CSX FANS
View allAll Photos Tagged YN3
As the fog begins to dissipate, intermodal train Q136 heads south across the James River Bridge at sunrise.
With a “new” YN3 painted SD70MAC rebuild leading, Q694-30 crosses Pool Point bridge this morning just South of Elkhorn City, KY on the former Clinchfield.
With a seemingly endless parade of YN3 to shoot, the signals were the only appeal at Deshler at 4 in the morning. With a relatively short train, Q506 rumbles into town with a pair of AC4400s leading the way, splitting the classic signals that protect the south end of town.
Back in 2016, CSX retired their C40-8's and sold them to GE who in turn sold around 20 of them to Pan Am Railways. Now that CSX bought Pan Am, they have inherited the C40-8's that were once on the roster. It appears CSX plans on keeping these engines as the old 7627 was repainted into a fresh coat of YN3 paint and renumbered to 9280, as seen leading POED over the Merrimack River in Haverhill, MA.
At the end of L&N’s steep Merna Spur, Loyall Shifter C633-01 shoves their first cut of SCE&G empties under JRL Coal’s “Creech” batch loadout. To the right of the 564 is the Mary Helen Coal Corporation, built in 1919 and later doubled as the town post office. ‘Downtown’ Mary Helen. Ky is easily one of the coolest places Dad and I have ever spent a couple hours.
December 1, 2018.
Apparently overlooked as this SD50 is still plying the rails. CSX G650 destined for Aberdeen, NC is seen here crossing the Appomattox River after a 1.5 hour delay for a broken knuckle 35 cars deep.
CSX Q35214 blasts up the west slope of Sand Patch Grade as it hugs the bank of the Casselman River near Salisbury Junction. Leading the way is an ex-Conrail SD40-2, with a mix of YN2 GEs and YN3 EMD products trailing. The highlight of the consist is the fourth engine, former C&O GP39 4294.
Not much left on CSX to get excited about, but this morning when I heard F749 calling signals with 8536 leading I knew I had something to chase
OHCR 3185, still in patched YN3, leads ZVL east through the curve outside Sonora. Can't say I wasn't a little disappointed to see this as our leader, but a super 7 is still a super 7.
When it rains, it pours. Then I walk out with a makeshift camera cover and try to salvage something from today. Q227 is on the home stretch of its journey, rolling down the L&N with an SD50/SD40-2 combo.
In November of 2003, there was no such thing as YN3 or YN3B yet although some figured CSX was due for a change. Meanwhile we still enjoyed typical scenes such as this early morning view at College Park, Georgia on the A&WP/WofA Sub. CSX Q612 hurries north as A748's local power stands to the side. (Slide Scan)
The CV Sub certainly has seen better days as traffic is down to a few loaded trains a month making this a sweet catch even with the YN3 leader.
CSX flared radiator SD70AC 4758 tied down at Bristow Yard in Bowling Green after hitting a tree while leading W013 south.
Fall color in western North Carolina is in full swing as C304-19’s pair of CW44’s (and two DP’s on the rear) grind south through Sams Branch with 114 SCWX loads. If you look close you can see veteran engineer Jd Edwards keeping a watchful eye on his 6338’ of black diamonds snaking along the Nolichucky River.
October 22, 2025.
For a couple years, one of the hottest things to shoot in Michigan was the Lake State Z127 job that ran between Wixom and Flint and would then burn back south. The light for the southbound was usually very good and Lake State 40s and 50s looked great along the line filthy with searchlights and code line. A recent power sharing agreement between LSRC and CSX has since ruined that, as PTC capable units must lead the train, and with Lake State not having PTC on anything, this means CSX power is all you can get leading the train now, and faded YN3 gevos are certainly not as appealing. After making a fast turn south out of Flint, the sun was barely above the trees as the train cruises through Rose Center with a matched pair of 40s. Oh well, it was good while it lasted.
Rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen in June 1990 from UP 3114, CSXT 8441 leads eastbound time freight L201 through the C&O R2 intermediates at Chaparelle near Pikeville, Ky. The good ole boys on Shelby Shifter R240 went to Harold to dogcatch this train.
After getting a crew change in West Deshler, M350 works it’s way south with an SD40-2 on point. This unit was giving the crew troubles but made the journey to Cincinnati.
M351-13 (Chicago, IL - Cincinnati, OH)
CSXT 8383 SD40-2
CSXT 5482 ES40DC
CSXT 5110 AC44CW
The crew of CSX J759 rearranges the power of a grain train to prepare for the train's trip south.J759 had little work so they were able to get this task done before they started their normal duties.
CSX Southbound Jacksonville bound intermodal train I025-10 is fresh from a crew change accelerating out of Evansville, Indiana and up the viaduct at Rahm. Today's head end power is a pair of the railroad's AC4400s of different flavors, with an ES44AC providing mid train support.
A pair of EMD SD40-2s trim the east end of tbe giant Selkirk Yard southwest of Albany that was long a hub for predecessors Conrail, Penn Central and New York Central.
CSXT 8483 was rebuilt by Morrison-Knudsen from a straight SD40 originally blt. Feb. 1969 as MP 751. CSXT 8246 was blt. Jan. 1977 as BO 7604. The former wears the first true standardized mass applied scheme commonly known as YN2 or 'Bright Future' that was the official locomotive livery from 1990 to 2002. The latter wears the scheme that has now reigned for two decades and is known by fans as YN3 or 'Dark Future.'
I presume most folks here will prefer the older image, but I've never hated the current one with its Chessapeake and Ohio like simplicity.
Selkirk Yard
Town of Bethlehem, New York
Monday September 19, 2011
Surrounded by Clinchfield antiques, CSXT 4821 South thunders up Sandy Ridge grade through S.E. Allen with a tonnage Q696. The sound a wound out 710 prime mover makes echoing through the hollers of coal country isn’t something You forget!
The track in the foreground is the derail protected Allen Extension; used for decades by the various Dante Mine Runs to facilitate movement of empties, or raw and clean loads between Dickenson & Pike county mines and preparation plants. It was removed in 2024.
September 24, 2017.
Grinding up the famed Clinchfield loops with roughly 8700 tons of ballast for Poplar, W361-27’s pair of veteran CW44’s split the US&S intermediates at ‘Avery’ on a beautiful summer morning. This Bostic crew sure put on a heck of a show clawing their way to the Eastern Continental Divide at Altapass!
It sure is good for the soul to see CSX’s massive effort to rebuild the northern end of the Blue Ridge Sub after Hurricane Helene devestated the region nearly a year ago.
CSX P90404 rolls north up the Trenton Sub, passing the small yard at Manville. I've always thought these F40s wore the YN3 paint scheme well. This is the only time I've ever shot them.
Surely no stranger over the years to holding back loaded coal trains through the tight reversal curves along Lick Creek, this time veteran SD40-2 n° 8033 has the honor of leading the 73rd Annual Santa Train down the 1.2% grade at N.E. Boody on a beautiful winter morning.
November 21, 2015.
The priority juice heads north on slop train Q410 as the sun begins to set on these short winter days.
My pittsburgh content is absolutely bombing, which i’m not really happy about. Here’s a post to change the pace, Y103, entering Pinoca Yard outside Charlotte. A nice YN3 geep 3-pack doing the honors.
CSXT Y103 with CSXT 6295 (GP40-2), CSXT 2284 (GP35 Slug), CSXT 6446 (GP40-2)
CSXT Charlotte Subdivision
Charlotte, North Carolina
On a sweltering hot summer afternoon, CSXT 4724 East ducks under the C&O Cantilever at Dawkins, Ky with a loaded C304 for Terrell, Nc.
August 23, 2024.
The peak of Hawksbill Mountain can be seen in the distance as aging CW44’s 581 & 146 bring C304-19 down the famed Clinchfield loops through North Cove, Nc with 114 SCWX loads from Typo, Ky for Cross, Sc.
October 22, 2025.
The 73rd annual rendition of Clinchfield’s Santa Claus Special pauses beside the famous Union Baptist Church in Dante, Virginia while working their eighth stop of the day.
November 21, 2015.
CSX 2505 and ger engineer waits while a conductor, out of frame, throws a switch in an industrial area near the yard in Charlotte. 2505 was built as Seaboard Coast 505 in 1973. She eventually got her YN3 paint job.
I edited this shot a long time ago in whatever version of Photoshop Elements I had at the time with additional editing recently in the online app BeFunky to bring out more color in the sky.
With the week’s snow melting, CSX’s Shelby Yard was bustling with activity on March 1, 2015. On track 3, CW44’s 491 & 574 idle next to SCE&G loads on tracks 4 & 6. In just a few minutes, PEFX empties led by 247 will come up the main for a stop and swap. Shortly behind them a Shelby Shifter crew with the 376 was coming north with loads from Apex 2 in Elkhorn City. Better times for sure!
The late evening sun hits the faded nose of CSXT 4821 as it pops out of Goff Tunnel with Q696.
September 24, 2017.
CSX local L391 makes its northbound trek over Pond River on Gum Lick Trestle as they head for Atkinson Yard in Madisonville. The local today features a C40-8W pair, YN2 7905 leading YN3 7777.