It's that time of year again! The grain harvest is in full swing and BNSF is moving it! BNSF WB grain at Sumner, Wa MP26.4x.....
Get to watch the grain train, coal trains, mixed freight and others climbing over Bozeman pass on a regular basis. Nice photos.
I shoulda known there was a nickname for those trains, some of which I see here in Minnesota too. Beautiful photos. Doug
How about a night shot? As a monster derailment halts traffic 100 miles west of Minot, dispatchers scramble to make space for inbound trains. This WB grain load creeps past Soo Tower around 2300 on 13 Oct 17. Canon T5, 55-250mm @ 74mm, f9, 81 sec
One can't truly appreciate just how much grain is grown and harvested in the USA until you drive past seemingly unending miles of fields from your viewpoint to the horizon in every direction for hours on end.
It even had a steamer to get it over the line!! Just kiddin', that's the steam rising up from the Centralia Steam plant, right over the DPU!
Somewhere I have a slide I took of BN local power at Kalama, 1981. The units were parked so that the nuke plant across the Columbia was right behind, with it's steam plume.
This is the Centralia Steam Plant, it's usually serviced by both BNSF and UP. The contract has been tossed back and forth between the two railroads over the years, depending on who bids the cheapest! You can't see it, but in the foreground is three tracks, all 132lbs rail on concrete ties, with a balloon track I believe that goes around to the left side.
