Odd Power on the 8

Thanks to an early morning heads up by Steven Welch and a text from Jer I had advance notice of yet another late Empire Builder headed back to Chicago. These have been getting pretty routine so I may have passed on it but both alerts included information of an unusual lead engine for this area. With that I decided to head out.

Rather than drive all the way to Staples, I decided to try and get him just west of Wadena as the tracks climb out of the Leaf River Plain. I heard the detector at MP 174 announce the pending arrival of the train just before I reached my chosen location. The wait for a train was very short.

The photos above and below were shot as the train raced up the hill. It was kind of fun seeing something unusual, especially on the ever-consistent Builder.

My last shot is intended to be a better view of the Dash 8 leader and an opportunity to compare it to the Genesis unit trailing. One thing I noticed when processing this shot was the fuel tank. To my eye it's shaped like the tank on an EMD rather than the "slab sided" tanks most GE's sport.

And with that it was back home. Thanks again for the heads up guys!

Independence Day

The fourth of July always brings to mind a day 5 years ago now when I shot this photo. Oddly it's not the only Independence Day shot I remember. This one from 2009, and this 2008 shot from Verndale are both products of the fourth as well. Last year I must have been in the basement working on the now-defunct West Central Minnesota Railroad.

All of which is a long introduction to this morning. For some unknown reason I checked the status of the eastbound Empire Builder, and sure enough it was late. In fact it should be in Staples at about the time that would allow me to attempt to duplicate the 2007 shot linked above. And so I was off. I decided to wait for the train at Wadena, where the dispatcher had him lined to cross over from Main 2 to Main 1. Consider that shot accomplished.

Then it was off to the races. Amtrak was making great time, and even risking a speeding ticket wasn't enough to keep pace. By the time I reached Aldrich he had built up a fair lead, but I knew (or hoped) that I could stop faster than the train, and would make up time as they approached the station. Sure enough, the head end passed the station about the same time as I did. There was only one fly in the ointment, though-for some reason the dome car was at the end of the consist, so the conductor decided to stop with the final car of the train at the platform. As a result the power was blocking the crossing east of the depot. Here's the shot I was able to come up with, which I didn't like near as much as the one from 5 years ago.

Finally, in that shot, there was a coal train waiting to cross over and take the Brainerd Sub. This year the situation was reversed, with an empty waiting to get onto the Staples after Amtrak cleared. I decided to shoot him, and after getting home and looking at the photo, was glad I did. Strange, strange power on this coal empty. Been a long while since I caught a coal train with DC power, much less a GEVO. In fact this may be one of a kind for me, certainly worth the "oddity" tag.

With that, it was off for home to work on the house. Now, after mowing, painting, and trimming hedges, I've squeezed out a moment to post to this long-neglected blog. More is coming, when time allows, including my report of the greatest railfanning day of the year, VR2K12. All for now.

Amtrak Under the Overcast

I was minding my own business in my happy place (the basement, working on installing turnout controls) right after lunch when Mrs. L4T came roaring down the stairs, hollering something about a phone call. When I answered, it was Bryant on the other end, bearing news of a very late Amtrak train he had just spotted rolling under the overpass near Dilworth. My schedule became adjusted.

After another hour or so of tinkering with tiny bits of wire the Mrs. and I hit the road, headed for downtown Wadena and hopefully an appointment with the Empire Builder. The phrase gets overused sometimes, but sure enough, when we crossed the tracks I spotted a headlight to the west. Racing to the east edge of town and pulling over, we were just in time to catch not the Builder, but a crude oil train headed down the Staples Sub.


Mrs. L4T commented that the train I just shot bore no resemblance to the Amtrak train I had promised. My response included a plea for a little patience, and we relocated to a spot closer to the crossover as I suspected the Builder would be going from Main Two to Main One at Wadena. That suspicion was soon confirmed by ATCS, and before long another headlight appeared to the west. This time it was the Amtrak train.


Since she had been so patient it only seemed right to reward the wife with a ride. We took off chasing the Builder, and paced him at about 73 mph between Wadena and Verndale, where he didn't have to slow down for the cop (who is our friend, by the way.)

I was able to maintain "track speed" longer than the train could as we approached Staples, and so managed to get across the tracks during his quick station stop. Here's the Empire Builder one more time, as he throttles up and pulls away from the Staples depot.


A big thanks to Bryant for his tip on this train. Without that I would likely have spent the entire afternoon in the basement, not to mention how much Mrs. L4T enjoyed the opportunity to get out trackside for a bit.

Now Departing for Randall, the Twin Cities, and Points East...

So today, after an early morning Holiday stop in Wadena, it was off for Randall again. ATCS showed the dispatcher had an eastbound lined from two to one in Wadena, and the thought that it might be Amtrak crossed my mind. Sure enough, within seconds of getting back in the vehicle, the scanner crackled with the Builder calling the approach signal to Wadena. Off to the races.

Instead of the depot shot that has been done so many times I figured on trying something out in the woods. One eye was on a pesky cloud approaching the Quicken Road crossing, as the sun played peek-a-boo. Sadly, it was hiding as the GE's roared around the corner at track speed, leaving nothing but a blur on the memory card. This is all there is to prove that I have indeed seen the Empire Builder pass the location.


At Philbrook, a manifest had been holding waiting for the passenger train to pass, and was quickly underway. With a few minutes to go before work started, I stood trackside waiting for the freight, which the people I was working with found wildly entertaining. No amount of coaxing was able to get anyone else with a camera out to shoot this train with me.


After wrapping up around 3 PM, I left for the Twin Cities, where my day will start early Thursday. Seemed like a great chance to grab some Northstar action, starting with this colorful consist at Big Lake.


I so wanted to shoot him passing through Elk River, but stuck in the left turn lane on Highway 10, I raged as TWO nicely lit trains passed with no chance for photos, including the Utah unit shown above. This had to be the longest red light I ever suffered through, missing the eastbound Northstar and a westbound freight shortly after, unable to do anything about it. Railfanning in the Metro is tough duty!

Figuring there had to be another commuter train headed out, staking out the location seemed the proper course of action. The wait was only 10 or 15 minutes before this beauty blew through town.


And then again, near Ramsey, I picked a nice spot to wait for the third Northstar of the day. Luckily, this time the left turn light allowed me to cross the westbound lanes of Highway 10 and the tracks before the train arrived, although the headlight was visible when crossing.


It's so strange to hear the detectors announcing the passage of trains with "total axles one six".

One more note on today. Around lunch, while eating at Kim's on Pacific in Randall, the trumpeting of an air horn announced the imminent arrival of an eastbound. Turned out to be the pair of SD40-2's that were on the container train in Staples the previous day, headed back toward Northtown light engine, and making good time. They were gone before I even had a chance to run for the camera.

And that was my day.

Amtrak, Again

Wednesday morning I was up and at it with the roosters as the day called for a trip to Virginia and back for work. The weather was certainly nothing spectacular and little railfanning was expected. I did get a treat while I gassed up at Holiday in Wadena, though, when #8 cruised through town a couple of hours late just as I started pumping gas.

Thursday morning started out in a similar fashion. Even though I only needed to run to Clarissa, a low gas tank was reason enough to stop at Holiday once more. This time, the late #8 cooperated, waiting until I was just getting back in the car to come through Wadena. With that, the chase was on. I figured that a little railfan driving might get me to Staples in time to grab a shot.

I wasn't able to make up any time on the train all the way over, but I did manage to keep it in sight, and so was able to get him as he left the depot in Staples:


After that, I had to hustle to Clarissa, so was not able to get a shot of the SD40-2 and SD45 that were coupled up sitting in Staples yard. It was a fun chase, and made me realize once more how lucky I am to have a job that gives me the chance to do things like this on occasion.

What a Way to Start the Day

What might you see when you look for trains passing through Wadena? This:


Yesterday morning I was bound for Eagle Bend. It seemed like a quick trip uptown for some kind of gas station breakfast would be a good idea, so I grabbed the camera and made the short detour north before heading back south on Highway 71. Wonder of wonders, a glance to the west as I crossed the tracks revealed a headlight. I quickly swung into Orton's lot and unlimbered the camera. Another shot as the train approached, much slower than the Builder normally passed through Wadena:


With a train "in the bag" for the day, I was able to dream about what the GN line towards Sauk Center used to look like, back in the days when the tracks connected the hamlets of Hewitt, and Bertha, and Eagle Bend, among others, to more significant population centers further on down the line. It was a pleasant trip.

Winter Railfanning Blues

I just realized that the only current prototype photos I have posted in well over a month were of the F59-led Builder on February 26. My bad. While I have been spending lots of time working on models, I still manage to get out of the house occasionaly, and once in a while have a chance to shoot some train pictures.

Most of the pictures are under heavy overcast, so that's one reason it's been hard to get motivated to go out and stand in the cold. But one thing that overcomes even the clouds is the opportunity to spend time with other fans. On February 5th, news of a late #7 got the boys out in force. Mrs. L4T and I decided to head on over Hawley way and check in with them. Luckily we were there for the passage of the Amtrak train, including a very unusual unit third out.


There's a good chance that the train was covered with frozen foam when it stopped in Fargo.


A short wait yielded one more westbound, this time coal empties led by MAC's. This is a great place to railfan.


And with those two trains in the bag, Mrs. L4T and I headed for home. We were able to catch one more coal empty as it approached the Highway 10 overpass between Perham and New York Mills. This time a GE was doing the honors.


February 22, I had to make a trip to Staples, and was pleased to find this consist sitting at the west end of the Staples yard. Once again, the lighting was crappy, but how could you resist a set like this?


And finally, the next day I passed an eastbound just outside St. Cloud and decided to shoot him at the MP 66 crossover. A manifest train with a couple of EMD's in the consist, this was was tossing the snow along the right of way into the air.


There you have it. Not a lot to choose from, but I needed to get some of these posted just to maintain any railfanning cred. Hopefully I'll get a few better shots next week when I head to the land of blue and yellow.

Railfan Bingo

"Under the F, 59. Five Nine. F59."

Bingo, I said on Saturday afternoon as a very late Empire Builder swept into view at the Frazee S-curve. A tip from an OMR poster Kinsly Tarmann the previous evening that this train was running late and had one of the Cascade EMD's in the lead was all the motivation I needed to once again pry myself out of the basement and get trackside.

And so Mrs. L4T and I found ourselves westbound just after lunch. What had once been a 6 hour late train was now fighting a delay nearing 10 hours, and the sun was inching its way around to the south in an attempt to spoil the possibility of a well lit shot.

But I've been railfanning the Staples Sub for a few years now, and there are a couple of tricks that can help defeat the afternoon winter sun. The most effective one is to post yourself at the south end of the Frazee S-curve, which to my knowledge is the spot where the tracks most closely approach a north-south alignment. So it came to be that I was looking almost due north when the shutter was released for this shot:


The train continued on, with me snapping away as it passed, capturing the sight of this fantastic EMD product as it led the Superliners toward Chicago. Having been an EMD fan since I was able to start to tell the difference between locomotives, it was thrilling to see this engine in charge of Amtrak's signature long distance train.


How great it would be to see a solid set of F59's as the power for the Builder. Who knows, maybe that will happen someday. Stranger things have transpired. But whether that dream becomes reality or not, I've got these photos, and my memories of, the day the Empire Builder glided through the Minnesota Prairies behind an Amtrak EMD leader.

A New Year's Wonder

Checking the traffic on the OMR mailing list on a lazy New Year's morning yesterday revealed chaos along the route of Amtrak's Empire Builder. Seems that for some reason the #7 westbound had been stopped, with plans for it to return to Chicago. The interesting part was how Amtrak decided to accomplish this.

The day's #8 (eastbound), which was already running late, was tasked to couple onto the rear of #7 and continue east. This decision led to the creation of a "monster" Amtrak train. Three Genesis units were leading and providing the power, followed by a baggage car, 20 Superliners, another baggage car, and three more Genesis units from the annulled #7.

A thoughtful passenger sprang into action, reporting these events to the list in real time. I was lucky enough to get about an hour's advance notice. Mrs. L4T kindly fortified me with a late breakfast and sent me out into the storm with the assignment of getting some good pictures. I was happy to try and oblige.

As soon as I left home, I heard the dispatcher talking to Amtrak 122, giving them a warrant from Gregory to St. Cloud. I had a flash of fear that they were already by me, but it seemed impossible so I continued uptown. The question was where to set up and try a shot? I contemplated trying as they passed by the depot. The faint indications of the defect detector at MP 174 indicated the train was getting close to Wadena. Then the radio came to life again, and Amtrak told the dispatcher they would be stopped for 10 minutes or so in Staples for a crew change. Hearing that the decision was made-Staples. Off I went, on an ice covered Highway 10.

The Builder was clearing his Richards Spur-Wadena warrant before I even reached Verndale. Given the road conditions getting to Staples in time to catch the train seemed iffy, so I pulled over to catch him as he passed east of Verndale. The wait was about one minute.


I realized at this point that shooting the train at track speed with fresh snow might be fun, but it wouldn't reveal what I was looking for. Again, it was off to Staples with a renewed fervor.

The conductor called out the approach signal at Dower Lake, along with a speed- 75 mph. Man, I hope I make it!

Finally, I spotted the tail end of the train. By the time I reached the west end of the Staples yard we were neck and neck and the train was slowing for the depot. Swinging into the west entrance of the Amtrak parking lot allowed the chance to shoot the entire train as it approached on Main 1.


Then it was off to the 6th St crossing, for a shot as the head end changed crews. The train was so long, this was the first of three stops they had to make at the Staples depot.


After pulling ahead, the train stopped again, spotting #8's coaches at the platform. The lead unit is just short of the 6th St. crossing in this view. The curve in Main 1 as it approaches the depot hide the tail end of this train. By my count, two Superliners, a baggage car and three Genesis units are tucked in behind the last visible car in this view.


The radio was busy with chatter almost the entire stop, anything from coordinating when to change channels (Staples West is on a different channel than Staples East), whether the rear units needed a qualified engineer on board, how the brakes should be set up ("direct" vs. "gradual" release, apparently due to train length), how far to pull ahead for the next spot, etc.

I got a final set of shots as the train spanned both crossings. I believe they were offloading the Staples passengers from #7 in this view. The word on the web is that all the #7 passengers were being dropped at the station where they boarded, which probably meant that there were multiple stops at every station due to the length of the train.


So that's the story of what is probably the most unusual railroad occurence I've ever had the opportunity to photograph. I can't thank Craig, the passenger on the train who was providing location information, enough. Without his heads-up, this train would have passed through the area without my even realizing it.

With a start to 2011 like this, who knows what else the year holds? This Amtrak monster train will be hard to top, but yesterday morning it never seemed possible that something like this would pass through Wadena. Keep looking!

Late #8-with a Twist

After Mitch Walsten's heads up this morning about a late running #8 with an unusual consist, I took inventory of my work week and decided that leaving at 6 AM Monday and getting home at 9PM Tuesday was sufficient justification to play a bit of hookey. The great Empire Builder interception was underway.

I decided to set up between New York Mills and Bluffton, at the crossing nearest the detector at MP 174.1. There is a nice little rise on the west side of the crossing to shoot from, if the light is right. One good thing about the heavy overcast was that the ability to shoot from wherever I wanted with no danger of backlighting. Of course the flip side is the dull shots and higher ISO resulting in a bit of noise in the shots.

At the first sound of a horn in the distance I skedaddled up the hill and set up shop. Here's the first shot, as the train passes between signals at a good clip:


I kept shooting as the train approached, creating a bit of snow fog along the ROW.


And then, there was a view of the reason for the outing.


The train was past in a flash, showing the lit drumhead and the marker lights of name train of yesteryear.


If you look closely, you can see that a few lucky souls were enjoying the scenery from the comfort of this classic car.


With that, the time had come to head for home and back to work. I heard the Builder clear his warrant in Wadena as I approached town. Then, turning down County Road 75, headlights appeared to the east. A coal empty was approaching, so I pulled over for a couple of shots of this ACe-led train as well. Again, the clouds worked to my favor (as much as that is possible), allowing a shot of a westbound early in the day that would normally be badly backlit.



That's about it for this report from the Staples Sub. Oh, one last thing, I've posted video of the Builder as well. Hope you enjoy it.

Short. Sweet.

The title pretty much describes today's railfanning outing. Company at home, including Mr. L4T Jr. and Granny L4T, made me want to stick around as much as possible. The tip from some OMR fans that we may see a late 8 on Saturday was enough, though, to get me to check the status of the Builder. On learning of a morning passage through the area I decided to venture out for a bit and try to catch it. A near 10 AM arrival at Detroit Lakes was the final piece of the puzzle. I decided to try the curve at New York Mills:


As you can see he was meeting a westbound coal empty at the crossing so I got two trains for my half hour invested in railfanning. The Builder was flying when I shot this-I only got one chance at it. Had to be close to the speed limit on that section of track.

Then I spent some time modeling this afternoon, and with a little long distance help from Chris was able to get my third DCC engine (and first with SOUND! Toot Toot! F1 baby!) up and running. I can see this DCC business is going to make some long cold winter evenings pass a little faster, what with speed tables, ditch lights, and the like.

So that's my day of involvement in the railroad hobby. Thanks for looking, and hope all of you had as productive a day as I did.

Jim

4449 on the March

As all of you are likely aware, today was a very special day on the Staples Subdivision of the BNSF. Today, the SP 4449, a vintage steam locomotive, travelled the length of the sub on its journey from Portland, Oregon to Owosso, Michigan.


Your humble correspondent has been a fan of railroads for almost my entire life, yet I had never had the opportunity to watch a mainline steam locomotive under power. I looked forward to this day for a long time, and begged and cajoled the people I work with to make it possible for me to be able to observe this trip. Thanks to all who accommodated me.

I went to bed last night with hopes for clear or at least partly cloudy skies in the morning. As soon as I woke up, a little before 6:00, a quick glance outside revealed that those wishes were not fulfilled. A low layer of thick clouds blanketed the area. Even so, the trip was on come rain or shine. I was out of the house before 0700 and off in search of Daylight.

I headed straight for Lake Park, encountering a few sprinkles on the way. As I approached Detroit Lakes, the skies lightened and some blue patches even showed up. I expected to encounter a crowd at the S curves but there was no one there when I arrived. Checking the twitter feed for the 4449, I found that they had indeed left Fargo "on the advertised". The feed also said they left in heavy rain, and the skies were beginning to darken in the west. These factors helped me decide to head back east in hopes of encountering the engine in fairer weather. My fear was that I would only get one chance at them due to speed, and I wanted to make it good.

I set up at the crossing west of Richards Spur, where the rails are well below Highway 10 and there is a curve a few hundred yards down the line that the train would round as they arrived. There was actually some sunshine when I arrived, but that didn't last long. The wait seemed to be forever-a lady showed up asking about the train, and just as we began to talk, the skies opened and a fairly hard rain began. I ran to retrieve my video camera (Canon S2, actually) and get everything in where it was dry.

In a few minutes more people arrived, with the news that the train had stopped just to the west. I knew there is a detector around MP 221 and the speculation was that they had been stopped due to a defect.

Soon enough, we saw the smoke and steam of the approaching engine, and I ran to the north side of the tracks to get ready. I shot video and a few still photos, including the one at the top of the post, as the train rounded the corner. My first exposure to live steam was certainly impressive.

As he passed I joined the flood of foamers chasing the train east. Detroit Lakes hasn't seen an invasion like that since the last WE fest. I was hoping for a stop in DL, but no luck. Having made it through town without too many delays, I went into chase mode myself as the speed limit changed back to 65 east of town. I spotted the train as he traversed the ridge on the west edge of Frazee. Knowing that he was in reach, I decided to shoot him again at a crossing between Frazee and Perham.


Next up seemed to be a pan attempt. As every crossing was occupied by a photographer or three, I just pulled off to the side of the road and shot this:


Far from perfect it is, but it has one thing going for it-it's my shot of a steam loco operating on the Staples Sub in 2009.

This angle of the engine slashing across farm country was my next attempt, as he crossed the old Highway 10 over pass between Perham and New York Mills. I probably don't need to confess my amateurish attempt at cleaning up the grey skies, but in the interest of full disclosure I admit having done it.


Mrs. L4T had an interest in seeing this train as well, so we had arranged for me to pick her up in Wadena for the run to Staples. I gained a bit of headway on the train approaching Wadena, and we had time to grab a shot as it passed a large group of fans at the Wadena depot.


And then it was off to Staples for a few shots at the service stop. I got an audio recording of SP 4449 clearing up his warrant from Richards Spur to Wadena as we drove. I'll have to post that sometime. My focus was on catching the scene, not just the engine, in Staples. Some samples:



The lone BNSF Police Officer had quiet a time keeping the fans off the tracks in the area, and I was disappointed with how a few people behaved as a stack train pulled up on Main 2. One thing I learned today was that the appearance of a steam locomotive makes most people get real excited, and a few people absolutely lose their heads.

Too soon it was time for the 4449 to leave. I got a couple of shots as the train pulled out of the station, along with a video clip (I've put a bunch of stills and a couple of video clips together and posted it on youtube). Good bye to the 4449 in Staples:




It was a great day. I was flabbergasted by the number of people out watching for the engine. There is a huge interest in an event like this, many times greater than I anticipated. I look forward to seeing it pass through the area on the return trip, and hope I can be trackside for it. If not, I know there will be a lot of fans out shooting and I can enjoy the photos.

THANKS to the Friends of the 4449, the train crew, the people who organized this trip, the BNSF, Amtrak, and anyone who had a hand in making this possible. It was GREATLY appreciated!!!

Hope you enjoy the photos and descriptions. Remember, always keep looking for trains.

Jim

Friday the 13th Part II-Delay of the Empire Builder

Yesterday I talked about looking forward to midnight and the end of Friday the 13th for a change in my luck. And while my luck seems to have taken a turn for the better, there is a group of Amtrak passengers and employees who no doubt have yet to see a change.

I learned this morning that today's #8, the eastbound Builder, was looking at a significant delay. With sunny skies, I had already floated the idea of a railfan outing with Mrs. L4T, having proposed a trip to Detroit Lakes to catch BNSF traffic as it passed through and with luck hook up with a CP eastbound and chase him through hill and dale south of DL. The reaction was positive and such an outing was pencilled in on the L4T activity calendar. The news about the late Amtrak called for a slight change in plans. Given what we knew, it looked like we would be able to catch him in nice light at the Lake Park S-curve, so off we went.

Traffic was light on the trip over, with the scanner quiet and only one train spotted, an eastbound near Audubon that I chose to pass up so I wouldn't miss the Builder. BNSF 7545 got a warrant at Hawley and I suspected it might be the Builder, but alas, it was not to be. Instead this turned out to be a huge manifest train (530 axles) with 5 mismatched units up front. The leader was an ES44DC, followed by an SD75M warbonnet, some kind of cascade green GP, a 6000 series ES44AC, and a blue leaser geep. I was ready and waiting for him at Lake Park.


And I never even noticed this oversize or heavy load right behind the power until I got home and took a look at the photos.


At this point everything was quiet on the western front. A decision was made to head for Hawley, for some reason, and just as we arrived there I heard a westbound clear up a warrant from Wadena to Richards Spur. I headed to the curve coming into town, where I shot this warbonnet in so-so light.


With a hope of finding a better angle given the position of the sun, I investigated the other side of the tracks. It affords a magnificent view of the elevator, and should permit working a train into the shot as well. BNSF delivered with a second westbound, this one a coal empty with a GE leading. I'm predominately a tele shooter but I broke out the kit lens at 28mm for this shot.


I've no idea what train this was or where it was coming from. These cars are unfamiliar to me, and there were a bunch of old steel BN and Santa Fe hoppers mixed into the train as well. This hopper car was built 01/08, so someone somewhere is still buying steel bottom dumps.


Just before 2:00 I heard something that sounded like Amtrak clearing a warrant. I figured they would be along shortly and headed back to Lake Park with the hope of good light. And good light it was, at that time. I spotted another photographer on the bridge in Lake Park, and stopped to consult. Turns out it was a couple who were supposed to be on the train but had given up due to the lateness, which would have caused missed connections. They decided instead to take advantage of the rare daylight passage through the area. They had news relating to the cause of the delay, involving stopping to set off drunks, hitting a car west of Minot, and waiting for a St. Cloud to crew to be cabbed to Hillsboro after another crew died on hours. Indeed, it was a Friday the 13th sequel. After learning the train had yet to leave Fargo, they opted to head to Manitoba Junction for photo ops.

A radio conversation between SWA and the crew of the Amtrak confirmed that they were indeed being led by a pumpkin C44, due to a grade crossing accident west of Minot. Shortly after that I heard the train signal its approach at the crossings west of Lake Park. I shot him as he approached:


A couple of times in the curves,



and once more after a mad dash to Frazee which luckily involved hitting a grand total of ZERO red lights in Detroit Lakes. See, I told you my luck would change.


Then we chased him all the way to Wadena, starting about a mile behind him leaving Frazee and just catching the power as we arrived at Wadena, thanks to a slow order near New York Mills. Even with a pumpkin up front he was stepping along nicely.

After that, back home and taking a look at the photos. Hope you enjoy them, and take the chances you are given to look for trains.

Jim