The Ford Yard

While my camera is off getting looked at by the manufacturer I figured I would take a look back at photos from days gone by. I decided to take a look today at shots from the Ford Yard in St.Paul. This CP yard used to serve the Ford Ranger plant until its closing last year. Now CP uses it for storage and crew training. CP has their own parking lot and two story office at the East end of the yard.
In May of 2009, CP SD40-2 6061 made the run up the hill. There would often be two GP's switching the yard and 2 SD40-2s or GP38s delivering more cars daily. The caboose was almost always in the yard.

Here is what the yard looked like in September of 2011 under a normal work load. Flatcars of Ranger frames and boxcar loads of parts would arrive daily, they would go into the plant via the southern side of the yard (right in this photo). Outgoing loads of Ford Rangers would leave in Autoracks on the North side of the yard. You can see the caboose hiding in the back of the yard by a flatcar load of frames.

In December of 2011 the end was near, but the yard still was in motion. Typical of the power assigned to the yard SOO GP38-2 4409 and another SOO GP38-2 paused for a short break.

 In July of this year CP GP9u 8275 was the training vehicle of choice.

And recently CP GP39-2 4599 and SOO GP39-2 4598 were helping a crew of new hired learn the ropes.

It's nice to know the yard is still seeing use, it's to bad it is not for its intended purpose. Maybe someday there will be new life in those buildings, but it won't be anytime soon. I used the little map gizmo on this post, so if any of you ever want to take a look at the yard, you'll know just where to find it.