With the train now on their own trackage, MNAU departs Tracy in some beautiful light, with 3465 smoking up a storm. Seems like its trying to imitate the ALCOs that once dominated this line 40 year... (more)

Now on the final few miles of CP trackage, the MNAU heads out of Walnut Grove, home of "Little House on the Prairie". The trees had recently been chopped down along the ROW, giving way for a nice ... (more)

MNAU rounds the curve east of Lamberton

Several of us were out on this beautiful March afternoon to view RCPE's Mankato, MN to Aurora, SD manifest. This was my first time actually chasing the RCPE, and I'll definitely do it again!

One thing that is crazy is all the abandoned houses and cars that are rotting away out here. The Rapid City to Huron east train pokes along at 10 mph as they make the last 18 miles into Pierre. Th... (more)

I heard this guy go east about 4am from the tent, but didn't know if they would come back or what. While bumming around chasing BNSF trains we heard him get a warrant from Tracy back to Aurora at ... (more)

I try to see a train each year on my birthday, ideally with the opportunity to take a good picture of it. This year, most of my birthday was taken up by work, but I found a little time to spend al... (more)

Another Hill RCPE has just crested another Hill along the ex Chicago & North Western line to Belle Fourche. The train is heavy with bentonite clay which is used in oil drilling and vari... (more)

A Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern SD40-2 sits outside the locomotive maintenance shop in Rapid City.

A trio of RCPE SD40-2's have the LBFRC underway on the return trip to Belle Fourche. The train is coming out of the northern edge of the Black Hills with a train of empties heading back for more l... (more)

A trio of RCPE SD40-2's have the LBFRC underway on the return trip to Belle Fourche. The train is skirting along the northern edge of the Black Hills with a train of empties heading back for more ... (more)

RCPE 3446 leads the LBFRC along the Black Hills with a train of bentonite clay loads. At Rapid City they will swap out their train for empties to eventually be ordered and loaded at Colony, WY.

RCPE 3446 leads the LBFRC along the Black Hills with a train of bentonite clay loads. At Rapid City they will swap out their train for empties to eventually be ordered and loaded at Colony, WY.

RCPE 3482 leads the LBFRC along the Black Hills with a train of bentonite clay loads. At Rapid City they will swap out their train for empties to eventually be ordered and loaded at Colony, WY.

RCPE 3482 leads the LBFRC along the Black Hills with a train of bentonite clay loads. At Rapid City they will swap out their train for empties to eventually be ordered and loaded at Colony, WY.