CSX and R.J. Corman crews were busy just before Thanksgiving, November 25, 2008, after a loaded coal train derailed on the wye between the Earlington Main and Morganfield Branch, just behind Regional Medical Center in Madisonville, KY. Not sure of the number of cars on the ground – rumor had it at 10. Thank goodness for the 300mm lens. Photos by Bill Thomas.
Hard to Believe!
– submitted by Jim Futrell
This is not a cropped photo. It is a blower off a freight train that this guy found at a junk yard. They did start the car with it on. With one blip of the throttle lifted the left rear wheel a foot off the ground and blew both head gaskets.
Interesting factoid – February 4, 1936, Vidette Messenger
From the ‘Round About section… – Submitted by Chuck Hinrichs
Approximately 7,000 tons of ice making up 275 carloads, has been harvested and shipped from Cedar Lake by the Monon Railroad company. More than 100 men have been engaged on the project, cutting the ice which was fifteen to sixteen inches thick. It was reported work was handicapped by a lack of sufficient men.
The Today Show ran a short segment on the resurgence of model trains.
Click HERE to view the clip.
Act Now!! Murray Scholarship Deadline Set for March 2 –
– Submitted by John Licht, Western Bluegrass Terminal, LLC
The deadline will be March 2, 2009 for applications for the annual Susan C. Murray Memorial Women?s Scholarship. The four-year college scholarship is named after Mrs. Murray–an executive at Commonwealth Business Media who was instrumental in the creation and early success of the ASLRRA?s annual exhibition–who passed away in January 2003.
The ASLRRA scholarship is open to daughters and granddaughters of ASLRRA Railroad and Associate Members in good standing. Past winners are: Amanda Dawn Simmons, granddaughter of Tommy Joe Alexander from Jefferson Warrior Railroad; Dina McKenney, daughter of Rob McKenney from the former Georgia & Florida RailNet; Kathryn Medlock, daughter of Mike Medlock from Klutts Equipment; Marion Joy, daughter of Christine Joy from Union Switch & Signal; Kristin Wegner, daughter of Mark Wegner from Twin Cities & Western Railroad.
Click HERE for the application form. Please contact Kathy Keeney (kkeeney@cbizmedia.com) with any questions about the scholarship program.
Undoubtedly, the hobby of rail preservation and/or model railroading gets much of its impetus from memories we have from childhood. As a child, teenager, and young adult, I was fortunate to train-watch with my grandfather (Papaw), Burt Dean Rodgers, of Chattanooga, TN.
Mamaw and Papaw lived between Red Bank and North Chattanooga, in the White Oak community, just off Dayton Blvd/Hwy 27. Papaw had been raised in Dayton and Soddy, TN, and was a Southern fan. I remember his stories about watching trains break in two to tackle the hill at Soddy/Daisy.
My mother had lived through some of his “Sunday drives” which always ended up trackside. Somewhere between the ages of 8 and 14, I remember him telling me some interesting history of the line which passed in front of their house in White Oak. “This used to be a electric line with trolleys.” he said, describing the overhead wire and poles used.
Not sure about the trolleys – but, having done some research on the line, it is true that the Chattanooga Traction Company was electrified up until 1941, when the new owner, Southern Rwy, dieselized the branch. The locomotive photo appeared in a past issue of Trains and caught Dennis Carnal’s eye, knowing I had a history in Chattanooga, my native city.
Much of the same line survives today under ownership of Norfolk Southern. It’s a very cool thing to me and I realize it’s just another little branch to most. But, I’ll always think of Papaw every time I see the picture. Papaw, thanks for the memories!
Here’s a photo of the Rodgers in 1979, on their 50th wedding anniversary, 9 years before they passed away.
I am very excited to announce that shortly after seven Central Time tonight, the Mattoon (Illinois) City Council unanimously approved the following motion: Adopt Resolution 2009-2763: Approving the plans and specifications, and authorizing the call for bids for the restoration of the historic Illinois Central Depot.
With over seven years on this project already, I’ve learned that there are still plenty of challenges and disappointments ahead. However, the spending of the first dollar on actual restoration of the three story Illinois Central depot does finally seem to be within sight.
Thomas French
Project Depot Committee Mattoon, Illinois
http://www.projectdepot.org
– Submitted by Chuck Hinrichs
I have posted some train frequency charts with data from a program that interfaces with ATCS Monitor.
The program counts trains as they pass the Hopkinsville, Ky holdout signal as either a northbound or
southbound using the signal indication on CSX’s Henderson Subdivision.
You can view November & December 2008 charts by clicking here
If any of you are interested I can keep this up for a while. Let me know.
Steve Miller