Maybe it's because I live in Scotland, but I think the poor weather adds texture and depth to this shot.
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I see a caboose every now and then on BNSF trains here in Kansas... but it you look closely, I think this is a MOW train, and so the caboose functions as either an office or crew transport, I think.
BTW, your definition of raging blizzard is vastly different than mine, apparently. Around here, a blizzard is so white you can't see much of anything else.
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Cabooses are very common on BNSF work trains. The shot has some nice layers to it but this is by no means "raging blizzard".
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Dave... This appears to be the work train that works out of Essex, which goes on duty around 7:00 AM and performs various different maintenance duties. Your photo clearly shows side-dump cars that are most likely filled with rip-rap (or some type of aggregate) to build up and/or reinforce the track shoulders and a Jordan Spreader to distribute the same. When I was visiting the Izaak Walton Inn last July, this job never left without its caboose. Even in July, the mornings can be quite nippy in the Rockies and it was more common than not to see smoke coming from the caboose's stack. Evidently, someone in the caboose had a fire going to keep warm! As information, there isn't a GP50 to be seen in this consist; both are SD40-2s.
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Many thanks for your comments. As a visitor from the UK I find identification of motive power almost impossible so any help in that direction is greatly appreciated. Secondly for a UK visitor it certainly was a blizzard, remember in the states everything is much bigger!!
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Amazing shot!
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