As the sun sets on National Train Day 2013, Canadian Pacific's Vancouver to Chicago hotshot rolls through Belgrade, Minnesota, passing a maintenance of way caboose stored on the adjacent siding.

On a chilly and blustery spring day, 261's train is almost completely obscured by smoke as the beautiful 4-8-4 works uphill away from Cedar Creek on its first official excursion in nearly 4 years.... (more)

Two sets of EMD power wait for their workday to begin as the sun breaks through some early morning clouds at Brooten. The 5937 is on a ballast train while the 6252 is on the wayfreight.

An eastbound behind two GEVOs passes a broken knuckle on the ground on a very pleasant May morning.

A newer GEVO and an aging SD40-2 team up on a manifest across Minnesota, seen crossing the North Fork of the Crow River a few miles west of Regal.

The crews of two Canadian Pacific trains exchange greetings as they meet at Murray siding just east of the small town of Belgrade. Both trains were moving for this well timed meet, with the westb... (more)

A Balfour Beatty ballast cleaner working with a Canadian Pacific tie replacement gang creeps along just west of MP 110 between Brooten and Sedan. They're waiting for a few tamping machines to fin... (more)

A well-worn SD40-2 waits on the siding in Brooten with a ballast train as an eastbound behind CP and NS power hustles through town. This appears to be almost directly across the tracks from where... (more)

Viewed from the Minnesota State Highway 55 overpass a few miles west of Paynesville, a lengthy eastbound manifest rolls away from the setting sun.

An SD40-2 and repainted SD60 roll off of the siding at Brooten as a track gang readies their equipment for a day of tie replacement work west of town. The two EMDs will handle ballast train duty.

A westbound grain train crosses the North Fork of the Crow River and heads for a meet at Paynesville, viewed from about 900' AGL.

An aerial view of a westbound CP grain train rolling through the small town of Eden Valley, Minnesota.

A westbound CP train is making its way through yet another snow storm just west of Paynesville. I've said this about 4 times since the middle of March, but I really hope this is the last time I t... (more)

Chilly temperatures made for a nice plume of steam as the 261 made a break-in run between Minneapolis and Glencoe, MN on the former Milwaukee Road transcontinental mainline. Here she's seen just ... (more)

A couple enjoys the view as the 261 steams along the Twin Cities & Western west of Minneapolis.