Midweek Photos 1/14/2014 --->

Going back to December here is the Polar Express Excursion that ran out of Bloomsburg, PA. North Shore Railroad provided the power for it with the #1946 and #1948 SW1500s.

What "garage door"?

I don't have a digital photo of 614 in Port Clinton, but a roll top door was installed on the cab to secure it from thieves or vandals.

Couple from last week. Dna

UP7620 South, on a grain train crossing a low water bridge south of Ware, IL.

 

 

Still in the holiday spirit the second week of January, BNSF5128 totes empty oil cans past the Bismarck, MO depot.

 

Some years back, UP 5478 East leads two FURX leased SD40's over the Meramec River 24 miles west of St. Louis, Mo.

 

 

Some shots from Allentown Yard, Allentown, Pa.:

 

Mad dogs and railfans out on nights like these.  Berwyn, IL circa 1974:

 

 

Rusty

I took some photos on my lunch hour on Monday after our first major snowfall of the year in the Detroit area occurred during the night previous.  Though Greenfield Village is closed to visitors until April 15th, the roundhouse is still operating five days a week as we work on our winter maintenance projects on our three operating steam locomotives and other equipment.

 

 Snow still falling behind the DT&M roundhouse around 7:00 a.m.

 

 

An overview of the roundhouse and our outdoor servicing areas

 

 

 

 

Our GE 50 ton diesel, built in January of 1942 for the U.S. Navy, awaits its turn in the roundhouse for winter maintenance.  There is still much work to do on our steam locomotives before the relatively minor tasks the diesel needs become a priority.

 

 

The 1858 Grand Trunk train depot from Smiths Creek, Michigan.

 

 

The railroad water tower and the new 50 ton Fairbanks Morse coaling tower that was constructed last winter.

I like the shot of the coaling & water tower.  Don't find those around much any more.

 

So far through January I've been heading out to the middle of South Dakota along the RCPE line (former C&NW, now Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern--a G&W line.)  I've been concentrating on the stretch between Pierre and Philip, SD--a 600 mile round trip for me.  The line follows the Bad River; road access is sporadic.   There are no paved roads.  There are three abandoned towns there--Capa, Wendt, and Powell.  Each is accessible by only one gravel road.  When the line was put in, there were towns built every ten miles to supply water for the train, and for ranchers to load cattle.  In the 1930s a paved highway was built ~10 miles to the north, bypassing the little towns with exception of Midland and Philip.  In the 1960s C&NW discontinued passenger service, and the towns quickly faded away.  Some houses were simply jacked up and moved to a more viable town.  Only a few structures remain in the abandoned towns, along with a treasure trove of abandoned cars.

 

1. W/b train at Powell.  There are two buildings left here.  One is a one room school and the other is this house which once also served as a tiny post office.

 

2. Shot from inside the Powell house.

 

3. Night shot from inside the Powell house (train was parked for the night.)

 

4. E/b train at Wendt.  The b&w Zenith TV was no doubt a prized possession of the family who lived there.  They must have had a heck of an antennae though!  While waiting for the train I couldn't help but think of a family sitting in this room, watching Bonanza and the Ed Sullivan Show while outside mighty F-units pulled multiple trains daily (there is now only one e/b and one w/b per day on the shaky tracks.)

 

5. E/b negotiates the cuts east of Wendt. Temperature was below zero, wind was 25 mph.

 

6. Same as above.

 

 

This is probably enough.  I plan on heading back out this weekend.  It will be in the mid 30s, which is not good news.  The dirt roads will be thawing.

 

 

Kent in SD

 

 

 

Kent those all awesome images!

Dan

Photos of foreign power and Norfolk Southern units along the Ohio River in Pittsburgh, PA this week.

 

   CSX MIXED IN WITH NORFOLK SOUTHERN ENGINES

 

 

   NORFOLK SOUTHERN AND 2 BNSF UNITS EASTBOUND

 

 

 

   UNUSUALLY SUNNY DAY IN PITTSBURGH

 

 

  WESTBOUND NS INTERMODAL

 

 

  MEET AT CP BELL NEAR PITTSBURGH

Kent your pictures are superb, and this one is just stunning.