March 8, 2023.
Southbound coal loads on the former Virginian Railway "Princeton-Deepwater District" between Deep Water and Mullens, West Virginia.
This portion of the Princeton-Deepwater District was purchased by the Kanawha River Railroad (KNWA) from Norfolk Southern in 2016. KNWA crews operate NS coal drags between Dickinson Yard along the Kanawha River, and the NS interchange at Elmore Yard in Mullens. From Deep Water to Mullens, southbound loaded coal drags require additional helpers. KNWA uses a total of 6 ex-NS SD60s (2 upfront and 4 on the rear) to climb the steep grade away from the Kanawha River Valley - a unique operation in the 21st century.
The coal drag in this video (likely symbolled KN-33) originated at the Mammoth Coal Processing Plant along the Kanawha River east of London, WV (near Montgomery). The loads were heading to the Lamberts Point coal piers in Norfolk, VA for export. Norfolk Southern mothballed the former Virginian Railway Princeton-Deepwater District between Mullens and Princeton, so KNWA and Winding Gulf coal traffic now take the former Virginian "Guyandotte River Branch" from Mullens to the former Norfolk & Western in Gilbert. From nearby Wharncliffe, the loads then head east on the Pocahontas Division (former N&W mainline) towards Bluefield, Roanoke, and Norfolk.
I documented this coal drag at various locations along the former Virginian from Deep Water to Mullens. The loads departed from the coal loadout around 3:00 in the afternoon, so by the time they reached Mullens, it was after dark. Once they reached Elmore Yard in Mullens, the KNWA SD60s tied down for the night, and an NS crew took the coal loads west to Gilbert the next morning.