Trip to Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina - 2

Hi, We were rewarded on October 12 with a grain train to the Tysons feed mill in Fruitland, TN with the two C30-7s for power.

The train left about 9 to 9:15 AM. We staked out the northern most grade crossing at Lane College

and then moved to Ameristeel Road.

When we got to Humboldt we found the grain train waiting. Soon we heard an eastbound approaching and set up at the crossing with the West Tennessee (above and below).

Once the CSX manifest cleared the grain train continued north.

We caught it once before arriving in Fruitland, about 5 miles north of Humboldt.

There were many photo ops as the crew worked the feed mill, picking up empties and dropping off loads (above and seven below).

The engines are backing on to their empties. The crew will take them north to Trenton where they will run around their train and head south.

Having arrived at Trenton they have cut off their train (another Tyson feed mill is in the background)

and backed to the station where the switch to the siding is located.

Friend Bill Kalkman posted a photo on Facebook of me taking this photo in front of the station.

Again we caught the train once between Fruitland and Humboldt (aboveand below).

At Humboldt the conductor got off the locomotive (above) and cleared the signal for the train to cross CSX (below).

When the train arrived at the switch for the Gerdau Ameristeel siding a track crew was just clearing up delaying the train a few minutes (above and two below).

Again we were able to photograph the train at Lane College and

and arriving at the yard. This location is on the other side of the track from where we photographed it October 11.

Thanks for looking.

Trip to Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina - 1

Hi, On October 10 friend Bill Kalkman and I began an 11 day trip to Tennessee, Kentucky and North Carolina with the primary purpose of photographing four shortlines; one of which was fairly new, the Blue Ridge Southern and two of which use older GE locomotives. As we were driving south on I-81 Bill asked if I knew of anything along the way so I mentioned the Shenandoah Valley and the Buckingham Branch, both with facilities in Staunton, VA.

Our first stop was the office of a feed mill behind which was parked this Precision Locomotive GP40W (former CN).

Next we went over to the Shenandoah Valley shop where we found all of their locomotives. First we photographed RS-11 #367 (one of two former Maine Central units of this model) with a C&O painted extended vision caboose (above and below).

Then we moved between two geeps, one honoring the C&O

and one the B&O.

Next we stopped at the Buckingham Branch where we were told we could photograph as long as we did not cross the tracks. Only this GP40 was in a good position. After our photo session in Staunton we drove to Jackson, TN to spend the next two nights.

Early on the morning of October 11 we visited the West Tennessee RR where we learned the Kenton Turn, which would only go as far as Humbolt that day, TN this day lead by a pair of B23-7s, would be leaving shortly with work at Gerdau Ameristeel on the north side of Jackson. Above is the train arriving,

backing into the plant,

and exiting (above and three below).

The crew dropped their train on the south side of town and then proceeded engine light to the Westrock plant on the north side of town (above and below). Westrock produces packaging.

As the engine waited for the gate to the loading dock to be opened Bill does some vegetation removal.

Having coupled to their pick up

crew departed the plant and

headed south to their waiting train (above and below).

Once back at their train on the south side of Humbolt the crew proceeded to switch the CSX interchange there (above and two below).

Back in Jackson we got the train at Lane College and

the yard entrance.

Next we returned to Humbolt to do a little more scouting and see if there was any action on CSX's Nashville to Memphis route. While we were at the diamond with the West Tennessee M791 came west and

proceeded to work the West Tennessee interchange.

We spent a second night in Jackson in hopes of getting the lines C30-7s on a train the next day. Thanks for looking.