Midweek Photos 11/5/2014

These wear taken on Friday 10-31-14. I have posted a few of them on that date I think. And I have not been able to shoot any thing else since my truck is in the shop and I wont get it back till tomorrow.  So Enjoy   The last photo is my Son Taylor.

Beautiful photos, Scot. I love this one...

I was itching to get out with my new camera and lenses, and once again rolled the dice on the RCPE!  I drove about three hours west to first check out the old MILW tracks that go through the ghost town of Oakaton, SD.  I don't think a train has run on them for decades now.  I kind of like this stuff!  I took a shot of the old elevator (falling down,) and the single siding.   I then headed north towards the ex-CNW tracks, now RCPE, and intercepted them at another ghost town--Capa.

There are only two trains per day on this western end of the line, one at night, one in daytime.  I had my radio on and hoped for the best.  It was not to be--once again I got skunked chasing the elusive RCPE!  About then I got a call from an employee, advising me of a w/b on the eastern part of the state (South Dakota.)  I calculated I could intercept it at Arlington SD about 10 PM, so I went after it.  It turned out there was another train much further west, at Ree Heights, that I could have caught in the dark!  Too late, I missed it.  I continued after the other w/b, which was a sure thing. I set up a couple of flash in front of the elevator and retreated to my car.  It was getting cold and the wind was kicking up to 40 mph!  I waited about 45 minutes when over the radio I heard, "RCPE approaching Arlington, one mile out."  I got out and checked my lights.  One was.......GONE!  Wind had blown it over despite have 25 pounds of weight on the base.  Dang!  I put the flash back up, but in the end it didn't fire.  Railfanning this line reminds me of the old Hee Haw song, "If it weren't for bad luck I'd have no luck at all!"  To have enough photos to make it worthwhile to post, I've added some I took at the end of summer of the newly restored 0-6-0 at Prairie Village (Madison), SD.  Where I live there is virtually no steam within 300 miles of me, so having this one is a real treat for me!

So, what I'm going to do this weekend?  Not sure yet.  Winter is supposed to hit with a snow storm, and high temp around 24 degrees.  I might roll the dice again on the RCPE.  At some point persistence is either rewarded or just becomes bone-headed stubborness.  I pulling out my heavier goose down clothing.

Kent in SD

During a trip to Yosemite Park, we stopped by to see the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad.  Just as we arrived, the last tourist train of the day was pulling into the station.

Snow plow:

Saw Loram Track Ballast Cleaner equipment in the Pittsburgh, PA area in the Etna, PA yard this past week, on the Norfolk Southern Conemaugh Line.

  NORFOLK SOUTHERN ETNA, PA YARD

Late again,

Although I seldom get to run the rebuilt SD40N, as UP calls them, I all ways liked the SD40 the best because of the ride quality.

Here, one of UP's recent rebuilds leads a transfer from the 12th St yard to the river front Lesperance St. Yard in downtown St. Louis. That is all this midnight job does, runs the 2 miles or so over the highline 2 to 3 times a night. The reason is, the south approach to the MacArthur Bridge over the Mississippi River has sever limitations, so the traffic from the Alton & Southern transfer job delivers and pulls out of the 12th St, yard. It is mostly traffic for UP's Desoto Sub and St. Louis industries, so the midnight transfer runs back and forth over the highline to move the cars to the proper yard.

The old bridge over Interstate 55, underneath the 3rd unit, still carries part of the lettering for Missouri Pacific's "Route of the Eagles" October 2014

BNSF 7853 leads CSX motors on a solid train of gondolas at 12th St. in downtown St. Louis. The old warehouse building in the background is the Sheraton Inn. The painting on the side of the building is of the statue of King Louis IX, which stands in nearby Forest Park. The St. Louis Amtrak/Greyhound Bus station is just below that building. 

October 2014

Dan

Thanks to all who posted pictures.

Carl