That "New Loco" Smell

Along with a number of other OMR members, Mrs. L4T and myself spent a little time on the west end of the Staples Sub Sunday afternoon. I thought a few westbounds would show, and sure enough we got a couple of chances. First up was this empty coal train, that passed through Wadena a few minutes before we left. I caught up with and passed him around Frazee and decided to try a shot at the curve near Richards Spur:


A quick getway allowed me to pass him once more and grab a shot from the Highway 32 overpass. I like this location a lot, and I got a friendly toot on the horn from the engineer.


I soon heard another westbound clear up a warrant, and fretted about where to shoot him. In hopes of a new angle, I headed to the crossing south of Hawley, and got there with only a couple of minutes to spare as this intermodal with three like-new GEVO's on the point with two more trailing in the consist roared down on me. I thought I could smell fresh paint as they rolled by.


I decided to try for another shot of these new locos, and chased him all the way to East Dilworth. However, the sun angle was pretty much head-on at that point and the shots didn't turn out too well. It did give me the chance to gas up in Glyndon for $1.93 a gallon though so it wasn't a wasted trip.

After supper at the Hawley Dairy Queen, where people were lined up 4 to 5 deep at the counter trying to get tasty treats, we decided to meander home to Wadena. I made it almost all the way back (halfway between New York Mills and Wadena) before meeting a merchandise train with three Dash 9's up front. Time for a u turn and a run back to the overpass west of NYM. A short wait yielded this shot.


Met one more westbound coal train before getting home but we didn't try and catch him. We had a good time and managed to see a few trains. What more could a man ask for on a lazy Sunday afternoon?

We had to have crossed paths with Jeremiah and Bryant at some point that afternoon, as I heard the 8300 working its way east just behind us on the trip home. Looks like the two of you had a great outing. Keep up the good work.

Jim, out.