At sunset on a late winter day, the Copic Local pounds the BN diamond at Stronghold. The upper quadrant semaphores were installed by Great Northern to protect the crossing with the Modoc Line. The... (more)

Towing a mechanical refrigerator car that will be spotted on speculation at Stayton, the West Stayton Local passes through Macleay, Oregon on the West Stayton branch. By the end of the month, oper... (more)

It's 1972 and the local no-goodnick, Dougie H., has skipped school to drink Hamm's and Leinenkugel's down by the tracks. 1970s Burlington Northern train provided by the Minnesota Transportati... (more)

Start the Morning Off Right: As the day starts, the extra rock train heads east towards Dresser following the passenger special. Looks like the track inspector has parked his Suburban here ... (more)

Get 'Em Ready: The station agent gets the train orders ready to hoop up to the crew on extra ballast train. Train orders were used to direct the movement of any non scheduled train, where t... (more)

The heavens open up as Colorado & Southern 839 performs the last photo runby of the day during a S&B Productions photo charter on the Osceola & St. Croix Valley. The unit was re-lettered to its 1... (more)

Colorado & Southern 839 (Minnesota Transportation Museum's BN 6234 wearing it's 1970-1979 number) crosses the Cedar Bend Drawbridge over the St. Croix River during an S&B Productions photo charter... (more)

Quaint Settings: Breaking the silence of a peaceful afternoon, a BN ballast train blasts through a rural crossing. Headed for another load of rock. Taken while off duty, wearing full PPE.

Heading West: At lunch time, the morning train crew brings the rock train around the wye, and into the siding, preparing to head west in the afternoon. Taken while off duty, wearing full PP... (more)

Getting Orders: Before departing, the crew get their orders "hooped up" from the station agent. Looks like this SD9 is getting worked today with a heavy load of rock. Taken while ... (more)

A pair of Cadillacs painted for the SPSF merger rest outside of the hallowed Brooklyn Roundhouse.

Lavacott Locomotive Works SD9 5399, in full Southern Pacific paint, leads a deadhead move down West Olive Street in Lebanon, Ore., after the annual pre-Winterail excursion.

AWW 204 leads a load of ties to interchange with the NS.

A chopped-nose former CB&Q SD9 leads a transfer from the BN's Cicero Yard to CSX's former B&OCT Barr Yard. Tom Golden photo.

Sometimes when extra empty covered hoppers came into Mason City off the Marquette Trains, an extra job would be called to go out and spot them. As is the case with this job this day. Here the extr... (more)