Portland & Western still uses a small fleet of SD9s on it branches in Oregon.  With the recent cessation of freight operations on the POTB, the PNWR is now the place for photographing ex SP SD9s still working in their rightful home.

A classic Pacific Northwest branchline scene, still carried out daily in Newberg, OR.

PNWR 1851 heads south after swapping cars in Newberg, OR.  Job 80 operates between McMinnville and Newberg primarily to serve a paper mill there.

Job 80 southbound through Dundee, OR, a quaint town in a wine-producing region of the state.

Job 80 passing a farm at Dayton, OR on the return trip to McMinnville.

Another PNWR train often seen in the Portland area is 687, the "Harbor Turn."  The train features an interesting lashup this day in 2008, including a leased Alaska RR GP40-2.  The train is passing through downtown Tigard, OR.

INRD train SAHW (Indianapolis-Senate Ave to Hiawatha Yard) rolls westbound through Morgantown, IN.  Trains on this portion of the system used to run on an alternating schedule, but are now 6 days a week in both directions with closure of the CSX Hoosier Subdivision.

INRD 3805 is one of a handful of units wearing the updated paint scheme, seen here pulling up the grade out of Helmsburg, IN.  Four axle power is usually seen on these trains during the weekend, when local power is swapped out at Bloomington.  During the week, six axle power is the norm, and is mix of INRD SD40-2s, MRL SD40-2XRs, and CITX SD40-3s in SD45 carbodies.

Side view of the 3805 at New Unionville, IN.

After swapping power with the HWSA, SAHW has a new look westbound from Bloomington-- MRL SD40-2XRs 251 and 261.  While watching this pair cross the famed Tulip trestle, one could almost feel they were somewhere much further west than Indiana.

At Linton, IN, SAHW has backed its train onto the Chicago Subdivision and is now in run 8 to get out of town and make the last few miles of its journey to Hiawatha Yard at Jasonville, IN.  Big EMDs, sand flying, and the drum of the train crossing the diamond definitely lives up to the town motto of "You'll Like Linton!"

After SAHW clears Linton, in the very last light of day eastbound coal loads for Indiana Power's Harding St. plant in Indianapolis get their turn, powered by a pair of the nicest looking SD9043MACs around.

The Indiana Rail Road has long been a personal favorite, ever since I saw my first photo of one of their SD40-2s.  The updated scheme is even better, and I was finally able to lense the INRD in May 2009.

Passing what is known among some fans as "the most photographed house in Indiana" at Hitchcock, IN.

Yet another popular shot (with good reason!) on the line is the sawmill at Salem, IN.   

The street running in Bedford, IN and semaphores on the former Monon were high on my list of things to do for the last couple of years.  HWLV (Hiawatha-Louisville) is now running as Z491 on CSX trackage through Bedford.

HWLV about to drop the approach signal at Orleans, IN.  There is no train ahead-- only signal trouble.

The Alaska Railroad Palmer Turn runs light engine up the 10 mph Palmer Branch enroute to JD Steel at the end of the in-service track to retrieve two empty gons. Service on the Palmer Branch beyond the gravel pit is unscheduled and operates only a couple of times a month as needed. The busy Glenn Highway can be seen to the left of the tracks.

A pair of Alaska GP40-2s lead a southbound 7,000 foot long empty container/freight train from Anchorage to Whittier to meet the arrival of the CN barge from Prince Rupert, BC with the next round of CN interchange for the Alaska RR. The train is seen here along the waters of the Turnagain Arm with the Chugach Mountains as a backdrop.

ARR GP38-2 2005 switches the company warehouse in Anchorage Yard on a beautiful Saturday morning with the 4,396-foot Mt. Susitna rising in the background. These two tracks are used to load and unload company material utilizing both ARR equipment (kept within the ARR system) and loads of track material shipped up from the lower 48 via barge.

In a scene that's likely changed little over the years, Escanaba & Lake Superior's M&M Job switches in Crivitz, WI.

Crivitz, WI hosts a 3-way meet between trains from Green Bay, Marinette/Menominee, and Channing, MI making for a busy midday at this junction.  Here, ELS 400 south and 402 north move into position to swap cars.

ELS M&M (Marinette & Menominee) Job arriving Crivitz.  Shortly after these photos were taken (Oct. '08) the M&M branch was embargoed, eliminating this train.

ELS 402 switching Crivitz, showing classic Conrail colors becoming scarce in today's post-Conrail world.

ELS 400 headed south from Crivitz on the way back to Green Bay, WI.

A combination of fall colors and threatening skies contrast south of Coleman, WI.

The former C&NW at Stiles Jct., WI slowly fades into oblivion at what was once an interlocking.

ELS 400 heads south through a classic autumn scene in Beaver, WI.

The call of U-series GEs, some of the rarest diesel locomotives in the US, took me to the Lake Superior & Ishpeming.  LSI 3004 shows her BN heritage soldiering on in ore service.

The LSI GEs will soon be history, and at the end of 2008 replacements were being evaluated by owner Cleveland Cliffs.  Leased SD60s were tested, but apparently new GEs will arrive on the property in 2009.

Classic scenes are still possible in 2008, witness a pair of U30Cs with ore loads pulling from Eagle Mills, MI at first light on the 0700 Hill Job.

 Fall colors, brake smoke, and classic U30Cs-- hard to beat, and not around for much longer.

0700 Dock Job at Marquette, MI on the LSI ore dock.

Great Lakes freighter Michipicoten takes on a load of pellets for Algoma Steel.

0700 Tilden Job returns to Eagle Mills from Marquette, working upgrade with 120 empties.

1500 Tilden Job heads south to the mines with a long cut of empties, viewed from CR 480 at Negaunee, MI.

So long, LSI 3002.  This is a scene that will certainly be repeated in 2009.

Less than twelve hours after arriving at the Port of Whittier aboard the Anchorage Provider barge from Seattle 80+ cars of general and intermodal freight are heading north along the Turnagain Arm at Bird Point destined for Anchorage and points north behind a pair of SD70MACs.
Photo by Chris Starnes

ARR SD70MACs 4001 and 4015 lead a northbound freight across Placer Creek at Bear Valley, AK.
Photo by Chris Starnes

ARR 4001 north paralleling the Seward Highway (Alaska Hwy 1)
Photo by Chris Starnes

ARR SD70MACs 4011 and 4009 rest in the Anchorage Diesel Shop awaiting their next assignments.
Photo by Chris Starnes

Tacoma Rail's "Mountain Job" is waiting at the Yard Limit board at UP's Fife, WA yard. Tacoma Rail has since taken over operations at this facility.

A pair of Alaska Railroad GP40-2s lead a northbound ballast train along the Seward Highway near Girdwood, AK. Photo by Chris Starnes

Esquinault & Nanaimo GP38 3870 at the Puget Sound & Pacific shops in Elma, WA. This photo was taken shortly after RailAmerica ended its period as operator of the ENR.

The Terminal RR Association of St. Louis operates a large hump yard at Madison, IL.  Here, a trio of SW1500s shoves a cut across the hump.

A TRRA local enters the yard as a hump power set awaits.

As the SW1500s finish shoving their cut over the hump, a former SP SD45R leads a heavy cut from the receiving yard to go over the hump.

RRC 1800 is a former US Army/Alaska RR GP7u.  This unit last wore the colors of the now defunct Missouri Central before joining the Respondek roster in this modified MOC scheme.

Freshly repainted and lettered ex South Orient GP7 104 being prepared for shipment to Respondek's new Indiana Eastern operation.

An oddball on the PAL roster is GP39 8507, formerly Atlanta & St. Andrews Bay 507.

Paducah & Louisville GP38-2 3805 shows the new look of the PAL-- modern high-horsepower EMDs versus the Paducah rebuilt geeps that made up the roster for many years.

Respondek operates the Tri-City Port RR at the former Melvin Price Army depot in Granite City, IL.  SW1200 1204 is dwarfed by a cut of modern 20'2" autoracks.

The Manufacturers Railway is owned by Anheuser Busch, and switches the large brewery in St. Louis.  Here, SW1500 257 leads a cut of beer boxes off "the high line" from the brewery.

MRS 257 shoves hard on a cut at the "Brewery yard" in St. Louis.  The MRS has been in operation since 1887.

Lake State Railway job 301 leaves the Bay City, MI shops to start a day's work.

Nose view of the LSRC 975, former Detroit & Mackinac 975.

A view of the yard at Bay City.

LSRC acquired 6 M420Ws from the Kelowna Pacific in 2004.  Here, 3571 displays the new Lake State scheme.  Script on the nose states "For the Gipper 2004" in honor of the passing of the former U.S. president that year.

A view of the shops at Bay City.

The Livingston Helper set (including 2 F45s and a high nose ex GRS/N&W SD45!) rests between assignments in Livingston, MT.  Scenes like this will be short lived, as MRL began to take delivery of 16 new SD70ACes in September 2005.  The new units will be used on helper sets and the ML/LM trains.

MRL GP9 114 in storage at Livingston, MT.

Another locomotive type rarely seen any more, an SD35, resting at the MRL engine facility in Missoula, MT between assignments on the Gas Local.

Rarus GP9 at Anaconda, MT.

A Rarus Railway work train tied up in the yard at Anaconda, MT.  Note second GP9 is from the now defunct Montana Western, which was taken over by BNSF.

Iowa Chicago & Eastern M-KCSP (Kansas City - St. Paul) passes through the Mississippi River town of Red Wing, MN on a calm September morning just after sunrise.

Twin Cities & Western St. Paul local heads south after working Minnesota Commercial's Midway Yard. MNRR's roundhouse can be seen in the background. 

St. Paul local arriving at CP's Pig's Eye yard. TCWR has a unique fleet of Caterpillar powered units built by Generation II Locomotives for the BN and SOO Line around 1990. Middle two units are from sister road Red River Valley & Western, which operates in Minnesota and North Dakota. 

After interchanging cars with CP, the St. Paul local is now headed back to Hopkins, TCWR's base of operations in the Twin Cities metro area, passing Dayton's Bluff in South St. Paul. 

Early morning finds WC train FDSP1T working up Byron Hill.Unfortunately for the crew, this will be a long trip as 6521 is alreadydead and 7551 will be shortly. Train is being shoved by a following manifest.

A trio of WC SD45's at Hamilton, WI waiting to get into Fond du Lac.

Wisconsin Central was a favorite regional of many fans for years due to handsome lashups of SD45's. Here, a quartet of SD45's works upgrade on Byron Hill, just south of Fond du Lac, WI.

WC 7499 rolls past the stranded FDSP1T assisting a southbound over Byron Hill. WC operated one man helper crews out of FDL, and 7499 is equipped with Helper Link for uncoupling on the fly.

WC 7638 in Operation Lifesaver scheme leads train FDWR1T.

Now stopped at Byron, WI, FDSP1T's engineer and a shop worker from FDL try fruitlessly to cure what ails WC 6521.

The sun sets on another day on the WC, much as it would soon on the railroad itself as CN would soon assimilate the WC into its system.

Daily ML (Missoula-Laurel) manifest eastbound near Clinton, MT 

ML east of Drummond, MT 

MRL GP9 121 after suffering a failure on the Billings Transfer. Note steam coming from radiator area. 

MRL Billings Transfer pulling hard on 6000' of train at Rapids, MT 

ML works the yard at Garrison, MT 

Early morning finds MRL's Polson local just having entered the 11th Sub at Agency, MT.

Polson local southbound passing the scenic Haywire Ranch near Charlo, MT

SD9's have dug in hard for the journey west into uncertain weather. 

Polson local working the classic grain elevator at Pablo, MT

Polson local at Agency, MT

MRL 401 leads the Polson local past an antiquated wooden grain elevator at Ronan, MT

Iowa Interstate train BICB westbound approaching Victor, IA.

IAIS Work Extra 800 West at Kellogg, IA. This consist offers a nice sampling of the IAIS roster, including one of the three M420R's, which generally can be found working between Newton and Council Bluffs, IA.

GP35's 401-402 are the standard power for the local, seen at Post Creek, MT

 

IAIS train BICB notches it up to run 8 to take on the grade westbound out of Kellogg, IA, nearing its crew change point of Newton, IA on a late September afternoon.

IAIS train BICB (Blue Island, IL-Council Bluffs, IA) heads west through the cornfields at S. Amana, IA.

IAIS Work Extra 800 West races westbound at Malcom, IA with grain hoppers bound for Newton, IA.

North Shore Mining SD40-3 leads a monster train of 156 ore loads from Babbitt, MN to the docks at Silver Bay, MN.

Northshore Mining uses SD40-3's in Distributed Power Utilization (DPU) setup on its tailings trains bound for Babbitt, MN from Silver Bay. Tailings is a waste product from the processing of iron ore and is used as road material at the mines.

IAIS M420R 802 poses by the sandtower at the shops in Council Bluffs, IA.

DMIR 406 north departs the yard at Proctor, MN with 58 limestone loads for Minntac. With the closure of the EVTAC pellet plant, traffic is down significantly through the port of Duluth, as evidenced by the emptiness of the yard.

DMIR 406 north at Munger, MN on a pleasant June afternoon.

DMIR 401 north heads through Lauren, MN with empty quads for Minntac.

IMRL 232 eastbound at LeClaire, IA.

With the moon and the Mississippi as the backdrop, IMRL accelerates east at LeClaire, IA on a crystal clear late August afternoon.

NSMR SD40-3 653 shoves the tailings loads upgrade at Jordan, MN on a crystal clear June morning.

IMRL 914 waits to head east as IMRL 263 arrives Davenport, IA.

IMRL 919 arrives at Nahant Yard in Davenport, IA from IPSCO Steel at Montpelier, IA.

DMIR 406 North hustles north through Kelsey, MN

MNNR M630 73 at the shops in St. Paul, MN. Minnesota Commercial rosters two six axle Alco units.

MNNR RS-27 318 works Midway Yard in St. Paul, MN. Minnesota Commercial rosters the only two RS-27's in operation.

The dynamic brakes howl as DMIR 404 south passes Waldo, MN with Minntac loads destined for Two Harbors, MN.

TCWR GP10 404 at the shop in Glencoe, MN. Older power such as this has mostly been replaced by the CAT powered geeps.

Twin Cities & Western is home to several of the rebuilt CAT powered geeps of BN and SOO heritage. Three of the GP CAT's at the shop in Glencoe, MN.

IMRL 232 heads east through downtown Davenport, IA.

Cedar Rapids and Iowa City SW14 107 eases through downtown Cedar Rapids enroute to switch a local grain elevator.

Progressive Rail SW1500 67 in the company's attractive paint scheme at Lakeville, MN.

MNNR 50 & 55 at the St. Paul, MN shops. While Minnesota Commercial still rosters a variety of Alco locomotives, several GE models have joined the roster in the last few years.

Cedar Rapids and Iowa City GP9’s 105 and 104 wait to enter the yard at Cedar Rapids.

Progressive Rail works two separate operations in the Minneapolis area in Bloomington and Lakeville. SW1500 67 switching the Air Lake Industrial Park in Lakeville, MN.