Brent, nice catches, especially the WC.
Some news that is pretty funny. BNSF found that the turbos are exploding on their GEVOs. They have an advisory for crews not to stand on the walkways of GEVOs. BNSF is also bringing 50 SD75Ms/SD75Is back into service while the GEVOs are looked at. The advisory effects all the BNSF GEVOs on the roster. CN and CP have both found the same problems of turbos exploding. I guess GEVOs aren't just junk to railfans, they are literally junk! I'm hoping BNSF brings back more SD75Ms, and maybe some SD60Ms and/or Oakways, CP brings back some SOO SD60s and CN brings back some older power as well.
BREAKING: This is still unconfirmed, but rumor has it BNSF has just made a new rule. ALL GEVOS FROM ANY RAILWAY are no longer qualified to lead trains on BNSF rails due to the risk of injury until the problems are addressed.
Man, I take roughly twenty photos a trip at the most, usually deleting a healthy chunk of that before I even get home.
Anywya, that's some interesting news regarding the GEVOs. I guess if that's the case, the '60s and '75 should be coming out, as that takes out a ton of power on the TransCon, and especially up here on the Range.
Nothing but good news from here!
IRM is doing diesel days tomorrow. 8646, 8701, and 1995 are there to join in the festivities.
But they dont matter!
CNW 6847 lives again! The logos have just been applied to the cab, completing the "dezombification". The unit is entirely CNW once more and will also be part of the diesel days celebration.
IRM already said they have plans to line it up with every other CNW unit around there for a great photo op! hopefully it'll be 411, 4160, 6847, 8646/8701, and 1995 respectfully. A nice solid timeline!
But the good news doesnt stop at CNW...
CB&Q 504 wears chinese red once more! The SD18 also is ready for diesel days and may even be run!
2009 is pretty good thus far! Now I just need to find a way to get to the museum...My past is sitting there waiting for me!
Your friendly neighborhood CNW fan.
I went to IRM today and CNW 6847 was operating, as was CB&Q SD24 504, which was just finished up last night. You could smell the fresh paint! Also, the MARC E9 has been depatched and now wears BN markings again. CNW 6847 looked pretty good with the CNW markings on it, plus it was washed. As a bonus they turned the classification lights of 6847 on. The CB&Q E5 also had its matching trainset back for the first time since 2005. They also had other diesels running too, WC 7525, BN 5383, CNW 4160 (which was coupled to 6847 for an all CNW consist), CNW 411 and numerous other diesels. UP 1995 as well as CNW 411, 4160, 6847, 8646 and 8701 were representing the CNW.
I am now in Brookfield waiting for SP 4449's historic run down the racetrack!
I headed out this morning too with the goal of finding the SP 4449. Made it over to LaCrosse and decided to abandon that idea when we found a CP stack train led by a shiny new looking Gevo! I couldn't believe my luck! We ended up chasing it up river towards St. Paul and forgot all about the 4449. Why watch some crummy old engine when you can catch something brand new! It was a great day!
Noah
....Okay, so maybe I'm lying just the least little bit. Feel free to call it my feeble attempt at humor for the day, roll your eyes, and move on. In actuality we managed two runbys of the 4449, despite the cloudy weather, plus we found a ICE 170 train coming in in the afternoon and got a few shots of him at LaCrescent. Then we hit the train show in La Crosse and I picked up a few new pieces of rolling stock for some bargain prices. It was a good day!
The line up at IRM does sound very interesting indeed. When they were talking about adding the WSOR Es into the mix I strongly considered going tomorrow, but with being gone today in search of the 4449 I'll just have to see about catching it next year.
Today, luck was on my side...I only got one run by of the 4449 (Noah how did you get two?!), but today I caught some amazing/good catches. I probably caught the most rare/good things I have ever caught in a single day!
My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/JR7582 My Flickr Photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/wcfan/
There was a lot of nice stuff running on both sides of the River yesterday, to the point where you couldn't shoot it all, you had to pick and choose! I'm curious to see what all you caught, as it's entirely possible I missed a few things.
We knew the 4449 would made a 30 minute servicing stop in LaCrosse (word came out on Friday). We did one shot up in Trempealeau and then while he was stopped we leap frogged him to Genoa for another shot. We talked to a friend at Genoa who had been chasing since St. Paul, and that was one his third shot thus far! He was planning to go all the way to Illinois with him too. Somehow driving from St. Paul to Chicago for maybe 4-5 shots sounds like a lot of driving...
i got my trip report from this weekend. start off with friday morning,
i decide to get up at 4:30 to head out by 5. so i did. soo it seems when i get there a SB is due up, folks its only 5:30 in the morning. so i wait, i wait & by 10 after 6 they roll by.
so then more waiting then i hear the rtc call a foreman to clear tracks for 2 sb's, well he cant clear cuz he has some work to do. so 30 mins later he clears, & then the light pops green, stays that way for a half hour until it turns yellow, rtc calls the train NB out of neenah meeting him at weyauwega. its 7:45 i have only a half hour. never showed up for me.
ok fast forward to later in the day im in milwaukee, i hear tons of trains roll by at night.
fast forward to saturday. well i get to go out saturday night
first up a CP eastbound
then i hear a SB on the CN, but CP suprised me with a westbound
idk why they were down there
well a coal train was metting the sb & changing crews
finnaly the SB
Well here is my trip report for July 18 2009.
As most of you know, the SP 4449 was heading south on the BNSF. My goal was to try and do a chase south to Winona from Red Wing (Wrong side of the river I know but those are the only big towns people would know). Well I left at 4 in the morning, which put us in Diamond Bluff WI (North of the Bridge across to Red Wing) at 8. I was hoping we'd catch a few BNSF freights going through. This was the first one; an east bound Z train was slowly rolling through Diamond bluff.
Out of no where I saw a west bounds lights come around the corner, looks like we caught a meet at Diamond Bluff!
Well around this time another rail fan pulls in where we were sitting. Up until now we only saw two other rail fans. These guys were very nice, and it was neat to talk to them. They both had done photo shoots with the 4449 at Minneapolis; and they got some pretty neat cab shots too. He said he knew the engineer of the 4449 today. He also said that he ran trains for the MTM and ran the tourist trains on the Dresser Sub. He told some great stories of operating WC rock trains and other WC trains. Not to long later someone in a red hot rod when by on Highway 35, and we pointed out how nice the car was. Well he pulled right in and asked if there was something coming, and we said the 4449 was going to go through. Well he decided to pull in and wait with us. He told us that he was a casual rail fan; he was another very nice guy to talk to. Shortly after another West bound rolls through.
I found it funny how many people pulled in, and asked us why there where so many people with cameras standing along side the road. There where also many "casual" rail fans that came in too. Again another West bounder heads through.
After that west bound, we finally heard on the scanner that SP 4449 was about 2 min out of Hastings WI. More and more people started pulling in, and we could see a lot more cars on the road. People started to pour in, even as SP 4449 pulled in.
It was great to hear the whistle, but another plus was when the engineer put some more oil too it. This added some nice smoke! I also like in this shot how the fireman is hanging out the side of the cab.
I have a video, but I need to wait until I use up the disk I have.
Well after a quick good bye, we packed up to see about chasing it. 4449 was flying, and rail fans where going at least 70-80 MPH down highway 35. We had no idea where they where so we kept going down, until we hit Alma; where I saw that there was train heading south, so I picked up this grab shot. I bet you'd never thing that was taken in Wisconsin.
We kept heading south, and I called home to tell my parents to look on the GPS tracking for it. By the time we rolled into Fountain City WI they where already rolling under the highway 54 bridge at Winona. We gave up the chase and headed into Winona MN to get some food. We first checked out the UP yard. Sitting there was a patched SP GP60!
After eating a short lunch, I texted Brent to see where EJ&E 674 was. He said it arrived in Taylor WI at 8, so I assumed they died there. I mapped out a route home and headed to Taylor. When we arrived in Taylor, sure enough EJ&E 674 was sitting there, leading too!
I mapped out a way home where I’d see the most amount of trains. We where heading over the tracks in Alburndale WI when I heard on the scanner that a train was on an approach to Alburndale. I saw a North Bounds lights down the track, but I heard a South Bounds horn. As they got closer the SB lights appeared. Looks like they where doing a meet. Here was the SB train.
As the NB got closer, I noticed that it was a BCOL unit leading! Trailing was IC 1025. Here they are meeting at Alburndale.
After the NB had passed, we took the SB to JO where they died on hours. We didn't stop in at Point, we just headed back home, where I had to go to a party later that night...it was a long day.
I have to say that it was a pretty good day! Even though I didn't get to chase, I caught some pretty good stuff!
Jordan, give us back 674 you thief!
Here are some of the highlights of my weekend.
First was that CB&Q SD24 504 is finished at IRM. Here are some shots. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681446
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680010
CNW 8701 sits on display. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680012
The CNW cab-car. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681445
Can't go to IRM withoug shooting WC 7525! http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680014
Lots of power here. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681453
Two GP7s, CNW 4160 and ITC 1605. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681697
The moment I was waiting for, CNW SD40-2 6847 pulls out of Barn 2. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681652
Two CNWs together in 2009, not bad! http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680016
If two was good enough, how about three CNWs together? http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681654
Tons of power by Barn 2, and yes, all running too. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681118
BN 1, 2 and 3 together. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681444
CB&Q 9255 http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681449
I didn't stay due for the parade this year due to SP 4449.
The months-anticipated moment, 4449's historic trip down the racetrack! I went to Riverside to get it passing one of my favorite trackside props, the historic water tower in Riverside. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1679999
I then heard 4449 was going to turn on the Canal Street wye which meant it going through 18th Street! http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1680001
Another skyline shot. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681490
Did I have enough of 4449? Nope! Off to Michigan City the next day! http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681498
While I Michigan City, we got two South Shore trains street running. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681499
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681504
Meanwhile, 4449 continues to sit. They had to run 4449 down here the night before since it couldn't fit through a bridge in Chicago. The Amtrak unit lead until Michigan City where 4449 was reattached. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681508
Finally, 4449 rejoins the train at departs Michigan City. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681512
The skydome. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1681526
Extensive converage of SP 4449, along with NKP 765, PM 1225 and five other steam engines will continue. I will be now be going all four days of Trainfestival 2009 instead of 3, an we are staying just 12 miles away from the festival in Durand, which is home to the famous Durand Union depot. I hope to get some trains passing the historic structure there was well as the steam engines in Owosso.
Nice trip reports Jordan and Robby! I love that BCOL unit! A really classy scheme on a neat locomotive.
Neat stuff Jordan and Robby. That BCOL unit leading is a really nice catch indeed!
I'll throw my 4449 trip report into the mix.
We left about 0700 to head for the La Crosse area. The day before we were informed the train would be making a servicing stop in La Crosse, so the plan was to do one shot north of town and another south of town, because we would be able to leap frog him during his stop. We got to La Crosse just as a BNSF westbound was arriving the yard, the same one Jordan later caught up the line:
During the time the NS train had the single track tied up, two eastbounds had come in and were changing crews. They'd be headed out soon, so we headed to the south side of La Crosse to await them. A light rain was falling as the first southbound went through, a hotshot Z train. A didn't realize it at the time, but the lead unit is one of BNSF's new ES44C4s with the A-1-A wheel arrangement:
The rain quit almost as soon as it had come, and things had lightened up a little by the time the second westbound arrived:
It was getting closer to time for the SP 4449 to arrive, so we headed up to Trempealeau to await the train's arrival. We thought since it's a little more off the beaten path there might be a few less foamers here, but there was still a good bunch. With events like these, I often like seeing the kinds of people the train brings out even more than I do the trains. Our hobby sure attracts some, um *unique* individuals, and I always just hope I don't seem that strange...
As we were sitting there we could just see (though not really shoot), the CP line across the river, and they ran 4 trains in a matter of about 45 minutes. If it hadn't been for the 4449 I'm sure we would have been over there shooting them. Eventually a westbound went north on the BNSF, and he appeared first:
Shortly there after, a whistle to the north announced the main event was about to arrive. The 4449 poped into view with her 13 car train:
A really fast change of settings and I fired off a 1/50th pan shot as the engine ran past. Not perfect, but it came out okay. It does give a slight sense of the speed of the thing.:
We headed down River to one of our favorite shots at MP 282, near Genoa, WI to wait, and soon the old girl came flying past looking as good as always:
I would have liked a little sun, but then again if we did have sun the two shots we took would have been poorly lit. So maybe the clouds were a blessing in disguise. Who knows?
With that we let the steamer go, as we know there was very little hope of chasing. Scanner traffic alluded to a BNSF westbound that was nearing the area, so we decided to wait for him at the other end of the same curve. The shot is only doable in the early summer morning to be properly lit with a westbound train, as otherwise it's backlit. It turned out to be the HGALNTW (Manifest Galesburg, IL to Northtown [BNSF yard in Minneapolis]). Even from a distance I could tell he had quite a consist:
He turned out to have a suprise at the end; former WC 3025, now lettered for RIMX and apparently heading to new home. Of course they would paint out one of the engines with the better heralds and lettering...
We headed back into La Crosse to eat. After grabbing lunch we got in the car to go to ralfair (the train show in La Crosse that happened to be the same weekend), and were surprised to hear on the scanner the DME 6097 with train 170 talking to the dispatcher. This train used to be a regular about this time into River Junction, but in recent months it had become an early early morning train. We had to go take a few shots, even with the clouds. We got there just as he did and first shot him on the south side of La Crescent:
He had the 6102 trailing, which is one of the last (if not the last?) IMRL painted engine on the roster, even if it is patched. The IMRL was the predecessor to the ICE, and was owned by MRL (thus the similar paint scheme).
The "classic" shot just south of La Crescent:
We got two more run bys before calling off the chase, but this was the best shot of the two:
If it had only been sunny I'm pretty sure we would have gone all the way to Kains with the train, where he was tying the train down. But with the clouds we decided to head back to railfair instead. I picked up a couple of good deals, including an Accurail DME hopper for a good price. It was a nice ending to a good day. Now just to await the 4449's return in August, and then the fall color turns in October...
Enjoy!
EJE818Brent, nice catches, especially the WC. Some news that is pretty funny. BNSF found that the turbos are exploding on their GEVOs. They have an advisory for crews not to stand on the walkways of GEVOs. BNSF is also bringing 50 SD75Ms/SD75Is back into service while the GEVOs are looked at. The advisory effects all the BNSF GEVOs on the roster. CN and CP have both found the same problems of turbos exploding. I guess GEVOs aren't just junk to railfans, they are literally junk! I'm hoping BNSF brings back more SD75Ms, and maybe some SD60Ms and/or Oakways, CP brings back some SOO SD60s and CN brings back some older power as well. BREAKING: This is still unconfirmed, but rumor has it BNSF has just made a new rule. ALL GEVOS FROM ANY RAILWAY are no longer qualified to lead trains on BNSF rails due to the risk of injury until the problems are addressed.
This same problem has been an ongoing issue for CSX and Norfolk Southern as well. CSX is slowing pulling the GE AC6000CW's and C40-8W's out of storage, and NS is pulling the aging C40-9's and SD60's from storage. A total of nine AC6000CW units have come back from their death bed. The 6 GE C40-9W's that were stored on NS' roster are back online, and almost all of the other LUGO'd power at Conway and Enola, PA are back in service on NS. CSX has also brought back at least 20-25 Dash 8's, narrow cab and widecab.
Norfolk Southern employees received a memo regarding the turbo charger problems with the GEVO's. Apparently all 245 GEVO's on NS' roster are to be pulled from service, and the LUGO'd power will take over during their absence. The story is the same for CSX.
The prime mover used in GEVO locomotives was manufacturered in China. The problems with the GEVO's will force them to be returned to GE, and have the bugs worked out of them. It could be as minor as a bearing replacement, or a full turbo charger swap. If standing on the walkway, or near the locomotive, you are in danger of being hit by parts of the turbo charger, if it were to explode. It could harm crews. This will give GE an even worse wrap than they already have. It won't be long now until the EMD fans (aka GE haters) will open fire! The GEVO's will be in for upwards of a year or so, while undergoing turbo charger inspections/replacements.
All I know, is that I'm going to be happy to see the diverse power on intermodal/freight trains again. On CSX, it used to be nice seeing the Super 60's at full speed, whining, with nicely tuned Nathan K5LA horns. Now that day and age may be back, during the GEVO's downfall. I am assuming BNSF, UP, CN, CP and KCS may also do similar things with their GEVO's.