The crest of the hill at Lexington allows for a rare glimpse of the rear end pushers as the Minnesota Commercial's Tuesday-only sand train starts downgrade towards Dayton's Bluff Yard.

The sand train has just about reached its destination - Dayton's Bluff Yard - as it burbles through Hoffman Avenue on a beautiful November morning.

Three Minnesota Commercial units lay down a smoke screen as they prepare to double up the Tuesday-only sand train bound for BNSF's Dayton's Bluff Yard. In a few more seconds, a thick gray cloud o... (more)

The MNNR sand train is seen taking the cut-off between the BNSF Midway Sub and BNSF St. Paul Sub. These trains have typically taken the Midway Sub but were unable to as their was traffic in the w... (more)

Minnesota Commercial 50 (ex-AT&SF SF30C), MNNR 56 (ex-AT&SF C30-7) and MNNR 71 (ex- CP M636) lead the weekly sand train through Hoffman and into Dayton's Bluff Yard.

Minnesota Commercial 50 waits in the clear at the Bluff Yard as a BNSF stack train gets underway.

Three Minnesota Commercial six-axle units exit the BNSF tunnel near Seventh Street with the weekly sand train bound for BNSF's Dayton's Bluff Yard.

MNNR's weekly sand train for the BNSF passes Jackson Street in St Paul on the way to Dayton's Bluff, where the train will be interchanged and forwarded to Texas.

For the Minnesota Commercial, this variety of pretty rare power is typical, not to mention looks good in the morning sunlight. The rail in the foreground is jointly utilized by the Canadian Pacif... (more)

Five units bring 14000 tons down the hill at Westminster during light rain. The past sand trains typically used four units but today's had MNNR 71 third out making it five.

Four old GE's from the Minnesota Commercial Railroad thunder through the BNSF intermodal yard at Midway with a 90 car sand train for interchange with the BNSF in St. Paul where it will in turn hea... (more)

It's been several years since MNNR has carried a manifest through here. Four units lead a unit sand train through Hoffman to Bluff Yard for interchange to BNSF.

It's been a while since the elder six axle GE's stretched their legs out through here and it was quite impressive.

A sweet collection of power, including a the only remaining SF30B, SF30C and B23-7, sits out in the cold February sun. These units are only the tip of the iceberg as par as power for the MNNR goe... (more)

Ballast train standing by.