Wisconsin & Southern Train T006 (Madison, WI to Janesville, WI manifest) arrives at Milton, Wisconsin on the morning of 01-Jul-2020. WSOR number 4223 is second in command and a long way from her original home on the Denver & Rio Grande Western. 4223 is an SD45 which has been rebuilt to SD40-2 standards, while still retaining the classic “flared” radiator section of the locomotive’s long hood.
Below: Standing as a silent sentinel to a bygone era, the former Illinois Central depot in Belleville, Wisconsin is a little worn, but is being taking care of by a local group of volunteers. The depot is an important landmark on the Badger State Trail that follows the former IC Madison, WI to Freeport, IL route.
Clinchfield F-unit number 800 is seen on the Ohio Rail Experience’s DT&I North End excursion on Saturday, October 12, 2019 at Leipsic, Ohio. Hosted by the Indiana and Ohio Railroad, the excursion on the former Detroit Toledo & Ironton north to Diann Tower, Michigan allowed many rare mileage collectors to fill in a much needed segment of Henry Ford’s railroad. Photo by Chris Dees.
As of July 8, employees have begun light locomotive repairs and inspections.
Citing a rebounding rail industry and an increase in work orders, NRE reopened its 450,000 square foot Paducah, Kentucky plant on July 8, 2019. Employees have begun making light repairs and inspections of locomotives, as well as provide other service offerings.
“We are very excited to be able to reopen the Paducah plant,” said Steven Beal, President of NRE. “The Paducah plant and its employees have a nearly 100 year history of providing quality locomotive products and services. Our goal since we shuttered it two years ago has always been to bring it back online and to get our employees back to work,” he added.
NRE is actively seeking applicants to fill available positions at the plant as the plant increases its operations. If interested, please visit www.nre.com/careers.
When full-strength, NRE Paducah provides the following services:
• New Locomotive Builds
• Remanufactured Locomotives
• Locomotive Service
• Field Service
• New Parts and Components
• Remanufactured Parts and Components
• Salvage
“The reopening of the Paducah facility is merely the beginning,” said Beal. “Paducah will be a key component of the future of our company and we look forward to growing together.”
For more information, please contact Brandon Schwartz at 618.899.5591 or b.schwartz@nre.com. – Submitted by Chris Dees
Dew(ey) This…
On July 2, 2019, one of the rare twelve Illinois Central GP28 locomotives toils on under a different shade of orange paint for Fishers Farm, Grain & Coal Company. FFG&C 1828 was originally IC 9437 and works the former Illinois Central spur west of Rantoul, Illinois to the little down of Dewey. Photo by Chris Dees.Above and Below: A farmer once said that a good crop of corn is knee high by the 4th of July. During the weeks that follow, the corn has to go to market, and that usually involves rail transportation. Seen in Gibson City, Illinois on July 01, 2019 is one of ICG’s former GP10 Paducah rebuilds of the Bloomer Line Railroad, road number 7405. Formed in 1985, the Bloomer Shippers Connecting Railroad Company (The Bloomer Line) operates the former ICG from Colfax, Illinois to Kempton, Illinois. Photos by Chris Dees Just in time for the 4th of July! Chris Dees
Pere Marquette 2-8-4 Berkshire 1223, a couple of cabooses, and the former coaling tower at Grand Haven, Michigan, stand as a proud reminder of an earlier era. After retirement in 1951, the locomotive was displayed at the Michigan State Fairgrounds in Detroit until moving to Grand Haven in 1981. Sister 1225 carries on the tradition of the family as the star attraction of the Steam Railroad Institute in Owosso, Michigan and was featured in the movie adaptation of The Polar Express. Photo taken 03/21/2019 at Grand Haven, MI by Chris Dees.
– 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.
Many of you in the Madisonville area might recall the Western Kentucky Railway, created in 1995 to take over operation of the remnants of the former Tradewater Railway. With reporting marks of WKRL, the Western Kentucky Railway owned lines from Providence to a junction at Blackford, from Blackford north to Waverly, and the line from Blackford south to Princeton. Most of the north-south line, once the main line of the Ohio Valley Railway (an Illinois Central Railroad predecessor) was abandoned in 1995 and 1996, leaving only the piece between Blackford and Dekoven . The Fredonia Valley Railroad later acquired the section from Princeton to Fredonia and it is still in operation today. The rest of the line was abandoned in 2010 and removed from Providence to Wheatcroft and the surrounding mines.
However, there was an earlier rail company by the name of Western Kentucky Railroad Company, and the way I found out about it has a lot of the similar excitement and drama of History Channel’s Curse of Oak Island television series.
I grew up in Marshall County, Kentucky, and although today’s railfans would easily recognize the Paducah & Louisville (formerly Illinois Central Kentucky Division) mainline in the northern part of the county, most are unaware of a small branch line of the Louisville & Nashville that crossed the county on a diagonal from Paducah, through the county seat of Benton, to Hardin and down to Murray. Originally the mainline of the Paducah, Tennessee & Alabama Railroad, the railroad line was transferred a couple of times before becoming the Paducah Branch of the L&N.
The 38-mile line north of Hardin to Paducah was abandoned by L&N in 1982, and a research project this past fall of 2018 resulted in a huge amount of railroad history I was never aware of, including one event that just left me scratching my head with the words “Really ???” echoing back through 35+ years.
I started with some internet searches, and soon found that the Marshall County Library had scanned the complete collections of all county newspapers since the 1880s available on-line to card-carrying members. A quick call to the main branch explaining my Marshall County roots and interest in railroad history got me the necessary credentials and access to a wealth of information. If you haven’t tried this type of research, it can be amazing and provide you with many new adventures as a member of the NRHS.
Like many abandonments of the early 1980s, local businesses and government officials fought the abandonment quite heavily, including the formation of the Purchase Area Rail Support Association, or PARSA. Consolidated Aluminum, Marshall County Soil Improvement Association, Kashway Building Materials, Treas Lumber Company, and Hardin Grain Elevator worked with L&N, fought with L&N, and tried numerous ways to preserve rail service to Benton and Hardin. On April 1, 1981, several L&N employees and railroad investors formed the Western Kentucky Railroad Company, headquartered in Paducah, in an attempt to purchase the track and form a short line railroad company. Although the attempt was unsuccessful due to not being able to agree on a reasonable price, the efforts of PARSA and WKRC did extend the life of the L&N in Marshall County, and eventually resulted in Jack Dunigan, owner of the Hardin Grain Elevator, purchasing a shorter segment from Hardin to Murray that became the J&J Railroad. In the early 1990s, the J&J Railroad was sold to Hardin Southern, who provided tourist railroad service on the line before it was abandoned in the early 2000’s.
One search revealed probably the most interesting newspaper article I have found to date regarding this railroad line, the January 1980 derailment of a 77-car coal train at Benton, Kentucky. That’s right, 77-cars of coal going up the old Paducah Branch to its final destination of TVA’s Shawnee Steam Plant. Since the L&N had part ownership of the Paducah & Illinois Railroad, it could directly service TVA. But what’s more interesting is the fact that by this time, the L&N “Memphis Line” between Guthrie, Clarksville, and Paris would have been severed at the Tennessee River bridge in Danville, Tennessee. The routing would have been via Nashville, New Johnsonville, and Bruceton. And a search of The Paducah Sun shows a clear photo not of L&N hoppers, but Norfolk & Western coal hoppers at the derailment site. Whether this was an interchanged train from N&W, an L&N detour from a more direct route via Madisonville and the ICG Kentucky Division, or what, I have yet to find out. Certainly a good mystery.
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
1st Place, West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society photo contest for September 2018 by Matt Gentry. It’s Railroad Days in Monticello, IL! During the weekend of September 15th and 16th, Monticello Railroad Museum held its annual Railroad Days providing rail entertainment for all to enjoy. From 3 different trains running between the museum grounds to the east and depot in town, to speeders and to G gauge live steam trains there is something for everyone. Seen here is Southern 2-8-0 steam locomotive #401 pulling the first excursion of the day back to the museum. Sunny skies made for an excellent day taking various photographs of the operations.
2nd Place, West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society photo contest for September 2018 by Bill Farrell. Norfolk and Southern 2603 heading up a mixed freight with help from Burlington Northern, Santa Fe 9811 and Canadian National 2179. Crossing the Kankakee River on an early 1900’s concrete bridge, in Kankakee, Il.
2nd Place, West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society photo contest for September 2018 by Bill Farrell. Norfolk and Southern 2603 heading up a mixed freight with help from Burlington Northern, Santa Fe 9811 and Canadian National 2179. Crossing the Kankakee River on an early 1900’s concrete bridge, in Kankakee, Il.
3rd, West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society photo contest for September 2018 Keith Kittenger. L&NHS convention 9-22-2018 “On the way to Lebanon Tn.
1st Place, West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society photo contest. Union Pacific 4722 leads a train northbound at the diamonds in Mount Vernon IL on July 14, 2018. iPhone photo by – Rick Bivins
2nd Place, West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society photo contest. CSXT 5287 on the lead with 377 trailing, crosses the Ohio River from Henderson, KY to Evansville, IN as it makes its way north on the Henderson Subdivision. – Photo by Bill Farrell
3rd Place, West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society photo contest. On July 5, 2018, the crew of Indiana & Ohio Railway’s 2102, Local begins the day by switching cars in the small Konrad Yard at Washington Court House, Ohio, before heading out to switch customers at the industrial park south of town. – Photo by Chris Dees
It’s 7:00 AM on 06-Jul-2018 as the crew of IORY GP38-2 number 2102 begins its workday at Washington Court House, Ohio. They will spend the morning sorting cars from Columbus, Cincinnati, and Springfield before heading south to switch the local industrial park. – Photo by Chris Dees
IORY GP38-2 number 2109 backs around the wye at Washington Court House, Ohio on the morning of 06-Jul-2018. Now on the former B&O Midland Subdivision, the crew will head northeast toward Columbus, pausing to switch the large Valero ethanol plant at Bloomingburg, OH. – Photo by Chris Dees
The former Baltimore & Ohio depot at Midland City, Ohio has seen better days, but continues to stand watch in July 2018 at the junction of Indiana & Ohio Railway’s Midland and Greenfield subdivisions. – Photo by Chris Dees
During a recent visit to Harley-Davidson of Cincinnati, this badge of honor was noted on the adjacent railroad overpass, now operated as the Indiana & Ohio Railway’s Midland Subdivision. Photo by Chris Dees.
Orange Crush – Memorial Day 2018 finds Toledo, Peoria & Western SD40-2s 3440 and 3442 resting at the railroad’s Hoosier Lift transload facility in Remington, Indiana after arriving from Peoria with the overnight turn. Photo by Chris Dees.
The Nickel Plated Spirit – May 26 and 27, 2018 saw another round of excursions by The Ohio Rail Experience, a combined effort of Cincinnati Railway Company; the Lebanon, Mason & Monroe Scenic Railroad; and the Indiana & Ohio Railroad. The Spirit of Urbana traveled along 60 miles of the former Detroit, Toledo & Ohio between Washington Court House, Maitland, and Urbana. Power for the train was NKP GP30 901. – Photo by Chris Dees.
A Mournful Morning in Mitchell – On a cold and blustery morning, GP38-2s 2640 and 2665 are westbound at Mitchell, IN with CSX local J780 from North Vernon, IN to Washington, IN. In a few moments, the train will cross the former Monon mainline, whose tracks are to be removed in 2018 when CSX abandons the line south to Louisville. Photo taken 27-Dec-2017 by Chris Dees.
On October 8, 2017 Coopersville & Marne’s Great Pumpkin Train departs Coopersville, MI, behind SW9 7014. Coopersville – a northwest suburb of Grand Rapids – is the hometown of Del Shannon, whose hit “Runaway” propelled him to fame in 1961. Photo by Chris Dees.
