Trains around Kentucky (American Railway, Volume 5)

This program is the second in a three-part series featuring the railways to be found in the US State of Kentucky & in the neighbouring States of Illinois, Ohio & Tennessee. Filmed in May 2008 the highlight of the program is the inaugural run of R J Corman’s ex-Chinese QJ steam loco from Louisville to Lexington on 24th May.

The program begins in the south of the State on the line towards Tennessee which runs through the Appalachian Mountains; a variety of double-stack container trains and mixed manifests are seen in the foothills around Sloans Valley; also seen are freights heading across the girder bridge at Burnside. We head north on the busy line east of Louisville and witness Norfolk Southern operated freights with massive line-ups of motive power, including Dash 8, Dash 9s, SD60s & SD70s locomotives.

At Hamilton, north of Cincinnati, we see NS and CSX traction running over the same tracks as we study action over a busy junction. Finally, we travel to La Grange and the famous street-running section through the town’s main street – a sight truly unbelievable as massive freights battle with the road traffic!