Random MN Railranning Pics

This month will be a little quiet on the modeling side. I just finished a work trip that had me going from Minneapolis to Vegas to L.A. to Portland to Atlanta and back to Minneapolis, and that was the easier half of the month. So I don't go too long without a post, I thought I would share some random shots I took last time I was home.
Independent Locomotive Service in Bethel is getting a new office, er... should I say depot? It looks like construction was well underway so hopefully the office staff can stretch their wings a little in this new building.

Down on the Minnesota Commercial the late January snow slowed down the Hugo Line a little. Here, some gondolas bound for Hugo are left on the run around track at Structural Wood Products in White Bear Lake. A crew would run them North another day. The three leased high-side gondolas are a nice change from the usual low side MNNR gons.

Up in Cambridge on Feb 3rd, congestion at Northtown Yard had sidings plugged all over the Twin Cities Division as trains couldn't be processed over the NTW hump fast enough. Here we can see the SB CP manifest passing an idle BNSF SUPNTW. CP SD30C-ECO #5017 passes INDR (CEFX) SD60 #6011.

Back down in Saint Paul, a BNSF Z Train just backed out of Midway Yard onto the main. A very clean BNSF ES44C4 #7183 and BNSF C44-9W #5468 prepare to depart for Chicago.

At the same time the Z train was getting ready a nice 3 pack of MNNR power was getting ready to take the cars for BNSF interchange from the MNNR "A" Yard over to NTW. MNNR SF30B #42, MNNR B39-8E #84 and MNNR B23-7 #43 were all looking great in their new colors.

BNSF 3964

Yesterday I happened to be rolling my the Minnesota Commercial shops and I noticed they had a new slug back on a track used for long term storage. BNSF B23-7 4208 has been hiding here for a while, but it looks like the MNNR has acquired BNSF slug 3964. It would be fun to see this ex-ATSF F7A in service.

Minnesota Bound

Some shots from around town...
MNNR B23-7 #40 works the Fridley Line by Locke Park.BNSF GP39E 2901 and BNSF GP38-2 2264 hold up at Interstate waiting for clearance into Northtown Yard.

SOO (CP) GP38-2 4410 works the CP line in Redwing. She's faded, but still working hard.

BNSF C44-9Ws 5275, 4828 and 5287 blast a grain train by University.

It's Alive!

I have driven by MNNR S13 CTM 1 countless times, but I never saw it move. A couple of weeks ago I got lucky and I got to see it switch out Loadmaster Lubricants where it resides. It was nice to finally catch this critter in action. I'm guessing that is the engineers pickup, he must have driven up to handle duties at the northern end of the MNNR Hugo line.

Busy Busy Busy

Hopefully I will get some pictures taken of the Skally line this weekend. I have almost completed my ILSX SD40-2 #3109. It will get some dullcoat tonight and as soon as the cab glass arrives it will make its first revenue run on the SCXY. I've had so many projects going on that I haven't finished a thing. More layout sections, building some nice lumber loads (you'll see those soon too) and expanding the fleet in general while keeping up on creating all the photo car cards. More on those later. Here are some random pics until next time...

MNNR B23-7 #48 working the Hugo local on the old Skally Line. I caught them as they were crossing the CP line at Bald Eagle Jct. in White Bear Lake. This location will eventually make it's way onto my Skally Line. It wasn't the usual crew today. The normal crew leaves most of the cars at M&D Jct. and only brings what they need to the end of the line in Hugo. These guys brought everything with today.
MNNR SF30B #42 pulling the once a month Bayport Local. This run handles the Anderson Window plant in Bayport. Here they are on UP trackage through St. Pauls Phalen Park neighborhood.
Here CP GP40 #4617 is leading the shortest train I have ever seen roll out of Pigs Eye Yard. I've seen BNSF light power moves longer than this.
A trio of UP power trailing an empty coal train across the Mississippi in downtown St. Paul. The train just came from the Allen P. King Coal plant in Bayport, MN. The rear 2 engines will probably get dropped int South St. Paul as the rest of the train heads back to the Powder River Basin.

A few of my favorite things

MNTX SDP40 (BN) 325, Pulling the MNTX SD9 and GP as well as a nice passenger car. This is the MNTX power heading north past Central Ave. to Osceola for the tourist season. MNNR B23-7 1978 working the Hiawatha Line

Hugo Local

I was able to get out and follow the MNNR Hugo Local for an hour with my girls last week. The first shot is just after passing under 35E in Vadnais Heights. A couple of lumber loads and a couple of tank cars are allowing MNNR 42 to build up a decent amount of speed.Later the crew cuts free from some box cars they picked up and get ready to handle the tank cars at Loadmaster Lubricants in Hugo. Someday I'll get some sunshine to take pictures in, today was overcast and snowy.

It only rains on the unloved

I didn't realize that I never reposted this set of pictures from this fall... they were just sitting in my draft folder. A little late, but nevertheless... enjoy.

TC&W GP20C pulling some grain hoppers out of MNNR Yard A. BNSF Snoot nosed SD39-2 #1896 with GP38 #2196 assigned as Midway switch power in the St. Paul rain. Thanks for the correction Hans!

BNSF C44-9W #966 waiting to pull away from MNNR Yard A on a soggy day. In the background you can see MNNR RS27 #316 getting ready to pull out with the Hennepin Ave. turn (yes, he runs backwards up through Park Jct.).

MNNR 42 on the Skally Line

I took this photo July 28, 2009. This is MNNR SF30B #42. In our house she is known as Mavis. Here Mavis is heading up the old Northern Pacific "Skally Line" from White Bear Lake to Hugo, MN.