Category: Photo Section
Photos from the Pennyrail Newsletter
A gallery of images from our chapter’s Christmas layout at the Parkway Plaza Mall in Madisonville, Ky
A Bowling Green, KY, friend of mine made this shot of an NS freight crossing the Kentucky River bridge near Wilmore, KY. It is one of the highest RR bridges in the US, at 308 feet above the river. – Bill Thomas
Stopped for a red signal at Jungo, Nevada., one morning in December 1972, Western Pacific train GGM (for Golden Gate Merchandise) presents a Christmas Card-perfect image with hoarfrost coating the lead unit.
Credits: Photo and quote by Norman W. Holmes as seen in TRAINS 100 Greatest Railroad Photos
– photographer unknown, from the collection of Chris Dees
A lot of railfans don’t realize that the Southern Railway, and its successor Norfolk Southern, once operated over 100 miles of track in the far southern Illinois region known as “Little Egypt”. Originally a part of the Big Four and NYC, the Cairo Branch from Mount Carmel to Cairo was operated by Conrail until its 1982 sale to Southern Railway. The prospect of future coal mining was the major impetus for the purchase and rebuilding of the line, but after just six short years, NS abandoned the route in 1988. Seen here at Harrisburg during those tumultuous six years are two rare birds on a Harrisburg-Karnak coal train, EMD GP49s 4604 and 4605. Originally built as an order of six GP39X locomotives in November 1980, the units were upgraded to GP49 specifications shortly after purchase. Today they serve on Tri-Rail commuter trains in Florida. The railroad now serves as the Tunnel Hill State Trail system.
– photographer unknown, from the collection of Chris Dees
March of 1982 brought word to Conrail employees in Harrisburg, Illinois that the line sale to Southern Railway had finally been completed. In what some would see as a parallel to the book of Exodus, the line had experienced its share of oppression and plague: washed out tracks south of Olmsted since 1973, multiple 5 mph slow orders on weed covered tracks, deferred maintenance, Clean Air Act legislation, and the overall decline of coal mining in the area. With possessions packed, the final Conrail train to depart Harrisburg, Illinois begins the trek north to Mount Carmel. Southern will begin operations the following day.
Our Chapter’s 2019 Calendar is now available online for purchase. It contains the winning photos from our membership from our photo contests this year. Follow the link to purchase one and support our chapter! They are $14.00 each and just in time for Christmas! You may purchase copies here: http://www.lulu.com/…/2019-w…/calendar/product-23880274.html
Cincinnati Railway Company, and Indiana & Ohio Railway on October 13, 2018. 5704, recently restored to her original livery, is the oldest operating example of EMD’s iconic diesel locomotive. Chris Dees
Steve Miller and Keith Kittinger enjoy lunch aboard a Tennessee Central diner in Nashville, TN.
Blair Terry – sitting in the engineer’s seat of the NC&StL locomotive 576. This was Nashville Steam Preservation Society’s annual fall open house on October 27, 2018, in Centennial Park. Nashville Steam Preservation Society has reached their goal of half a million dollars and will be moving the locomotive from Centennial Park to the Tennessee Central Railroad Museum facilities for the final restoration process.
Mother and slug (GP-40/GP-30) at Guthrie KY. November 3, 2018. Photo by Ricky Bivins.
Holy Train Night. November 6, 2018. Wally, Jim and Rich contemplate the next move on Rick’s Valley Steel Lines O Gauge train layout. Several trains can be seen.
Again at Crofton, Ky, CSX locomotive 2513 in the lead being assisted by an additional 5 CSX units in order to pull the 10,841 foot, 900 axle, 2 1/2 mile-long empty coal train. Statistics by Steve Miller. Photo by William Farrell
