Norton.
J40 hauls empty coal gons west over the Amonate Trestle towards their destination just down the road at the loadout at Berwind.
Eastbound NS 740 rolls through the signal at Keystone, passing by what’s left of the dust curtains from the former loadout that has been now closed down for many years.
BM&LP empties cross the last public road and head into the loop track for the Peabody loadout. Aug 2, 2019
50 empties for Anjean shove alongside Big Clear Creek as the clouds begin to darken on a cool September afternoon.
A well-weathered Harrier from VMAT-203 carrying an impressive loadout of two CBU-99s and two Mk.77 firebombs prepares to head out to the Chocolate Mountain bombing range during a weapons deployment to MCAS Yuma.
Big Ass Flares on Friday. Loading coal from the Rosebud Mining Co. mine 78 and prep plant at Windber. This plant is on the short Windber Industrial Track that branches off the South Fork Secondary. This was once the domain for these big assed EMD former ConRail SD80MACs. Five of them brought this empty train down from South Fork in a 2x3 set up. Once at the plant they cut the train in half with the head end (on the right) pulling out of the way and the rear 3 pushing the rear half of the train under the loadout.
Shortly after Massey Energy's Sprouse Creek loadout went idle, the former southern GP30 is seen waiting its fate back in 2012. Apparently this thing was sold a few years later, but still hasnt moved as of Jan 2022. Aug 4, 2012
CSX mine run R615 is spotted up under the Creech loadout for a trainload of Harlan Sunshine bound for the TVA Bull Run plant.
A trio of RJ Corman SD's (SD40-2 & two SD40T-2's) are in run 8 shoving on the rear of 55 coal loads uphill from the loadout at Pax, WV. They wouldnt make it much further until they stalled and would try a couple more times with the same result. Eventually they got another locomotive from CSX to help on the head end.
A manifest flies south on the Kenova District, Passing one of the many defunct coal loadouts along the line.
A truly unique piece of railroad, the BC Rail Tumbler Sub was made for coal hauling. To combat the issue of so many tunnels on the line and the issues the exhaust would create, the railroad was convinced a 50Kv overhead electrified system was the best choice. Sitting at the loadout at Teck, a pair of BC Rail GF6C units are ready to depart on April 28, 1985. The line would eventually be abandoned in 2001, with the last of the electrics being hauled out in mid-August, with all but 1 of the unique units ending at the torch of the scrapper. Photo by B. Van Sant.
The 2022 CSX Santa Train rounds the curve past the abandoned Collco loadout in Haysi. Considering the unorthodox hike to get back here, there was a surprisingly large amount of people at this old tipple.
Canadian National coal train No. 769 loads at Teck’s Luscar Mine near Cadomin, Alberta, on the afternoon of July 15, 2013. Moments of sunshine splash the train with light, still leaving the sprawling Luscar Mine coal processing plant in the darkness of cloud shadows. This loadout was part of Teck’s Cardinal River Operation, locating on a line operating out of Leyland called the Luscar Industrial Spur. The mine produced steelmaking coal for 51 years and, unfortunately, ceased operations in June 2020.
Canadian National coal train No. 769 prepares to load at Teck’s Luscar Mine near Cadomin, Alberta, on July 15, 2013. The train first rolls through the loadout, which it is doing here, so the operator can inspect the empty cars for any contaminants or other problems. The expansive coal processing plant and loadout were part of Teck’s Cardinal River Operation and was located on a CN line operating out of Leyland called the Luscar Industrial Spur. The mine produced steelmaking quality coal for 51 years and, unfortunately, ceased operations in June 2020.
U741 with a pair of Junkers leads the second cut of jennies up hill out of the empire time and through one of the Culvert tunnels that run under the haul roads. These were the final days of the empire pellets and I tried to get as many shots as I could but never was able to talk my way into the mine loadout.
It has been a long Halloween’s Eve in West Virginia and the KNWA finally has a loaded train on the move. It was a simple goal to catch something moving along the Virginian between Deep Water and Mullens on this trip. Not the easiest thing in the world, and given the frequency with which NS road power tags along, I’d ask myself what exactly the allure was all about.
Regardless, the excitement was building the whole time downriver from when he left the Quincy loadout. It is late in the afternoon and the Kanawha River crossing here at Deep Water will be the last solid spot at sunlight. It is quite the intense climb up the hillsides towards Oak Hill. Tunnels, bridges, tuff curvature all lie ahead.
A pair of steerable truck AC’s begin to dig in for their long trip up the Sewell Valley sub out of Meadow Creek with 50 empties for Coranado Coal’s Anjean loadout. These two “lightning bolts” will be on their knees climbing 1200 feet in 7 miles with grades as steep as 3.8% and curves as sharp as 19.3 degrees; not to mention a set of loops.
NS P87 heads west from the Bridgewater chip loadout near Nebo, NC toward Asheville with a pair of 40s.
In the middle of a cold heavy downpour, J40 slowly shoves empties up to the loadout at Berwind under the Dry Fork.
NS P87 heads west from the Bridgewater chip loadout near Nebo, NC toward Asheville with a pair of 40s.
Loads from the Creech loadout on the CV emerge from Hickory Creek Tunnel #2 just south of Morley, TN on the KD Subdivision.
CSX R202 begins loading its 75-car train with Greenbrier Smokeless Coal in Anjean, WV. This loadout only loads a handful of trains every year, so this train was tied down for 3 days before the mine had enough coal to load all 75 cars.
CSX E091 rumbles out of the north portal of Natural Tunnel near Duffield, Virginia. Natural Tunnel is an 838ft cave that was converted to a railroad tunnel in the late 1800’s. It is still in use today by Norfolk Southern with CSX having trackage rights over this line. CSX uses the NS Appalachia District between Frisco, TN and Big Stone Gap, VA to reach the Cumberland Valley Subdivision. E091 is an empty coal train out of Eastman Chemical in Kingsport, TN bound for Corbin. Usually symboled E090 to Loyall, E091 tends to run when the cars need inspection and repair in Corbin. Sometime this week, they will load at various loadouts along the Cumberland Valley Sub.
The sun has just crested the horizon as three RIO GE's creep through the loader at Gudai Darri. After a few hours the train will be put in Auto Haul and sent on its way to one of the two ports.
RBMN QASD is just moments away from emerging out of the 3,500-foot Mahanoy Tunnel under Buck Mountain with cars for the anthracite loadouts west of Mahanoy City. The tunnel was completed in 1862 and was responsible for the development of mining towns west of the mountain.
A CSX Tennessee Valley Authority unit coal train is flood loading at the Wen-Lar loadout near Field, KY on May 14, 1992 with SD40-2's No's. 8154 and 8331, Road Slug No. 2264 and GP40-2 No. 6418.
My favorite shot from yesterdays coalfield adventures, CSX C491 leaves Nevisdale, Kentucky after picking up coal loads from the Gatliff loadout at the end of the old L&N Pine Mountain West branch. With coal traffic quickly vanishing I'm thankful to have a chance to photograph a classic coal branch on such a perfect day. A big thanks goes out to the very friendly residents of this part of Kentucky, I must have gotten permission from a dozen homeowners and wasn't turned down once except of course by the coal mine.
The Grise is an articulated flatbed that provides support for its BT-9 handler during cargo loadouts and catalyst conversions when paired with a Duroc. The treaded vehicle can move steadily over any terrain and in any conditions providing a stable base from which the BT-9 can operate safely.
The BT-9 is a single man short range utility handler able to lift 80% its own weight while having the dexterity and precision to perform detailed operations even in harsh conditions.
Birdsboro Materials Railroad SD38s 2002 & 2005 work the loadout at the Haines & Kibblehouse quarry in Birdsboro, PA on the morning of May 6, 2009.
RJC2 hauls 99 cars of loaded coal from RES Loadout to Cresson for delivery at NS, the matched set of black hoppers has always been attractive to me and I had to go out and shoot this in the early morning after a long night at work, with Kerr at the throttle he puts her in 8 and gets the train rolling to 25mph.