Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Another Twin Towns Trip, June 3, 2007
On June 4-6, 2007, I attended industry standards committee meetings on behalf of my employer in Bloomington, MN. Since I had the time on the 3rd, I offered to drive the round trip for mileage rather than incur the cost of a plane ticket, and my bosses took me up. After a social outing on the 2nd, I left Belgium, WI about 10:45 of the 3rd.
After passing through some vigorous thundershowers in western Ozaukee county, I topped off the Magnum's fuel in Fond du Lac, and recorded the clouds' imposing presence while driving on Scott Street.
Waiting next to the mostly-vacant south yard office at Shops Yard, the south end switch set blocked Lakeshore Drive.
The class engine of a group of rebuilt first-generation EMDs, CN 4000, also was awaiting its next assignment there.
A typical assortment of road power laid over by the fuel rack that morning.
At Subway Road (Shops North CTC), a northbound manifest was preparing to depart when I passed at 12:06, led by a pair of ex-GCFX "SD45 killer" SD40-3s.
Up the road, after passing a southbound manifest at Winnebago whose power I didn't see, I found a meet between T119 (dropping off a block of auto racks for T357 to forward) and a yard engine, WC 3000.
After leaving 3000 at Cecil Street, whose overpass was well on its way to completion, I first found rain showers near the US10 CN overpass west of town. They would be my companion for much of the next few hours, including my visit to the roundhouse and yard in Stevens Point.
The Plover turn was approaching from the south, and waited as an eastbound manifest pulled through on the yard bypass.
Not much of note was seen after that, save for taking note of the full set of CTC signals at Junction City on the new connections, as I encountered rain coming down "axes and hammer handles" soon after I turned west at Abbottsford. CN RTC West broke the silence as I went west from Chippewa Falls, giving permission to someone to tie up on the siding at Colfax. Having not been there for a few years, I drove the few miles north from Elk Mound. Didn't see any trains, but I recorded the state of the museum there, and the pair of WC Railway-era passenger depots.
After dinner and fuel (24 mpg) in Woodbury, MN, I swung over to Pigs Eye to see what was around.
The switch/local power was also tied up at the UP Hoffman yard, just to the west.
Paired up still, the CP's ex-Kennecott Copper GP39-2s (4598-4599) were tied up near the fuel rack.
In fact, a notable amount of the SOO GP38s were collected at Pigs Eye, hopefully not for final disposition.
A second-order SD60 was staged next to a repainted MP15AC, as well.
Checking into my hotel near MSP airport, the departing showers provided a double full-arc rainbow, only portions of which I could catch with the camera as I went to Minneapolis.
I guess the pot o' gold was in the IDS center that evening. :>)
Finally, as the last day's light faded, I visited the Milwaukee Road depot in Minneapolis, which has been refurbished as a Courtyard by Marriott hotel, offices, and a skating rink in the trainshed.
Details of my return journey on the 6th to follow in part 2.
After passing through some vigorous thundershowers in western Ozaukee county, I topped off the Magnum's fuel in Fond du Lac, and recorded the clouds' imposing presence while driving on Scott Street.
Waiting next to the mostly-vacant south yard office at Shops Yard, the south end switch set blocked Lakeshore Drive.
The class engine of a group of rebuilt first-generation EMDs, CN 4000, also was awaiting its next assignment there.
A typical assortment of road power laid over by the fuel rack that morning.
At Subway Road (Shops North CTC), a northbound manifest was preparing to depart when I passed at 12:06, led by a pair of ex-GCFX "SD45 killer" SD40-3s.
Up the road, after passing a southbound manifest at Winnebago whose power I didn't see, I found a meet between T119 (dropping off a block of auto racks for T357 to forward) and a yard engine, WC 3000.
After leaving 3000 at Cecil Street, whose overpass was well on its way to completion, I first found rain showers near the US10 CN overpass west of town. They would be my companion for much of the next few hours, including my visit to the roundhouse and yard in Stevens Point.
The Plover turn was approaching from the south, and waited as an eastbound manifest pulled through on the yard bypass.
Not much of note was seen after that, save for taking note of the full set of CTC signals at Junction City on the new connections, as I encountered rain coming down "axes and hammer handles" soon after I turned west at Abbottsford. CN RTC West broke the silence as I went west from Chippewa Falls, giving permission to someone to tie up on the siding at Colfax. Having not been there for a few years, I drove the few miles north from Elk Mound. Didn't see any trains, but I recorded the state of the museum there, and the pair of WC Railway-era passenger depots.
After dinner and fuel (24 mpg) in Woodbury, MN, I swung over to Pigs Eye to see what was around.
The switch/local power was also tied up at the UP Hoffman yard, just to the west.
Paired up still, the CP's ex-Kennecott Copper GP39-2s (4598-4599) were tied up near the fuel rack.
In fact, a notable amount of the SOO GP38s were collected at Pigs Eye, hopefully not for final disposition.
A second-order SD60 was staged next to a repainted MP15AC, as well.
Checking into my hotel near MSP airport, the departing showers provided a double full-arc rainbow, only portions of which I could catch with the camera as I went to Minneapolis.
I guess the pot o' gold was in the IDS center that evening. :>)
Finally, as the last day's light faded, I visited the Milwaukee Road depot in Minneapolis, which has been refurbished as a Courtyard by Marriott hotel, offices, and a skating rink in the trainshed.
Details of my return journey on the 6th to follow in part 2.
Labels: canadian national, canadian pacific, depots, soo line, UP, weather, wisconsin central
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Duplainville, May 28, 2007
Taking advantage of a full day of rest on Memorial Day before traveling for work, I made my way up to Duplainville to capture some images.
Leading off after I arrived at 11:15, the Canadian Pacific provided a westbound sulfur empty (611) led by 9650.
After impatiently waiting, the CN then took over, first running a southbound heavy at 14:00 with company motors 2237-5419-5555.
This, in turn, met a northbound 331 at Waukesha, which passed at 14:19 with a pair of GEs in the lead.
After a pause long enough to get more water from Kwik Trip, the parade resumed, with the CP starting the show at 15:29 with an eastbound.
Then, a southbound CN approached, with enough lead time for me to get to the curve south of the diamonds before its appearance at 15:38.
The closing acts of my afternoon there started with the appearance of the CN's Milwaukee turn (L510) at 16:09. Featuring the SD35R 2500, its diminished size foreshadows the imminent cancellation of this service, to be replaced by interchange with the WSOR at Ackerville.
However, before it could make its way onto the CP connection, the westbound 'Builder appeared at 16:17.
With Amtrak out of the way, CP Wisconsin Dispatcher cleared the signals and lined the connection, and the 2500 was on its way.
All in all, a good day. The week would see me traveling to Oakland and back, and returning to Milwaukee, but down time before that was much appreciated.
Leading off after I arrived at 11:15, the Canadian Pacific provided a westbound sulfur empty (611) led by 9650.
After some Sudoku time, the Canadian National obliged with a southbound manifest (336) through the "crossroads of Canada" at 11:53.
CP provided the high-priority 295 train next, at 12:48, featuring a SOO SD60 trailing.
CP took another turn at 13:27, with the 852 coal loads rolling by. Included in the 304-axle trainset were new hoppers with MILW reporting marks, notably.
The CN followed in short order at 13:34, with a 402-axle hopper train led by the mixed combo of a GE, a wide-nose SD40, and an Illinois Central 6000-series SD40 variant.
The 'Empire Builder' then dropped the CN signals to red, passing near the advertised at 13:51 with 64 axles led by motors 56-40.
CP took another turn then at 13:53, with a westbound led by GEs 8552-8574.
After impatiently waiting, the CN then took over, first running a southbound heavy at 14:00 with company motors 2237-5419-5555.
This, in turn, met a northbound 331 at Waukesha, which passed at 14:19 with a pair of GEs in the lead.
After a pause long enough to get more water from Kwik Trip, the parade resumed, with the CP starting the show at 15:29 with an eastbound.
Then, a southbound CN approached, with enough lead time for me to get to the curve south of the diamonds before its appearance at 15:38.
The closing acts of my afternoon there started with the appearance of the CN's Milwaukee turn (L510) at 16:09. Featuring the SD35R 2500, its diminished size foreshadows the imminent cancellation of this service, to be replaced by interchange with the WSOR at Ackerville.
However, before it could make its way onto the CP connection, the westbound 'Builder appeared at 16:17.
With Amtrak out of the way, CP Wisconsin Dispatcher cleared the signals and lined the connection, and the 2500 was on its way.
All in all, a good day. The week would see me traveling to Oakland and back, and returning to Milwaukee, but down time before that was much appreciated.
Labels: amtrak, canadian national, canadian pacific, soo line, trains, wisconsin central
Friday, May 25, 2007
Weekend Excursion to Twin Towns (part 3)
(Click Here to go back to part two of this series)
Ray: Arriving in St. Paul, our first catch was a BNSF intermodal at Hoffman Avenue interlocking.
We then look a gander at what was around the Pigs Eye diesel shop.
Galen: Though unseen, a UP road-switcher set was working the adjacent former CGW yard while we were there, as well.
After our visit, we began to run out of daylight and therefore brought the photography for Saturday to a close.
Click Here to go to part four
Ray: Arriving in St. Paul, our first catch was a BNSF intermodal at Hoffman Avenue interlocking.
We then look a gander at what was around the Pigs Eye diesel shop.
Galen: Though unseen, a UP road-switcher set was working the adjacent former CGW yard while we were there, as well.
After our visit, we began to run out of daylight and therefore brought the photography for Saturday to a close.
Click Here to go to part four
Labels: bnsf, canadian pacific, soo line, trains
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
North Shore Scenic SLHTS trip, 9/9/06
On September 9, after the Soo Line Historical and Technical Society convention in Duluth, the museum there assembled a passenger train for us, for an excursion to Two Harbors and back.
At the depot, before boarding the train for the Board of Directors meeting in the business car "Northland," I took a couple pictures of the motive power for the trip, as the sun peeked past the elevated ramps of I-35.
A courtesy to us for having had the convention at the museum, the ride in the Northland a treat. Here was the view as I entered the car.
After an abbreviated Board meeting where the proverbial white smoke came out of the chimney, we detrained at Two Harbors. Knowing the Arthur Andersen was likely at the dock there, I (with a couple other guys) briskly walked over to the breakwater to get some pictures. On the way, I took a couple shots of our train.
The day prior, my brother and I had found fellow USS Great Lakes Fleet member Burns Harbor at the conveyor dock.
As good as the light was on Saturday, it was better on Sunday. As good of pictures as I've taken of the Andersen resulted.
On the walk back to the train (and lunch), a look at the train by the station.
After being invited into SOO caboose #1 for a conversation, I took advantage of the perspective, as they'd run the power around while I was walking back.
From the cupola:
A look at the train as assembled for the trip back to Duluth.
After a fine meal (catered by Blackwoods restaurant of Proctor), the train was re-loaded, and we backed out the wye across MN STH 61 to head back.
Of course, I had to take a picture of the "Frank A. King" bridge, site of a famous photograph by the Missabe photographer of a Yellowstone-class engine passing overhead.
Crossing what I believe was the Knife River.
Tangent track. The carbon was burnt out of the cylinders of the SOO 2500 on this stretch, as, with the brakes dragging to create some load, we achieved terminal velocity (about 38 mph according to my GPS receiver).
As we entered downtown Duluth through the tunnels created when I-35 was bypassed through, I had to take a picture of the high-contrast-lettered stack of the home of some very good craft beers.
After arrival at the depot, we backed into the station, past the pair of engines the SLHTS owns.
A very pleasant surprise to almost all of us, Dan Mackey of the museum volunteer staff had put in long hours in dressing up the cab side of the former DSS&A 101 which we'd rescued from a grain elevator in Illinois.
A final look before heading home, the train ride had been a great finish to the weekend.
At the depot, before boarding the train for the Board of Directors meeting in the business car "Northland," I took a couple pictures of the motive power for the trip, as the sun peeked past the elevated ramps of I-35.
A courtesy to us for having had the convention at the museum, the ride in the Northland a treat. Here was the view as I entered the car.
After an abbreviated Board meeting where the proverbial white smoke came out of the chimney, we detrained at Two Harbors. Knowing the Arthur Andersen was likely at the dock there, I (with a couple other guys) briskly walked over to the breakwater to get some pictures. On the way, I took a couple shots of our train.
The day prior, my brother and I had found fellow USS Great Lakes Fleet member Burns Harbor at the conveyor dock.
As good as the light was on Saturday, it was better on Sunday. As good of pictures as I've taken of the Andersen resulted.
On the walk back to the train (and lunch), a look at the train by the station.
After being invited into SOO caboose #1 for a conversation, I took advantage of the perspective, as they'd run the power around while I was walking back.
From the cupola:
A look at the train as assembled for the trip back to Duluth.
After a fine meal (catered by Blackwoods restaurant of Proctor), the train was re-loaded, and we backed out the wye across MN STH 61 to head back.
Of course, I had to take a picture of the "Frank A. King" bridge, site of a famous photograph by the Missabe photographer of a Yellowstone-class engine passing overhead.
Crossing what I believe was the Knife River.
Tangent track. The carbon was burnt out of the cylinders of the SOO 2500 on this stretch, as, with the brakes dragging to create some load, we achieved terminal velocity (about 38 mph according to my GPS receiver).
As we entered downtown Duluth through the tunnels created when I-35 was bypassed through, I had to take a picture of the high-contrast-lettered stack of the home of some very good craft beers.
After arrival at the depot, we backed into the station, past the pair of engines the SLHTS owns.
A very pleasant surprise to almost all of us, Dan Mackey of the museum volunteer staff had put in long hours in dressing up the cab side of the former DSS&A 101 which we'd rescued from a grain elevator in Illinois.
A final look before heading home, the train ride had been a great finish to the weekend.
Labels: lake boats, slhts, soo line
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