Carter's NS Charlotte District

BNSF 6903 tags along with mixed bag of NS, KCS and TFM power on train 153 at Wellford, SC November 7th, 2004.

NS 8829 leads a mixed bag of power from NS, BNSF, KCS and TFM on Track 2 in Wellford, SC November 7th, 2004.

TFM 2601 trails six unit consist south to Atlanta on train 153 November 7th 2004.

NS 204 led by No. 7132 prepares to enter the equilateral turnout and into the double track at Reid.

Brand new ES40DC's lead train 155 bound for Columbia and Augusta roll down main track no. 2 near the Cannon Mills plant in Kannapolis, NC.

NS 156 from Macon, Augusta and Columbia has just met train 155 between Kannapolis and Adams rolling north on main track no. 1.

NS 156 from Macon, Augusta and Columbia pass quad gates at the E. 1st St crossing. NCDOT has paid to have major improvements made to NS and CSX lines that host the state operated trains (Carolinian and Piedmont) between Charlotte and Raleigh. A lot of crossings on the mainline and H-line have been either closed, been upgraded to really long gates that span the whole road, or 4 gates such as the one pictured above.

NS train 173 with 9406 leading rolls south on orack 2 past the Kings Mountain (MP 410.7) depot which now serves as a community center, they will soon be meeting M18 in the double track between Sewell and Grover.

NS train M18, which is actually a detoured 156, rolls through beautiful downtown Kings Mountain, NC on a unusually warm January day, the 9950 leading is one of the newest to the Thoroughbreds fleet and has yet to be painted.

NS 9398 leads 6 cars on extra train I13 as they pass behind the SC Steel plant northeast of Greenville

Train 173 arrives on track 2 and getting ready to meet 212

Not much time to prepare for this meet! 173's headend hasnt gotten by me good while 212 comes by on track 1. The Ranlo crossover signals can be seen just over the autoracks.

NS train 119 lead by NS 9254 passes train 154 stopped on track 1 with a high and wide load awaiting 119 to clear.

If you like getting cuts, clothing nearly torn by thorns, nearly breaking your ankle, getting your photo and then getting soaked by a freak rainstorm before you can get back to your car ONLY to get home and find this shot absolutely bombed, this shot is for you. My camera is lucky not to be shattered in a million pieces. The one and only time I get to this location this ____ happens. For what its worth, this is CP Worley and NS 9574 leading train 214. Its beginning to not be a good day at the office.

Train 153 passes near the defect detector

NS train 213 passes the yard at Blacksburg.

An old Kanta Fe Warbonnet leads train 212 from single track to track 1 at CP Arlington just west of Gastonia, NC. Notice the C&O style signal cantilever behind the locomotiv{s.

This is not highly recommended, but I pulled over on the side of the road and grabbed rerouted train 139 crossing I-85 in Lowell, NC. Sorry for the grainy shots, I just got a new camera so I am having to learn all of the settings.

I actually knew that 214 was coming, but 139 surprised me with its arrival since I wasn't expecting that one. Good thing interstates don't have grade crossings!

Joe Rogers would be proud of this one, bet the New York Central can't beat this one!...and complete with I-85 shield and all.

Another reroute for the day is 40T passing under the intermediates in downtown Kings Mountain. Its been nice having 139, 140 and these grain trains rerouted via Asheville, Salisbury and Greenville to spice things up a bit on the old Southern mainline. This was the last picture with the wrong settings, hopefully the next pictures will come out better...NEVER shoot 400 speed on a digital camera.

P74 has just completed its chores in the Taylors to Lyman single track and is now cruising over a viaduct in Arcadia on track 2 and for home at Hayne for the night.

Now the grainyness issue is behind me, now I gotta focus on getting rid of the blurriness. Is it me or does train 213 look 3di in the picture?

Train 118 passes through Cowpens, SC with BNSF 5065 in the lead. I'm getting there, still a bit to dark for my liking in the afternoons while learning to use my new camera, but things are shaping up slowly.

Train 139 is has just met I12 and is easing up to the signal at the end of the double track at Lyman 1/2 mile away. The 2nd unit is a toaster, but I cannot make out the number.

UP 4655, NS 6748...and I figured it out...the toaster is 8530 on train 139.

Canadian National 5795 leads train I12 on this cloudy Saturday just south of Cherokee Creek (and south of the intermediate by that name). I12 is a solid train of autoracks....something not very common on this part of the Piedmont Division.

This unit is probably being used on the SB line for the week, this was the only unit in the yard and the "extension cord" boxcar was parked with other freightcars further in the yard.

Just looking north into the yard from the SC 5 crossing

Train 214 snakes its way through the heart of downtown Kings Mountain on a cold and overcast Saturday.

This is the same 214 I saw in Kings Mountain this day. They are swinging over to track 2 though the equilateral turnout from single track. Note the Santa Fe unit 2nd back which I was never able to photograph.

More BNSF power for the day, this time on train 204 and this unit, 1021 is two off from 1019 I saw leading 214. They are crossing Main Street at MP 389.1

Have I gone west? My 3rd train in a row with western power. This is train 338 from Charleston and Columbia and is now ending its trip over the R line of the Columbia District and entering the mainline at Charlotte Jct off Donald Ross Rd.

The dreaded sleet has started to fall as train 212 arrives in downtown Lowell, NC on track 1.

Train 213 arrives and crosses E Main Street at Lowell, NC, MP 394.1 as train 212 rolls north on track 1 and the sleet falls.....I cannot wait till spring, greenery and extra sunlight.

Cool trailer on train 213, I didn't realize Cape Cod potato chips were under the Lance wing?

Train 172 begins its journey over track 1 on the Grover to Sewell double track.

Train 213 meets 172 while I try the zoom out. Ties are scattered all over for an upcoming T&S project on track 2 between Sewell and Grover.

Train 213 is underway at Grover, NC.

Train 154 rolls up track 1 in downtown Kings Mountain. Track 2 is about to undergo a major rehab of ties and ballast.

Having just been given permission to proceed after a stuck moving truck was cleared from the Gold Street crossing, train 214 accelerates northward.

This is the fourth time I have seen the 7116 and 7119 together, and always on the same train. Here they are crossing Mountain Street in downtown Kings Mountain.

Train 154 is finally underway at Kings Mountain after having to await the moving truck being removed from Gold Street and for 214 and 213 to get by.

This was a nice surprise on the end of train 154 this Sunday. Once a common scene in America to see the caboose on the tail of a train, now its rare to ever see one on todays mainlines.

Another gray and gloomy day as a short 173 roars south in the single track to Taylors.

Train 140, a Macon to Knoxville freight that is being detoured on the Piedmont Division due to track work on the Georgia Division Atlanta North District, passes the back of Carotell Paper and is about to cross over Alexander Road. Why can't the Santa Fe be leading.

P74 has just wrapped up the switching duties of the day on the Lyman to Taylors single track. 3203 leads 6721 and 8 cars up track 2 to Hayne Yard in Spartanburg, SC.

Nothing special with this photo, just a roster shot.

Had it not been for the fact this hot pig train was being led by an ex Southern GP50 and running long hood forward to boot, this pic would'nt be up, wasnt the greatest light for a photo on the way home today.