Crofton Receives Gift from Chapter

February 15, 2020 Jim Pearson No Comments Bill Farrell
Left:  from left to right; Mayor Danny Lacy, Ricky Bivins, Demsie Ezell, and Bill Farrell. Chapter President, Ricky Bivins, presenting a check to Crofton Mayor Danny Lacy to be used on the cities War Memorial Park.

By Bill Farrell, Chapter Treasurer

On Thursday the 6th of February, Ricky Bivins and Bill Farrell drove to Crofton, Kentucky to make a presentation of two hundred dollars. These funds were presented to the Crofton City Council to be used for their War Memorial Park. If you have never been to this small community alongside of the CSX track in Northern Christian County at night, you should. This community is on the upswing with new businesses and civic improvements all along highway 41. The most noticeable is the new War Memorial Park which was completed about eighteen months ago. If you drive through at night you can’t miss it, clean, neat, and all lite up.

After we made the presentation of the check, we were invited to say a few words on behalf of our chapter and NRHS. Ricky did a great job of thanking their city council for all they do in allowing the chapter to have our annual picnic on Crofton City property each fall. One of the biggest assets we get is, the use of the restrooms in city hall. Mayor Danny Lacy and the entire city council were very appreciative of the check and made it known that the Western Kentucky Chapter members were always welcome to the City of Crofton.

An idea was brought forth to the members of their council that were present. The idea of a small railroad museum dedicated to the preservation of L&N and the CSX railroads. It was pointed out that the city of Crofton was in a prime location for a venue of this type. The fact that the city is divided by the main line of CSX makes it a perfect location for a museum and “railfanning”. We pointed out that I-169 is just three quarters of a mile from downtown Crofton. Spring, summer and fall would be perfect for tourism in this little North Christian community. The Western Kentucky Chapter members have enough L&N, and CSX artifacts that we could fill most any building they might want to use. Of course, any item used in the museum would be on loan by the owner.  We offered our assistance in this effort if the city wanted to explore the possibilities in the future.

As a group we talked for about twenty-five or thirty minutes. All people present seemed very interested in a project of this nature. Ricky and myself pointed out the possibilities of obtaining money for such a project through local and federal grants. At one point I turned to Ricky and said “we have to leave; we are using up all their council meeting time”. Before leaving Mayor Lacy brought up an idea of having a structure erected that would resemble the old Crofton depot so people could sit and watch CSX rolling stock pass through their fair city.

As Ricky and I stepped out into the cold snow filled air, we too were excited about the possibilities for this small town. As we made our way through the parking lot, I couldn’t help notice the excitement in my comrade’s voice. I asked him would he be willing to work on such a project, of course the answer was, yes. As I turned my SUV south on highway 41, I couldn’t help to think about Mayor Lacey’s idea of building a permanent structure for people to sit under. Then it hit me, what about the old Sebree, Kentucky depot? What a perfect fit for Crofton, a station built by L&N brought back to life beside its former main line.

Just before Ricky and I departed for the evening I told him, “the ball is now in Crofton’s hands, let’s see what they do with it”.

Fairbanks-Morse Erie-built diesels lead the Milwaukee Road’s…

January 20, 2020 Jim Pearson No Comments Photo Section

Fairbanks-Morse Erie-built diesels lead the Milwaukee Road’s Olympian Hiawatha at Beverly, Wash., on Feb 11, 1949.  The train is running as an extra because snow slides in the Cascade Range have put it about 20 hours late.

  Operating rules state that any timetable-scheduled train, more than 12 hours late on the posted schedule, loses both right and class and can no longer proceed and further movement must be as “Extra,”   or unscheduled train, authorized by Train Orders.   Hence the white flags displayed high near windshield.

The train has just descended the 2.2 % grade down the Saddle Mountains, and the rear of this train is still over the Columbia River. Those mountains in the background are part of the Army’s Yakima Firing Range. No trains pass through Beverly, or cross the river today.   The track is gone and the right-of-way is part of the Iron Horse State Park and the John Wayne Trail system. The bridge itself, the vital missing link in the cross-state trail system, has been closed to the public for safety concerns.  Plans are being formulated to deck the surface and open for non-motorized use. 

These shiny new FM units are opposed-piston diesel powered, an engine developed for marine use, mostly submarines.  They produced tremendous horsepower proportion to their size, however, not considered wildly successful in rail use.   They had a bad habit of cracked cylinder casings, and when that occurred you could see them coming for miles, just like a steam engine. 

The late Wade Stevenson, a 35-year Milwaukee Road employee, worked in the Othello, Washington roundhouse most of those years.  An avid photographer, he used public transportation and his rail-pass traveling the country recording history.  He never married, never owned a car. 

credits:   Pix by Wade Stevenson,   text assist by D. T. Sprau

Against a setting sun, a Union Pacific Railroad shipment of Canadian potash…

January 20, 2020 Jim Pearson No Comments Gary O. Ostlund, Photo Section
Photo (and caption) by Gary O. Ostlund

Against a setting sun, a Union Pacific Railroad shipment of Canadian potash is crossing the Snake River on a 3920′ long viaduct.  The Canadian Pacific Railway exchanges this and other traffic with the UPRR at the British Columbia border northeast of Spokane.  The Joso Viaduct, opened on September 15, 1914, is reported to be the last major “hot rivet” railroad bridge built in the west, although verification is elusive.  The bridge was the centerpiece of a new direct and more efficient U.P. line reaching into the Inland Empire.  The rail is 240′ above the water.  The bridge crosses the Snake near Starbuck, Washington, once an important UPRR town.                       

Building of the four notorious dams on the mighty Snake has flooded the region including some of the bridge piers.  Concrete encapsulates the four tallest piers in the river due to higher water.  This lake is the back pool of Lower Monumental Dam, about 20 miles downstream.               

I used this picture and story in my “railfan Christmas card” in 2000.  As you have seen by now, I do like sunsets and silhouettes.  This shot was taken from the Lions Ferry State Park campground, obviously one of my favorite RV stops.

About a mile upstream is a recycled steel highway bridge.  The state highway department took it apart, piece by piece, transported over a hundred miles and reassembled. That bridge and the ferry it replaced will be a subject for another day.

 

November 2019 – Ricky’s Replies

January 20, 2020 Jim Pearson No Comments Rick Bivins, Ricky's Replies
Ricky Bivins, Chapter President

Greetings,

Hello again National Railway Historical Society, Western Kentucky Chapter members, and welcome to November. Cool (cold) weather is here!

We will have many things to discuss this month relating to upcoming events. The Christmas Show cancellation, Breakfast with Santa and the upcoming Christmas dinner. Also, we will make our second and final call for nominees for officers as our election will be held this month. Your attendance to these meetings and events is paramount. We need everyone’s collective energy to make things work.

As for elections, we had our first call for nominees last month, remember, everyone is eligible to hold an office. We have the offices of President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Chapter Representative. If you would like to hold an office, nominate yourself and don’t be bashful. I do not plan to run for president. I wish to pass the torch so to speak. So, speak up, be heard. YOU can be President!!!

Blair’s October UP 4014 program was a hit. Thanks Blair.  The final photo contest has wrapped up. Jim will fill us in on same.  Bill Farrell will have the final jacket order in hand, now we can all look sharp!  I know Keith has been working on Breakfast with Santa, thanks Keith.  Rich Hane suffered a fall this week. Not too serious I understand. We want to wish him a speedy recovery.

There will be more so be sure to attend. And again, step up and lead our Chapter in 2020!

Rick

November 13, 2019 – What a day!! I chased Union Pacific’s 4014…

January 20, 2020 Jim Pearson No Comments Jim Pearson, Photo Section

November 13, 2019 – What a day!! I chased Union Pacific’s 4014 “Big Boy” from Prescott to Little Rock, Arkansas and couldn’t have asked for better weather! The cold really made the steam and smoke pop! Here we see 4014 as it departs Prescott early in the morning, after a slight delay to let two trains pass it. There’s just something about a steam locomotive when it pokes its nose out of a cloud of steam!

November 12, 2019 – Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 sits tied down…

January 20, 2020 Jim Pearson No Comments Jim Pearson, Photo Section

November 12, 2019 – Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 sits tied down at the Prescott, Arkansas depot, after its run for the day up the Little Rock Subdivision. Tomorrow morning it’ll depart at 9am CST for Little Rock where it’ll be on display till Friday morning before continuing it’s move back to Cheyenne, Wyoming.  According to Wikipedia: The Missouri Pacific Depot of Prescott, Arkansas is located at 300 West 1st Street North. It is a 1-1/2 story red brick building, with a breezeway dividing it into two sections. One section continues to be reserved for railroad storage, while the other, the former passenger ticketing and waiting area, has been adapted for use by the local chamber of commerce and as a local history museum. It was built in 1911-12 by the Prescott and Northwestern Railroad, which interconnected with the Missouri-Pacific Railroad at Prescott. The line had passenger service until 1945.

The building is now known as the Nevada County Depot and Museum. Exhibits include area settlers, railroads, and military items from World War I, World War II, the American Legion, National Guard of the United States, 1941 U.S. Army maneuvers in Prescott.  The depot building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

November 12, 2019 – Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” 4014…

January 20, 2020 Jim Pearson No Comments Jim Pearson, Photo Section

November 12, 2019 – Union Pacific’s “Big Boy” 4014 puts out a huge plume of steam in the cold November air as it departs Hope, Arkansas and heads north on the UP Little Rock Subdivision on its way to Prescott, AR where it will tie down for the night. I’m doing my first chase on the “Big Boy” today and tomorrow as it heads for Little Rock, AR.

According to Wikipedia: The Union Pacific Big Boy is a type of simple articulated 4-8-8-4 steam locomotive manufactured by the American Locomotive Company between 1941 and 1944 and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad in revenue service until 1959.

The 25 Big Boy locomotives were built to haul freight over the Wasatch mountains between Ogden, Utah, and Green River, Wyoming. In the late 1940s, they were reassigned to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where they hauled freight over Sherman Hill to Laramie, Wyoming. They were the only locomotives to use a 4-8-8-4 wheel arrangement: four-wheel leading truck for stability entering curves, two sets of eight driving wheels and a four-wheel trailing truck to support the large firebox.

Eight Big Boys survive, most on static display at museums across the country. This one, No. 4014, was re-acquired by Union Pacific and restored to operating condition in 2019, regaining the title as the largest and most powerful operating steam locomotive in the world.

November 2019 Photo Contest Winners

January 20, 2020 Jim Pearson No Comments Chapter Photo Contest, Photo Contest Winners
West Kentucky Chapter of the NRHS Photo Contest Winner – 1st Place November – 2019 – CSX coal train (N015) heads south on a snowy night in Guthrie, KY. – Photo by Cooper Smith
West Kentucky Chapter of the NRHS Photo Contest Winner – 2nd Place – The daily Chattanooga-Louisville manifest #172 is taking the siding at “Bryan” in Louisville, KY on 11-9-2019. The #172 almost always has a nice set of power leading. – Photo by Bill Grady
West Kentucky Chapter of the NRHS Photo Contest Winner – 3rd Place – November 5, 2019 – F7P in push-pull configuration pictured at Branson Station, Branson, Missouri. – Photo by Jim Kemp

September 2019 Chapter Photo Contest Winners

October 26, 2019 Jim Pearson No Comments Chapter Photo Contest, Photo Contest Winners

September 2019 Photo Contest Results

We had a total of nine entries for the July 2019 chapter photo contest and the chapter members selected the winners during our October 2019 meeting.

Our last contest of 2019 will run from November 1-15th and the deadline for entries will be November 17th, 2019. Send your entries to me (no more than 2 per paid chapter member) at webmaster@westkentuckynrhs.org or jim@jimpearsonphotography.com by midnight on November 17th!

  • First Place, September 2019, West Kentucky NRHS Photo Contest – The East Chattanooga Station Platform during the night photo session of the 2019 L&N Railroad Convention at Chattanooga, Tennessee. – Photo by Keith Kittinger
  • Second Place, September 2019, West Kentucky NRHS Photo Contest – It’s a warm September afternoon on Lake Michigan in southern Wisconsin and number 4606 (nicknamed the Green Hornet) has pulled streetcar duty today for the Kenosha Transit System. Established in 2000, the two mile route through the downtown and park districts is one of Kenosha’s major attractions, hosting over 65,000 riders a year. – Photo by Chris Dees
  • Third Place, September 2019, West Kentucky NRHS Photo Contest – Saturday, September 28, 2019. NB at Crofton KY during the NRHS Chapter Picnic. – Photo by Rick Ricky Bivins

Rusty Rails on the Morganfield Branch

October 26, 2019 Jim Pearson No Comments Bill Thomas, Pickin' the points

by Bill Thomas, editor

August 17, 2019 – CSXT 972 leads a load of 75 coal cars on J800-16 as they round the curve coming approaching the Happy Lane Crossing on the Morganfield Branch at Manitou, Kentucky. This one of the last trains to pickup a load of coal from Dotki Mine in Clay, Ky since it ceased operations on August 14th, 2019. Photo and caption by Jim Pearson.

For 16 years now, I’ve watched the Morganfield branch (or what’s left of it to Dotiki Mine) host hundreds of coal trains bringing the powerful mineral topside to help power our country.  Little did I know that when that last train rolled out from under the tipple it would signal the end of a 52-year stretch of mining in one facility.  I was 4 years old when they started. 

Since the late Dennis Carnal took me on a tour of western Hopkins and Webster counties almost 15 years ago, I’ve been fascinated with history of mining that contributed to the success of the branch from Madisonville to Diamond.  Now as I drive school buses in the area and cross it at Happy Lane, Columbia School House Rd, Bernard St., Schmetzer’s Crossing, and SR 814, in see rust collecting on the shiny rails.  The stacks of old ties bundled for re-use at home & garden centers and landscaping companies, the brand new asphalt crossings mentioned above speak of the volatile and often unexpected turns made in the coal industry these days. 

No matter the reason, dirty coal, economic imbalance, or the continued battle against the coal industry in general, the trains are gone and now I wish I’d ventured out and taken more pictures.  How we are lulled by the continuous sight of the passing train – thinking, “I’ll catch it next time when the weather is better or I have more time or when the light is better – or when I have my good camera instead of my iPhone.” 

But, the great thing about being in a group like The Western Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is we are closely connected with those who often carry a good camera and are purposeful about getting those treasured photos.  So here’s my tribute to those in the chapter who get the shots – good light or bad.  Thank you for sharing your work on our website and social media outlets.  Thanks for burning the gas and taking the time so the rest of  us can enjoy the memories.