Two veteran CSX SD70MAC's are chugging along with 130 hoppers in tow bound for the coalfields of southeastern KY. At right, the American Electric Power Big Sandy Generating Station, at one time a proud customer of the Chesapeake & Ohio and now CSX, stands as a victim of the downturn of the coal industry in the 21st century. Loaded unit trains from the coalfields would be brought in to the yard at the bottom of the frame and fed the turbines of the plant's two massive coal-fired power units. But after stringent regulations put in place by the Obama-administration EPA, Unit 2 was taken out of commission and is currently being torn down, while Unit 1 still operates today, albeit under natural gas. The story of the Big Sandy isn't pretty either, with through trains taken off the line from Catlettsburg through Elkhorn City, Erwin, and to Hamlet in 2015, and a section from McClure to Dante, VA taken out of service, leaving two dead-end 25 mile per hour branches which are lucky to see 2 to 4 trains a day, or even a week...
Update 9/24: As of today, Unit 2 which can be seen in the background was imploded with a controlled blast early this morning and is now officially demolished.
