Empty coal buckets head west on the little photographed Brainerd Subdivision.
A little wading required to get to this spot, but well worth it on a nice summer morning as eastbound coal loads behind a pair of SD70ACe's rush across the Crow Wing River near Motley.
A nice H3 SD60M sits in the Motley siding waiting for a WB to pass.
With the fog having just lifted, the sun pokes through to shine on the SD60M with one of the more modern BNSF liveries, remnants of the cloud system create a dark sky in the background.
My nephew (5 y/o) waits to shut the video camera off four seconds after the DPU unit passes by us. He does a great job, but forgets to be quite sometimes and the camera picks up his excitment.
Having just left Staples, this loaded coal train is picking up speed as he heads east in a snow squall.
On its second run of the day, BNSF's Employee Special rounds the curve coming into Motley as it continues to head toward Staples. It's been nearly 40 years since this line last saw regular passeng... (more)
The ex-BN 9208 and two Oakway SD60s pull a coal train east through Motley at the site of an ugly collision and derailment a few months ago. The lead SD60M on this train should hold a special place... (more)
Coming home - The engineers son greets his father returning back to his home terminal on train #403.
A westbound train of coal cars going back to the mine cruises through Motley
3 EMD's pull coal loads east through Motley. This coal is bound for Duluth, MN and the Superior Midwest Energy coal dock on Lake Superior.