Trackside Log for Sunday, May 24, 2009

Today I awoke to beautiful clear skies in Grand Forks, North Dakota. I set out fairly early to get to Canadian Pacific in Thief River Falls, Minnesota in good time. Since the tracks are aligned north-south I elected to visit there first to take advantage of sun angles. A southbound train was parked in the yard but I couldn't photograph it. However, I did notice a long line of stored power. While navigating to the east side of the yard I found an elevator switcher.

• 0819 CDT Thief River Falls, MN - elevator switcher - ILSX 1373 (photo)

Next I photographed the long storage line in the yard.

• 0827 CDT Thief River Falls, MN - CP stored power - SOO 6049-SOO 6026-SOO 6027-SOO 6040-SOO 6045-SOO 6059-SOO 6042-SOO 6044-CP 778-SOO 6036-SOO 6041-CP 5739-CP 779-CP 1512-CP 1513-CP 1511-CP 776-SOO 774-SOO 2403-CP 8270-CP 777-SOO 775

When Marcus and I visited in 2001 Independent Locomotive Services was using the old Soo roundhouse for maintenance. In 2009 they are now gone. Next to the storage line was a pair of snow plows.

• 0902 CDT Thief River Falls, MN - CP equipment - SOO 900078-SOO 900184 (photo)

Having photographed what I came for I started the drive back to North Dakota to locate the Northern Plains Railroad. Just before entering North Dakota I found another elevator switcher in Oslo, Minnesota.

• 1002 CDT Oslo, MN - elevator switcher - FECA 1920 (photo)

Why is everything so far apart in this neck of the woods? Eventually I arrived at Fordville, North Dakota, home base of the Northern Plains Railroad.

• 1103 CDT Fordville, ND - Northern Plains power - NPR 3505-NPR 3503-NPR 3502-NPR 3509-NPR 2283 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4, photo 5, photo 6)
• 1111 CDT Fordville, ND - Northern Plains power - NPR 5558-NPR 5556-NPR 5555-NPR 3501 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4)
• 1122 CDT Fordville, ND - Northern Plains power - NPR 5557-NPR 3504 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3)
• 1125 CDT Fordville, ND - Northern Plains equipment - CP 414651
• 1126 CDT Fordville, ND - Northern Plains power - MSCI 700-NPR 410 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4)

This little trip was so rewarding that I ran out of slide film while photographing the Northern Plains. At least I still had the digital. Having achieved all my shortline goals I drove to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe mainline west of Fargo, North Dakota to see what action would present itself. I didn't have to wait long.

• 1437 CDT Casselton, ND - BNSF westbound - BNSF 9960-BNSF 9231-BNSF 8866 (photo)
• 1453 CDT Casselton, ND - BNSF eastbound - BNSF 4503-BNSF 5308 (photo)
• 1502 CDT Casselton, ND - BNSF eastbound Herzog - BNSF 791-BNSF 1082 (photo)
• 1505 CDT Casselton, ND - BNSF westbound - BNSF 1004-BNSF 7501-BNSF 5019-BNSF 4479 (photo)
• 1549 CDT Casselton, ND - BNSF eastbound - BNSF 6609-BNSF 4096 (photo)
• 1554 CDT Casselton, ND - BNSF westbound - BNSF 9940-BNSF 8961/BNSF 9713 (photo 1, photo 2)

At 1600 I decided to call it a day. I had to catch a flight from Minneapolis to Boston the next day and wanted to get back before it got late. After a four hour drive along Interstate 94 I pulled into the Courtyard Hotel in Mendota Heights, Minnesota feeling very satisfied with a productive two days of photography.