TheQuietStormKing
Fairlane Pellets
Predicting your call on the extra board can be a bit like long division, needlessly complicated and never really sure you got it right... until the phone rings. Today I thought I had it all dialed in, a phosphate train off the CSX coming north on the Superior Sub was showing ordered for 1230 out of Pokegama with no north pools available for several hours, got it. Just before that call was expected to come in, the phone rang. CN Crew Caller... well shit. “Mr Hennessy are you qualified on the T-Bird?” Yes. Yes I am. So off to Keenan I went. Left a little early in hopes of catching some iron ore action, timing was great as I paced a northbound limestone train from Alborn up to the range, unfortunately the sun was shit for northbound moves. Coming up to Fairlane I spied a load of pellets ready to head south, hedging my bets that he would get the light clearing the limestone train I parked. Sure enough the limestone blazed past and the pellet loader was headed to the docks in Duluth. These standard cab dash 8’s hold a special place in my heart as I made my first solo run as an engineer in one (CN 2019) on a Q119 several years prior. Most fans up here loath the toasters and covet the sd40’s, a sentiment I certainly understand but anywhere else in the country finding standard cab dash 8’a leading trains in 2021 would be constitute a miracle from christ himself... on the range, just another reason not to take the lens cap off. I should get out more often to shoot these dinosaurs, but CN is very good at finding ways to occupy my time and my daughters take up the rest. These old GE’s may have another couple years left in them but the kids only stay 5 and 3 for another couple months. Priorities... It does make me appreciate the rare moments trackside that I have however!
Fairlane Pellets
Predicting your call on the extra board can be a bit like long division, needlessly complicated and never really sure you got it right... until the phone rings. Today I thought I had it all dialed in, a phosphate train off the CSX coming north on the Superior Sub was showing ordered for 1230 out of Pokegama with no north pools available for several hours, got it. Just before that call was expected to come in, the phone rang. CN Crew Caller... well shit. “Mr Hennessy are you qualified on the T-Bird?” Yes. Yes I am. So off to Keenan I went. Left a little early in hopes of catching some iron ore action, timing was great as I paced a northbound limestone train from Alborn up to the range, unfortunately the sun was shit for northbound moves. Coming up to Fairlane I spied a load of pellets ready to head south, hedging my bets that he would get the light clearing the limestone train I parked. Sure enough the limestone blazed past and the pellet loader was headed to the docks in Duluth. These standard cab dash 8’s hold a special place in my heart as I made my first solo run as an engineer in one (CN 2019) on a Q119 several years prior. Most fans up here loath the toasters and covet the sd40’s, a sentiment I certainly understand but anywhere else in the country finding standard cab dash 8’a leading trains in 2021 would be constitute a miracle from christ himself... on the range, just another reason not to take the lens cap off. I should get out more often to shoot these dinosaurs, but CN is very good at finding ways to occupy my time and my daughters take up the rest. These old GE’s may have another couple years left in them but the kids only stay 5 and 3 for another couple months. Priorities... It does make me appreciate the rare moments trackside that I have however!