Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

Rear of the "City of New Orleans" with a coach-baggage as the last car acting as the through car to New Orleans.

The area of the famous "Memphis Sink Hole" that swallowed up the track and surrounding ground and driveway. The first view shows the track area of the sink hole. The second view shows the new driveway. The third view shows the new west retaining wall. The fourth view shows the new sod between the track and driveway.

The City of New Orleans is seen sitting in Memphis Central Station, Nov. 26, 2008.

The City of New Orleans is seen leaving Memphis Central Station, passing over the area where the sinkhole formed.

On a Dec. 6, 2008 trip to Van Buren, AR, I discover these units in the engine terminal.

UP 331 and a leased unit, LLPX 2324, were switching the yard.

On Dec. 19, 2008 NS was suffering from a "track work window" preparing the mainline east for new CWR. As a result there were 3 unit coal trains awaiting permission to head east. Here we see the head-end power for 2 of the trains and the DPU of the one with BNSF power.

This is the third unit coal train, parked at the west end of Southern Ave., rear end extending across Neptune Street where the DPU sat.

While shooting the BNSF coal train on the parallel NS tracks, this UP switcher backs out of the plant.

KCS station foundation in Sallisaw, OK, Dec. 28, 2008.

Former Frisco station Okmulgee, OK, Dec. 28, 2008.

LLPX #2324 is seen in the engine terminal area of the Van Buren, AR yard of UP, former MP, 12/29/08.

GMTX #2130 is also seen in the Van Buren, AR yard of UP, former MP.

Also in the engine terminal at Van Buren is UP #331.

This SP patch job was the trailing unit on a train switching at the west end of the Van Buren Yard.

UP #5522 is seen at the front of a string of units on the mainline at Van Buren.

Here are some of the other engines in the 5522 consist.

BNSF #4961 and its load of CAT excavators are seen passing Kentucky Street in Memphis, TN, 12/30/08.

NS #8918 has just dropped its train on the "eastbound Southern" and is making its run around move so it can head out on the NS. The engines must run past the signals at Kansas Ave. before they can start east.

The Hollywood Yard switcher, CNIC #9608, has tied up for the day.

CSX #7617 is seen at the west end of Leewood Yard.

Upon returning to Kentucky Street, one train with UP power is on the "westbound Southern." A second train with UP power then pulls up on the "Missouri Pacific" track. These are then joined by a BNSF powered empty coal train on the "eastbound Southern".

I started out the last day of 2008 by checking out the NS Forrest Yard where I found this loaded unit coal train stopped at the east end of the yard.

After picking up some lunch, I headed to Kentucky Street to eat it. As I turned onto the street, I saw the power of an eastbound BNSF train. Here we see the rear of a train with NS power sitting on the "Missouri Pacific" track of Broadway.

Here we see an eastbound loaded unit coal train heading down the "westbound Southern track" of Broadway.

The next train was this eastbound BNSF stack train.

As I was leaving CBU later in the day, I heard what appeared to be a southbound CNIC train so I headed trackside at the Garden Street crossing.