Facing west toward Knoxville on the NS River Line, the Lincoln Avenue ABS Signals. The tracks in front are the industry tracks for the Con Agra Plant in Newport, TN.
Facing east on the NS River Line, this trestle crosses the Nolichucky River. The line follows this river all the way to Asheville, NC, about 64 miles from this spot.
The old Southern Railroad Depot in downtown Newport, TN, now owned by the NS as the Newport Track Department. This is the timetable location Newport, MP206.45 west on the NS River Line.
Facing the railroad west end of the Newport NS depot, mow equipment and utility trucks are parked here when not in use.
This is the compass north side of the depot.
NS Newport Track Department MOW trucks and equipment. This picture faces railroad east.
Facing railroad west toward Knoxville, this is the off-load site for the truck tankers, which carry grain to various locations in East Tennesee, and perhaps beyond.
We are standing here at the railroad east side of Yalu Siding just west of downtown Newport. This siding is about a mile and a half long. It is storage siding for the Con Agra operations.
About two miles north of Newport, we find this microwave tower. This tower is home to some field hawks. This pic faces railroad west.
This track equipment is NEVER stored here. The equip is sitting on a siding/spur that is no longer used...the company moved away.
This is the control point at Leadvale, compass north and railroad west of Newport, about 4 miles. A major passing siding and small yard up the way from here.
Here is the small storage yard, for the Newport local industries. The signals to the right-control point Lilac, end of passing siding. Just to the other side of the signals, is the trestle over Douglas Lake.
This is one of my favorite spots to sit and watch the westbounds. Downtown Newport, behind Food City.
There he goes, past the depot and onward to Knoxville!
NS Bristol Line, Morristown TN. This area is known as "Chicken House", where meets are staged. Timetable location is actually Pickens. I am standing in the parking lot of the chicken slaughter house.
This train is headed east to Bristol, TN. It was awaiting a loaded westbound coal to clear Chicken House, before proceeding onward.
THis is the Whitesburg AEI, DED and wheel flange lubricator.
Whitesburg, TN. Facing east toward Bulls Gap, Greeneville and Bristol, TN
Here comes the same train we just saw back in Morristown, the one that awaited the loaded coal westbound.
You should have heard that wheel flange lubricator!
This is the viaduct of the west wye at Bulls Gap yard, beginning of the NS TC line. Facing rr north.
Loaded coal on its way to Knoxville, about a 3 hour trip depending on traffic.
Got a couple toots from the engineer at this point!
This train is cleared to join the A Line to Knoxville. This is the Justice control point. This train will cross over to the far track then idle up to get a run on the Whitesburg hill.
Control point 'Kite'. Note the 'highball' green on the left signal. This is one mile from Justice/Bulls Gap. Facing west toward Knoxville. Eastbounds into Bulls Gap will diverge onto the right track.
Standing at Kite, but facing east toward Bulls Gap/Justice.
Here comes that loaded coal out of Bulls Gap.
No DPU for this train. Usually there are two of them.
Awaiting a re-crew on Bulls Gap tracks 2 & 3. This is actually one train, cut in two.
Control point 'Moore', on the north end of Bulls Gap Yard. Usually you can find a loaded coal idling here, awaiting re-crews. The track to the left is an industry spur.
White Pine, TN on the NS River Line. MP219.4 eastbound toward Newport, TN and Asheville, NC. ABS signal. The signal mast on the left was recently installed in within the last month.
Track equipment on White Pine siding.
Distant view of the trestle across Douglas Lake on the NS River Line. To the right of the trestle is Lilac control point and Leadvale (not pictured) Left=west, right=east
Control point 'Douglas' on the NS River Line, where the NS BL line to Bulls Gap begins. This location is just yards west of the trestle across Douglas Lake.
Control point 'Douglas'. To the right, Bulls Gap. Morristown and Knoxville straight ahead.
An old Southern Railway viaduct. This one and the one I am standing on. Whats left of the Southern. This is just yards away from the NS River Line trestle across the Douglas Lake.
This is the one I was just standing on.
The trestle to the right. The gravel road is the rail bed of the old Southern Railroad. The line was later relocated to the right, to avoid flooding of the old trestle.
The Douglas control point from a distance.
More close-ups of the trestle.
What remains of the old Southern Railway trestle.
A westbound from Asheville to Knoxville on the NS River Line is about to split the ABS signal at MP206 and blast its way through downtown Newport, TN.
