CSX Transportation Historical Society

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CSX - Big Sandy SD - Summer 2022 #2

Rail Fan Adventure --

Here are the rest to round out the “Summer of ‘22.” It’s amazing how many trains you can chase when you’re retired and don’t have to work! LOL!

1. One of my neighbors (a doctor’s wife) ran into this slow moving rail train. Railroads don’t use “stop, look & listen” anymore, but she even failed to heed the non-standard “stop” sign that my neighbor attached. Nothing damaged except her SUV. This is the third such accident that I know of over the years. You’all have seen my various photos taken here. There’s plenty of sight distance. CSX 4550. WE Pauley. 08-12-2022.
One of my neighbors (a doctor’s wife) ran into this slow moving rail train. Railroads don’t use “stop, look & listen” anymore, but she even failed to heed the non-standard “stop” sign that my neighbor attached. Nothing damaged except her SUV. This is the third such accident that I know of over the years. You’all have seen my various photos taken here. There’s plenty of sight distance. CSX 4550. WE Pauley. 08-12-2022.

2. CSX 4550. Collision. WE Pauley.
CSX 4550. Collision. WE Pauley.

3. After a while, W020-08 got moving. Here it is arriving Shelby KY behind CSX SD70MAC 4550.
After a while, W020-08 got moving. Here it is arriving Shelby KY behind CSX SD70MAC 4550.

4. CSX 4550. Shelby KY.
CSX 4550. Shelby KY.

5. M652-15 will shortly leave west off the main line behind CSX 808-730. This day M652 has 15 load, 17 empties and is 4529 ft. in length (may have been the tonnage, I’m not sure). It didn’t have a DPU. Shelby KY. 08-17-2022.
M652-15 will shortly leave west off the main line behind CSX 808-730. This day M652 has 15 load, 17 empties and is 4529 ft. in length (may have been the tonnage, I’m not sure). It didn’t have a DPU. Shelby KY. 08-17-2022.

6. CSX 213 on work train W371-20 switched in the yard. Shelby KY. 08-20-2022.
CSX 213 on work train W371-20 switched in the yard. Shelby KY. 08-20-2022.

7. CSX 3092 M692-06 gets a clear signal on #2 track at FO Cabin KY. 09-9-2022.
CSX 3092 M692-06 gets a clear signal on #2 track at FO Cabin KY. 09-9-2022.

8. This day CSX 3092 M692 had 16 loads and 78 empties. Most of the covered hoppers are probably empty going back to the Midwest. FO Cabin KY.
This day CSX 3092 M692 had 16 loads and 78 empties. Most of the covered hoppers are probably empty going back to the Midwest. FO Cabin KY.

9. CSX DPU 7273 adds its muscle. FO Cabin KY.
CSX DPU 7273 adds its muscle. FO Cabin KY.

10. Medium clear for another westbound coming on track #1. CSX signal. FO Cabin KY.
Medium clear for another westbound coming on track #1. CSX signal. FO Cabin KY.

11. CSX 277 and an unidentified unit head westbound work train W371. FO Cabin KY.
CSX 277 and an unidentified unit head westbound work train W371. FO Cabin KY.

12. CSX 277. FO Cabin KY.
CSX 277. FO Cabin KY.

13. CSX 277. Rip-rap is still moving on Big Sandy. Some days a single car work train will be sent west to be dumped. There’s a bunch of side dumps and ballast cars at Shelby now. Often there are cuts of this stuff in the manifests. And random cars will not be dumped. I suspect they may have had a mechanical failure with the apparatus. FO Cabin KY. 09-09-2022.
CSX 277. Rip-rap is still moving on Big Sandy. Some days a single car work train will be sent west to be dumped. There’s a bunch of side dumps and ballast cars at Shelby now. Often there are cuts of this stuff in the manifests. And random cars will not be dumped. I suspect they may have had a mechanical failure with the apparatus. FO Cabin KY. 09-09-2022.

14. CSX 850-514 switched their M652 at Shelby KY on 09-14-2022.
CSX 850-514 switched their M652 at Shelby KY on 09-14-2022.

15. CSX 850-514. Time to grab the grips and go to Russell. R279-14 has 213. Shelby KY.
CSX 850-514. Time to grab the grips and go to Russell. R279-14 has 213. Shelby KY.

16. CSX 850-514 M652 departed down the switching lead (becomes #2 at Fords Branch) with 4 loads, 34 empties and 1,778 tons. Shelby KY.
CSX 850-514 M652 departed down the switching lead (becomes #2 at Fords Branch) with 4 loads, 34 empties and 1,778 tons. Shelby KY.

17. Mine run R279-14 departed behind M652 with CSX 213-3078-993. They are going to the wye at MP CML 14.1 on the Coal Run SD to turn the engines. Don’t ask; I haven’t a clue why. I wish I had followed them over there because using that wye to the Winns spur these days is a very rare event. They came back by the house a couple of hours later heading to Shelby. 09-14-2022. Shelby KY.
Mine run R279-14 departed behind M652 with CSX 213-3078-993. They are going to the wye at MP CML 14.1 on the Coal Run SD to turn the engines. Don’t ask; I haven’t a clue why. I wish I had followed them over there because using that wye to the Winns spur these days is a very rare event. They came back by the house a couple of hours later heading to Shelby. 09-14-2022. Shelby KY.

18. CSX medium approach signal at the east end of Shelby for M653-15 to switch. He’s not ready to leave so JAX only gives him this signal to pull out onto the main. Shelby KY. 09-16-2022.
CSX medium approach signal at the east end of Shelby for M653-15 to switch. He’s not ready to leave so JAX only gives him this signal to pull out onto the main. Shelby KY. 09-16-2022.

19. CSX 705-141 was parked in one of the shorter yard tracks and has to double to #2 in the foreground. Shelby KY.
CSX 705-141 was parked in one of the shorter yard tracks and has to double to #2 in the foreground. Shelby KY.

20. CSX 705-141. Shelby KY.
CSX 705-141. Shelby KY.

21. CSX DPU 7009. About this time the 141 shut down.T he engineer called the JAX mechanical desk, and together they got the unit started. M653-15 would leave with 93 loads, 27 empties, 13,144 tons at 7,394 ft. The engineer had reservations should the unit fail on the run to Kingsport with the long grade between Elkhorn City and Sandy Ridge Tunnel (see profile below). Shelby KY.
CSX DPU 7009. About this time the 141 shut down.T he engineer called the JAX mechanical desk, and together they got the unit started. M653-15 would leave with 93 loads, 27 empties, 13,144 tons at 7,394 ft. The engineer had reservations should the unit fail on the run to Kingsport with the long grade between Elkhorn City and Sandy Ridge Tunnel (see profile below). Shelby KY.

22. CSX 705-141 M653 came off the C&O making a charge for the Clinchfield at the site of the old Elkhorn City depot. You can see the grade commence in this shot. Elkhorn City.
CSX 705-141 M653 came off the C&O making a charge for the Clinchfield at the site of the old Elkhorn City depot. You can see the grade commence in this shot. Elkhorn City.

23. CSX 705-151. As usual the speed gradually drops as the trains hit the 1.2 percent grade. Then M653 stalled! Elkhorn City.
CSX 705-151. As usual the speed gradually drops as the trains hit the 1.2 percent grade. Then M653 stalled! Elkhorn City.

24. CSX 7009 DPU. With help from the mechanical desk 141 got started and M653 got moving again being mostly on the steep grade. I hope this engineer didn’t have more trouble down the road before his run ended. Elkhorn City KY. 09-16-2022.
CSX 7009 DPU. With help from the mechanical desk 141 got started and M653 got moving again being mostly on the steep grade. I hope this engineer didn’t have more trouble down the road before his run ended. Elkhorn City KY. 09-16-2022.

25. CRR Condensed Profil page 1.
CRR Condensed Profil page 1.

26. CRR Condensed Profile page 2.
CRR Condensed Profile page 2.

27. CRR Condensed Profile page 3.
CRR Condensed Profile page 3.

28. CRR Condensed Profile page 4.
CRR Condensed Profile page 4.

29. Before reaching home, I caught M692-15 westbound near FO Cabin behind CSX 3260-975. This is the site of the old Chaparral Coal Umet tipple. The gravel road up to FO was their siding. 09-16-2022.
Before reaching home, I caught M692-15 westbound near FO Cabin behind CSX 3260-975. This is the site of the old Chaparral Coal Umet tipple. The gravel road up to FO was their siding. 09-16-2022

All for now.

Train images used by permission of Everett N Young