The Railfan Gods Giveth, and they Taketh Away

Today was one of those days when the railfan gods had to be sitting in their warm caboose (or wherever it is they plot against us mere mortals) laughing so hard they could barely stay in their chairs.

I knew early this morning that one of the Norfolk Southern heritage units would be passing through the area during the day. With no chance to slip away from work and try a shot, I resigned myself to being the last remaining fan in a four state area to not have one of the NS's tributes to its predecessor roads grace my viewfinder. Still, a sense of curiosity drove yours truly to check the status of the lime green engine sometime after lunch. That's just about the time the BNSF decided to send the train that this engine was part of to Superior rather than on to Grand Forks.

With that bit of news, a detour seemed called for when I left work about 4 PM. I was crossing the 21st St overpass when I first glimpsed the engine, sitting facing a public road (and what was passing for the sun) near the engine facility. When I arrived a fuel truck was topping the tanks off, but after waiting a while the truck left and the wait for sun continued. I occupied myself with a couple of shots that included other power at shop:

Finally I was able to get the featured guest in decent light. It was a bit of a wait, and COLD. 

I wasn't alone in my quest. Max, Kevin, and the Rengo boys were also out sightseeing and speculating on how a cloud can travel in perfect synchronization with the sun. I tell you, the cloud that was just covering the sun never wavered for more than a few seconds the entire time I stood there.

Still, it was fun to see and more fun to discuss. Being an old timer, I gave up before the younger guys did, so they will likely have more interesting (and controversial?) shots to share.

Some Easter Sightings

Mr. L4T Jr. was home for the weekend. He has not been infected with the railfanning bug, which is likely a good thing for me as his presence will occasionally inspire me to do something a little different. However, he is also willing to humor me on occassion, such as when a matched set of NS GE's happen by with a loaded tank train. Easter Sunday afternoon revealed just such a sight, which was captured initially crossing the bridge that is being worked on in Bluffton.


The backlighting is strong in this one, and the next one, which is not much further down the line due to the slow order that is delaying every train through the area. Once more from the Highway 75 crossing.


After he headed back to Grand Forks Mrs. L4T suggested we go for a short ride. I agreed, but told her we needed to check ATCS to see if any train traffic was likely. Sure enough a westbound was approaching Wadena, and we encountered it at the crossing upon heading uptown. I decided to try shooting it just west of the overpass, and here's the result.


I liked the outcome of that one, although I should have waited a bit for the train to get closer to the silos before tripping the shutter. Live and learn.

After swinging through Perham, we headed for home. Once more a westbound was showing, this time in Staples. I figured I had just enough time to grab a smoothie at McDonalds and get back west of town for a shot. What a prediction-the headlight was showing as I once more pulled over on Highway 75! A short wait in the gale-force winds, and a COLX empty marched by, slowing for the bridge.


They're only GE's, and the paint is a bit faded, but a matched set is a matched set. As the GEVO's arrive and coal traffic seems to fall a bit, matched power is getting more rare. The MACs that used to be strictly coal power are still found on coal trains, but they are also showing up on manifests, grain trains, and crude oil trains.

The railroad seemed busy this weekend, although I didn't get much chance for photos. I hear another train passing through town as I write this. Life is good.

Like it Used to Be

No doubt, Staples yard has seen its share of SD40-2's over the years that venerable locomotive has been in existence. Only 5 years ago, they were very common on trains through this area, especially stack trains and vehicle trains. The arrival of new GE units and the drop in traffic during the economic downturn about killed them off.

Like a Phoenix, though, they have (barely) risen from the dead over the last few months. Although far from common, it's no longer a surprise to see one or two of the units on the Staples Sub. Such was the case Friday as I travelled home from the Cities.


Obviously the Heritage paint scheme on the rear unit plays havoc with my "like it used to be" theme, but still. Spartan cab EMD's, that's a nice sight regardless of whether or not they are green.

That shot also included a set of three Grinstein MAC's, just the way they were intended to look with the exception of the patches under the windows and the travesty of the missing nose logos.

Then, just as I was basking in the sight of all these EMD throwbacks, what had to appear but a manifest train behind a pair of GE's-Norfolk Southern, to boot! What a way to rain on a parade. I guess we just can't have nice things.


Since the first couple of shots were so badly backlit, there was no option but to creep to the edge of the woods and grab one last photo from a different angle. I'm sure there will be other chances to shoot a consist like this, but each day that passes makes it less likely. So if you find 'em, shoot 'em.



Signed,

One happy railfan.

Wyoming

I love Wyoming. I love the scenery, the grandeur, the vast open expanses, the people that I get the chance to talk to. Wyoming also has some fantastic railroading, most of which I've only had the chance to read about. Last year I got to spend a bit more than a day in the Powder River Basin and came away awed by the intensity of the railroad action there.

This year Mrs. L4T and I decided to return to Wyoming for a fall vacation. We were able to drive the Beartooth Highway (closed last year due to snow), spend more time in Yellowstone, visit the Grand Tetons and spend a night in Teton Village (which is a strange place-not at all like the rest of Wyoming I've seen). We also have driven the Cheif Joseph Scenic Highway and the Bighorn crossing, both of which are spectacular and rival any National Park for scenery.

Then, this afternoon we arrived in Sheridan. I've wanted to check out the railroad action here for quite a while, partly due to Al Krug's Tales and partly because much of the coal that travels the Staples Sub also travels the Bighorn Sub of the BNSF.

Oh, almost forgot that we came through Greybull on the drive over, where I spotted the first train of the day. Since it was sitting in about the worst light possible, I worked the photo over heavily:


One interesting point (to me, anyway) is the "NSS Greybull" sign. I can't ever recall seeing railroads designate locations as north or south before-always east or west. Probably just ignorance on my part. Anyway, on to Sheridan.

When we came into town, two coal trains were sitting on the north (west?) end of the yard. After we checked into our hotel and ate supper, we went back for a look-see, and they were both gone. I headed north in hot pursuit, knowing that at least one was loaded. Perhaps I could catch him? Around Ranchester (about 15 miles north of Sheridan) I spotted a helper set headed south. The sun was nice and I looked for an exit so I could chase him down. After I finally found a way to access the tracks, it seemed a hopeless task but we carried on-and were surprised by headlights heading north at Ranchester. It was a pair of NS GE's on a manifest train, with two Boeing cars right behind the engines. This train was grinding up the grade to Parkman, working hard and not moving very fast. I shot him in two locations, shown here-the second spot I couldn't resist trying to catch the sun glinting off the train with the Bighorn Mountains as a backdrop.




Tomorrow we head north at a leisurely pace, hoping to get the chance to shoot some more action on the Bighorn Sub.

Jim

4 Way Meet

Got a bunch of photos this afternoon, but wanted to share one now. The rest will trickle out over time.

Mrs. L4T and I wound up in Hawley and in the midst of a 4 train meet. I can't think of another time I have had the chance to get 4 trains in one frame on the Staples Sub, other than in the Staples yard.


I know it's hard to see the fourth train-a westbound coal empty parked behind the stack train led by a pair of NS GE's. Really, all you can see in this shot is the headlight. Still, it was kind of cool. It also created some interesting operations that I will detail in another post later.

Jim

Frosty Friday Morning

Early Frida morning found me bound for Hawley in the fog. Although the forecast called for clearing skies, the same system that moved the clouds out allowed it to get cold enough for the moisture in the air to condense. Thus, the fog. And along with the fog came hoarfrost.

As I approached the Highway 10 overpass between New York Mills and Perham, a headlight was peering out of the gloom to the west. After quickly pulling over and a mad dash back to the bridge, I was able to shoot a manifest train as it approached.


I had been hoping to meet him bit further west, but no such luck.

I missed another eastbound in very nice morning light as I passed through Detroit Lakes. The skies were nicely cleared up but I was stuck on Highway 10 as a long stack train sailed under the Highway 34 overpass. I figured there was no chance to catch him without a lengthy chase, which I didn't have time for.

A stop at Menards for new sunglasses allowed a westbound time to catch up with me. He was passing by as I came out of the store, so off to the races it was. I managed to reel this train in just as he neared Boyer Lake. It was still fairly frosty at this point.


Decided to wait for him in Hawley, and a short wait it was. I spotted a road that heads south just east of the tracks and set up near the flange greaser south of the overpass for this. As you can see, the skies were in "code blue" condition by this time.


I headed for home after lunch, and once again encountered a train in DL. This time, a chase was feasible, and the chosen intercept site was Frazee. Sitting at the S-curve, I was surprised when a westbound crept up on me. It was backlit, but I shot the unusual power anyway.


The tail of that train and the head end power of the westbound were both visible momentarily as I waited for the shot below. While foreign power is far from rare on the Staples Sub, it's a bit out of the ordinary to catch two consecutive trains with no BNSF units in the consist. The CN and CSX units in the train above were complemented by a matched pair of NS GE's on this train.


I met one more Z train entering New York Mills, but with the track angling to the north he would have been in poor light by the time I caught him so continued the drive home. That was all the trains for today, but it was a good day. Trains, sunshine, and some frost make for a pleasant drive along the Staples Sub.

Stuck in Staples-or how a Horsehead led to my Demise

Hello again all. I have a collection of shots from the weekend that I will be sharing, but the first batch will be the most recent-a few shots from this very Sunday evening, along with a story of how I came to need a new pair of shoes.

It all started out innocently enough-as is the regular Sunday routine in our household, we headed out for a bite to eat before taking a ride to see if any trains were out and about. This particular Sunday evening was hot, and we were in our new ride, a 2008 Ford Escape, so the drive was as much a part of the entertainment as the meal or any trains we might come across.

After a Subway sandwich, we found a westbound Z train passing through Wadena. I briefly gave chase but it was clear I would have to travel all the way to Perham to catch him. Since we had a gas card to use up in Staples, I abandoned the chase and headed east. As we passed through Verndale I spotted another headlight and reversed course to get on the sunny side of this stack train:


7669 rang a bell for me, and when I got home and looked at my photos from July 4, sure enough this was the same unit as I caught entering Staples yard eastbound on Independence Day morning.

I soon heard the dispatcher chatting with an engine in Staples yard about permission to cross over, and SWA told the conductor they would need to wait until the westbound Z got through the yard. The second westbound Z train in about an hour! I "zipped" across the tracks at the detector and shot him across the pond at that crossing.


Gives you some idea of what the BNSF does with all those Dash 9's they have. Speaking of Dash 9's, the unit that had been waiting to cross over was another lone Dash 9, and it coupled up to a long string of grain cars, and must have headed west while I was later tied up.


Immediately after this shot, I headed east on 10 with the intention of waiting at the depot for a couple of more westbounds that were supposed to be on the way. I spotted a lone NS Dash 9 resting in the east end of the yard, though, and decided I needed a shot of this engine. It wasn't good enough to shoot from the highway, I wanted to cross the ditch. After testing the ditch bottom on one side, I decided it would easily support my prodigious weight. I was wrong. In one step I was in black, gumbo mud up to my knees. Each step I took I expected to find terra firma, and each time I failed. Luckily I managed to remain upright and not drop my camera, but I was goo up to the bottom of my shorts. Mrs. L4T was mortified and I could see she was calculating how to get me home without making a disaster of the interior of her new Escape. Luckily I didn't buy the roof rack or she would have lashed me to it. Anyway, since I was across the ditch, I decided to get the shot.


As I made my way down the right of way, trying to find a safe way to cross the ditch, I hoped that the weeds would knock the bigger chunks of mud off. I was a mess, and when I made it back to the Escape, I got out the blanket I always carry and covered the seat. Thank the Lord for rubber floor mats as well. We headed to the SuperAmerica, where I managed to clean up enough to head for home. I did my best to leave the restroom no worse than I found it but fear that I failed. Anyway, after transferring my blanket to the driver's seat, I took control again and headed for home.

And that would have been the end of the trains for the night, if not for a pipe train we overtook just as we arrived at Wadena. I begged for a chance to shoot him and Mrs. L4T was very obliging. We beat him to the crossing west of Bluffton where I shot this:


There were two CSX units on this train, so I stayed in the car and shot him out the window. I was done trusting these eastern railroad locomotives for the night.

And that's the story of why the next time you see me I will likely be wearing a new pair of shoes. Thanks for reading.

Jim