Category: Photo Section
Photos from the Pennyrail Newsletter
Jim Futrell received these photos of old inspection cars from Jan Howard. Those were the days!
I’m guessing by the flatness of the rail top that this is Atlas Flex Track and not Gargraves! Photos and caption by Bill Heaton at CSX’s Atkinson Yard, Madisonville.
These are from Jack Fannon, a co-worker at TRW who lives near Rogersville, Tennessee. Submitted by Chris Dees.
EJ&E pumpkin, left-over war bonnets, and BNSF units move into Fulton, just acquired by CN. Photos by James Futrell.
Last Image: Metra FP40 , at Fulton, KY, released by Progress Rail, Mayfield, KY. Jim Futrell, photo.
Canadian National moved the world’s largest railcar, CEBX800. Hooper Welding, Oakville, ON, made this vessel to produce sulfur gasoline. This is departing the place where it was loaded on the rail car August 21, 2010 Notice the swing in has started on the tightest curve of the trip. According to Andrew Futrell (Son of Jim Futrell), it was handed off to BNSF at Chicago for movement to El Dorado, KS. There are 18 axles on either end of the car. The load itself is about 254 feet long and required tree removal and relocation of two power poles.
Ron Stubblefield – I first met Ron Stubblefield in Paducah, Kentucky, during my senior year at Murray State University. Ron had recently joined the Paducah Model Railroad Club and his HO-scale module had a lot of circus-related models: a carousel, a Ferris wheel, and even a Z-scale park train. In the coming months, Ron and I became good friends, culminating in Ron assisting me in getting my first job at Siemens in Ron’s hometown of Marion (KY). 1993 began with Ron and I traveling every Thursday night to Don Clayton’s house in Madisonville and the monthly NRHS meetings. Without Ron, I would not have had a chance to start my career the way I did, and I would not have met many other dear friends – the fellow members of the Western Kentucky Chapter of NRHS. I am forever indebted to Ron and his wife Kay.
Those weekly trips were more (than) just a ride to see trains. They were a small journey on the Ron-sized path of life. Sure, we saw the P&L Railway take over the Tradewater Railway through Marion, had CSX serenade us during dinner at Burger King in Madisonville, and chased multiple trains in that little Jeep across southern Illinois and Southeast Missouri – including the 1996 Olympic Torch train on Union Pacific. But Ron demonstrated what it was to be a real man – a kind of big brother (and I say that respectfully in terms of his physical size and the size of his heart). I would also not have been able to railfan many local hotspots had I not met Ron – those memories of racing down gravel roads and doing power slides in rural southeast Missouri in pursuit of UP and SP are and will continue to be cherished in the coming years. Ron also taught me a lot about railfan photography and was an incredible teacher of geology. Many of his photos graced multiple issues of our newsletters. And Ron’s knowledge of minerals and his involvement with the Clements Mineral Museum gave me a different view of “those rocks”.
In closing, I will miss my brother Ron. He was a good friend, a great mentor, and the best Christian brother a man could have. But I know, as my pastor Steve Viars would say: “this man knew that he knew that he knew he was on his way to Heaven.” I am sure Ron is enjoying railfanning in Heaven.
Run Eight Ron!!!
Chris (Dees)
Can you tell which child is more accustomed to loud train noises? Liam and Joe Thomas witness one of several visits by CSX during July’s Chapter meeting.
Chapter members Bill Grady, Keith Kittinger, Bob Moffet, Steve Miller, and Dennis Carnal enjoy some fellowship time before the July meeting – filled with spirited conversation I might add.
Joe Thomas takes in the railroad scenery as he and siblings and dad roll into Birmingham, AL, aboard the Amtrak Crescent in June. – Photo by Bill Thomas
