Trackside Log for Monday, July 31, 2006

Vacation 2006 Day Three

I headed out into the fog for the morning with the promise of sun. A variety of shortlines were on my route for the day and the first opportunity for photographs was the Tennessee Southern. I got lucky and arrived just as the crew was lifting their train and after the fog lifted.

• 0802 CDT Mount Pleasant, TN - Tennessee Southern northbound - CSXT 3163-CSXT 3170-CSXT 3148

I continued eastward in search of the Walking Horse & Eastern. On my way through Shelbyville I noticed that the track was packed with TTX piggyback flats.

• 1009 CDT Shelbyville, TN - Walking Horse & Eastern power - WHOE 1585

I followed the line to the junction with CSX in Wartrace.

• 1030 CDT Wartrace, TN - L&N caboose 6162

The Louisville & Nashville caboose was the only item of interest so my journey continued.

• 1136 CDT McMinnville, TN - Caney Fork & Western power - CFW 2345
• 1258 CDT South Pittsburg, TN - Sequatchie Valley power - SQVR 9833
• 1259 CDT South Pittsburg, TN - Sequatchie Valley caboose

While photographing the slug I heard a locomotive horn. The Sequatchie Valley was returning. The timing was perfect.

• 1305 CDT South Pittsburg, TN - Sequatchie Valley northbound - SQVR 1210
• 1544 EDT La Fayette, GA - Chattooga & Chicamauga power - CAGY 102

While looking for the Eastern Alabama in Sylacauga I noticed freight moving in front of me. Presto! I was shocked to see two New England Central GP40's though.

• 1857 CDT Sylacauga, AL - Eastern Alabama power - AGR 4005
• 1859 CDT Sylacauga, AL - Eastern Alabama westbound - NECR 4048-NECR 4049

It was getting dark so I drove to the Best Western in Hope Hill, Alabama for the night.

Trackside Log for Sunday, July 30, 2006

Vacation 2006 Day Two

The plan for the day was to drive west across Kentucky and then start back east through Tennessee. Unfortunately the day started off poorly. It was foggy and the first several railroads offered me no photo opportunities. Bardstown, Kentucky however yielded R.J. Corman's "My Old Kentucky Dinner Train" and its F's.

• 1004 CDT Bardstown, KY - My Old Kentucky Dinner Train - RJCX 1941-RJCX 1940

After an abandoned line in Clay, Kentucky (the Western Kentucky Railway) and an inaccessible Paducah & Louisville in Princeton I turned my attention to Tennessee. On my way through Fulton, Kentucky I stumbled on an Illinois Central yard. Alas, the WC SD45, ex-LMS C40-8W and all the other power were inaccessible.

• 1600 CDT Union City,TN - GM&O 2618 caboose

I was looking for the Tennken Railway in Dyersburg, Tennessee but also found an Illinois Central engine.

• 1656 CDT Dyersburg, TN - IC power - IC 9567
• 1700 CDT Dyersburg, TN - Tennken power - TKEN 9434
• 1701 CDT Dyersburg, TN - Tennken power - TKEN 9435

Continuing east I found myself in Bucksnort, Tennessee at dusk. I checked into a motel. The next day would begin with a short drive to Centerville, Tennesse.