Q539 eases south just below Lake City, formerly known as Coal Creek before Norris Dam was constructed. The house or storage track on the right has a manufacture date of 1922, the oldest I've seen ... (more)
Q539 with bright shiny power bursts out of the Hickory Creek #2 tunnel, crossing over Hickory Creek in seconds.
Coming up out of the swag at North Kilsyth, Q539 lumbers southward on a hazy dogday of summer. Helper service was not required over the grade.
At MP 221, a short and overpowered Q539 drifts down the grade along Big Creek to Ivydell and Lafollette.
Mixed freight Q539 hustles by the waiting helper and old coaling tower at Chaska on the KD Sub. Coal and the occasional grain train are all that require a shove over the mountain.
A mix of new and old paint and power.
With a wide variety of power behind, CSX 9018 coasts downhill thru Habersham and off the Duff Mountain grade in late evening sunshine on a bitterly cold day.
Q539, a daily mixture of tankers, grain, steel coil, and lumber, splits the signals on the way up Duff Mountain at Oakes, TN on a beautiful Spring day.
Sun is limited in the confines of the Hickory Creek gorge, as Q539 bursts thru the darkness of Tunnel #1 and crosses the creek enroute to Chaska and the grade to Kilsyth.
Q539 struggles under a heavy load to begin the ascent up the Duff Mountain grade as it passes the helper just parked on the engine siding. Special thanks on this shot go to my daughter Laurel.
CSX Q539 heads south, exiting the tunnel at Morley,TN on the KD subdivision
Q539.16 blasting past the old coal silo at Chaska, a holdover from the steam days. 350@f6.7.
CSX Q539 at Holton on the KD main passing NS 8837, who's waiting on a clear signal after loading on the Clearfork Branch.
CSX 4698 leads Q539 out of Corbin's East Yard for a high speed run down the KD on a sunny October afternoon.
Slug mother 2434 and slug 1066 in fresh YN3 paint are online making power.