Trackwork, evidenced by the many ties lining the right of way, has kept traffic at a standstill on the BNSF's Wayzata Sub for most of this June 2018 day. Once the maintenance was done for the even... (more)

Two unique to Canadian Pacific SD30C-ECO locomotives lead the daily Tracy, MN to Chicago manifest over the Cottonwood River just east of New Ulm, MN in May 2018.

A Canadian Pacific crude oil train cruises south through the flat Red River valley near the MN/ND border, approaching the then-new US Highway 75 overpass over the BNSF's Moorhead Sub just north of... (more)

An eastbound coal train crosses the Red River between Fargo, ND and Moorhead, MN in September 2020.

A westbound intermodal train departs Green River after a crew change, passing the large depot that still stands. I was inspired to stop on the famous "railfan bridge" while on a family v... (more)

An empty unit sand train rounds the curves at Lake Park on a clear and cold January morning, led by Canadian National power.

Minimum maintenance roads are pretty common in western Minnesota. Some people may be disturbed by such road signs as more proof that yes, you are indeed in the middle of nowhere. As someone who lo... (more)

Every year I take campers from my church to Camp House, near Brimson, MN. It's a former Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range camp that was created for the families of railroad employees. It eventually was... (more)

A pair of EMD's lead the Union Pacific's local out of Worthington, MN south on the former Omaha Road, seen just north of the Iowa border near Bigelow.

I grew up consuming a steady diet of telephoto smashes of SD40-2s in my favorite books and magazines, so I never pass up the chance to make another one. In this case, it was four of them blasting ... (more)

A westbound Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern train passes by the power at the Harvest Land Cooperative elevator near Springfield, MN. The Harvest Land engine started life as a Detroit, Toledo & Ironto... (more)

Big changes in the former Great Northern division point town of Willmar, MN. A southbound BNSF unit grain train waits for a fresh crew at the south end of the new connector between the Morris Subd... (more)

The Canadian Pacific's local power rests in the yard on a quiet Saturday evening in New Ulm, MN.

I usually try to see a train on my birthday, and 2020 was no exception. I lucked into seeing a westbound working in the yard at Willmar, headed up by a nice looking SD75M. Our family would then co... (more)

Just emerging from an intrusive cloud shadow, seven SD40-2s throttle up as they accelerate out of Tracy with a westbound train back in May 2020. During this phase of the early pandemic, with traff... (more)