Train Chasing

April 3, 2012 by Sherman Cahal | 2 Comments

I’ve lived next to the Russell, Kentucky railyards for much of my life, and enjoyed hearing the clanking and banging of the cars as they moved over the hump at night as I lay to sleep. I got real enjoyment seeing loaded Chessie and then CSX trains move by in Russell, and Norfolk Southern trains in Ironton, Ohio.

Something that I’ve been doing more lately is train chasing. One of my favorite locations is in Limeville, east of South Shore along US 23. It ‘s adjacent to the derelict NJ Cabin, and there is a wide pull off for railfanners to enjoy the passing locomotives and their haul.

Yesterday evening near sunset, I was able to capture CSXT 402 as it switched tracks to continue westward towards Cincinnati, Ohio via the ex-Cheaspeake & Ohio Cincinnati Subdivision. The new signals, installed as part of the PTC project, allow for double stack container clearance.

Just ahead around the bend was the last wooden signal relay. It is now laying on the ground intact, removed due to the new signal installations that have rendered it obsolete. Here is a photograph of the signal relay in better days.

Purchase this railroad scene via Sherman Cahal Photography »

Posted in Kentucky Tagged Kentucky, Railroad |

Walking Northside

March 29, 2012 by Sherman Cahal | Leave a comment

Not having spent enough time in Cincinnati, Ohio, I opted to go for an evening walk around Northside, a neighborhood that I have called home since March of 2011. My favorite takeaway from my walk through early spring florals and sidewalks lined with strollers and folks walking their dogs is St. Boniface Catholic Church on Chase Ave. The church was first constructed in 1853 on Delany Street. The current facility was completed in 1927, with a school added in 1933. I took the photograph on Pitts Avenue as the sun was waning over Mt. Airy Forest.

Posted in Ohio Tagged Cincinnati, Cityscapes, Ohio, Spring |

Brookport-Paducah Bridge

March 6, 2012 by Sherman Cahal | Leave a comment

On a trip to western Kentucky in January, I made the decision to capture many of the Ohio River crossings for my partner web-site, Bridges & Tunnels. The below photograph is the ten-span Brookport-Paducah Bridge that carries US 45 over the Ohio River. The crossing is notable for its age – it was constructed in 1929, and it’s narrow width of about 9 feet per lane. It’s pretty hair raising!

Read more about the crossings at Bridges & Tunnels. This photograph, along with other highlighted crossings, can be purchased.

Posted in Illinois, Kentucky Tagged Bridge, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio River, sunset |

The Packard

February 21, 2012 by Sherman Cahal | 1 Comment

Oh, Detroit. It’s one of my favorite cities to visit, not to just document abandonments, but to witness its rebirth and all of the associated redevelopments that are occurring through downtown and midtown. Accompanying me up to the Motor City was a friend from Columbus who is deeply interested in industrial infrastructure – so what better place to showcase vertical manufacturing than the Packard Automotive Plant?

First constructed in 1903, the plant was designed by Albert Kahn and eventually expanded to encompass 40 acres and 3.5 million square feet until the site closed in 1958.

I have made two photographs from the Packard available for purchase.

Posted in Michigan Tagged Abandoned, Cityscapes, Detroit, Michigan |

Eggner’s Ferry Bridge Collapse

January 30, 2012 by Sherman Cahal | Leave a comment

Over the weekend, I ventured to western Kentucky to capture the partial collapse of the Eggner’s Ferry Bridge over Kentucky Lake. The span, which carries U.S. Route 68 and Kentucky State Route 80, is a vital east-west highway. On the evening of January 26, a vessel carrying rocket parts departed its normal navigational channel and crossed under a channel reserved for pleasure craft.

You can read more of the bridge at my partner site, Bridges & Tunnels, or purchase the image.

Posted in Kentucky Tagged Bridge, Kentucky, Kentucky Lake |

The Battle of Mill Springs

January 28, 2012 by Sherman Cahal | Leave a comment

Last weekend, I packed my bags and headed south into Kentucky to photograph the Battle of Mill Springs. Without going into too much detail for now, as an article will be forthcoming, I will share my most iconic image from that trip.

Posted in Kentucky Tagged Civil War, Event, Kentucky |

Winter at Spruce Knob

January 9, 2012 by Sherman Cahal | Leave a comment

With an elevation of 4,863 feet, Spruce Knob is the highest point in the state of West Virginia, and is the summit of Spruce Mountain, the tallest mountain in the Alleghenies. The knob features a more alpine characteristic than other mountains in the Appalachians, featuring a spruce forrest and a boreal forest environment that is more featured in northern New England and Canada. While it was substantially warmer in the valley, leading to large snow melts, it was frosty and still icy at the top.

This photograph can be purchased for download, as a print, or for release.

Posted in West Virginia Tagged Landscapes, West Virginia, Winter |

Blustery Sunset

January 5, 2012 by Sherman Cahal | Leave a comment

A view from the Appalachian Highway looking towards the small community of Lawshe along the former Cincinnati & Eastern Railroad (now Norfolk Southern) at sunset. A church is softly illuminated by the waning sunset offset by clouds from a recent storm.

Posted in Ohio Tagged Landscapes, Ohio, sunset, Winter |

A Cat Person

December 23, 2011 by Sherman Cahal | Leave a comment

While photographing an old gasoline station in southern Ohio, I came across a very friendly cat. White with black accents, he was the mirror opposite of my cat – Mr. Boots, a black cat with white accents.

Posted in Ohio Tagged Animal, Ohio |

Under the Viaduct

December 22, 2011 by Sherman Cahal | Leave a comment

During some down time that I had while working on a project in Cincinnati, Ohio, I wandered over to the Mill Creek valley and began photographing the various viaducts and bridges that criss cross over waterways, highways and railroads. The 8th Street Viaduct, which received a new bridge deck, new railings, lights and improved superstructural elements, was given a new white paint coating. The charcoal colored roadway under the viaduct, which was once hemmed in by large warehouses and factories, now opens to weeds and large vacant lots.

Posted in Ohio Tagged Bridge, Cincinnati, Ohio |