CSX Transportation Historical Society

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CSX - Big Sandy SD and Misc. - Winter 2022

Rail Fan Adventure --

Lots of interesting locos and rolling stock showing up particularly on ethanol and manifest trains. Being retired since May 27th, I have more of an opportunity to view what goes by the west end of Pauley every day...and chase it if I like!

1. View of north end of the former L&N yard at Ravenna KY. The Eastern Kentucky Subdivision is presumably still inactive between Typo (Hazard) and Patio (Winchester), although I took this photo over a year ago on 06-12-2021. The historically busy yard was being used for covered hopper storage. I was attending the Kentucky Rail Heritage open house to view the progress on restoring former C&O K-4 2716. They use the former CSX blue metal car shop in the distance. CSX yard.
View of north end of the former L&N yard at Ravenna KY. The Eastern Kentucky Subdivision is presumably still inactive between Typo (Hazard) and Patio (Winchester), although I took this photo over a year ago on 06-12-2021. The historically busy yard was being used for covered hopper storage. I was attending the Kentucky Rail Heritage open house to view the progress on restoring former C&O K-4 2716. They use the former CSX blue metal car shop in the distance. CSX yard.

2. CSX yard. View 2. Ravenna KY.
CSX yard. View 2. Ravenna KY.

3. Looking north at “Irvine” toward Patio. 06-12-2021. CSX signal. Ravenna KY.
Looking north at “Irvine” toward Patio. 06-12-2021. CSX signal. Ravenna KY.

4. View at east end of CSX South Charleston WV yard looking west. SD40-2 2428 is the yard engine. I-64 in the distance. 06-18-2021.
View at east end of CSX South Charleston WV yard looking west. SD40-2 2428 is the yard engine. I-64 in the distance. 06-18-2021.

5. CSX 3273-3443-3077-356 rumble westbound with a long string of empty tubs for the coal fields. The scale is on the left. Now we head to the antique mall. 06-18-2021. S Charleston WV.
CSX 3273-3443-3077-356 rumble westbound with a long string of empty tubs for the coal fields. The scale is on the left. Now we head to the antique mall. 06-18-2021. S Charleston WV.

6. CSX 5347-8906 parked on the loading loop at Gibson County Coal on the outskirts of Princeton IN. NS also serves this big mine. 08-30-2021.
CSX 5347-8906 parked on the loading loop at Gibson County Coal on the outskirts of Princeton IN. NS also serves this big mine. 08-30-2021.

7. CSX 8906 is a rare SD70ACe-T4. Princeton IN. CSX 5347-8906.
CSX 8906 is a rare SD70ACe-T4. Princeton IN. CSX 5347-8906.

8. CSX 3076-351 rolls north on the CE&D Sub. (Evansville-Chicago). That’s NS’s Louisville-St. Louis line in the foreground which the CSX manifest will cross in a few seconds. Princeton can be a busy railroad location. 08-30-2021. Princeton IN.
CSX 3076-351 rolls north on the CE&D Sub. (Evansville-Chicago). That’s NS’s Louisville-St. Louis line in the foreground which the CSX manifest will cross in a few seconds. Princeton can be a busy railroad location. 08-30-2021. Princeton IN.

9. CSX SD40-2 8040 heads up a line of units at Huntington Locomotive Shop awaiting repair on 11-27-2021. Behind 8040 are “SD40-3” rebuilds 4033-4004-4034. Years ago we wouldn’t have had a fence to contend with.
CSX SD40-2 8040 heads up a line of units at Huntington Locomotive Shop awaiting repair on 11-27-2021. Behind 8040 are “SD40-3” rebuilds 4033-4004-4034. Years ago we wouldn’t have had a fence to contend with.

10. CSX 3172-3293-5107 head e/b U903-19 (Russell to Shelby empties) up Big Sandy at Savage Branch KY, with 230 tubs on 01-21-2022. Marathon Oil’s refinery is around the curve.
CSX 3172-3293-5107 head e/b U903-19 (Russell to Shelby empties) up Big Sandy at Savage Branch KY, with 230 tubs on 01-21-2022. Marathon Oil’s refinery is around the curve.

11. Clear signal on #2 Track. The steam is from Calgon Corporations activated carbon plant. That’s old US 23 on the right. CSX 3272-3293-5107. Savage Branch.
Clear signal on #2 Track. The steam is from Calgon Corporations activated carbon plant. That’s old US 23 on the right. CSX 3272-3293-5107. Savage Branch.

12. AK Steel (now Cleveland Cliffs) 1223 heads a string of gons loaded with scrap from the former Armco steel mill being demolished. In the distance is the new Russell-Ironton bridge. 01-25-2022. Ashland KY.
AK Steel (now Cleveland Cliffs) 1223 heads a string of gons loaded with scrap from the former Armco steel mill being demolished. In the distance is the new Russell-Ironton bridge. 01-25-2022. Ashland KY.

13. AK Steel 1223 is an EMD model SW1001. This model with a low clearance cab found favor with Birmingham Southern and Reading. NS still has two, one of which is used as a shop switcher at Altoona. This engine was originally at Armco’s Middletown mill. Ashland KY.
AK Steel 1223 is an EMD model SW1001. This model with a low clearance cab found favor with Birmingham Southern and Reading. NS still has two, one of which is used as a shop switcher at Altoona. This engine was originally at Armco’s Middletown mill. Ashland KY.

14. A couple a weeks later Amanda blast furnace made the news when it was demolished. Hopefully Cleveland Cliffs has a plan to repurpose this huge river bottom acreage that will mean employment. 01-25-2022. AK Steel 1223. Ashland KY.
A couple a weeks later Amanda blast furnace made the news when it was demolished. Hopefully Cleveland Cliffs has a plan to repurpose this huge river bottom acreage that will mean employment. 01-25-2022. AK Steel 1223. Ashland KY.

15. CSX 3358 heads a 190-car manifest Q303 (Russell to Cincinnati) by DG Cabin at Edington KY. 01-25-2022.
CSX 3358 heads a 190-car manifest Q303 (Russell to Cincinnati) by DG Cabin at Edington KY. 01-25-2022.

16. On such a long train CSX 3458 was the DPU. Edgington KY.
On such a long train CSX 3458 was the DPU. Edgington KY.

17. CSX 711-4574 followed a short time later with coal train T631 (Pardee mine in Logan County to Indiana Harbor Belt via Gibson IN to ArcelorMittal USA steel mill). This train will go via Columbus and Fostoria. 01-25-2022. DG Cabin. Edgington KY.
CSX 711-4574 followed a short time later with coal train T631 (Pardee mine in Logan County to Indiana Harbor Belt via Gibson IN to ArcelorMittal USA steel mill). This train will go via Columbus and Fostoria. 01-25-2022. DG Cabin. Edgington KY.

18. CP 7020 is a “SD70ACU” converted from a SD9043MAC. UP had a bunch of SD9043MACs, but I can’t confirm that’s where it came from. Shelby KY. 03-08-2022.
CP 7020 is a “SD70ACU” converted from a SD9043MAC. UP had a bunch of SD9043MACs, but I can’t confirm that’s where it came from. Shelby KY. 03-08-2022.

19. CP 7020. View 2. Shelby KY.
CP 7020. View 2. Shelby KY.

20. CP has several that commemorates various branches of service. This one is for the Canadian Army. CP 7020. Shelby KY.
CP has several that commemorates various branches of service. This one is for the Canadian Army. CP 7020. Shelby KY.

21. This s/b loaded ethanol train with CSX 3207 will leave off the main line as soon as a crew arrives. 03-08-2022. CP 7020-CSX 3207. Shelby KY.
This s/b loaded ethanol train with CSX 3207 will leave off the main line as soon as a crew arrives. 03-08-2022. CP 7020-CSX 3207. Shelby KY.

All for now.

Train images used by permission of Everett N Young