Back in February 2024 I had written about a trip I made through Miles City, MT on my way to Glendive. I was actually on my way to Mandan/Bismarck, ND to get photos of the former NP Missouri River bridge. It took me a few days to get there from Billings, MT but there was a LOT to see and places I wanted to stop and visit.
Mines of Montana – the Sarpy and Colstrip branches
BNSF 8258 West with units 8258/9260/9255 make the turn from the former Northern Pacific main line at Sarpy Jct, MT heading to the mine for reloading on 7-11-06.
Chessie System – Decoursey, KY
In September 1983 I made a trip to Kentucky to check out Seaboard System and search for former L&N U25B’s. During that trip I would basically stumble onto Chessie System power on transfers ariiving and departing the Decoirsey, KY SBD yard which was former L&N.
Copper Basin Railway – 1995
Back in February 1995 I planned a trip flying into Phoenix, AZ with plans to spend around a week near Flagstaff on the Santa Fe, El Paso, TX on the Southern Pacific and finally a day at Hayden, AZ on the Copper Basin. Easy to understand the first two but why Hayden you ask? My goal there was to try and find a GP9, a former Northern Pacific GP9. The Copper Basin had a GP9 numbered 204 that was ex-BN 1704, built as NP 204. The 204 was purchased to work the joint NP/UP Camas Prairie lines in Idaho. Nice CBRY renumbered it back to its original NP number!
Miles City, MT August 4, 2019
This is a continuation of a post I made way back on 4-22-21 of a trip to the ex-NP in Montana east of Billings in August 2019. Three parts from Billings as far as Hathaway have already been posted so here is a continuation of that story.
Cajon Pass – November 1981
It seems that I do not make November trips out of Washington state that often. Perhaps to Montana but that is pretty much it. Bad weather and shorter daylight probably has a lot to do with that.
A visit to the UP at Pendleton, OR
From my home in Yakima, WA it a little over two hours to drive to Pendleton, OR. My cousin Michelle was born there so that’s my tie to Pendleton but I never really stopped long enough in all my trips to the Blue Mountains to take a look at the town on my way there. On 6-21-23 I finally made a trip to Oregon, however not to the Blue Mountains but to Pendleton to take a look at what I had skipped for so many years.
Gordon Lightfoot – remembered
Straying just a bit from the USA Railfanning theme here to mention the passing of legendary Canadian folk singer Gordon Lightfoot (1938-2023) who passed away at age 84 in Toronto, Ontario Canada this past Monday May 1, 2023.
SP in Arizona – 1995
Back in February of 1995 I made a trip to Arizona and photographed both the SP and Santa Fe.
Happy Halloween – 2022
I always thought this photo cried out “Halloween” Continue reading
