With work done for the day, the east local has a straight shot westbound back to home base in Willmar.

Empty unit oil train heads north along the Mississippi River on the CPKC River Subdivision after exiting the CPKC Marquette Subdivision a few miles back.

CPKC 254 rolls north along the Mississippi River after doing work at La Crosse, WI. Next stop is Homer, MN where they will wait for their eastbound counterpart (254) to clear the ex-DM&E at Minne... (more)

CPKC 260 crosses Miller's Pond after departing Bluff on the CPKC Marquette Subdivision. Next stop is 60 miles south at Marquette, IA where they will set-out 55 cars.

CPKC 261 (Kansas City - St. Paul) near River Junction Yard where it will set out cars before heading north on the CPKC River Subdivision.

CPKC 261 (Kansas City - St. Paul) heads north on the River Subdivision after meeting southbound counterpart 260 in the Donehower siding.

A westbound Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern train passes the old elevator and former Chicago & North Western station in downtown New Ulm, MN on a fine spring evening. The CPKC sign in the distance is... (more)

A former Soo Line steam locomotive calls this small museum in Tracy, MN home. It's been modified with an enormous balloon stack, renumbered and lettered for the Chicago & North Western, and had it... (more)

I would guess without checking that this was a former MILW unit. I got a few shots on this business trip before a dingbat ran a red light, ruined by rental car and the rest of my day off.

A manifest freight train is seen descending Steelton Hill in far West Duluth.

Illinois Central 6256, an SD40-3 is shoving a loaded taconite pellet train onto the 1918-built Dock 6. This locomotive was built by GM Electro-Motive Division in LaGrange, Illinois in November 197... (more)

Illinois Central 6256, an SD40-3 is shoving a loaded taconite pellet train onto the 1918-built Dock 6. This locomotive was built by GM Electro-Motive Division in LaGrange, Illinois in November 197... (more)

Illinois Central 6256, an SD40-3 is shoving a loaded taconite pellet train onto the 1918-built Dock 6. This locomotive was built by GM Electro-Motive Division in LaGrange, Illinois in November 197... (more)

Not much going on trackside but the sky was full of action as the Northern Lights were dancing.

It was as cold as it looks.