Start the Morning Off Right: As the day starts, the extra rock train heads east towards Dresser following the passenger special. Looks like the track inspector has parked his Suburban here ... (more)

Block Operator: Another piece of railroading lost to time is the station agent, or in this case, the block operator. Where train orders were in effect, the block operator would relay instru... (more)

Get 'Em Ready: The station agent gets the train orders ready to hoop up to the crew on extra ballast train. Train orders were used to direct the movement of any non scheduled train, where t... (more)

Hoop 'Em Up!: There are some things in railroading that have been lost to time. Hooping train orders to crews is one. With nothing to date this shot, this could have been the late 70's, a c... (more)

Quaint Settings: Breaking the silence of a peaceful afternoon, a BN ballast train blasts through a rural crossing. Headed for another load of rock. Taken while off duty, wearing full PPE.

Heading West: At lunch time, the morning train crew brings the rock train around the wye, and into the siding, preparing to head west in the afternoon. Taken while off duty, wearing full PP... (more)

Getting Orders: Before departing, the crew get their orders "hooped up" from the station agent. Looks like this SD9 is getting worked today with a heavy load of rock. Taken while ... (more)

Spectacular Grab Shot: Sometimes you just can't pass up a shot! On my way into work, I turned the corner and had to stop. The Dayton's Bluff job, with a pair of Geeps, creeping down the Q1 ... (more)

Just Your Average Spring Morning: Trees turning green, birds chirping, neighbors going for a walk. Oh, and SOO 4598 shoving 1500 tons of grain up the steep hill to Ardent Mills in Hastings.... (more)

Spring Snow Spring can sometimes throw weather curve balls in the upper midwest, a very late Empire Builder cruises past the CP Depot in Hastings after a mid-March snow storm. Amtrak had al... (more)

UP Delivery: Wearing both hats, the Shakopee job now delivers cars to the UP Belt Yard, and will then head out to deliver cars to the UP at Valley Park. Note the grade just coming out of th... (more)

Severely Crippled: A very injured H20 limps into River Jct, next to the mighty Mississippi, on a cold December afternoon. The SOO geep is dead and drained, and the CP geep is minus a tracti... (more)

Last Light, Last Train:Last train of 2016 for me. As the day comes to an end, one last train heads across the Black River drawbridge, this empty coal train is headed for Marquette and event... (more)

Busy Yard, Sometimes That Is: La Crosse is one of those places on the CP where there either isn't much going on, or everything happens at once. Today, just before sunset, 471 has made their... (more)

Saved!: After picking up the trailing SD30ECO, H20 finally departs La Crescent for La Crosse with sufficient horsepower to move the tonnage. But not after having problems getting the SD30 t... (more)