I headed out this morning too with the goal of finding the SP 4449. Made it over to LaCrosse and decided to abandon that idea when we found a CP stack train led by a shiny new looking Gevo! I couldn’t believe my luck! We ended up chasing it up river towards St. Paul and forgot all about the 4449. Why watch some crummy old engine when you can catch something brand new! It was a great day!
Noah
…Okay, so maybe I’m lying just the least little bit. Feel free to call it my feeble attempt at humor for the day, roll your eyes, and move on. In actuality we managed two runbys of the 4449, despite the cloudy weather, plus we found a ICE 170 train coming in in the afternoon and got a few shots of him at LaCrescent. Then we hit the train show in La Crosse and I picked up a few new pieces of rolling stock for some bargain prices. It was a good day!
The line up at IRM does sound very interesting indeed. When they were talking about adding the WSOR Es into the mix I strongly considered going tomorrow, but with being gone today in search of the 4449 I’ll just have to see about catching it next year.
Noah
Today, luck was on my side…I only got one run by of the 4449 (Noah how did you get two?!), but today I caught some amazing/good catches. I probably caught the most rare/good things I have ever caught in a single day!
There was a lot of nice stuff running on both sides of the River yesterday, to the point where you couldn’t shoot it all, you had to pick and choose! I’m curious to see what all you caught, as it’s entirely possible I missed a few things.
We knew the 4449 would made a 30 minute servicing stop in LaCrosse (word came out on Friday). We did one shot up in Trempealeau and then while he was stopped we leap frogged him to Genoa for another shot. We talked to a friend at Genoa who had been chasing since St. Paul, and that was one his third shot thus far! He was planning to go all the way to Illinois with him too. Somehow driving from St. Paul to Chicago for maybe 4-5 shots sounds like a lot of driving…
Noah
i got my trip report from this weekend. start off with friday morning,
i decide to get up at 4:30 to head out by 5. so i did. soo it seems when i get there a SB is due up, folks its only 5:30 in the morning. so i wait, i wait & by 10 after 6 they roll by.
so then more waiting then i hear the rtc call a foreman to clear tracks for 2 sb’s, well he cant clear cuz he has some work to do. so 30 mins later he clears, & then the light pops green, stays that way for a half hour until it turns yellow, rtc calls the train NB out of neenah meeting him at weyauwega. its 7:45 i have only a half hour. never showed up for me.
ok fast forward to later in the day im in milwaukee, i hear tons of trains roll by at night.
fast forward to saturday. well i get to go out saturday night
first up a CP eastbound
then i hear a SB on the CN, but CP suprised me with a westbound
idk why they were down there
well a coal train was metting the sb & changing crews
finnaly the SB
Well here is my trip report for July 18 2009.
As most of you know, the SP 4449 was heading south on the BNSF. My goal was to try and do a chase south to Winona from Red Wing (Wrong side of the river I know but those are the only big towns people would know). Well I left at 4 in the morning, which put us in Diamond Bluff WI (North of the Bridge across to Red Wing) at 8. I was hoping we’d catch a few BNSF freights going through. This was the first one; an east bound Z train was slowly rolling through Diamond bluff.
Out of no where I saw a west bounds lights come around the corner, looks like we caught a meet at Diamond Bluff!
Well around this time another rail fan pulls in where we were sitting. Up until now we only saw two other rail fans. These guys were very nice, and it was neat to talk to them. They both had done photo shoots with the 4449 at Minneapolis; and they got some pretty neat cab shots too. He said he knew the engineer of the 4449 today. He also said that he ran trains for the MTM and ran the tourist trains on the Dresser Sub. He told some great stories of operating WC rock trains and other WC trains. Not to long later someone in a red hot rod when by on Highway 35, and we pointed out how nice the car was. Well he pulled right in and asked if there was something coming, and we said the 4449 was going to go through. Well he decided to pull in and wait with us. He told us that he was a casual rail fan; he was another very nice guy to talk to. Shortly after another West bound rolls through.
I found it funny how
Jordan, give us back 674 you thief!
Here are some of the highlights of my weekend.
First was that CB&Q SD24 504 is finished at IRM. Here are some shots. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681446
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680010
CNW 8701 sits on display. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680012
The CNW cab-car. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681445
Can’t go to IRM withoug shooting WC 7525! http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680014
Lots of power here. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681453
Two GP7s, CNW 4160 and ITC 1605. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681697
The moment I was waiting for, CNW SD40-2 6847 pulls out of Barn 2. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681652
Two CNWs together in 2009, not bad! http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680016
If two was good enough, how about three CNWs together? http://www.rrpic
Nice trip reports Jordan and Robby! I love that BCOL unit! A really classy scheme on a neat locomotive.
Neat stuff Jordan and Robby. That BCOL unit leading is a really nice catch indeed!
I’ll throw my 4449 trip report into the mix.
We left about 0700 to head for the La Crosse area. The day before we were informed the train would be making a servicing stop in La Crosse, so the plan was to do one shot north of town and another south of town, because we would be able to leap frog him during his stop. We got to La Crosse just as a BNSF westbound was arriving the yard, the same one Jordan later caught up the line:
During the time the NS train had the single track tied up, two eastbounds had come in and were changing crews. They’d be headed out soon, so we headed to the south side of La Crosse to await them. A light rain was falling as the first southbound went through, a hotshot Z train. A didn’t realize it at the time, but the lead unit is one of BNSF’s new ES44C4s with the A-1-A wheel arrangement:
The rain quit almost as soon as it had come, and things had lightened up a little by the time the second westbound arrived:
It was getting closer to time for the SP 4449 to arrive, so we headed up to Trempealeau to await the train’s arrival. We thought since it’s a little more off the beaten path there might be a few less foamers here, but there was still a good bunch. With events like these, I often like seeing the kinds of people the train brings out even more than I do the trains. Our hobby sure attracts some, um unique individuals, and I always just hope I don’t seem that strange…
As we were sitting there we could just see (though not really shoot), the CP line across the river, and they ran 4 trains in a matter of about 45 minutes. If it hadn’t been for the 4449 I’m sure we would have been over there shooting them. Eventual
This same problem has been an ongoing issue for CSX and Norfolk Southern as well. CSX is slowing pulling the GE AC6000CW’s and C40-8W’s out of storage, and NS is pulling the aging C40-9’s and SD60’s from storage. A total of nine AC6000CW units have come back from their death bed. The 6 GE C40-9W’s that were stored on NS’ roster are back online, and almost all of the other LUGO’d power at Conway and Enola, PA are back in service on NS. CSX has also brought back at least 20-25 Dash 8’s, narrow cab and widecab.
Norfolk Southern employees received a memo regarding the turbo charger problems with the GEVO’s. Apparently all 245 GEVO’s on NS’ roster are to be pulled from service, and the LUGO’d power will take over during their absence. The story is the same for CSX.
The prime mover used in GEVO locomotives was manufacturered in China. The problems with the GEVO’s will force them to be returned t
i have a trip report today. ill have the pics later
[quote user=“alstom”]
This same problem has been an ongoing issue for CSX and Norfolk Southern as well. CSX is slowing pulling the GE AC6000CW’s and C40-8W’s out of storage, and NS is pulling the aging C40-9’s and SD60’s from storage. A total of nine AC6000CW units have come back from their death bed. The 6 GE C40-9W’s that were stored on NS’ roster are back online, and almost all of the other LUGO’d power at Conway and Enola, PA are back in service on NS. CSX has also brought back at least 20-25 Dash 8’s, narrow cab and widecab.
Norfolk Southern employees received a memo regarding the turbo charger problems with the GEVO’s. Apparently all 245 GEVO’s on NS’ roster are to be pulled from service, and the LUGO’d power will take over during their absence. The story is the same for CSX.
The prime mover used in GEVO locomotives was manufacturered
With GE power failing left and right, maybe we will see EMD once again take the lead in locomotive manufacturing. Now that would be cool! I have already noticed a change on CP over here, there aren’t too many trains with ES44AC’s leading, mostly AC4400CW’s and SD40-2’s. So it’s hit or miss, it’s either an all GE or all EMD consist. CP doesn’t seem to run power from both manufacturers together very often.
i have my pics finished.
started out a nice day then the weather turned upside.
first off at medina jct. these guys were haulin @$$.
about a hour later i headed 5 miles up the line. i heard the 588 was gonna pull in the siding & have the nb look at a dragging strap at the end of there train to prevent a reverse move.
heres 588, thankfully they stopped right there provided good time to shoot multiple shots
NB 301
kinda thought this was funny
this was trailing
Jordan, 170 told the dispatcher he was out of St. Paul at 0945 and he was out of River Junction at about 1345 without any work. He was going to tie the train down in the siding at Kains. I was suprised to hear him too, as I figured he’d been through much earlier in the day.
Neat shots too. I especially like the one in the dip.
I’ve got another set of photos to share too. There were a couple of reports Sunday afternoon that there was a UP ballast train in the WSOR yard at Madison, which would be the first one of the season to Rock Springs, and the first since fall 2007. The UP owns the quarry, but they failed to file for a permit to operate it last year and so it shut down. It was reactivated until this year and it does have a new operator now. The UP bridge over the Rock River in Janesville being out of service only helped conspire against the idea that the quarry would actually see another train. But, much to my suprise, it sounded like one was set to run after all. I decided to get over to Rock Springs Monday morning and see what was up.
I got there around found the train was indeed loading, but that they were keeping the power on the North end allowing them to load the whole train in one cut, something that I did see them do a few times towards the end of the 2007 rock season. There went my original idea of being able to shoot the power if it was on the south end. But at the same time, they appeared to have a shorter train than normal and only had about 15 cars to load yet, so I decided to stick around and see how long it would take them to finish up.
After some waiting and trying to catch glimpses of the power through the trees, they finally finished loading about 10:15, and began their run around move. A short time later the consist of four GP units came into view, cleared the pass switch a
For what it’s worth, listening to the online feeds of the Staples Sub, it would appear as though there’s a drastic decrease in GE power, with a lot of talk of SD75s in the lead of some trains. Even here in the Twin Ports, the GE power isn’t as plentiful as it has been. UP’s were parked in Itasca Yard while two SD70Ms did the switching, and CN’s power on the UP transfer were two GTW GPs. The only exceptions seemed to be a BNSF Manifest heading out of the yard south, led by an ES44DC(allowing me to score a pic, now meaning I’ve finally got good pics of every commonly used locomotive model on the BNSF) with a Dash 9 trailing. Even the All Rails have ditched the GEVOs in favor of SD75s.
I was reading about them in the July 2009 TRAINS magazine on page 13…Sweet pic Brent…
Also nice pix there Jordan of the Wausau area…I shall be in Wausau coming up, so hopefully I’ll catch something there this time around…Any plans for JO coming up??? U should see if you and Brent can come to JO on one of these days and let me know in an email on what day ya choose or if ya can or not…August 4th Tuesday-August 7th Friday…
Great pictures Noah!
J, I’ll have to talk to Brent about it; August 7th would be the best for me…
Well I did some quick rail fanning Yesterday. After dropping my Grandpa off at Winchester, my mom and I headed back home. On the scanner I heard that WC 3024 was switching somewhere. We where by the Weyauwega Exit ramp, so we decided to stop in. WC 3024 was shoving back a couple car lengths when we got there, they shoved back too far for me to get a decent picture. After waiting a bit I went back to the truck, as I was about to get in the cross lights went on. Looks like WC 3024 was holding the main while CN 2598 went by.
2598 said they where going to do a meet at Nelsons with the 588. I decided to wait for the WC unit, as the 588 probably didn’t have anything good on it. After they cleared the signal, they did some switching at plant. Right at 3:30 they pulled out and gave me a good shot in good light.
Back on highway 10, we went past Nelsons where we saw the 588 passing CN 2598. Good thing I didn’t head up there, the 588 only had a C40-8M and a SD60F. Listening to the scanner I heard of a train that was going to pick up paper work at orchard. Getting there is looked promising, but I soon found out that THAT trains head end was at Hoover. Crossing over the CN main I noticed another train from the East. It was CN 2598 that I inadvertently chased…they made good time. These guys where going to pick up their paper work here, which I find odd.
That’s it for my little rail fanning trip. Not much was in Point…
Well, I am still staying in Durand as a type this. I have so far seen numerous steam, CN and shortline trains while in Michigan, with Trainfestival 2009 as well as Durand Union Depot right nearby. I have seen the Great Lakes Central, Hiron Eastern and Central Michigan. The Huron Eastern had a cabless B30-7 on it! I’ll have a full Trainfest trip report coming soon! I’ll be coming back home tommorrow.
While you are correct in a way, you are also incorrect.
UP’s trains out of the Twin Ports usually rate two SD70M’s, or similar power. Their transfer jobs rate either two LLPX GP38’s, or as was the case yesterday, a UPY GP15-1 and a UP GP38.
The Pokegama transfer power changes, but it never has a GE online. It usually rates an SD38-2 (mostly EJE now, every once in a while a DMIR unit snuck on) and/or a SD40-3. (usally an IC unit)
GE’s are a fair rarity in the Twin Ports, with the majority of trains using good EMD power. GEVO’s, yes, are common, but then again, its relative, we have 3 GP28M’s, 2 GP50’s, and GP39M’s that are common also.