CSX Transportation Historical Society

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CSX - Cumberland Valley, Poor Fork Br., and Lynch - 02-09-2022

Rail Fan Adventure --

Having not been on the Cumberland Valley former L&N area in several years, I took a day trip to Harlan County on Wednesday, February 9th, 2022 to see what was going on.

1. First things first. Exit off US 119 and check out Lynch. Get the history at Kentucky Coal Heritage - Lynch, Kentucky (coaleducation.org). USS Lynch.
First things first. Exit off US 119 and check out Lynch. Get the history at Kentucky Coal Heritage - Lynch, Kentucky (coaleducation.org). USS Lynch.

2. The depot was on U. S. Steel’s property which was referred to as the Looney Creek Railroad after the track entered the city of Lynch. USS Lynch.
The depot was on U. S. Steel’s property which was referred to as the Looney Creek Railroad after the track entered the city of Lynch. USS Lynch.

3. USS went all out. They built a brick depot where L&N would have built a wood structure. USS Lynch.
USS went all out. They built a brick depot where L&N would have built a wood structure. USS Lynch.

4. Black bears on Black Mountain are numerous. The Harlan County High School nickname is the Black Bears. This one is crafted out of coal. Portal 31 is in the background. USS Lynch.
Black bears on Black Mountain are numerous. The Harlan County High School nickname is the Black Bears. This one is crafted out of coal. Portal 31 is in the background. USS Lynch.

5. Looking across the street at Portal 31. To the right is the former lamp house (now gift shop), the fire department, and former office building/bath house. https://www.portal31.org/ USS Lynch.
Looking across the street at Portal 31. To the right is the former lamp house (now gift shop), the fire department, and former office building/bath house. https://www.portal31.org/ USS Lynch.

6. Old tipple on left. Tall smoke stack for power house on right. USS Lynch.
Old tipple on left. Tall smoke stack for power house on right. USS Lynch.

7. Upper seam mine opening beside tipple. USS Lynch.
Upper seam mine opening beside tipple. USS Lynch.

8. Former Pere Marquette Ry. tender converted to a brake sled. USS had their own diesel locomotives. This brake sled was necessary to keep loads under control, as the head of Looney Creek was on a 1.75% grade. USS Lynch.
Former Pere Marquette Ry. tender converted to a brake sled. USS had their own diesel locomotives. This brake sled was necessary to keep loads under control, as the head of Looney Creek was on a 1.75% grade. USS Lynch.

9. P.M. RY. USS Lynch.
P.M. RY. USS Lynch.

10. I don’t know who owns the property now, but it’s a shame it can’t be cleaned up and incorporated into the Portal 31 venue. USS Lynch.
I don’t know who owns the property now, but it’s a shame it can’t be cleaned up and incorporated into the Portal 31 venue. USS Lynch.

11. Early on this was a preparation plant. USS built a new plant at Corbin in the 1950s and thereafter shipped the raw coal to it. USS Lynch.
Early on this was a preparation plant. USS built a new plant at Corbin in the 1950s and thereafter shipped the raw coal to it. USS Lynch.

12. Old preparation plant. View 2. USS Lynch.
Old preparation plant. View 2. USS Lynch.Old preparation plant. View 2. USS Lynch.

13. Proceeding on down US 119 toward Harlan I found mine run C604-09 starting to load at Kentucky Cumberland Coal’s NRG tipple at Dione. CSX 547-482. Dione KY.
Proceeding on down US 119 toward Harlan I found mine run C604-09 starting to load at Kentucky Cumberland Coal’s NRG tipple at Dione. CSX 547-482. Dione KY.

14. L&N measured their mileposts from Louisville. Dione is 16 miles south of Baxter (Loyall) on the Poor Fork Branch. CSX 547-482. MP 256. Dione KY.
L&N measured their mileposts from Louisville. Dione is 16 miles south of Baxter (Loyall) on the Poor Fork Branch. CSX 547-482. MP 256. Dione KY.

15. C604-09 slowly creeps forward as each CEFX and FURX car is loaded. CSX 547-482. NRG. Dione KY.
C604-09 slowly creeps forward as each CEFX and FURX car is loaded. CSX 547-482. NRG. Dione KY.

16. CSX 547-482. Dione KY.
CSX 547-482. Dione KY.

17. It would be several hours before they were loaded, so I decided to move on. CSX 547-482. Dione KY.
It would be several hours before they were loaded, so I decided to move on. CSX 547-482. Dione KY.

18. Kentucky Cumberland Coal’s belt line from the stockpile beside US 119 to the load-out. Ky Cumberland Coal NRG. Dione KY.
Kentucky Cumberland Coal’s belt line from the stockpile beside US 119 to the load-out. Ky Cumberland Coal NRG. Dione KY.

19. Loyall yard is a repository for stored tubs. CSX yard. Loyall KY.
Loyall yard is a repository for stored tubs. CSX yard. Loyall KY.

20. Driving south of Harlan on KY 421 I peeled off to check if anything was loading at JRL Coal’s Creech tipple at Coalgood. The old Mary Helen Coal store is still standing. JRLCoal Creech. Coalgood KY.
Driving south of Harlan on KY 421 I peeled off to check if anything was loading at JRL Coal’s Creech tipple at Coalgood. The old Mary Helen Coal store is still standing. JRLCoal Creech. Coalgood KY.

21. JRL Coal’s load-out and stockpile area. JRL Coal Creech. Coalgood KY.
JRL Coal’s load-out and stockpile area. JRL Coal Creech. Coalgood KY.

22. CSX 7242-62 were parked in Glidden siding. presumably they had loaded nearby at Creech. This train was facing south toward Hagans and Kingsport. Glidden KY.
CSX 7242-62 were parked in Glidden siding. presumably they had loaded nearby at Creech. This train was facing south toward Hagans and Kingsport. Glidden KY.

23. I headed across Pine Mountain on US 421 to check out the head of the Straight Creek Branch. This is Revelation Energy’s inactive Clover load-out at Bledsoe. I wanted to get C604 at Dione again, so I didn’t check out Straight Creek any further. Revelation Energy Clover. Bledsoe KY.
I headed across Pine Mountain on US 421 to check out the head of the Straight Creek Branch. This is Revelation Energy’s inactive Clover load-out at Bledsoe. I wanted to get C604 at Dione again, so I didn’t check out Straight Creek any further. Revelation Energy Clover. Bledsoe KY.

24. Revelation’s truck dump. Revelation Energy Clover. Bledsoe KY.
Revelation’s truck dump. Revelation Energy Clover. Bledsoe KY.

25. Kentucky Cumberland Coal’s old prep. plant at Totz. I don’t think they load on rail here, but they may still use the plant for NRG coal. KY Cumberland Coal. Totz KY.
Kentucky Cumberland Coal’s old prep. plant at Totz. I don’t think they load on rail here, but they may still use the plant for NRG coal. KY Cumberland Coal. Totz KY.

26. C604 has just about finished loading its 110-car train with CSX DPU 3080. The engineer is still on CSX 547. NRG. Dione KY.
C604 has just about finished loading its 110-car train with CSX DPU 3080. The engineer is still on CSX 547. NRG. Dione KY.

27. This crew will soon finish up. Another crew has been called for 6:00 PM to move the train. The conductor didn’t know whether it was going to Kingsport or Corbin. NRG loads sporadically...once or twice or month. I caught one of these several years ago. Right now this is the only active loader on the Poor Fork Branch, but I hear that Lynch 3 near Cumberland may start back. CSX 3080. NRG. Dione KY.
This crew will soon finish up. Another crew has been called for 6:00 PM to move the train. The conductor didn’t know whether it was going to Kingsport or Corbin. NRG loads sporadically...once or twice or month. I caught one of these several years ago. Right now this is the only active loader on the Poor Fork Branch, but I hear that Lynch 3 near Cumberland may start back. CSX 3080. NRG. Dione KY.

Train images used by permission of Everett N Young