If you recall my article earlier this year about my Hook Line & Singer RR, well here are pictures of the historic line senza rails and ties. Sad but true. Plans are in the works to relocate the trackage at a higher elevation where crews can access the line more easily. – Bill Thomas
“Like an ancient fossil, the imprint of a fallen leaf on a rusty rail preserves its image until the next train comes along.” That is a direct quote from the regular feature Final Frame in Railfan and Railroad Magazine, September 200l. No location is listed, and I don’t know Bradley McClelland the photographer. But, I’ll bet both are well east of the Mississippi. One of you horticulturists may ID the leaf.
I have to differ with the caption, in that the next train has already appeared. That shiny edge is the inside of the rail, probably on a curve to the left. Pretty much only the flange of the wheels made contact with the rail. On straight track more of the leaf image would have disappeared.
This is jointed rail, probably the typical 39′ length, as you can see one of the four rail bolts, with the nut showing. Just thought this was a neat twist to toss in a little of Mother Nature’s artwork this “Fall” week.
Gary
Chapter member Bob Moffet passed on October 9, 2022.
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Pix is from Kalmbach’s Classic Trains special “Trains go to War.” My guess is they used the shipping crate. Modifying it slightly to resemble a boxcar, and directed the exhaust downward to be disbursed among the desert sand. (Yankee Ingenuity at its best), Gary O. Ostlund
Rail safety has always been a high priority. Technology has provided the industry with a wide variety of devices to keep us safe, and the railroads from being sued. Even so, railroading is still a dangerous profession, and grade crossings still claim many victims.
Ditch lights, those twin headlights about five feet apart at eye level on the front of locomotives create a triangle of bright light on an approaching train. When the engineer blows the whistle, the ditch lights flash alternately as an added alert for the wary automobile or pedestrian.
It’s been widely reported that ditch lights were the creation of the Canadian railroads in their western mountains. These lights could peek around tight corners spotting fallen rock or other problems. Soon other railroads went along and by the mid-90s most railroad locomotives in the Americas had them. The Federal Railway Administration has since mandated them.
But, wait a second. Look at the second picture to the right. Seems the Russkies beat us to the punch just like Sputnik in 1957. The Russian steamer appeared in the August 1958 TRAINS Magazine. Photo Credits: B&LE 905 – Michael S. Murray, Russian Steamer #251 – J. N. Westwood
This multi-trip, three-day event will operate Friday, January 20th, Saturday the 21st, and Sunday the 22nd.
Trips will feature day-long train rides, multiple photo opportunities, and onboard appetizer and non-alcoholic drink service each day. One day will be behind steam locomotive Sugar Express No. 148 and the other two behind South Central Florida Express diesel locomotives. Three-day packages will be available for $400. Ticket sales begin October 5th.
For more information go to https://sugarexpress.com/rare-mileage-excursion/
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A Moment in Time – It’s August 25, 1994, as Midwest Coal Handling prepares to depart P&L’s Central City, Kentucky yard back to TVA’s Paradise Steam Plant. The four locomotive consist included CF7 2508, GP7u 2005, CF7 2525, and another unidentified CF7. CF7 2525 was still wearing the paint of previous owner Nashville & Eastern. Today CF7 2508 survives in Enid, Oklahoma serving Consolidated Grain & Barge. Photo by Evan Werkema, Chris Dees collection.
We want to remember the family of former chapter member Chuck Hinrichs who passed away August 1, 2022, at the age of 92. Graveside services were held at Kentucky Veteran’s Cemetery West Thursday, August 4, 2022 at 11:00a.m. Chuck served the West Kentucky Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society for several years as the newsletter editor and helped me get my start at it when he decided to give it up. I always appreciated his somewhat dry sense of humor and admired his railroad history knowledge, especially of the IC. – ed.
by Chris Dees
It’s August 1, 2022, and the email from Jim Pearson regarding the passing of long-time chapter member Chuck Hinrichs arrived in the early afternoon as I was returning from lunch. Today marked the start of another year with my current employer in the Milwaukee area, and Jim’s email brought back many comforting and happy memories of chapter meetings, train trips, and railfan adventures with Chuck that made me smile as the tears welled up inside. Bill Thomas has been requesting “how did you get into the hobby” stories for future newsletters, so I thought I would pass along a few remembrances of how Chuck got me interested in a wonderful aspect of the hobby – diesel locomotives.
My first introduction to Chuck occurred 10 years before I actually had a chance to meet him. Growing up in the far western part of Kentucky, Paducah was about the only true place I had ever “railfanned” by the time the February 1983 issue of Trains rolled onto the shelves of the local Readmore bookstore. Inside was the story of three Kentucky railfans – Jerry Mart, Timothy Baggett, and Chuck Hinrichs – detailing their July 29, 1982 visit to the Illinois Central Gulf in far southwest Kentucky during what was termed a “Slow Day in the Fulton Triangle”.
This article, documenting “when 27 trains ran and 22 didn’t”, was like opening pandora’s box for a then 12-year old railfan like myself. Fulton was only 52 miles away at the other end of the Jackson Purchase Parkway, and I begged Mom and Dad to drive down one Sunday after church to see the Illinois Central Gulf put on a show. It wouldn’t be the last time I went to Fulton, having spent many days just off Murray Street instead of studying at Murray State from 1989 to 1992. Chuck got the final frame of the 1983 article’s photo spread – a shot of northbound Birmingham-Chicago train BC-4 with ICG SD40 6000, GP35 2504, and GP30 2267 departing Fulton after making a set-out.
I discovered more of Chuck’s photography skills and his amazing knowledge of diesel locomotives through another magical place, The Hobby Shop in Hopkinsville. The Hobby Shop carried several railfan magazines that the local shop in Paducah did not: Pacific Rail News, CTC Board, and Extra 2200 South (aka “The Locomotive Newsmagazine”). Long before e-mail, Facebook and cell phone technology, Extra 2200 was THE magazine for learning about new locomotive orders, sales of locomotives to the plethora of new startup short line railroads, and just about anything diesel locomotive related (frame numbers, serial numbers, etc.). Chuck was a regular contributor to Extra 2200 South, and his knack for finding the rare, obscure, and one-of-a-kind locomotives was exceptionally detailed in several reports and photographs. A November 1989 photo at Princeton documented the brief time that former ICG GP38 9526 was patched up for up-and-coming locomotive rebuilder VMV Enterprises of Paducah.
In 1993, I finally met Chuck at the Thursday evening sessions at Don Clayton’s, and the monthly NRHS chapter meetings at the Madisonville depot. I remember Chuck being a very motivated and contributing member to the chapter, always ready to lend a hand, taking over editing of the monthly newsletter for a period of time, and representing the chapter during many director meetings on the national level. His knowledge of locomotives and the ongoing sales, swaps and new locomotive rebuilding was simply amazing in the pre-Internet era. Two railfan adventures with Chuck, one in the Centralia, Illinois area and one in the Lafayette, Indiana were epic adventures to say the least – a perusal of the chapter newsletter archives will forever be a testament to Chuck’s love of his fellow railfans and chapter members.
As I wrap up this tribute to Chuck, I have the chapter’s DVD “P&L – the first year” ready to go in the DVD for a walk down memory lane – it is narrated by Mr. Hinrichs himself, in that voice and demeanor only Chuck had. Even though it might have been a “Slow Day in the Fulton Triangle”, any time railfanning with friends sure makes for a great day of cherished memories. Rest in Peace.
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CSX has joined the relief effort in eastern Kentucky, where heavy rain on July 27 led to widespread flooding, forcing hundreds of people from their homes; at least 35 people died. The region is home to many CSX families, several of whom have been affected, according to the Class I railroad.
CSX reported on Aug. 10 that it has contributed $50,000 to the American Red Cross for disaster relief and $25,000 to the Team Eastern Kentucky Flood Relief Fund. It also provided $5,000 and transportation services to Kentucky Steam Heritage Corporation (KSHC). KSHC assembled former Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus housing cars into a nine-car train to provide 100 beds for relief workers in the region; CSX took on the job of moving the train into position as close as safely possible to the affected area.
CSX is now is matching employee donations—up to $1,000, dollar-for-dollar—to the CSX Employees Disaster Relief Fund (EDRF) or the Red Cross through its Matching Gifts program. The CSX Employees Disaster Relief Fund provides financial assistance to employees who have suffered severe damage to their homes and property, according to the railroad. It said that donations to the Red Cross will support the wide range of assistance under way, including working with community and government agencies to assess damage and support emergency needs. The Red Cross is providing shelter, food and health services to families who lost their homes and belongings; Team Eastern Kentucky, formed by Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, is also assisting.
“The flooding has disrupted the lives of many CSX employees and their families,” CSX Vice President of Corporate Communications Bryan Tucker said. “They’re experiencing significant financial hardship, and I encourage all CSX employees to consider helping your co-workers by providing a tax-deductible contribution to the CSX Employees Disaster Relief Fund.”
-Railway Age
CSX L382 puts out a bit of smoke as it pulls away from WF Ware after picking up a cut of grain cars at Trenton, Kentucky on July 12th, 2022, on the Henderson Subdivision. L382 is the local that runs between Casky yard in Hopkinsville and Guthrie, Ky and here we catch it as it starts its run back to Casky. Photo and caption by Jim Pearson.