AC 6 Pack

Not too much to show today. The Mrs. and I went for a ride Sunday evening. I knew about two westbounds, and decided to head west and wait for them. First stop was CR 143 west of Bluffton, where after a fairly short wait, we got a glimpse of a headlight. Turned out to be an empty MERC train behind 5 AC units.


No doubt that was enough power for the train, but for good measure the power desk also had a DPU tacked on. A MAC filled out the six pack.


As the train passed, I grappled with the classic railfan conundrum-stay and shoot the next train, or chase this one? The unknown won out, and I decided to head a bit east to catch the second train in a different spot. Again, a wait of about 10 minutes produced results. A rail train, behind a sole Dash 9 in tatty warbonnet paint, meandered around the corner at Bluffton and approached the crossing. I grabbed a few shots as he approached.


As this train passed, I noticed his rail load was not CWR, but instead bolted stick rail. I got this shot that shows the bolted rail on the train. I have never noticed this before myself, but then I don't always look closely.


I actually had time to make it to Perham, go through the DQ drive-in, and get back trackside just as he approached. The shots were nothing special though.

ATCS showed a third train approaching, and we were in a race to get into position. I had decided to try and shoot him at the CR 75 crossing just outside Wadena, and everything was working just as planned until I reached the crossing to see the gates coming down and the train approaching. So, I missed that one by a few moments. I asked Mrs. L4T if it was worth chasing and she said it wasn't, "the engines looked the same as all the other ones". With that ruling, we headed home after another evening along the rails of the Staples Sub.

Jim