dmir227's blog
GSBS 2012
Tue, 05/15/2012 - 13:57 — dmir227A look back at railroading in 2011 put to music from various artists.
New BNSF Grain Cars
Tue, 04/17/2012 - 21:23 — dmir227
Nice to see a bunch of new cars being placed into service before they become tagged. The new taconite cars look sharp too!
Friday Flashback - GEs and SD45s
Fri, 04/13/2012 - 19:02 — dmir227
In April 1996 at Saunders this UP train from Des Moines holds at BN Saunders for a WC transfer to clear. I'm not sure what
those UP GEs were, but I liked their burly appearance. Of course the SD45s were burly in their own right. This was back when
we had real winters...
Friday Flashback - LTVSMC 1996
Fri, 04/13/2012 - 18:56 — dmir227In late April 1996 the north shore had a nice dusting of lake enhanced snow so a few of us headed towards Taconite Harbor. We caught two trains that day under sunny conditions.
Here the first train exits Cramer Tunnel headed back home. You can see the fresh snow at the higher elevation.
Choo-Choo Bar Caboose
Mon, 03/26/2012 - 15:53 — dmir227
I noticed last year the caboose that sat at the Choo-Choo Bar in far eastern Superior (Itasca) was gone. Looks like it has
resurfaced in southern Wisconsin. The Bar is still housed in an old wooden passenger car (not sure of its heritage, anyone
know?)
Shipping Season Starts
Mon, 03/26/2012 - 14:19 — dmir227Of note is the start of the shipping season at the Head of the Lakes. Last Friday our Lady of Perpetual Haulage, the Mesabi
Miner, departed for Marquette with PRB coal. She returned this morning. Here is a link to the site I love for multiple web
cam action of harbor. Click on the Mesabi Miner leaving.
http://www.duluthharborcam.com/
Busy BNSF Ore Action
Sat, 03/17/2012 - 02:56 — dmir227Saturday morning produced a slight traffic jam at Saunders as two loaded ore trains had to wait for an empty to depart
Allouez before heading in. We elected to shoot the empties in decent sun at Boylston and then go to Allouez to get the
arriving loads. Not sure what train was what, but at least one Keetac and one Hibtac were in the mix.
Green Grand Rapids Local
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 16:15 — dmir227Had a nice solid Cascade Green consist on Saturday.
Friday Flashback - Adolph
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 16:00 — dmir227Since CN's purchase of the DM&IR they have made some track and signal changes to Adolph. Before those changes were made, but after the CN purchase, a Missabe ore train is shown arriving after a fresh snow with one of two SD45-2 body 400s.
Friday Flashback - March 1983
Fri, 03/16/2012 - 15:54 — dmir227
I dug through some old slides and found this one taken close to this date in 1983. I remember chasing this northbound out of West Duluth and running through fairly deep snow in the woods to get him curving north just past the DW&P's tunnel (the snow slowed me down so I couldn't get him coming out of the portal, rats). At the time it was the lead unit that excited me, now it is the fact the line is gone. Today there is no snow and temps are expected to be pushing 70F(!) this weekend.
