It turns out if you keep going east from Aspen you will run into the long OOS Tennessee Pass line. One of the last places that still has old infrastructure along the line. I think some wishbone gates as well. Wish GSV would go through there and update their imagery.
Well, as many of y'all probably heard, the Transkentucky Transportation Railroad (reporting mark: TTIS), often just referred to as the TTI Railroad, shut down last fall due to a loss of coal traffic along their line (their primary freight), and combined with a washout on part of their line in July of 2017, caused them to decide to shut down. (Source) They had had issues with traffic before, such as having only run just two trains for the entire year of 2014, but in 2015, they were still going strong. The railroad was somewhat famous for using a roster comprised almost entirely of old GE U-boats and Dash-7s, such as the ones seen in the videos below:
The line operated over former L&N trackage, with some older L&N equipment being retained. Due to the fact the railroad died only recently, much of it is easily traceable on Google Maps, such as with our starting point at Vine Street in Paris, KY, which features a pair of newer WCH signals: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2080532 ... 312!8i6656
Next up is Scott Avenue, which featured a pair of old L&N Transport Products Corp. signals with an RRS mechanical bell! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2086235 ... 312!8i6656
Sadly, by 2015, the signals here were replaced with newer WCH ones, as seen in the video below:
A pair of gateless signals stand guard at each of these crossings on Old Millersburg Road, though the first one is a bit harder to see as there's no good views of the crossing on street view: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2804244 ... 312!8i6656
Near Carlisle, KY, we find another older L&N install with a pair of wishbone gates on KY 382! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3156053 ... 328!8i1664
Sadly, these were likely replaced with newer gates around the same time as the other one posted just above, but there's no way to tell as street view hasn't been through here since 2009...
Satellite view seems to show newer gates though.
Heading further east, we find this gateless crossing with a pair of Safetran 12x24 inch signals with a Safetran mechanical bell that's painted black and some Safetran lights that appear to have seen better days: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4586915 ... 312!8i6656
Continuing east brings us to Maysville, KY, where the TTI operated over the CSX to get to where they dumped the coal loads. Here's a video of a TTI train operating over this crossing, which has a US&S Teardrop bell! (Or at least had...)
Re: Tracks out of service
Posted: Fri May 11, 2018 2:14 am
by NathanFromEngland
freebrickproductions wrote:Well, as many of y'all probably heard, the Transkentucky Transportation Railroad (reporting mark: TTIS), often just referred to as the TTI Railroad, shut down last fall due to a loss of coal traffic along their line (their primary freight), and combined with a washout on part of their line in July of 2017, caused them to decide to shut down. (Source) They had had issues with traffic before, such as having only run just two trains for the entire year of 2014, but in 2015, they were still going strong. The railroad was somewhat famous for using a roster comprised almost entirely of old GE U-boats and Dash-7s, such as the ones seen in the videos below:
The line operated over former L&N trackage, with some older L&N equipment being retained. Due to the fact the railroad died only recently, much of it is easily traceable on Google Maps, such as with our starting point at Vine Street in Paris, KY, which features a pair of newer WCH signals: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2080532 ... 312!8i6656
Next up is Scott Avenue, which featured a pair of old L&N Transport Products Corp. signals with an RRS mechanical bell! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2086235 ... 312!8i6656
Sadly, by 2015, the signals here were replaced with newer WCH ones, as seen in the video below:
A pair of gateless signals stand guard at each of these crossings on Old Millersburg Road, though the first one is a bit harder to see as there's no good views of the crossing on street view: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2804244 ... 312!8i6656
Near Carlisle, KY, we find another older L&N install with a pair of wishbone gates on KY 382! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3156053 ... 328!8i1664
Sadly, these were likely replaced with newer gates around the same time as the other one posted just above, but there's no way to tell as street view hasn't been through here since 2009...
Satellite view seems to show newer gates though.
Heading further east, we find this gateless crossing with a pair of Safetran 12x24 inch signals with a Safetran mechanical bell that's painted black and some Safetran lights that appear to have seen better days: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4586915 ... 312!8i6656
Continuing east brings us to Maysville, KY, where the TTI operated over the CSX to get to where they dumped the coal loads. Here's a video of a TTI train operating over this crossing, which has a US&S Teardrop bell! (Or at least had...)
I never knew it was owned by CSX, plus here's a quote, but considering L&N was succeeded by SBD, then in 1986 when it became CSX Transportation, how much money does it cost to repair the line itself?
As this issue went to press, reports indicated Transkentucky Transportation, famous for its fleet of older GE power, was calling it quits. Operating out of Paris, Ky., the railroad was historically a coal-hauler, shipping from the mine to a transloading facility on the Ohio River at Maysville. After its coal contract expired, the line saw little traffic. Heavy rains in late July reportedly washed out the railroad near Maysville; with traffic almost non-existent, it was decided to close the line and put the GE power up for sale. CSX has owned TTI, and its subsidiary Transcontinental Terminals, since 1981.
Re: Tracks out of service
Posted: Fri May 11, 2018 2:28 am
by freebrickproductions
NathanFromEngland wrote:
freebrickproductions wrote:Well, as many of y'all probably heard, the Transkentucky Transportation Railroad (reporting mark: TTIS), often just referred to as the TTI Railroad, shut down last fall due to a loss of coal traffic along their line (their primary freight), and combined with a washout on part of their line in July of 2017, caused them to decide to shut down. (Source) They had had issues with traffic before, such as having only run just two trains for the entire year of 2014, but in 2015, they were still going strong. The railroad was somewhat famous for using a roster comprised almost entirely of old GE U-boats and Dash-7s, such as the ones seen in the videos below:
The line operated over former L&N trackage, with some older L&N equipment being retained. Due to the fact the railroad died only recently, much of it is easily traceable on Google Maps, such as with our starting point at Vine Street in Paris, KY, which features a pair of newer WCH signals: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2080532 ... 312!8i6656
Next up is Scott Avenue, which featured a pair of old L&N Transport Products Corp. signals with an RRS mechanical bell! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2086235 ... 312!8i6656
Sadly, by 2015, the signals here were replaced with newer WCH ones, as seen in the video below:
A pair of gateless signals stand guard at each of these crossings on Old Millersburg Road, though the first one is a bit harder to see as there's no good views of the crossing on street view: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.2804244 ... 312!8i6656
Near Carlisle, KY, we find another older L&N install with a pair of wishbone gates on KY 382! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3156053 ... 328!8i1664
Sadly, these were likely replaced with newer gates around the same time as the other one posted just above, but there's no way to tell as street view hasn't been through here since 2009...
Satellite view seems to show newer gates though.
Heading further east, we find this gateless crossing with a pair of Safetran 12x24 inch signals with a Safetran mechanical bell that's painted black and some Safetran lights that appear to have seen better days: https://www.google.com/maps/@38.4586915 ... 312!8i6656
Continuing east brings us to Maysville, KY, where the TTI operated over the CSX to get to where they dumped the coal loads. Here's a video of a TTI train operating over this crossing, which has a US&S Teardrop bell! (Or at least had...)
I never knew it was owned by CSX, plus here's a quote, but considering L&N was succeeded by SBD, then in 1986 when it became CSX Transportation, how much money does it cost to repair the line itself?
As this issue went to press, reports indicated Transkentucky Transportation, famous for its fleet of older GE power, was calling it quits. Operating out of Paris, Ky., the railroad was historically a coal-hauler, shipping from the mine to a transloading facility on the Ohio River at Maysville. After its coal contract expired, the line saw little traffic. Heavy rains in late July reportedly washed out the railroad near Maysville; with traffic almost non-existent, it was decided to close the line and put the GE power up for sale. CSX has owned TTI, and its subsidiary Transcontinental Terminals, since 1981.
Honestly not sure, really depends on the size of the washout and where it occurred, but given the lack of traffic along the line when the washout had occurred, they probably decided it wouldn't be worth repairing, especially if traffic would continue to fluctuate wildly with diminishing traffic overall...
Near Carlisle, KY, we find another older L&N install with a pair of wishbone gates on KY 382! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3156053 ... 328!8i1664
Sadly, these were likely replaced with newer gates around the same time as the other one posted just above, but there's no way to tell as street view hasn't been through here since 2009...
Satellite view seems to show newer gates though.
Near Carlisle, KY, we find another older L&N install with a pair of wishbone gates on KY 382! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3156053 ... 328!8i1664
Sadly, these were likely replaced with newer gates around the same time as the other one posted just above, but there's no way to tell as street view hasn't been through here since 2009...
Satellite view seems to show newer gates though.
Near Carlisle, KY, we find another older L&N install with a pair of wishbone gates on KY 382! https://www.google.com/maps/@38.3156053 ... 328!8i1664
Sadly, these were likely replaced with newer gates around the same time as the other one posted just above, but there's no way to tell as street view hasn't been through here since 2009...
Satellite view seems to show newer gates though.
I'm aware it's a repost (I think the crossing with the RRS bell is also technically a repost), but I was trying to show y'all as many of the crossings along the line that I could. And yes, the TTI was an interesting railroad...
) in the past, why don't y'all use the search feature? that's how i sometimes learn my lesson.
