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The official publication of the Western Kentucky Chapter, NRHS. NRHS National News AUGUST 2000 VOLUME 4 NUMBER 8 ALCO PHOTO CONTROVERSY Chapter Western Kentucky CONTINUES Chapter, NRHS 111 Reed Place As noted in the Madisonville, KY 42431 minutes, the NRHS Board of Directors has * * * * * authorized legal action against the Mohawk & AUGUST Hudson Chapter President regarding custody of a MEETING Bob McCracken portion of the ALCO photo collection. Vice President MADISONVILLE, KENTUCKY Ricky Bivins From all the information available it Monday, August, 28 Sect. Treas. appears that the NRHS, Wally Watts the City of 7:00 PM Schenectady, and Badgett Center National Director Dresser Industries (the Chuck Hinrichs successor of ALCO) are (Old L&N Depot ) in general agreement as to the care and Arch Street and the railroad in downtown Madisonville. storage of the ————- collection. It also PROGRAM “PENNYRAIL” is the The August 2000 Meeting of the Madisonville official publication of NRHS will be a slide presentation by member Chris the Western Kentucky Dees focusing on southern Indiana railroading and Chapter, NRHS. several rare mileage trips in 1999-2000. The Send news notes, presentation will include an overview of the Indiana historical notes and Southern, Indiana Railroad, Hoosier Southern, other rail information Dubois County Railroad, and the Louisville & Indiana to: shortlines, plus mainline action of CP Rail, CSX, and Norfolk Southern. Other "oddities" will include lots of steam, CSS&SB traction, and a motor car excursion Editor on the Dubois County Railroad, as well as some Chuck Hinrichs appears that the rather humorous "Politically Correct Rules of problem with Mohawk Railfanning". Keith Kittinger will provide 112 Windsor Drive & Hudson is only with refreshments. Hopkinsville, KY 42240 a minority group within 270-886-2849 the Chapter. Perhaps Chris has been been a member of the Madisonville cooler heads may e-mail prevail and a (Continued on page 2) [email protected] courthouse battle avoided. Let’s hope! 1 PENNYRAIL Chapter News TRACKSIDE WITH THE (Continued from page 1) Chapter NRHS since 1993. He is OLD GOAT also a member of Owensboro and St. Louis Chapters, as well as a Dennis Carnal volunteer at the Indiana Railway Museum in French Lick, Indiana. Since 1992, Chris has logged over This is the completion of One more reflection about 15,000 miles by rail in several the “Old Goat’s” Henderson those new Amtrak SDP4OFs. states and on some pretty rare Sub recollections. Those locomotives had the mileage. best sounding horns. July 30th, marked the Nothing on the L&N sounded Chris grew up in the small return of the Floridian to the like them. On a quiet still western Kentucky community of Henderson Sub. The night, you could wait outside Calvert City. His first recollections northbound trip passed around 9:OO pm for the of train watching involved the IC, through Earlington at 9:3O northbound Floridian to pass which ran right outside of his pm with three E8As, two ex- through town. You wouldn't grandmother's home. As interest B&O and one ex-Union Pacific. have any problem hearing the grew, Chris also was able to "grow The next day, July 31st, the train. You could hear the up" with the Paducah & Louisville passage of the southbound crew blowing for the two Railway as it came into existence train at 6:3O am marked the crossing at North Nortonville, by taking over the former ICG last use of E-units on this then through Mortons Gap, Kentucky Division. After train. August 1974, I noted next Brackett Lane and Bell graduating from Murray State the Floridian passing through Crossing, then the three University, Chris has held a Earlington 36 times. All the crossing through Earlington, variety of engineering positions trips operated with two new the haul road crossing with Siemens, Honeywell, and is Amtrak SDP40F locomotives. between Earlington and presently with Kimball On average, the northbound Madisonville and then the Electronics Group in Jasper, trains passed through eight crossing through Indiana. Earlington between 8:3O pm downtown Madisonville. The to 9:3O pm, while the south- sound from those horns would When not railfanning, Chris bound trains passed through carry for miles! I haven't can usually be found involved Earlington between 8:3O am heard any better sounding with his other hobby - amateur to 9:3O am. On August 19th, horns since then. radio and radio communications I was downtown in Earlington monitoring. He holds an Extra watching a L&N tie During September 1974, Class Amateur Radio license, the replacement gang install new the Floridian ran through highest possible, and is a member ties along the mainline. It was Earlington at least thirty-four of the Dubois County Emergency 9:l5 am, when I heard a times between the 1st and the Management Agency. familiar sounding horn blow to 24th. Other rail traffic had the north of the Main Street also picked-up during this crossing. Much to my month. Ninety-one manifest surprise, the bright red nose trains, forty-two tote trains, JULY MEETING of an Amtrak SDP4OF eighteen coal trains and 15 locomotive slowly came caboose hops were noted. The A record turnout of forty-three around the curve. It was the Floridian was next routed on people were on hand for the July southbound Floridian rolling the Henderson Subdivision on (Continued on page 5) along the passing track at November 11th northbound at around 5 mph. I got a good 10:00 pm behind two look at the fireman in the left- SDP4OFs. By this time, many MEMBERSHIP hand seat. He was wearing a of the old F-units had been white shirt and tie! Didn't see removed from the roster. Only National and Chapter - includes 11 that everyday. Most of the four F-units were noted issues of “Pennyrail” and 6 issues of Dutch doors were open with between October 1st through the NRHS Bulletin $25.00 per crew members or passengers December 31st, 1974. year. looking and waving to the February 11th, 1975 marked Family membership $27.00 per track gang. The passengers the return of the Floridian year. sure got a good look at once more to Western Earlington that morning. Kentucky trackage. Amtrak (Continued on page 3) 2 PENNYRAIL locomotive was retired from THE OLD GOAT service during June 1975, on lease to the L&N show up in almost 24 years to the day consists with L&N power. CN (Continued from page 2) since being built. These two SD40s, GP38-2s in both standard made 31 trips along the HD sightings of the number 693 cab and wide cab models and Sub between the 11th and marked the last time for this GP4O-2s were seen everyday February 28th. February writer to see a L&N F-unit in through Earlington on any type of 17th marked the last time for service. December 1st, 1975 train that needed power. The me to see a L&N Alco RS3. marked the first time that I lease units were not used on coal The old Alco was the trailing saw L&N U3OC number 1499 trains only. March 1977 also locomotive with two GP38s in service. This locomotive marked the return to the and one U23B on a manifest was built by General Electric Evansville Division of the older freight through Earlington. I as part of an order for thirty six-axle Alco and General Electric didn't get the number of the U3OCs in 1972. The locomotives, that had been locomotive, but it had to be locomotive was painted in a banned for use on the Evansville one of the last of these old special black,white and gold Division for the past few years. Alcos on the L&N roster. paint scheme for the L&N. Alco models C628 and C630, plus The locomotive was used to the smaller C420s were back in March 1st through March promote a new more reliable Western Kentucky after years of 11th saw the Floridian make series of locomotives. I saw service in Eastern Kentucky coal at least twenty trips between this locomotive in service on fields. Plus, the old General Evansville and Nashville. The the HD Sub six times between Electric U25Cs had returned. Floridian had run on the HD December 1st, 1975 and Sub for thirty days in a row. March, 1976. The locomotive By April 1977, locomotives But,these trips would mark was damaged in a derailment were in such short supply that the end of these detours along on January 5th, 1977, near anything running was placed into the HD. Then, the Floridian Corbin, and scrapped on June mainline service. April 20th, returned to it's old route from 30, 1977 southbound piggyback train 723 Nashville to Louisville through . had this lashup....on the point Bowling Green via the L&N Early 1976 saw the start of L&N SW1500 number 5015, L&N Mainline Sub. Burlington Northern/L&N ex-Monon C420 1325 and two North of the Louisville, the run-through manifest trains L&N GP7s. September 1977 Floridian would now use the on the Henderson Sub. The marked the month when the L&N's Monon Sub between trains ran with pure sets of locomotives started to arrive from Louisville to Chicago via Burlington Northern the rush orders to EMD. Bloomington, Lafayette and locomotives and sometimes September 17th was the date of Hammond. The Floridian had Burlington Northern my first sighting of a L&N would use this route until the cabooses. Just about any locomotive wearing the new Floridian ran it's last trips model of locomotive on the BN Family Lines System paint during October 1979.