Jeff_W

CSX B241 on the CC Sub yesterday with CN's BC Rail heritage unit leading. I posted a shot from Redhouse a month or two ago, decided to go a bit further up with the drone this time. About 60 cars in the shot, mid-train helper was 92 cars back, with a set of pushers tacked onto the rear (119 cars in total). CSX B241-21, Redhouse,KY 9/22/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

UP 4014, Kimmswick,MO 9/12/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr CSX B247-12, Irvington,KY 9/14/2024 (1) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

Two from yesterday: CSX I128-06, Rahm,IN 8/8/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr CSX M217-05, Rahm,IN 8/8/2024(1) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

A few drone shots from High Bridge, Kentucky today: NS 42Z, High Bridge,KY 8/6/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr NS 29F, High Bridge,KY 8/6/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr NS 143, High Bridge,KY 8/6/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

I try to get roster shots of engines these days when I can. Not many show the top of the loco though. The AC4400s (515) are getting pretty rough looking, likely AC44C6M rebuild in the near future. The YN2 scheme will be gone by that point.

CSX M573-05 at Cave City, Kentucky this afternoon: CSX M573-05, Cave City,KY 8/5/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

In La Grange yesterday: CSX M209-03, La Grange,KY 8/4/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

A couple of photos from Sunday on CSX's CC Subdivision at a place called Redhouse, Kentucky. Line typically sees 4-5 train moves daily. The bridge over Otter Creek was one I've been wanting to do, most people shoot from the creekbed when the water level is low enough. RJC Z545-21 , Redhouse, KY 7/21/24 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr CSX B639-19, Redhouse,KY 7/21/24 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr Richmond Hill Pushers, CSX B639-19, Redhouse,KY 7/21/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

Looking forward to seeing your progress. Even a "small" Class 1 yard can look pretty big. I took this photo at Centralia, Illinois back in May. The yard isn't used for much these days, a BNSF local sits on one track, with the "local" to Paducah, Kentucky on another track. A coal train also awaits departure. BNSF Yard, Centralia,IL 5/12/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr Centralia is one of my favorite places to see multiple Class 1 railroads in one location, Canadian National comes in from the north(or south), NS runs east to west while getting authority from the BNSF Beardstown dispatcher, and BNSF itself also has a northwest/southeast run through town. Throw in several Amtrak trains a day and it's quite the variety. Might be worth a look at least for inspiration. I've also seen numerous spots where Class 1s or other railroads cross each other via bridge/diamond that I think would be interesting to model. Larger yards feel overwhelming, this is CSX's Osborn Yard in Louisville, Kentucky: CSX Q211-19, Osborn Yard, Louisville,KY 9/19/2016 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr A bigger yard does not always mean busier though. Norfolk Southern's yard at Danville, Kentucky is much smaller than the CSX one I just posted a photo of, yet sees about 35-40 trains in a 24 hour period compared to the two dozen or so that run out of CSX in Louisville. Danville doesn't really see any trains originate or terminate from the yard, save for one pair of freights. At least one or two locals work from DV while everything else stops for a re-crew or swaps out blocks of freight cars. NS 279/123, Danville,KY 6/10/2023 (2) by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr Danville Tower, Danville,KY 8/22/2016 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr Always happy to provide photo inspiration.

One more photo for the thread...I did snag a photo of the prototype CSX 4847 years ago on a manifest train in western Kentucky: CSX Q515, Nortonville,KY 5/24/2013 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

Steel coil trains pre-PSR were typically short. CSX only rostered about 20 SD70ACes (long gone from the roster today) so they were quite uncommon. Most associate American Class 1 railroading with long trains but that is not always the case, especially before Precision Scheduled Railroading was implemented in 2016. CSX 4842 leading K514 in 2011 CSX K514-13, Cave City,KY 1/13/2011 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr CSX 4842 on a light engine move in 2015 CSX X785-05, La Grange,KY 10/6/2015 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr Not an SD70ACe, but I wanted to illustrate how short these trains were: CSX K514, Shepherdsville,KY 3/22/2013 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr NS still runs a dedicated steel train through Kentucky, it's typically quite short, and I have seen it with six-eight cars on very slow days! NS 375-16, Rosemont, Lexington,KY 4/16/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

Maybe not as wide open as other shots, but I photographed CSX's Office Car Special headed to the Kentucky Derby on Saturday, seen here at Midway, Kentucky: CSX P001-04, Midway,KY 5/4/2024 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr

There were quite a few railcams in the path of today's solar eclipse, hope everyone caught a glimpse of it somewhere along the way. I was close enough that it got a little dark where I live, but with solid cloud cover one couldn't see anything here.

Saw this just now, this is CSX's Track Geometry Train. It uses laser scanners to check the rails for any defects. I photographed it about two years ago in my neck of the woods. CSX W003-01, Glendale,KY 12/2/2022 by Jeff Wagoner, on Flickr You can see the lights underneath one of the passenger cars.

The numberboards are often little tiny bits that you (sometimes) have to add to the locomotive. I'm not sure if anyone other than Kato makes them, but I could easily be wrong. They're probably the only thing that's kept me from being tempted to renumber Kato engines. I have bought one custom number that was originally un-numbered, but can't think of what they did for the numberboards off the top of my head. As for fonts, I think the BNSF one is mentioned here: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,253680 Union Pacific uses one called "City Of" I think? As seen here: http://www.railfonts.com/cgi-bin/font_shop/fontshop.cgi?ACTION=enter&thispage=page10.html