"I'm an Idiot"

I know that there are people who would agree with the post title, or at least say it's true about me sometimes. And they would likely be right, but that's not where the quote came from today. But more about that later. 

This week's big snowstorm went on without me. In Michigan for work, I dreamed dreams of shooting trains in the snow. Dan Mackey even texted me to find out if I was willing to venture into the teeth of the blizzard with him when work got out early one day. When I told him I was out of town he mentioned heading out over the weekend to take in the fresh blanket of white and predicted code blue skies. Sounded like a winner to me, so Friday evening I texted him and finally, with Scott Carney's assistance, was able to goad him into heading out. So after a hearty breakfast at Big Daddy's we headed to Superior to meet Scott, where we promptly came to the conclusion that the confluence of sun, snow, Saturday, and free time led every area railroad to take the day off. 

After some fancy driving, fancier planning, and world class scanner interpretation, we found ourselves in the path of a CN stacker climbing Steelton Hill. With poor sun angles for a wedgie, we settled on this broadside as the train climbed out of the St. Louis River valley. 

FYI-there is a lot of snow out there. Feet and feet of it, as a matter of fact. And the temperature was in deficit territory, likely double digits at the time this was shot. The clothes required combined with the snow depth and a short jog darn near gave me a heart attack.

With a set of GE's in the bag, we were alerted to traffic on the Hinckley when a detector announced the arrival of something with 500 plus axles approaching Boyleston. Turned out to be an all rail empty headed for Allouez. Oddly, when I looked at ATCS, the train was lined into 28th Street while we headed east for the intercept. Shortly after I announced this to the gang, the train crew piped up and asked the dispatcher if they weren't supposed to be headed to Allouez. His response has to be an all time great, "I'm an Idiot". Sure enough he had them lined wrong. 

The delay gave us a chance to hike in and get this as he crossed Sawyer Creek. Lots of nice creaking and groaning as the power crossed the trestle. 

I widened up a whole bunch to get him once more. Gotta say there is still something special about them MAC's to me.

After that we headed back to town, and Dan headed home for a day of domestic chores. Scott agreed to give me a lift home, and on the way over the bridge we decided to stop and check on the paper mill switch, which luckily enough was just coming out of the plant while we watched. Sort of like crossing the tracks and seeing a headlight. It's a bonus BNSF shot.

Really was good to get back out and do some semi-serious railfanning. Weather was spectacular, there were a few trains, and best of all, the company was great. Thanks, guys, lets do it again soon!

Maroon

I have had past chances to shoot multiple maroon units in a day, most recently last spring during a trip up the NSSR to retrieve coal empties that had been stored during the winter. In that case, though, both were museum pieces. Today, I got one of those, along with an active DMIR unit.

The retiree was at the depot this morning, after it finished doing some switching preparing a train for the 2719 to take to Two Harbors. Even though the light was on the rear of the unit, it was so nice I couldn't resist a photo.

And then after Mrs. L4T and I got home from supper, I dropped her off and headed to Proctor in the hopes of catching the 215 working Proctor Yard. Sure enough, along with a few other fans, we got what we were looking for as the sun dropped toward the horizon. 

Along with some steam shots this morning and a quick stop at the Cloquet Terminal in between, it was a great railfanning day with lots of good company and a few photo opportunities. Blue skies and cool temps were the order of the day and I look forward to getting to do it again. 

Under Pressure

(NOTE: as a rookie fireman, there are very possibly mistakes in the following. Please be patient and let me know about any errors so they can be corrected. Thanks, Jim)

Seems like a good title for a post discussing the life and times of a greenhorn steam engine crew member. Many of you are likely aware of the fact that I've recently been inducted into the steam locomotive brotherhood, having done a couple of turns on the SOO 2719 as she hauls passengers from the Duluth Depot up to Two Harbors and back.

What's it like to spend time in and around an operating steam locomotive? There are quite a few words that partially describe the situation-some that come to mind include hot, dirty, exciting, exhausting (in more ways than one), confusing, stimulating, educational-where can I stop? Oh, I can't leave out nerve-wracking. All in all it's an information overload if you've never done it before.

For someone whose pre-conceived notion of steam locomotive operation could be described as "show up, make sure it's full of water, and shovel like a madman", it took just a few minutes to learn how wrong I was. The details of shaking the grates, raking the fire, shaking again, dumping ash, and raking some more (and more, and more, to get those chunks and clinkers broken up)...

And those things came after removing the exhaust cap and blowdown plugs. Remember, we still haven't tossed a single scoop of coal or started any appliances on the locomotive. Any movement is only due to the assistance of a diesel. Finally, we are set off at the track where we can take water and begin the process of bringing the old girl to life.

A comment here-something I've observed about steam locomotives. In my very limited experience, an operating steamer is not so much a machine as it is a living being. Like a living being, it requires food (coal) and water. For the most part, just as in interpersonal relationships, the fruits of the interaction will be directly proportional to the effort you are willing to put in. Neglect her needs, and there will be consequences, and in rare cases those consequences could be severe. On the other hand, paying close attention to non-verbal cues can give you good input on what she expects of you. I suspect no two are exactly alike, and even the most familiar locomotive can surprise you from time to time.

In many ways, dealing with a steam locomotive is like dealing with a woman. Treat her right, and she will return the favor.

Back to the day's preparations. With a sprinkling of coal on the grates, ignited by the remnants of the previous day's fire, we have begun the process of building steam for today's journey. Now remember, it's crucial that someone monitor the sight glasses and try-cocks in the cab to ensure that the boiler water is kept at a safe level. Occasionally, we're required to inject water into the boiler. If you happen to be walking past the engineer's side of the cab when the injector is activated, be ready for a bath as water rushes out of the drainline under the cab. Keep in mind that it may well take two or three tries to get the injector working. Don't forget that with the throttle closed, you will need to run the blower at a low speed to maintain some draft through the firebox and provide combustion air for the coal you continue to sprinkle in a thin, even layer across the grates. If the tender isn't full of coal, this will also be a good time to climb up and shovel a few tons forward for easy access during the coming trip. And don't forget to monitor the water level in the tender if you are filling it, lest you encounter this:

And never forget to monitor the fire you are establishing.

But you still aren't ready to go. There are more inspections to complete, and more appliances to prepare for service. We won't be going anywhere without compressed air, so it's about time to open the drain cocks on the air pump, give the lubricator 50 turns, and SLOWLY open the steam valve to start the pump. Be sure there is plenty of oil in the pump before starting!

Speaking of oil, we don't want the oil in the pilot truck bearings contaminated with water, so someone will have to crawl under the locomotive and drain each of the four bearings to remove any accumulated water.

With any luck the guy doing this job won't drop one of the plugs. If he does, it makes more work. And on the subject of bearings, be sure to check the journals on the tender.

During this process, be sure to keep an eye open for anything unusual as you walk around the loco-missing cotter keys or pins, loose nuts or bolts, or any of the other myriad of fasteners and components that together create a machine. Only an experienced eye can take in the entirety of the machine and detect that one abnormality that may lead to trouble down the road.

As the dynamo comes on-line with the opening of the steam valve feeding it, watch a light to ensure it doesn't burn too bright. Now is the time to detect and fix problems.

With boiler pressure nearing 200 psi and the air pump thunk-thunking its rhythmic song, we are getting very close to ready to go. After a final check of the locomotive, it may be a good time to fortify yourself with a donut before the time to move arrives. This is also the time when a rookie fireman may get instructed in some of the finer points of feeding a boiler, a task which is not made any easier if said rookie happens to want to shovel left-handed. A few glances at the fire, and guidance on a firing pattern, and with a shovel in your hand you make the first tentative attempts at feeding the 2719. I'm not positive, but I think they do this to make you forget what firing will be like with the locomotive underway. It's hard enough standing still, the degree of difficulty goes up with each MPH added to the speedometer as the engine sways back and forth on the rails.

Then, in a great cloud of steam, water, and coal smoke, the time comes to back away from the servicing area. An experienced fireman feeds the firebox a "round" as the engineer backs down the 6/7 lead to the switch, then takes her ahead to run around the train. With boarding and departure fast approaching, we need to have time to pump up the air system on the train, do a brake test, and board passengers. Also there is no way we are leaving without a cooler chock full of water and gatorade on ice for the engine crew.

Now you have been introduced to the process of preparing to leave. Next time, some discussion of what it's like out on the road. Hope you enjoy!

Along County Road 7

Today Mrs. L4T and I had to head north for a graduation party in International Falls. Since there has been a tremendous dearth of railfanning in these parts recently I cleared a deviation from the Highway 53 routing and we headed west to follow the former DMIR right of way.

Made it as far as South Coons before we spotted our first victim, a loaded pellet train sitting at the signal.

In a flash we were northbound once more, uninterrupted by any trains until we passed Kelsey. Another loaded pellet train was headed south and a quick u turn got us in position for a shot as the power rolled over the bridge crossing the Whiteface River.

Third unit in that consist was a beauty.

That was it for the trip north, the Peg was quiet all the way to the Falls. We did see a train pass through Orr on our return trip but I was gassing up and had no chance for a shot. Highway 7 was our intended route at least part of the way home again, though, and the gates were dropping just east of Iron Junction as we approached the crossing. I guess this could be called a "leaping" shot, as I lept out of the car to shoot it at the very last minute.

We continued south in the hopes that something else would show. Sure enough we were not far south of Zim when a headlight appeared and I pulled across the tracks at a handy crossing. A long CN Manifest was making its way north behind a trio of EMD's. I got a friendly toot-toot from the engineer as they passed.

That was it for trains. The photos are not much to brag about but it was fun to get out along the tracks and do some railfanning. It's been way too long.

Staples Sub Redux

I lived along the Staples Sub for 8 years. Spent a lot of time railfanning the tracks in the Wadena area over those 8 years, in fact, the majority of the posts on this blog are related to the Staples Sub. In a way, it was and always will be my railfanning "hometown". All this means that cutting ties with the area is bittersweet. And yesterday Mrs. L4T and cut our final material ties with Wadena when the sale of our house closed.

That meant a trip over to Wadena, with the attendant visit to the Staples Sub. MN Chris has joked I don't know how many times about my comment on crossing the tracks and seeing a headlight. Well, yesterday I didn't even make it across the tracks before a headlight showed up, just as we were approaching the Staples depot. After some fancy driving I found myself in position to fire off three quick poorly lit, badly composed frames, which caught the entire consist of a track inspection train headed east on the Staples.

I made it all the way to Dower Lake before being distracted once again. This photo was shot on the trip home, but is an overall view of what that distraction was. What strikes me about this is change-whereas it used to be expected to see a number of coal trains staged in the yard at Staples, currently you are much more likely to catch it with oil trains in residence, as we did yesterday.

That north train had interesting power as shown here. I haven't had the chance to feast on NS heritage units as many of you have, so this was a must-shoot for me. Viva Penn Central!

We arrived in Wadena with a bit of time to kill, and one way we did it was to get a shot of the pair of GP50's on the Wadena local. Not sure what was going on that kept them tied up the entire time we were there, but something unusual was in the works. Anyway, here is the mismatched couple:

And then our closing was pushed off for an extra hour and a half. With nothing to do, a ride west seemed to be in order. We made it to New York Mills and were on the way back when we encountered a classic Staples Sub coal empty passing through Bluffton. A true reminder of times past.

Then it was time for business, followed by the long drive home. A couple of poorly lit eastbounds accompanied us to Staples, where we took the diverging route the follows the Brainerd Sub east. That was quiet with the exception of a loaded coal train encountered near Deerwood, which we chose not to shoot. 

It was a day that brought back many good memories. I will always look back on the time we spent in Wadena fondly. While I know I will railfan the Staples Sub again, it will be as a visitor, not in my backyard, and that will be different. 

Guess Who's 5?

That kind of crept up on me. 

It was 5 years ago today that the first post appeared on look4trains.com. I've made it a tradition to wish myself happy birthday each year, and I figured why not do it at least one more time? Here's 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. 

In the past I have done a bit of a round up in each of these posts, looking back over the past 12 months. There's less to look back on this year than in the past. My posting rate has dropped way off, partially compliments of a job change and move which greatly reduced my railfanning time along with resulting in the destruction of my previous layout. I've had to start over, and at times it has been slow. Matter of fact, the 9 posts I have made this year are fewer than lots of months in past years. 

I still enjoy sharing occasional stories in this venue, although it's become more common to share photos on flickr or facebook, which reduces the amount of blogging material I have. 

Here are some fun facts about look4trains.com. As of the time of this writing, blogger says there have been almost 74,000 pageviews. The all time most popular post was "What is ATCS?" from 2009, which is responsible for nearly 1000 of those views all by itself. The second most popular post features a photo of some great railfanning friends at the Granite City Train Show: "When They Say the World's Greatest Hobby". The total post count is up to somewhere around 420. 

This hobby continues to be about people more than anything. One of the great blessings of the past year for me has been getting to know more railfans and modelers. I really feel that I have been welcomed to the Twin Ports area and can't overstate how much I appreciate that welcome. I certainly miss Wadena and the Staples Sub but the guys around here make up for it. On the plus side, hopefully I can round up a bunch of fans to bring to Verndale this year and add some Duluth/Superior flavor to that annual get-together. 

A new job has greatly reduced the amount of time I spend along the tracks, although I do get to see the occasional lake boat out the office window now. I never realized quite how lucky I was to have the chance to combine work with pleasure, but now I do. It does make the time I get to spend along the tracks now even more special. 

On the modeling front, progress has been slow but steady. It will take years before I get to the point I was when I tore down my last layout (I'm a slow worker) but the journey is enjoyable and that's the important part. 

Finally, I am still blessed with a Mrs. L4T who is willing to humor my desire to "train hunt", sometimes by accompanying me, and other times by letting me run off on the spur of the moment and stay out longer than I told her I would. For her patience and understanding I will always be thankful. 

PS: I am still taking some train pictures. One from last Saturday:

And here's one from today, spotted on the way home from work and shot after a short detour down the interstate:

Til next time, keep looking!

A Dream Trip

Today was a special day for a railfan (me). I received a call from Dan Mackey a couple of days ago, informing me that I just HAD to take Thursday off. When asked why, he just said to trust him, it would be worth it. Sure enough he was right.

The big surprise turned out to be a trip from the Depot in Duluth to Palmers, via rail. Specifically, a pair of ex-DMIR SD's headed up to grab a coal train that had been stored on the North Shore Scenic Railroad for the winter.

We started the day with a healthy breakfast at the Sunshine Cafe on Grand Ave in Duluth. Soon we were at the Depot, doing all the things that need to be done to prepare locomotives for work. Anyway everyone else was, while I mostly just tagged along doing what I was told. (That's a specialty of mine.) After what seemed like forever, much of that time involving things like locomotive inspections, adding 20 gallons of oil to one unit, and getting a track warrant, we were off. Engineer Mackey was sporting a fancy new Enbridge Rail North Dakota hat as we prepared for the trip through Duluth.

My co-workers heard the horn as we passed in front of my new office, the tracks just across the interstate from the downtown Duluth office where I should have been sitting. We got waves from a number of folks on the lakewalk as we passed. 

The further up the lakeshore we went, the deeper the snow got. Just a couple of miles before reaching Palmers, the track was completely covered and the pair of EMD's got a mini snowplowing workout as they cleared track unused since fall. After we arrived at out destination I jumped out and grabbed a shot of 316, which had led us up the line long hood forward and wore some snow on her pilot as a celebration of April in Minnesota. 

It was shortly after this that I learned my purpose for joining the group on this trip. Today was my first lesson in how to assist with a brake test. I also was reminded what it is like to wade through heavy, wet snow nearly knee deep. It's hard work that reminded me of meter reading back in the old days. It also reminded me of why I kind of appreciate an office job. Oh, and by the way, I also snuck away to shoot the power after it was coupled up to the train. 

I had to be back in the office by 2 PM for a VIM (very important meeting). One thing I DO know about railroads is this-late trains tend to get later. This one had left the depot just a bit later than I was comfortable with given the 2:00 deadline I was facing, and I chickened out and grabbed a ride back to town so I could be assured of making it in time. Before leaving, I noticed the sun had come out and blue skies were moving in, so I grabbed one more shot of the train. 

My apologies to Kevin Madsen for posting a shot with the door open :). But with a crew like this, whatcha gonna do? 

I made it back with 10 minutes to spare after having to park on the 5th level of the parking ramp at work. When I walked in the office, my co-workers were all a-twitter with questions about my adventure. They know more about the NSSR than they did before. 

All in all, a great day. It's a rare event to even get to see a pair of locomotives like this working together in 2013, much less actually get to ride in the leader. Wish I could have stuck around for the return trip, but duty calls and all that. Thanks to Dan, and John, and the entire crew at the railroad for making me feel welcome and actually finding something I could do to help. It was a memory I won't forget.