Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway
A very nice and crisp October day, 2011.
Fall colors, bright and beautiful, (sorry no train- yet), Radnor, Montana:
A pair of C44-9W engines, #4319 and 4943, creep up to a red block at East Radnor.
This stacker is an S-TCBLPC. I caught the Derail sign,
but my goal was to frame with the tree colors:
I barely got parked, jumped out and an X-KALMAM shuttling grain cars roars through.
SD75I #8288 and ES44DC #7786 at Olney, Montana:
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It's the first day of Fall, 2011 and we've decided to go for a drive, stopping briefly at Essex, Montana.
We were only there for an hour and fifteen minutes, but action was good.
Upon arrival, we found C44-9W's # 736 and 5409 being readied as helpers, east wye leg:
Less than two minutes later, down the hill comes C44-9W # 5435 with a Z-CHCPTL:
It's a lucky day, as there were actually two K-ESXESX (helper sets) working from Essex!
At left are the #736 and 5409, which stand waiting on the yard lead.
Drifting back down hill on the westward main are C44-9W's #4942 and 5021.
Both sets will make their way down to the west yard switches and soon head back up hill:
5021/4942 have crossed to the eastward main track and off up hill they go.
Radio chatter had mentioned Spotted Robe, perhaps that was their next westward push:
Next, SD75M #8225 with two C44-9W's is wheeling down hill with an S-STPTAC (Empties):
Then grinding up hill are C44-9W's #4791, 1032 with a V-PTLLPC:
And eastward main off to work goes that second helper set of 5409/736:
Thought I'd better include a quick view of the F45 cabin:
Now it was time for us to leave. Not bad for only 75 minutes!
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As
the Spring of 2011 was ending, we chased a Z-CHCPTL across
Marias
Pass.
Somehow, this view of C44-9W #4811 at Bison, Montana, won a
photo
contest:
A quick grab as the train eased past the famous 'Elevation 5125 Feet' sign, at Summit, Montana:
A closer view of the sign:
A little later, shown winding down into Essex, Montana:
While we awaited our train at Belton, Montana, C44-9W #4817 arrives with merchandise.
Seen here creeping up the siding to meet the Z-CHCPTL we were chasing:
And #4811 is finally caught passing the old Great Northern Railway station at Belton:
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An early Spring of 2011 afternoon at Stryker, Montana.
Still very cool, breezy and plenty of snow is all around us- Only gone from the most exposed areas.
C44-9W #5317 leads an H-NTWPAS at the west wye switch.
With #5317 are two Canadian Pacific ES44AC units, #8844 and 8885:
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Baking in August sun of 2010 at Whitefish, Montana, is business car "Missouri River" BNSF4:
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It's just minutes after 7 am and a tie gang, (left of engine), is getting ready to go.
This will be the last train for a while, today. C44-9W #5121 races into the morning sun,
with an eastward empty grain train- By the old depot in Ritzville, Washington- Spring of 2010.
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It's the Fall of 2009. A quick change of personnel and C44-9W #705 pulls her merchandise east,
away from the Whitefish, Montana crew shack, past the depot:
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Short of rested crews, at the east end of the yard these two trains wait.
Spring of 2008, location is by the Whitefish, Montana airport:
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A hot 2008 mid-summer afternoon at Balmer Yard (Seattle), Washington.
GP39-2 #2711 is freshly crewed and ready to drag merchandise eastward:
Meanwhile, SD9 #1726 awaits her next use at the Balmer Yard hump.
Note the "Swine Power" cartoon chalked on below her cab number:
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Late winter, 2007 the Whitefish Road Switcher passes Columbia Falls, Montana ex-depot site.
GP38AC #2185 and partner GP39M #2887 head for Conkelly:
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Summer of 2006, C44-9W #4703 is just out of Conkelly, Montana with a merchandise freight.
Climbing into Bad Rock Canyon, the engine is seen here curving around Teakettle Mountain.
That hazy appearance is heavy forest fire smoke:
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