View allAll Photos Tagged trainengine
Nevada Northern boxcar 1025 at Ely, Nevada on Febraury 25. 2016. This boxcar was built in 1912.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in July 2014
On July 10, 2014, Dad shot CEFX SD40-2 3105 (ex-CN SD40 5160) at Etowah, Tennessee.
Olympus SP-565UZ
A string of seven MRL helpers rolling downhill at Austin, Montana on January 16, 2014. The units are: SD70ACes 4311, 4302, SD40-2XRs 253 (ex-BN SD40 6312), 259 (ex-BN SD40 6324), SD70ACe 4308, and SD40-2XRs 256 (ex-BN SD40 6317) & 258 (ex-BN SD40 6337, nee-C&S 877).
Immediatly following this set are two more helper sets that stop in this same spot and hook up for their return run to Helena.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Tamron 75-300mm lens
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Cleveland, TN in May 1986
On May 19, 1986, Dad shot SOU FP7As 3496 (ex-SOU 6138) & 3497 (ex-SOU 6141, to RJCC 1940) at Cleveland, Tennessee.
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Charleston, TN in April 2014
On 15 April 2014, Dad shot NS SD70ACe 1077 and 2 six-axle GEs leading a northbound doublestack at Charleston, Tennessee.
Olympus SP-565UZ
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in Jan. 2015
Part 139 in an ongoing study of diesel locomotive cabs.
The cab of CSX MP15T 1204 (ex-SBD 1204, nee-SCL 1204) at Etowah, Tennessee on January 18, 2015.
Olympus SP-565UZ
CP AC44CW 9500 at Tobin, Montana on September 3, 2014.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Tamron 75-300mm lens
Casey Jones, in case you don't know, was a famous engineer for the Illinois Central, killed in a railroad accident in the spring of 1900. What made him a hero and the stuff of folk legend was that he rode the train right into the collision, never taking his hand from the brake, and thus slowing the train enough to spare the lives of all the passengers.
The Illinois Central is a special railroad to me, because its main north-south line ran less than a mile from the house that I grew up in. I remember magnificent, long trains running along that line as a boy, and I remember wondering how on -earth- something that long could be pulled by those engines. It seemed like those trains would go on forever.
That was before the Interstate system had been put in place between Chicago and St. Louis. With the advent of I-55, trucks began to haul the freight that the IC had been hauling, and the trains began to get shorter and shorter. By the end, trains of just three or four cars were rolling up and down that line. It was abandoned by the IC shortly thereafter. That was a sad day to me.
The abandoned grade was eventually turned into a bicycle and walking trail in Bloomington-Normal, now called the Constitution Trail. It's a wonderful trail, made even more wonderful to me by the memories of the mighty trains that plied its course all those years ago.
As a little girl in grade school, Diann (who is now my wife) used to sing a song about Casey Jones in music class. There have been many versions of the lyric over the years, but this one is probably fairly close to the original, written by a man that worked with Casey.
Come all you rounders that want to hear
The story of a brave engineer.
Casey Jones was the rounder's name,
On a six eight wheeler, boys, he won his fame.
The caller called Casey at half past four,
He kissed his wife at the station door,
He mounted to the cabin with the orders in his hand,
And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.
Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,
Casey Jones with his orders in his hand
Casey Jones mounted to his cabin,
And he took his farewell trip to that promised land.
When he pulled up that Reno hill,
He whistled for the crossing with an awful shrill;
The switchman knew by the engine's moan
That the man at the throttle was Casey Jones.
He looked at his water and his water was low;
He looked at his watch and his watch was slow;
He turned to his fireman and this is what he said,
Boy, we're going to reach Frisco, but we'll all be dead.
Casey Jones - going to reach Frisco
Casey Jones - but we'll all be dead,
Casey Jones - going to reach Frisco,
We're going to reach Frisco, but we'll all be dead.
So turn on your water and shovel in your coal,
Stick you head out the window, watch those drivers roll;
I'll drive her till she leaves the rail,
For I'm eight hours late by that Western Mail.
When he was within six miles of the place,
There number four stared him straight in the face.
He turned to his fireman, said Jim you'd better jump,
For there're two locomotives that are going to bump.
Casey Jones - two locomotives,
Casey Jones - going to bump,
Casey Jones - two locomotives,
There're two locomotives that are going to bump.
Casey said just before he died,
There're two more roads I would like to ride.
The fireman said, Which ones can they be?
Oh the Northern Pacific and the Santa Fe.
Mrs. Jones sat at her bed a-sighing
Just to hear the news that her Casey was dying.
Hush up children, and quit your cryin',
For you've got another poppa on the Salt Lake Line.
Casey Jones - got another poppa.
Casey Jones - on the Salt Lake Line.
Casey Jones - got another poppa.
For you've got another poppa on the Salt Lake Line.
Scanned 35mm Print
Photo from the collection of my Dad, Jay T. Thomson; Unknown Photographer
SOU 2-8-2 6910 at Chattanooga, Tennessee c. 1965.
UP ES44AC 5552 at Minot, North Dakota on January 29, 2016.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
BNSF SD70MAC 9476 in the UP yard at Silver Bow, Montana on 4 April 2014.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Tamron 75-300mm lens
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Wauhatchie, TN in Jan. 1986
On January 5, 1986 Dad shot SBD MP15T 1226 (to CSX 1226) at Wauhatchie, Tennessee.
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in March 2008
Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum GP7 710 (ex-AMTK 772, xx-L&N 1710, nee-NCStL 710) repainted to her as-built appearance as NC&StL GP7 710. She is used by the TVRM as their power on a summer excursion train over part of the L&N's "Old Line", "Loop Line" or "Hook & Eye". Dad found her tied up near the boarding point at Gee Creek, TN on March 30, 2008.
Canon PowerShot A570IS
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Corbin, KY May 1997
Here's a really rare one for all of you ALCO fans! ALCO only built two cow-calf sets of SSB-9s, both sets being built in 1956 for the Oliver Iron Mining Company in Chisolm, MN. IN May 1997 Dad found this calf in Corbin, Kentucky where it was then working for US Steel.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Gadsden, AL in April 1978
On April 20, 1978, Dad shot RSCX SW7 911 at Gadsden, Alabama.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Del Mar, CA in June 1981
On June 26, 1981 Dad shot ATSF CF7s 2488 (ex-F7A 337L, to NRL 2488, to KJRY 488, to MSCI 488) and 2555 (ex-F7A 207L, to TennKen 2555, to N&E 2555, to R-L 555) at Del Mar, California.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Knoxville, TN in Nov. 1978
On November 30, 1978 Dad shot Blue Diamond Mines S2m 1 at Knoxville, Tennessee, on it's way north after being rebuilt by Southern Rails, Inc. of Birmingham, Alabama. Unlike most of SRI's rebuilds, this one retained its cab.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in Sept. 1988
Sometime in September of 1988 Dad shot CSX GP40-2 6181 (ex-C&O 4282, to CSX 6240) at Etowah, Tennessee.
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in August 2014
On August 12, 2014, Dad shot CSX C40-8 7557 & HLCX SD40-2 7196 (ex-BN 7196) at Etowah, Tennessee.
Olympus SP-565UZ
BNSF ES44AC 5900 at Garrison, Montana on January 16, 2014.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Tamron 75-300mm lens
Scanned 35mm Print
Photo from the collection of my Dad, Jay T. Thomson; Unknown Photographer
B&LE SD38 862 (ex-DMIR 225), SD38-2 878, & SD38 861 (ex-DMIR 217, to LTEX 217) with empties at Conneaut, Ohio January 14, 1978.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in April 1986
On April 19, 1986, Dad shot SBD C30-7 7093 (ex-SCL 7093, to CSX 7093, to ALL 7093), SD40-2 8173 (ex-L&N 1269, to CSX 8173, to CSX 2438) & SD40-2 8079 (ex-L&N 8079, to CSX 8079) leading a northbound unit coal train at Etowah, Tennessee.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, near Combs, Ky in March 1979
Two Family Lines-painted big ALCo C628s haul a string of loaded coal cars through Combs, Ky on a cold day in March 1979.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, in Hazard, KY 4/10/79
An L&N GP18 and RS11 assist South East Coal Company's three GP38-2s with a string of coal cars in Hazard, KY in April 1979. The GP18s were the first factory-built low-nose EMDs that L&N took delivery of. The three SECX GP38-2s are now CEFX 400, 401 & 402, having been sold by SECX to C&NW, which was absorbed by UP, who sold them to CEFX.
Reproduced 35mm slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, July 19, 1979
Most of the big ALCOs seemed to operated out of the coalfields of eastern Kentucky, hauling coal south and bringing the empties back north. Dad spent a lot of time working in and around the town of Hazard, KY for many years and he has lots of shots of big old ALCOs in the Kentucky mountains.
This original slide is now up for auction on eBay. You can find the auction listing here:
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in April 1986
On April 13, 1986, Dad shot O&W SD40-2 9954 (to BCOL 747) at Etowah, Tennessee.
The power, cars and caboose were all owned by Shamrock Coal Company and used to haul coal to power plants in South Carolina and south Georgia. The SD40-2s were built to L&N specs, and crewed by L&N or Clinchfield crews (later SBD crews). The power would eventually be sold to British Columbia Railroad.
My first Ferromex unit! I found Ferromex ES44AC 4644 as part of the power on an eastbound BNSF manifest waiting in the hole for a westbound unit grain train to drop down off the mountain and drop of their helpers. The helpers, two MRL SD70ACes, would then cut into the middle of this train and help it back across Bozeman Pass.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in July 1984
On July 14, 1984, Dad shot SBD SD45 2004 (ex-SCL 2004, nee-ACL 1028, to SBD 8904, to CSX 8904, to KCS SD40-3 621) at Etowah, Tennessee.
Scanned 35mm Print
Photo from the collection of my Dad, Jay T. Thomson; Paul Darnell Photo
Kentucky & Tennessee 2-8-2 #11 leads an excursion train near Stearns, Kentucky c. 1962. This engine was sold to the United States Army and transferred to Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland in 1963, where she was used to move artillery targets. In 1966, a target was missed and #11 was accidentally destroyed in the resulting artillery fire.
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Etowah, TN in March 2014
On March 17, 2014, Dad shot CITX SD40-2 3059 (ex-GCFX 3059, xx-NS SD40 3186, nee-SOU 3186) at Etowah, Tennessee.
Canon PowerShot A570IS
BNSF SD70MAC 9863 stored at Glendive, Montana on January 31, 2016.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
Indiana and Ohio Railway's yard in Norwood, (Cincinnati area) Ohio. The Indiana and Ohio Railway is a short line railroad that operates relatively close to my home. They seem to buy or lease engines from other lines and often don't bother to paint them so, I get to see a little variety in an area dominated by CSX and Norfolk Southern. Still, I miss the old days when there were many more railroads operating in the region.
There were 808 of these 1500 hp locomotives built by the Electro-Motoive Division of General Motors. This one was built in March of 1970 for the Southern RR.
MRL SD45-2 325 (ex-SP SD45R 7554, nee-SSW SD45 9064) & SD40-2XR 290 (ex-MRL SDP40-2XR, xx-BN SDP40 9851, xxx-BN 6395, nee-GN 321) at Helena, Montana on May 17, 2014.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
A slightly tighter view of Port of Montana GP38AC 3641 (ex-NREX 3641, xx-UP 1999, xxx-MKT 343, xxxx-ICG 9519, nee-IC 9519) shuffling autoracks at Silver Bow, Montana on October 2, 2013.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Tamron 75-300mm lens
Scanned Print
Photo from the collection of my Dad, Jay T. Thomson; Unknown Photographer
WP GP35 3004 (to UP 785, to EIRR 3503, to WAMX GP35R 3503) leads UP SD40 3112 & SD40-2 3151 with a westbound freight at Keddie, California c. 1971.
On December 2, 2008 Knoxville Locomotive Works SD40-2 6005 (ex-UP 7886, nee-UP 3414) sits by the G&O shops in Knoxville, TN. This unit is for sale, if you're in the market --> www.knoxvillelocomotiveworks.com/klwx6005.htm
This was taken on the day Dad and I went railfanning together for the first time in a decade.
To see one of Dad's shots of this pair of leasers, click HERE.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
Scanned Print
Photo from the collection of my Dad, Jay T. Thomson; Tom Rankin photo
TP&W RS3M 207 (ex-TPW RS3 207) at Peoria, Illinois on July 4, 1978. Note the tiny shop truck under the cab end of the unit.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at South Pittsburg, TN in Sept. 1991
On September 27, 1991 Dad shot Sequatchie Valley GP7 706 (ex-WP 706) at South Pittsburg, Tennessee.
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Elza, TN in June 1981
Sometime in June 1981 Dad shot the northbound "Green Train" at Elza, Tennessee. Power is O&W SD40-2s 9951 (to BCOL 744, to DME 6200), 9950 (to BCOL 743, to ASDX 743), 9954 (to BCOL 747), & 9957 (to BCOL 750).
The power, cars and caboose were all owned by Shamrock Coal Company and used to haul coal to power plants in South Carolina and south Georgia. The SD40-2s were built to L&N specs, and crewed by L&N or Clinchfield crews (later SBD crews). The power would eventually be sold to British Columbia Railroad.
UP SD70M 5025 at Silver Bow, Montana on September 3, 2014.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
NP 2-8-0 25 on display at the Civic Center in Butte, Montana on 14 April 2014.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
Ex-Milwaukee Road GP38-2 sits at the Canadian Pacific yard office in Minot, ND with another old MILW Geep. I was really excited to find these two units.
Canon EOS 350D Digital Rebel XT
Canon EFS 18-55mm lens
Reproduced 35mm Slide
Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Shelby, KY in April 1979
On April 4, 1979, Dad shot C&O GP9 6227 at Shelby, Kentucky.