Eastern Railroad Discussion > Yesterday Was Another Lovely Sunday In Kentucky

Yesterday was the last Sunday that I would get off around 2:30 pm and not have to be back to work until around Noon on Monday. I went with going to Kentucky as looking at the computer I discovered that there is a Bojangles Chicken in Georgetown. Crossing the Ohio River there was a local waiting for another freight in front of it on CSX, 375 was out waiting on the Southern Bridge looking downriver from I-75. I went with checking out KC Junction and heard Q575 get the go ahead from the dispatcher as it's counterpart was passing. I drove down to Latonia because I wasn't sure which way Q575 went and found that it takes the LCL Sub or Short Line to Louisville. Not wanting to spend too much time I went to Highland Pike which is a bridge that may be a little over twelve years old now. It crosses the north end of the siding at Nichols.
1) You have to shoot through the chain link fence but it is a nice shot looking back toward Latonia.
2) Not sure what the tracks are for on the right but they are usually in use.
3) Heading toward Lexington I found that the big bridge across I-75 has had some kind of fencing placed on the sides to prevent stuff from falling off the trains and onto the cars below. This ruined what used to be really killer shot, especially if something fell on you...

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I got my Bojangles and parked at the crossovers on the NS in Georgetown. Another fan from Butler County Ohio stopped and I talked to him a little. I left and went toward Lexington, which is a place I really haven't spent much if any time railfanning. At the railway crossing of Kentucky 1978 another fan was out. i talked to him a couple minutes. Finally crossing the NS on US 421 I saw an Approach on the signal at Fayette so I went under the bridge. NS 174 came through after that I went to another location in Lexington and ended up talking to another fan fro several hours. I was not alone in making use of what was an absolutely stellar day yesterday. 
4) NS 174 with US 421/Main ST/Leestown Rd overhead.
5) NS 174 approaching the crossovers at Fayette, by this time with a clear signal.

Thank you for looking!

Jim

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I was in the cab of a locomotive several years ago when we crossed that bridge over I-75.  

Here's the set-up.  We were heading towards Cincinnati from Louisville.  Just before you get to that bridge you are in some thick woods.  You come out of the woods and there's that bridge in front of you.  You're rocking a bit, side to side.  There are two rails out there and that's about it, nothing on the sides.  You begin to pucker up a little when you think about it.  You're 10 feet wide, the tracks are 4'-8" apart, and you're rocking side to side.  Oh, did I mention that about halfway across, there is a curve?  I don't know how high the bridge is, but from the cab of a locomotive, it seems at least 100 feet.

I remember the locomotive was the 2716.  Not the C&O steam locomotive, the CSX Diesel, a GP-38.

John

Jim I'm guessing you didn't catch the Pan American or Humming Bird on the LCL? Bojangles is great!

Posted from Android

tq-07fan Wrote:
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> 2) Not sure what the tracks are for on the right
> but they are usually in use.

Eaton Paving facility,  They used to get stone off IORY out of Melvin OH.  Think they MIGHT still get some sand out of Louisville or elsewhere in KY.  Primarily they let Cohen lease part of it to load scrap metal - see blue grapple in background.  

So are you getting to play prisoner transporter?  Saw a couple Metro busses with CINCINNATI POLICE on the route board being used to haul off curfew violators and wondered if you drew the lucky straw to drive that.  

wa4umr Wrote:
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> I was in the cab of a locomotive several years ago
> when we crossed that bridge over I-75.  
>
> Here's the set-up.  We were heading towards
> Cincinnati from Louisville.  Just before you get
> to that bridge you are in some thick woods.  You
> come out of the woods and there's that bridge in
> front of you.  You're rocking a bit, side to
> side.  There are two rails out there and that's
> about it, nothing on the sides.  You begin to
> pucker up a little when you think about it. 
> You're 10 feet wide, the tracks are 4'-8" apart,
> and you're rocking side to side.  Oh, did I
> mention that about halfway across, there is a
> curve?  I don't know how high the bridge is, but
> from the cab of a locomotive, it seems at least
> 100 feet.
>
> I remember the locomotive was the 2716.  Not the
> C&O steam locomotive, the CSX Diesel, a GP-38.
>
> John

Yeah, it always looks like one of those bridges that are more enjoyable from the ground then from the top. I've never been across it but I have been on some while on the Sperry car that were no less pleasant.

cabsignaldrop Wrote:
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> Jim I'm guessing you didn't catch the Pan American
> or Humming Bird on the LCL? Bojangles is great!
>
> Posted from Android

Nope and didn't get to tell the conductor if I wanted the box dinner from Kentucky Fried Chicken or from Jerry's in Sommerset on the overnight train on the Southern. One of my passengers, Dale, rode that train with his mom in the late 1960's when they stopped for box dinners instead of having a diner on the train. I had seen the note in The Timetable but it was gold to have it explained by someone who lived it! Instead I had Bojangles!

scraphauler Wrote:
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> tq-07fan Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > 2) Not sure what the tracks are for on the
> right
> > but they are usually in use.
>
> Eaton Paving facility,  They used to get stone
> off IORY out of Melvin OH.  Think they MIGHT
> still get some sand out of Louisville or elsewhere
> in KY.  Primarily they let Cohen lease part of it
> to load scrap metal - see blue grapple in
> background.  
>
Right on! It is nothing short of amazing to think of what I & O has done with the Melvin Stone business.

> So are you getting to play prisoner transporter? 
> Saw a couple Metro busses with CINCINNATI POLICE
> on the route board being used to haul off curfew
> violators and wondered if you drew the lucky straw
> to drive that.  

It was a complex situation that Metro really did not want to be part of but they came up with a solution. Luckily I was not part of the solution.

​Jim