Midweek Photos 9/25/2013

Members of the Milwaukee Road Historical Association visited IRM last Sunday, so there was a lot of Milwaukee equipment out and about. Here is #760 with an All-Milwaukee consist, and #118-C lead a train that included one of the E-units and the dynamometer car.

The Northern Central (www.steamintohistory.com) is taking delivery of wooden passenger cars built by the Reader Railroad in Arkansas to complement 4-4-0 No. 17, the YORK.

A quick shot before an evening inspection of an 1873 Mason 0-6-4T (last of its kind) 

My Bachmann HO GE 45 tonner with its prototype, a 1942 USN GE 45 tonner with added ballast making it a 50 tonner.

The great steam threshing shows are now over; Fall is beginning to take hold.  Farmers have put away their steam toys and are taking their huge John Deere threshing machines out to the fields.  One season ends, another begins.    Tonight I was getting ready to go to bed when I heard the D&I (Dakota & Iowa) get a warrant to head south.  I turned to my wife and she said, "Don't say it.  I know you're going, and we both know you'll be gone longer than an hour."  She was correct on both accounts, of course.  Out into the night I went.    It was a very warm night and I needed no jacket.  I drove about half an hour ahead of the slow moving heavy quarry train and set up a few flash on a country crossing, and waited.  The stars were brilliant!  Out here there is little light pollution and you can gaze deeply into the eternity that stretches above.  The sky alone is worth staying up to photo!  I had more pressing game to pursue though.

Sure enough, after about half an hour, I saw the bright glow several miles away in the dark, slowly heading my way.  I stood near my camera, listening to the low throb of the engines increase as they neared.  Finally the train came into view and I popped the trigger as it rolled by.  As it did, engineer Chuck gave me a couple of friendly toots on the horn.    The train was a long one and it took quite awhile to pass by in the dark.  I love the sounds the hoppers & gondolas make as they groan and rumble through the night.  Finally the last hopper rolled past and the train disappeared back into the night.  My ninth season doing night photography has begun.

Tomorrow I leave for southwest South Dakota, for rifle/antelope season.  If I knock one down early, that will give me a night or two to catch the BNSF helper units on Crawford Hill, not that far away from my hunting unit.

Kent in SD

Twilight is stealing over the sea

Shadows are falling dark on the lee

Borne on the night wind, voices of yore

Call from the far off shore....

Far away, beyond the starlit skies

Where the love-light never, never dies

Gleameth a mansion filled with delight

Sweet happy home so bright.

--Aldine S. Keiffer, 1881