The Road Home

After telling the story of the first half of a recent trip to the Hallock area, I uploaded a few photos taken on the return journey. They've been sitting waiting for me to find the time to do a little write up describing the what, where, and when all weekend. Mrs. L4T and myself spent most of the weekend entertaining our son. Now that he is on the way home I thought now would be a good time to finish this post.

The first train of Wedensday was an NPR eastbound in Warren, and since I was working there is no photo of the set of red SD40's that were leading. No other rail action was spotted on the Noyes Sub. I did meet an empty DEEX train near the Erskine shuttle loader but cloudy skies and a desire to get home helped me pass on that one. I did stop in Erskine and shoot a non-moving target-what's left of the depot.


Next stop was in Mahnomen, where it seemed like a car still in MILW paint and reporting marks in 2010 was worth a shot.


As a matter of fact, there was a whole string of these cars sitting there. Not something I expected to see anywhere in this day and age, much less in Northwest Minnesota.


Looks like the Mahnomen elevator is expanding, given the support beams erected on either side of the track and the foundation for a huge grain bin that's been poured on the east (highway) side of the DL Sub. The rest of the elevator complex is on the west side of the tracks. You can see these supports in this wide view of the power from the ballast train.


Here's another shot of that same power, this time with some more zoom added to the equation.


Must be substantial trackwork on the DL Sub, as I noticed a good sized m-o-w crew was tied up for the evening in Ogema, and there were ties distributed all along the tracks.

That was it for the DL Sub. The Staples Sub was pretty quiet as well, until a single headlight was spotted east of the Highway 10 overpass near NYM. Perhaps a DPU? Sure enough, I was able to overtake a loaded coal train, and shoot just east of CR 143. This area was heavily damaged by a tornado on June 17, the same day as the tornado that impacted Wadena. The NWS suspects this tornado was even more powerful than the Wadena tornado. In this view you can see some of the trees along the ROW that were bent over or broken.


Expecting that to be the end of the action for the day, I was racing for home when the brand new crossing gates at the Black's Grove Road caused me to look east, and spot a westbound on Main 1. After quickly pulling over and grabbing a shot, here's what I came home with.


That's the story of a drive from Hallock to Wadena. Total score: 5 trains (3 photographed), 220 miles, 4+ hours. All I can say is that it sure beats spending that time sitting in an office.

Meet Me in Mahnomen

It was a dark and gloomy morning, last Monday as I pointed the Escape northwest for a trip to Hallock. It's kind of a neat drive for me, since you can parallel tracks almost the entire way. Oddly, by the time I made it to Detroit Lakes and made a hard right to follow the CP, I hadn't yet seen a train. It's kind of unusual to make the Wadena to DL run without seeing a train on the Staples Sub.

I didn't expect much on the CP DL Sub as that has always been a tough place for me to catch a train, but for the first time, I stumbled across a meet in Mahnomen. The northbound train was waiting for the southbound, which I have to assume was to take the siding. I didn't have time to wait around and see. I did snap a cloudy day shot as the train crept toward the crossing on the north edge of town.


Just as I left the crossing the southbound appeared. I pulled over and again grabbed a shot under leaden skies.


Having caught two trains, I knew I was safe the rest of the way to Erskine. As I headed west on Highway 2, my expectations were still pretty low as the clouds gave no sign of thinning. I took a close look at the shuttle elevator, and saw no activity there.

I confess to being shocked to see a headlight coming toward me as I rounded the curve near the elevator. Dashing across the tracks to the south at the first available crossing, I peered into the gloom to identify the oncoming train. There was something unusual about it, that I couldn't quite place. The first horn blast confirmed that this was not the usual Cass Lake local Geep. Imagine my surprise.


Take a close look at the second unit, this isn't the last you will see of it.

I continued on to my destination, spending the rest of the workday in Stephen right along the Noyes Sub. I've been lucky there in the past, but not today, as the BNSF didn't run a train for my enjoyment either on the Staples or Noyes Subs, and the only train I saw on the GF Sub was the Minnesota Northern one.

Pipeliners have literally taken over the extreme NW part of the state, and I ended up going to Thief River Falls to find a motel room. That turned out to be a lucky break, as the sun tried to peek out for a few minutes just before dark and I was able to get a couple of pictures before retiring to my motel.


As I headed up to the yard, I came across this car scrapping operation, which was shut down for the evening. It must be where EEC hopppers go to rest.

There was still a substantial line of stored SD60's in a couple of paint schemes in the yard, but no decent photo opportunities. Same story with the repainted switchers, I think at least one was an MP15, but no chance at a decent photo.

NPR was putting a train together, though, and I grabbed a quick shot at the north end of the yard. That must be a fertile engine, to have a light pole growing right out of the top of it.


Last up was the ILSX 1381, second unit on the morning Minnesota Northern train. Evening found it resting just north of Thief River Falls, coupled up to more fodder for the scapper's torch from the writing on the car. I got it in the only sun I saw all day.


I also walked out across a stubble field, that was surprisingly dry (although it wouldn't be by morning) to shoot the entire train. Some day I want to go up and chase them to Roseau.


Next morning I was off for Hallock well before dawn, and made the return trip to Wadena in the evening. The skies were still dark and gloomy, and the trains were rare. I was just thankful to have seen the action I did the previous day.

Keep looking for trains,

Jim