Thursday, December 31, 2020

Hopkins C: Madisonville (Nebo), KY: Cardinal Mine of Warrior Coal

(Satellite)

Warrior Coal is a subsidiary of Alliance Resource Partners. This high-sulfur, underground mine was opened in 1985 and uses room-and-pillar mining with continuous mining units. The preparation plant has a capacity of 1,200 tons of raw coal per hour. It loop loadout track is connected to both CSX/L&N and P&L/IC. [gem] It produced 5.1 "M tons" of clean coal in 2014 [MiningDataOnline] and 3.7 million tons in 2019 [arlp].

Jim Pearson Photography posted
Paducah & Louisville PRX1 departs Warrior Coal, Nebo, Ky
The late afternoon light plays across the marshland as Paducah and Louisville 4504 and 4501 begin to pull their freshly loaded coal train away from the Warrior Coal Mine loop from Nebo, Kentucky on December 5th, 2020 as they head south to Calvert City Terminal at Calvert City, Ky.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, JPG, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/640, ISO 100.

While looking for this mine, I noticed the "tattoos" of a lot of surface mining in this area. For a photo of a surface mine, search Kentucky Coal Mining for "Colonial Mine."
Satellite

I've been passing up Jim's recent photos, but this one helps put it all in context. 
Jim Pearson Photography posted
Paducah and Louisville (PAL) 2013 and 4505, on far right, pull through the loading facility at Warrior Coal mine on a snowy cold morning as they begin to load their empty coal train on January 15th, 2024, between Madisonville and Nebo, Kentucky. Once loaded this train will move north on the PAL to deliver their load to Louisville Gas and Electric power plant, outside of Louisville, Ky. PAL 2013 is painted in the University of Louisville colors to honor their different NCAA wins.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic 3 Classic Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
Dennis DeBruler: Thanks for the overview. It helps put your other photos in context.
Jim Pearson Photography: Dennis DeBruler You're welcome Dennis!

Jim Pearson Photography posted
PAL Blue picking up black coal!
Paducah and Louisville Railway University of Kentucky (Wildcats) locomotives 4522 and 2012 lead a empty coal under the beltline against the setting sun as they arrive at Warrior Coal Loop in Nebo, Kentucky for another load of black coal on January 23rd, 2021.
Tech Info: Nikon D800, RAW, Nikon 10-24mm DX Lens @15mm f/4, 1/1000, ISO 180.

Jim Pearson Photography posted
On National Train Day PAL 2013 and 4518 Load at Warrior Coal, Nebo, KY
Paducah and Louisville Railway 2013 (University of Louisville Unit) and 4518 lead the Louisville Gas and Electric (LG1) as it snakes its way out of the Warrior Coal loadout on May 8th, 2021 at Nebo, Kentucky on the 2021 National Train Day.
According to the Web: National Train Day is a holiday that’s honors the history of the train in the U.S and promotes rail travel for all Americans. It’s observed annually on the Saturday closest to the 10th of May every year and is an opportunity for everyone to learn about how trains have revolutionized civilization and united a country at the same time.
National Train Day was invented in May of 2008 by Amtrak. They wanted a way to promote rail travel, to spread information about trains to the public, and to reiterate the history of trains, so they invented this holiday. In 2011, Amtrak used the holiday as a part of its 40th-anniversary celebration. Amtrak discontinued National Train Day in 2015 to replace it with Amtrak Train Days, but people all over the world continue to celebrate this holiday as it was originally imagined.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/240, ISO 100.
Jim Pearson Photography
Jim Pearson Photography shared

Dennis DeBruler commented on Jim's share
I did not realize how tall their tailings pile was until I saw this photo.
37°19'58.9"N 87°34'50.9"W
37.333022, -87.580818
(Facebook has been deleting most of my comments that contain a Google Maps URL. It declares them a violation of Community Standards. So now you have to copy&paste the GPS coordinates into the search field of Google Maps.)

Jim Pearson Photography posted
CSX J801-06 loads at Warrior Coal Mine Loop, Nebo, Kentucky
CSXT 3322 and 322 lead as CSX J801-06 creeps along as it starts to load at the Warrior Coal mine loop, just outside of Nebo, Kentucky on June 7th, 2021 under stormy skies.
This train comes out of CSX Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Ky where it will return to after loading and be combined with another loaded coal train of similar length before heading south on the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.

Jim Pearson Photography posted
CSX J801-06 travels the Warrior Coal Mine Loop, Nebo, Kentucky
CSXT 3322 and 322 lead as CSX J801-06 creeps along as it begins loading at the Warrior Coal mine loop, just outside of Nebo, Kentucky on June 7th, 2021 under stormy skies. This train comes out of CSX Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, Ky where it will return to after loading and be combined with another loaded coal train of similar length before heading south on the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.

Jim Pearson Photography posted
CSX J801-06 loads at Warrior Coal Mine Loop, Nebo, Kentucky
CSXT 3322 and 322 lead as CSX J801-06 creeps along as it starts to load at the Warrior Coal mine loop, just outside of Nebo, Kentucky on June 7th, 2021 under stormy skies. This train comes out of CSX Atkinson Yard in Madisonville, KY where it will return to after loading and be combined with another loaded coal train of similar length before heading south on the Henderson Subdivision.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2 Drone, RAW, 4.5mm (24mm equivalent lens) f/2.8, 1/320, ISO 100.
Jim Pearson Photography

https://youtu.be/bdLcipx37b8

Jim Pearson Photography posted
Paducah and Louisville Railway’s 4516 and 4503 pull their empty coal train under the coaling temple at the Warrior Coal Mine loop, outside of Nebo, Kentucky as they prepare to load another train bound for the Louisville Gas & Electric power plant, outside of Louisville, Ky on January 12th, 2023.
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/60, ISO 100, -.7 stop.
Rob Thomas: From an engineers standpoint loading and unloading coal was the most boring and tedious job I had . Particularly in the middle of the nite !!

Jim Pearson Photography posted
Several firsts for me in this latest drone image from June 24th, 2022, at Warrior Coal Loop outside Nebo, Kentucky! On this Norfolk Southern coal train, we find NS Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit 1072 leading with Paducah and Louisville University of Kentucky locomotive, 4522 trailing, as they prepare to load an empty coal drag, with NS Southern Heritage Unit 8114 bringing up the rear as the DPU.
This was my first time catching a coal train with a heritage unit leading and as a DPU on the rear, plus doing so on the Paducah and Louisville Railway with one of the University of Kentucky units in the consist! Pretty cool!
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1250, ISO 100.
Jim Pearson Photography
Pete Zoeller: I believe that it's the other way around. 8114 is the lead unit with a handful of hoppers already loaded. The other two are the DPUs.
Jim Pearson Photography: Pete Zoeller Actually, when this image was made the two units were pulling the empty train through the loop till 8114 was under the coaling tower. The train then stopped and the engineer walked to 8114 and they started loading. There are no cars loaded at this point.
Pete Zoeller: Jim Pearson Photography OK, when I zoomed in on the image, it appeared that the handful of cars behind the 8114 may be loaded. I couldn't zoom in far enough to tell for sure.

Jim Pearson Photography posted
Several firsts for me in this drone image from June 24th, 2022, showing the whole loop at Warrior Coal outside Nebo, Kentucky! On this Norfolk Southern coal train, we find NS Illinois Terminal Heritage Unit 1072 leading with Paducah and Louisville University of Kentucky locomotive, 4522 trailing, as they prepare to load an empty coal drag, with Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit (the original NS) 8114 bringing up the rear.
This was my first time catching a coal train with a heritage unit leading and as a DPU on the rear, plus doing so on the Paducah and Louisville Railway with one of the University of Kentucky units in the consist was pretty cool!
Tech Info: DJI Mavic Air 2S Drone, RAW, 22mm, f/2.8, 1/1500, ISO 130.
Jim Pearson Photography: buy photo
Matt Murphy: Wish NS would change 1072 out on that train for another heritage unit. It has been on that same train bringing coal over here to the TVA plant now for months.


Dixon, IL: UP derailment on 12/24/2020, almost 40 cars on the ground

(Satellite)

No reported injuries.

There have been several derailments in the US in the week before Christmas, 2020, such as a crude oil train in Washington that had a fire and Norfolk Southern in Gary, IN. But this one was close enough to Chicagoland and big enough that I've seen several reports about this one.

WQAD8, Credit: Jaawan Arrington
[The derailment happened just before 1:50am. It appears that the cars were so jumbled that UP had a hard time getting an accurate count of what was on the ground.]
"Just before 5 a.m., Union-Pacific re-contacted the sheriff's office that 29 of their train cars were now derailed spilling diesel fuel, nut oil and sulfuric acid. The spillage was contained and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is on the scene. Around 10:30 a.m. Union-Pacific said a total of 39 out of 201 train cars derailed. The train was hauling mixed freight from Proviso, Illinois to North Platte, Nebraska, Union-Pacific said. Emergency response personnel found products such as lumber, peanut oil and soybeans in the derailed cars. One of the cars was carrying sulfuric acid. Union-Pacific is assessing the scene and contractors are beginning the clean-up process."

Steve Near posted eight photos with the comment: "Just west of the dixon quarry."
Ray Gigear: Piled high and deep... quick stop... I would suspect a broken rail pending further investigation.
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safe_image for WQAD
Mitch Hartman: Gotta be broken rail
Marcus Wilmsmeyer: Mitch Hartman Especially because 1 AM was right around the time the temperature nosedived.

safe_image for WREX
Junior Farmer: Well for one thing FRA lengthened the time for some inspection to appease the railroad companies. Less inspections mean less people.
[This report added the information that no evacuations were required.]