Early '08 Shots

Look4trains came to life in April of 2008, springtime, when thoughts turn again to railfanning and photography. Yet we never totally escape the attraction of the railroads, even when daylight is short and the wind is cold as you stand trackside.

The thought of "Best of 2008" lists led me back into the recesses of my hard drive, with the intention that perhaps L4T needed a recap. But I decided that instead of a recap of the entire year, I would share a couple of photos from early 2008, before this site was created.

Both of these photos remind me of what I was doing when I shot them: travelling to or from one of the towns I work with. In the first case, I had been on my new job only a month, when a westbound BNSF train revealed itself on an overcast January afternoon approaching the Hwy 10 overpass between Perham and New York Mills. I set up at the county road that crosses just east of the overpass and got this:


I really like the way the hoarfrost is clinging to everything, and the way the train recedes into fog. The color shot didn't work at all, but black and white really helps convey the mood at the time this train passed.

The second shot I found from early 2008 was shot in the Staples yard one day when I passed through and decided to swing down to the south side just to see what was parked there. Turns out there was a Grinstien MAC that had been "swooshed" resting alongside an SD75M. The MAC was front coupled to another unit which usually kills the chance to take a decent photo but in this case it seems to work. These cream and green AC units are my favorite on the BNSF, although they have suffered from patching over the years.


So that's my contribution to the end of year celebration. I'm looking forward to 2009with the hope that I will again get to see some new country, as I did this year. Thanks to all of you who read this blog, wherever you are, and good luck with you railfanning adventures over the coming year.

The Last of July

I've not much to offer for the week that was-my ratio of trains to miles travelled approached my low for the year, I suspect. Given that I paralleled or crossed portions of the Staples Sub, Brainerd Sub, Casco Sub, and Hinckley Sub of the BNSF, as well as samples of former DMIR and DWP trackage and a portion of the CP mainline between the Twin Cities and Buffalo over the past week, my photo inventory for the trip is scant. I guess thats what being busy and working long days will do to a railfan.

I'll share what I have. On leaving home Monday morning about 0600, I was hoping there would be a train in the Staples yard, as the sunrise would light it nicely. Before I even got to Verndale I was pacing a Z train eastbound and managed to get a couple of minutes ahead of him by the time I reached Staples. Sure enough, a waiting eastbound in the yard was mine to photograph. I shot this merchandise train behind a unique power set-the cream of EMD's 60 series power.


A classic "triclops" SD60M still in its original BN paint is trailed by a sibling of this series-a GP60M fresh from an assignment on the BNSF employee passenger special that travelled Minnesota and North Dakota about a week earlier. I thought the combination of four axle and six axle 60 series power was interesting. I wonder if the SD feels like a Clydsdale when paired with the speedy GP unit?

I only had to wait a moment to shoot the Z as it passed this parked train in Staples. The UPS train was headed up by a pair of GEVO's sandwiching a Dash 9.


And with that, I was to go trainless for the next two days, with my next sighting on Wednesday evening south of Virginia. I ran in to Shelton Junction in time to find the last (thanks for the tip Dave S.) maroon DMIR SD40-3 on the point of another Minorca train headed for Two Harbors. I might have pushed the speed limit as I made the move to beat him to the CR 7 crossing where I grabbed this picture.


I know it is almost identical as the shot I got last week (see this post) but it's a rare unit and I get few chances at it. I decided to try a backlit shot at Ramshaw and here is the result.


And that's the end of this week's photos. I did spend the night in Buffalo on Thursday, and the volume of trains was impressive. When I drove into the Cities the next morning for a meeting I was impressed with the scenery in the area. I will have to make it a point to try and free up a couple of hours sometime when I am in that area for some fanning.

The trip home on Friday offered a couple of BNSF trains heading into the sun, but I had been gone all week, and my #1 goal was to get home and see Mrs. L4T. I made it and am glad to be back. Next week I will be in Iowa and hope to get the chance for some trackside time along the UP main.

Jim, out.