This is not photoshop, I promise. GMTX 2235 stalls on a hill and throws sparks in epic fashion. The second motor died, leaving 2235 as the only power to shove this heavy train up a steep grade. Click to see how the crew was able to get the train up the hill. Posted with permission from the train crew.

This is not a normal occurrence by any means, but it can happen under the right circumstances. The crew needed to push five covered hoppers loaded with granulated sugar up a steep hill to get to the industry. With two engines, this would have been relatively easy to accomplish, but the second locomotive (OMLX 2001) ran out of water and had to be shut off to avoid serious damage to the engine. The heavy hopper cars and 250,000lb paperweight (that was now engine 2001) proved to be too heavy for the lead motor. To see the wheel slip immediately, visit minute mark 5:45.

A wheel slip like this occurs when the wheels lose traction on the rail, causing them to spin out of control. The intense friction between the rail and the wheel causes sparks to fly until the engine redlines and throttles back down.

The Fulton County Railroad is a terminal railroad located southwest of Atlanta, GA. They operate 21 miles of track that connect to 68 customers. Because of the short mileage, this railroad is relatively undocumented by railfans. This is one of 27 railroads across the U.S. that are operated by OmniTRAX Corporation.


"Come to me all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28 NIV).


If you feel restless, take a pause and read the gospel of John in the Bible. It was encouraging to me and I hope it will be encouraging to you too.

Thank you for watching (and reading!).
Filmed in November, 2022
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