Trackside Log for Saturday, May 23, 2009

Three days ago I flew from Buffalo, New York to Minneapolis, Minnesota to visit Compellent in Eden Prairie. Some folks from work and I spent two days testing their disk storage array. Everyone else flew back home but I had made arrangements to stay for the Memorial Day long weekend.

This morning I departed the Fairfield Inn in Eden Prairie in my rented Dodge Caliber. The weather started out overcast but I was looking forward to the skies clearing up later on. The first stage of my trip was to follow the Twin Cities & Western toward Appleton, Minnesota. The first town to present a photo opportunity was Glencoe.

• 0833 CDT Glencoe, MN - Twin Cities & Western power - RRVW 406-TCWR 1503 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3)

While searching town further I noticed a pair of slugs at Seneca Foods.

• 0844 CDT Glencoe, MN - Twin Cities & Western power - TCWR 201-NS 9830 (photo 1, photo 2)

I continued following the Twin Cities & Western west. I checked out the towns along the way but didn't find any interesting railway subjects until Montevideo, Minnesota where I espied the Milwaukee Road Historical Park.

• 1057 CDT Montevideo, MN - Milwaukee Road Historical Park - MILW X19-MILW 991960 (photo 1, photo 2)
• 1059 CDT Montevideo, MN - Milwaukee Road Historical Park - NSP X-5 (79 in number boards) (photo)

I followed the rails all the way to Appleton, Minnesota but did not see anything else on the Twin Cities & Western. My next target was the Sisseton-Milbank Railroad. While en route I heard a Burlington Northern Santa Fe westbound report clear of mile 600. I looked for the nearest mile board on the BNSF track next to me and read mile 590. The train was a mere ten miles ahead of me. I kept moving and caught up to it just before Milbank, South Dakota. I was able to get ahead of the train on the west side of town for a photograph.

• 1238 CDT Milbank, SD - BNSF westbound - BNSF 4390-BNSF 4980

I went back to Milbank and found the Sisseton-Milbank. The west leg of the wye was full of covered hoppers and the mainline was full of empty coal hoppers. I couldn't find any locomotives though so I followed their tracks to Sisseton. I found plenty of cars parked along the way but no power so I continued to the Canadian Pacific in Hankinson, North Dakota. Once again there were many parked cars but nothing of interest. Next I drove to the Red River Valley & Western's home base of Breckenridge, Minnesota where I hit pay dirt.

• 1512 CDT Breckenridge, MN - Red River Valley & Western power - RRVW 2001-RRVW 2002-ILSX 179-ILSX 180 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4, photo 5)
• 1517 CDT Breckenridge, MN - Red River Valley & Western power - RRVW 2005-RRVW 1276-RRVW 2051-RRVW 309 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4)
• 1521 CDT Breckenridge, MN - Red River Valley & Western power - RRVW 303 (photo)
• 1536 CDT Breckenridge, MN - Red River Valley & Western power - RRVW 404 (photo)
• 1542 CDT Breckenridge, MN - Red River Valley & Western equipment - RRVW 113 (photo)

Wow, that was rewarding! Then I grabbed a bite to eat from the local Kentucky Fried Chicken and ate in front of the old station where a Great Northern caboose was on display.

• 1601 CDT Breckenridge, MN - preserved caboose - GN X111 (photo)

My next railway was the nearby Otter Tail Valley in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. Soon after arrival I could hear them switching somewhere in town. I searched but couldn't find them. After the third time by their engine shed I got extremely lucky. They were just about to park three of the four locomotives inside.

• 1700 CDT Fergus Falls, MN - Otter Tail Valley power - MNN 1484-MNN 1463-OTVR 192

The MNN 1484 cut off the trailing two engines before taking off westward. The previously set off OTVR 3900 then joined the two geeps inside the shed.

• 1708 CDT Fergus Falls, MN - Otter Tail Valley power - MNN 1484
• 1710 CDT Fergus Falls, MN - Otter Tail Valley power - OTVR 3900

After some photographs in nice light I followed the Otter Tail Valley Railroad northwestward to Dilworth, Minnesota where I checked out the BNSF yard. There were dozens of engines but nothing photographable.

I decided that Grand Forks, North Dakota would be my final destination for the day. During the drive there I ran across an elevator switcher at the Alton Grain Terminal.

• 1917 CDT south of Hillsboro, ND - Alton Grain Terminal switcher - DLSX 2307 (photo)

When I got to Grand Forks I immediately drove to the old roundhouse which I knew from my previous visit in 2001 would be my only chance for decent light.

• 2006 CDT Grand Forks, ND - BNSF power - BNSF 3404 (photo)

That was it for the day's photography. I found a room at the America's Best Value Inn, filled the car with petrol and me with a sub before calling it a day.

Trackside Log for Friday, August 10, 2007

I woke up in… Wait, I remember where I am. Sioux Falls, South Dakota! That's it. I first drove downtown to check out the Burlington Northern Santa Fe yard. Just after I got there a switch move was pulling through.

• 0919 CDT Sioux Falls, South Dakota - BNSF switcher - BNSF 3454-BNSF 3464

Then I went to turn around and found some parked power.

• 0923 CDT Sioux Falls, South Dakota - BNSF power - BNSF 2984-BNSF 1527-BNSF 2977-BNSF 3644 (photo)

My first stop of the day was to be Alton, Iowa but while passing through Sioux Center I ran across a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train just pulling in.

• 1100 CDT Sioux Center, Iowa - BNSF northbound - BNSF 4322-KCS 3163 (photo 1, photo 2)

After a few photos I continued on to the grain elevator in Alton to see the GP7 that I knew was located there.

• 1139 CDT Alton, Iowa - Midwest Farmers Coop - #701 (photo 1, photo 2)

My next stop was going to be Mason City, Iowa. Once again while passing through town I discovered a train. This time the town was Spencer, Iowa on the former Milwaukee Road track. The train was a westbound Iowa, Chicago and Eastern. I had to wait for a bit for the train to move, but I was patient.

• 1316 CDT Spencer, Iowa - Iowa, Chicago & Eastern westbound - DME 6053-DME 6078 (photo)

After my waiting paid off I continued on to Mason City by way of Clear Lake. I found the western terminus of the Iowa Traction Railway and followed it east toward Mason City. First I encountered a variety of Iowa Traction Railway equipment.

• 1554 CDT Emery, Iowa - Iowa Traction Railway equipment - IATR 40-IATR 31-IATR 32 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3)

Behind that was a parked motor outside the shops and in the weeds.

• 1601 CDT Emery, Iowa - Iowa Traction Railway power - IATR 51 (photo)

I continued following the tracks and in short order met a westbound train with a cut of gondolas. Luck was on my side.

• 1611 CDT Mason City, Iowa - Iowa Traction Railway westbound - IATR 50 (photo)

After a few photographs I continued along and discovered a parked motor at the AGP elevator.

• 1621 CDT Mason City, Iowa - Iowa Traction Railway power - IATR 54 (photo)

I figured I did rather well with the Iowa Traction Railway and set off for Greene, Iowa and the Iowa Northern. Just as I arrived at Greene I could see a westbound pulling through town. My timing was spot on. I turned around and found a nice location for a photograph.

• 1717 CDT Greene, Iowa - Iowa Northern Railway westbound - IANR 3811-IANR 3801-IANR 3810-IANR 3804

My luck today was really good. I ran across trains by accident and managed to stay ahead of the ominous clouds that were constantly behind me to the west. Somehow I was always just ahead of them. I continued driving east until I got to Urbana, Iowa. I noticed a Super 8 motel and decided I really didn't want to drive any longer so I called it a day.

Trackside Log for Thursday, August 9, 2007

I got a nice early start before the sun rose. My first destination was to be the Nebkota Railroad in Chadron, Nebraska. While on the way I ran across a parked BNSF empty coal train in Orin, Wyoming, just west of Shawnee Junction. The sun was just above the horizon which led to some interesting lighting.

• 0609 MDT Orin, Wyoming - BNSF eastbound - BNSF 9930-BNSF 9663 w/ DPU (photo)

I continued along and discovered the Union Pacific main into the coal fields. There were coal trains parked all over the place. One loaded train was just leaving Shawnee Junction when I passed so I drove out ahead of it.

• 0632 MDT Lost Springs, Wyoming - UP eastbound - UP 6580-UP 7071 w/ DPU UP 6766-UP 7392
• 0645 MDT Keeline, Wyoming - UP eastbound - UP 6580-UP 7071 w/ DPU UP 6766-UP 7392 (photo)

I drove on leaving that coal train behind only to find another coal train ahead of it. I chased it ahead and photographed it as well.

• 0720 MDT Lusk, Wyoming - UP eastbound - UP 5990-UP 6154 w/ DPU UP 6001-UP 6399
• 0739 MDT Van Tassell, Wyoming - UP eastbound - UP 5990-UP 6154 w/ DPU UP 6001-UP 6399

Before long I arrived at Chadron, Nebraska. I quickly found the engine facility and three locomotives parked outside.

• 0903 MDT Chadron, Nebraska - Nebkota power - NRI 613 (photo)
• 0903 MDT Chadron, Nebraska - Nebkota power - NRI 614-NRI 49 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3)

After photographing the engines I got some breakfast. While getting breakfast I noted that there were an inordinate number of motorcycles parked around town. I quickly came to the conclusion that I sure know how to pick a week to visit South Dakota. This was Bike Week in Sturgis. The next part of the day was purely sightseeing. First I drove to Mount Rushmore. I've never seen so many Harley Davidsons in my life. They were everywhere. I drove through Rapid City among the motorcycles and photographed a Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern SD40-2 parked by the shops.

• 1246 MDT Rapid City, South Dakota - DME power - DME 6082 (photo)

Next I departed down Interstate 90 for Chamberlain but not before first visiting the Wall Drug Store and Badlands National Park. Now that is a fascinating place. After a long drive I found Chamberlain and the variety of interesting power the Dakota Southern had lying around the grain elevator.

• 1840 CDT Chamberlain, South Dakota - Dakota Southern power - DSRC 719 (photo 1, photo 2)
• 1843 CDT Chamberlain, South Dakota - Dakota Southern power - USS "70-1"-SSOR 75-SSOR 76-DSRC 512 (photo 1, photo 2)
• 1849 CDT Chamberlain, South Dakota - Dakota Southern power - UP 6925 (photo)
• 1858 CDT Chamberlain, South Dakota - Dakota Southern power - SSOR 103 (photo 1, photo 2)
• 1901 CDT Chamberlain, South Dakota - Dakota Southern power - DSRC 506-DSRC 522 (photo 1, photo 2, photo 3, photo 4)

After taking plenty of photographs I drove first to Mitchell, South Dakota to see the corn palace and then to Sioux Falls, South Dakota where I would spend the night at the Fairfield Inn. It turned out to be an awesome day and one I'll definitely remember.