A venerable AC4400CW leads westbound empty coal train E221-13 through Meadow Creek, West Virginia, at 4:40 P.M. on May 15th, 2024. With 221 empties, this empty man is heading to Peach Creek, West Virginia, from Newport News, Virginia for loading at Ramaco's Emmett facility and Alpha Metallurgical's Hutchinson complex. Once loaded, the train would become C211-17 for the trip back to Newport News. This was the first freight train I would end up catching during my stay at 11 Scott Lane in Meadow Creek.

Two SD70MACe rebuilds lead westbound doubled up empty grain train G228-14 through Meadow Creek, West Virginia, at 9:25 A.M. on May 16th, 2024. With 161 covered hoppers, this empty grain shuttle is destined for Avon, Indiana, for loading at Total Grain Marketing's Co-Op in Casey, Illinois, and Legacy Farmer's Co-Op in Custar, Ohio. The train originated at Rocky Mount, North Carolina, with empties from Bunge North America's facility in Teachey, North Carolina, and Nash Johnson & Sons Farms complex in Rose Hill, North Carolina. 

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

CSX L211-16 breaks the early morning silence as it blasts through the community of Meadow Creek, West Virginia, at 6:22 A.M. on Friday, May 17th, 2024. Destined for Clifton Forge after leaving Russell, Kentucky, the day before, L211-16's next stop is Hinton, West Virginia, where it will receive a new crew before proceeding east. With a consist made up of a majority boxcars, today's L211 has cars destined for businesses such as the Westrock MWC LLC paper mill in Covington, Virginia, as well as the Georgia-Pacific LLC paper mill at Big Island, Virginia. Also included in this 182 axle local are cross tie gondolas for Stella-Jones Corporation of Goshen, Virginia. These gondolas will be transported there by the Buckingham Branch Railroad which will pick them up at the interchange point in Clifton Forge, Virginia. The was the last train I would end up seeing on my multi day trip to the New River in West Virginia. The house I was staying in, 11 Scott Lane, is located just to the right of the photographer out of frame.

*Nick A. Jobe Photograph*

Two CSX locomotives running in "Elephant Style" haul coal ferry move R225-16 through Meadow Creek, West Virginia, at 11:01 A.M. on Thursday, May 16th, 2024. Usually operating between Thurmond, West Virginia, and Hinton, West Virginia, today's R225 has 110 loaded hoppers interchanged from R. J. Corman Railroad Group's Dunloup Creek Branch at Thurmond. These coal hoppers were loaded at Pax, West Virginia, on the Dunloup Creek Branch at a coal loadout known as "Hopkins" which is operated by Pioneer Fuel Corporation. Heading to Hinton after departing Thurmond not too long ago, this train will be resymboled as C206-15 for the rest of the journey east towards the coal exports piers in Newport News, Virginia. This future C206, like most trains loaded at Hopkins, is heading to the export piers owned by Dominion Terminals in Newport News.