LORAM, Canadian National, CSX, and Several More Trains in Decatur & Athens, Alabama! 9-13-2025

On September 13th, I went to Decatur, AL to see if I could catch any CSX or NS trains.

When I got to Decatur, I saw a Northbound CSX freight train and went to catch it at Harris Station Road. Soon after, I saw that the CSX Interchange train was about to start switching at the Interchange Yard at Vine Street. The Interchange train first left 39 cars it brought from CSX Oakworth Yard on the main line. It then went into the Interchange Yard to pull out 65 cars, then connected them to the 39 cars and shoved them into the yard. After that, it pulled out of the yard and shoved the 65 cars down the main line to Oakworth Yard.

The Interchange Yard has 4 tracks which each hold about 20 to 25 cars, so the Interchange train had to move multiple times to pick up and drop off each set of cars. I filmed the Interchange train at a railroad crossing at Rhodes Ferry Park as it was switching at the Interchange Yard. Later, I filmed the CSX Interchange train from Moulton Street as it shoved the 39 cars into Oakworth Yard.

A few minutes later, I saw that an Eastbound NS intermodal train was passing through Decatur and went to catch it at Airport Road. The train stopped at a siding near there to wait for two Westbound NS trains. From Airport Road, I took pictures of both Westbound trains seen from over 3.5 miles away in Greenbrier, AL. I believe one of them was dropping off autorack cars at the Mazda Toyota Plant in Greenbrier. Eventually, both trains came and passed by. I believe the first train was going to NS Decatur Yard in Decatur.

After they passed, the Eastbound NS intermodal train started to pull out of the siding. At that time, I saw that a Northbound CSX intermodal train was passing through Decatur, so I went to go see it instead. The Eastbound NS train had engines NS 3605 and NS 4885 pulling about 67 intermodal cars and 9 autorack cars.

I caught the Northbound CSX intermodal train at Ingram Road near Tanner, AL, then went to Vine Street in Decatur to catch another Northbound CSX intermodal train. The train had 2 CSX engines and about 142 intermodal cars. The CSX Upriver Lead train was also there waiting for the Northbound train to pass. It was taking 26 cars from Oakworth Yard to a few industries near Market Street. After the Northbound train passed by, I caught the CSX Upriver Lead train at 10th Avenue and Market Street. Right after it passed by there, it stopped at a small rail yard near the industries.

A few minutes later, I saw that a CSX local was going from Oakworth Yard to a few industries in Athens, AL. This train only runs on weekdays, but it didn’t run much during the past week, so it was running today. I went to Harris Station Road to catch it, and on the way, I got a short video of HMCR 3986 and HMCR 107 sitting near Sandy Road near Tanner, AL.

After catching the CSX local at Harris Station Road, I went to Athens and got a few pictures of the old L&N depot at Pryor Street. While I was there, the CSX local stopped at an industry to pick up a few coil cars, then it continued to Athens. I went to West Elm Street to see the CSX local as it got off the CSX main line and went down the track to several industries.

A few minutes later, I went over to East Elm Street where the CSX main line was at to catch a Northbound CSX freight train. Right after it passed by, I went over to Bryan Street to catch a Northbound CSX tanker train with CN engines leading! After it passed by, I decided to leave.

As I left, I saw a GREX LORAM train sitting in a siding near Airport Road! I saw it from an overpass nearby, so I went back to Airport Road to see it. The train was waiting for two other Westbound NS trains to pass. The first one already passed by, and the second one was passing by right as I got to Airport Road. A few minutes later, the GREX LORAM train pulled out of the siding and left. After catching it, I left and later got a picture of a GREX research train sitting in a siding near I565 in Huntsville, AL.

This video was recorded on September 13th, 2025.


0:00- Northbound CSX freight train
7:21- CSX Interchange train at Rhodes Ferry Park while switching at the Interchange Yard
23:21- CSX Interchange train shoving train cars to CSX Oakworth Yard
26:15- Eastbound NS intermodal train pulling into a siding
26:53- Westbound NS freight train
29:42- Westbound NS intermodal train
33:45- Northbound CSX intermodal train in Tanner, AL
40:07- Northbound CSX intermodal train passing by the CSX Upriver Lead train at Vine Street
41:22- CSX Upriver Lead train at Market Street while going to several industries
45:37- Northbound CSX local taking train cars to industries in Athens, AL
47:01- Northbound CSX local at West Elm Street in Athens, AL
48:56- Northbound CSX freight train at East Elm Street
53:36- Northbound CSX tanker train with CN engines leading in Athens, AL
57:21- GREX LORAM train pulling out of a siding and crossing Airport Road in Decatur
59:25- Several pictures of the trains