|
| |
Saturday, July 18:
Northtown Diesel Shop tour
Our tour starts a little late today with the first bus not scheduled to depart
until 11:15am. Our hotel's breakfast buffet seems reluctant to open, so I head
off to McDonald's for a little breakfast chow. 11:15am comes and goes with no
buses in sight. Finally things are straightened out, the transportation arrives
and we shove off for our tour of BNSF's Northtown Diesel Shop (NDS).
   
#1: Finally on the bus, ready to roll; #2: Lots of horsepower on the ready
tracks; #3: Steve Skoglund of BNSF NDS greets our bus; #4: Heading for the
diesel shop.
NDS had roped off two brand new locomotives (one GE, one EMD) for our
inspection. We all took turns sitting in the cab and getting our picture taken.
   
#1: Spotless rotary snowplow resplendent in fresh BNSF Heritage 1 paint; #2:
BNSF 8259, a GE ES44C4 in Heritage 3 "swoosh" paint scheme; #3: Steve Skoglund
telling us about the locomotives; #4: Old warrior #1849, an SD40-2, still in BN
paint.
   
#5: "The Engine That Connects Us"; #6: Lindsay playing engineer on BNSF 8402, an
EMD SD70ACe; #7: GNRHS tour group crowd shot in NDS; #8: One final picture of
locomotives leaving Northtown.
THANK YOU BNSF! ! !
MTM Osceola Train Ride
Leaving Northtown, our buses headed to Wisconsin. Next up on the agenda is the
"Earl Currie Ltd." featuring the Society's own GN 400 EMD SD45 "Hustle Muscle"
and an all-GN consist of passenger cars. After boarding, everyone was presented
with a box dinner and drink from the MTM Osceola staff. Our train was operated
"pull-pull" with GN 400 on the point and ex-CB&Q, BN #6234 SD9 discreetly
pulling us backwards on the first leg of our journey.
   
#1: Grabbing a shot of Hustle Muscle; #2: Preparing to board the train at
Osceola depot; #3: BN #6234 leads our train through the countryside; #4: Enjoying
the ride with a fellow GNRHS member as we pass Minnesota lake #7,254.
Reaching the turn back point, our train uncoupled BN #6234 and started back
towards Osceola with GN 400 in command. (BN #6234 followed us back -- just out
of sight.) Jon and I decided to head back to the former GN business car A-11 on
the end of the train for a look-see.
   
#1: Riding in style aboard the A-11; #2: The view out the back; #3: The only way
to fly; #4: A-11's drumhead.
Shortly after we ensconced ourselves in A-11, the train slowed for a photo runby.
Jon and I hustled up to the vestibule to de-train.
  
#1: Photo line; #2: Here she comes; #3: Classic 3/4 view of GN 400 in evening
light.
  
#4: Orange & green at 150th & May; #5: A-11 backing down after the runby; #6: The GNRHS crowd ready to get
back on board - Hey, where did that guy get his margarita? I want one!
After we got back to Osceola, a few of us headed up for a look around the cab of
GN 400.
   
#1: Our smiling engineer about to move the train onto the next track and tie up
for the night; #2: Eric Hopp, our engineer and mechanic crowd the walkway of GN
#400; #3: Control stand (all analog!) of Hustle Muscle; #4: Looking out from the
cab.
Many thanks to Nick Modders and all the good folks at MTM for making our train
ride a rousing success!
 
 
|
