Winns Industrial Track - 7-15-12
Rail Fan Adventure --
The Winns Industrial Track is what is left of C&O's old Coon Creek Subdivision. All it serves now is Tri-State Salvage & Construction which uses the former Kinney Branch Mining siding at Raccoon, Ky., to clean out dirty CSX hoppers and gons. Before 1980 or so, the Coon Creek SD was C&O's main route into Johns Creek where it served several mines. After the Coal Run SD was built in the late '70s, most of the Coon Creek SD was removed.
1. On Sunday July 15th the scanner revealed that Coal Run Shifter C868 was going to take cars up the Winns Industrial Track. Needless to say, this is an infrequent move. I headed the short distance out of Pikeville on US 119 and exited on "old" US 119. Within a few minutes shifter C868 arrived at Adkins (MP 14) behind 676-5112 with 17 hoppers and gons filled with debris CSX wanted cleaned out.
2. I went back and got on "new" US 119 for this view from the tall bridge over Coon Creek near Zebulon. This is the site of the former Coon Mine.
3. C868 (Sue's cousin Jimmy Don Gibson was engineer) only went around the curve before stopping. A rotten tree had fallen across the track.
4. The crew called for a MofW employee to cut the tree. I drove on up Johns Creek to kill some time and check out any activity. When I returned a couple of hours later, C868 had pushed the two clean hoppers up to the end-of-track to get head room to shove the dirty loads into Tri-State's siding.
5. C868 shoves the dirty cars into the siding at the mouth of Frozen Creek.
6. C868 spots the cars in the siding.
7. I can't remember what Kinney Branch Mining used this shed for.
8. A thunder storm threatens as the conductor ties down the brakes.
9. 5112-676 come back down the main line with two clean hoppers.
10. 5112-676 come back down the main line with two clean hoppers - part 2.
11. 5112-676 come back down the main line with two clean hoppers - part 3.
12. Approaching the state highway road crossing at Raccoon.
13. Stopping to flag the crossing because of rusty rail.
14. Same crossing in the "glory years" of the late '70s.
15. At the old Coon Mine site, I startled a flock of turkeys!
16. A few minutes later C868 slowly came by.
17. C868 approaches the "old" US 119 crossing at Meta near the Winns Branch Yard.
18. C868 approaches Adkins Wye at MP 14.
19. C868 stops to get blocks to continue over the Coal Run SD to Coal Run Yard.
I head to the house for supper.
Train images used by permission of Everett N Young
last update - 12 Dec 2012