A leased GP38-2 leads a dirts train out of Pier 96 and over Quint street towards South San Francisco.

GP38-2 former NdeM 8250 rests at the Guadalajara engine shops waiting to be assigned to the weekend passenger trains to Tequila.

If you look closely, you can see the FNM smurf blue is starting to leak in certain parts.

Guadalajara, Jalisco.

The Horicon Local is coming into Ackerville where they will swap trains with the local out of North Milwaukee this would be the last shot of the trip.

CN Local Freight Train L-570 works in Brookhaven, MS. before heading to Ferguson, MS.

Conrail Shared Assets local BS-3 passes an Amtrak rail train working on track 1 at the newly opened Levittown station.

It's December 9, 1982, and we're hard at work at North Harvey tower. It was located at the west end of the IHB's Blue Island yard where the B&OCT's Chicago Heights sub crossed the Harbor's mains out of the yard. Here comes a quartet of EMD four-axles, led by GP38-2 8085, rolling a westbound, which appears to be for either the SOO Line or the Burlington Northern. That SOO Line traffic on the head end makes me think it's the former, but I honestly don't remember any pure trains for the SOO. Any IHB experts know?

HLCX GP38-2 3881 leads L-CHI104 East through Joliet, IL.

After arriving in Erie, Pennsylvania the B&P's WAER works the transload track alongside the Bayfront Connector. Today the crew would pull stone empties and then drop loads before proceeding to OD Yard to interchange with CSX and run-around the train for the return trip.

====Info====

BPRR A&E Sub

Erie, PA

BPRR WAER (Warren, PA to Erie, PA Turn)

BPRR 2172 GP38-2 Ex. NS 5357, CR 8211 Blt. 1978

BPRR 120 GP35 Road Slug Ex. BPRR 305 GP35, ALY 305, ALY 105, UP 743 Blt 1964

BPRR 3120 GP40-3 Ex. RSR 102 GP40, CR 3057, PC 3057, NYC 3057 Blt. 1967

CSX 2756 sits in collier yard wearing her original YN2 paint. 2756 is the only GP38-2 left on roaster still in services on CSX and was such a cool sight to see one of the last EMD in YN2.

Road and Rail switches cars for MLC at Ste. Genevieve, MO, wearing a good layer of the very product they transport.

10/18/2024

The Great Lakes Central's OSTN rolls over a swollen Shiawassee River in Vernon, Michigan behind a trio of EMD's on a dreary October afternoon. GLC utilizes trackage rights over the HESR to get from Owosso to Durand.

====Info====

HESR Owosso Sub

Vernon, MI

GLC OSTN (Owosso, MI to Ann Arbor, MI Turn)

GLC 399 GP38-2 Ex. LLPX 2336, UP 1963, CR 8031, PC 8031 Blt. 1972

GLC 398 GP38-2 Ex. LLPX 2331, EMDX 821, CR 8021, PC 8021 Blt. 1972

GLC 386 SD35 Ex. MRL 705, IMRL 705, MRL 1553, NW 1553 Blt. 1965

Conrail local YPMO-R1 returns to Morrisville Yard behind a pair of GP38-2s with a short train of empty tank cars from Staley.

NS Westbound Local Freight Train A64 passes through Cook Springs, AL. on their way back to NS Norris Yard in Irondale, AL. to tie down for the day after working industries between Irondale & Anniston, AL.

Norfolk Southern local C87 spots tank cars at the PVS Chemical Solutions sidings in Buffalo, New York. The customer is served off of the Ebenezer Runner near CP Draw.

====Info====

NS Ebenezer Runner

Buffalo, NY

NS C87 (Buffalo, NY Local)

NS 5147 GP38-2 Ex. SOU 5147 Blt. 1974

Local works industry just north of Henry, IL.

Looking a little out of place in the blizzard-like conditions of Michigan, GP38-2 #2667 trails on Q326 at Fox siding, heading for Lansing. This was the last Seaboard painted unit on CSX, lasting until early 2008.

After poking out the south end of the Port Terminal Rail Authority's large North Yard, a pair of the PTRA's leased GP38-2's prepare to head back into the yard after the conductor throws the switch in front of them.

PTRA GP38-2 #2221

PTRA GP38-2 #2218

Houston, TX

October 4th, 2024

Finger Lakes Railway train GS-2 has a solo GP38-2 for power as it hauls a five-car train east to Solvay.

Mississippi Export Railroad Southbound Freight Train 51 comes into Big Point, MS. where they will do some work, then they will turn back to Evanston, MS. with a pair of GP38-2’s in charge.

Southern Railway's very first GP38-2 #5000 is now owned and operated by the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum in Chattanooga, TN. 10/8/2022

The BNSF Transfer interchanges with NS at 32nd Street North Yard in Birmingham, AL.

Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis Job 102 has just passed through WR Tower in Granite City, Illinois & are shoving back to interchange with Port Harbor Railroad.

One of the last few remaining Hi-Hoods on NS.

Originally built for the Southern Pacific as SP 4804 in May of 1980, this GP38-2 still finds itself in service for SP's successor 45 years later.

Now numbered as UP 568, this venerable EMD finds itself traveling between two former SP yards on the MEWLK to Lake Charles, LA.

MEWLK 08 (Manifest- Englewood Yard [Houston] to Lake Charles, LA)

UP GP38-2 #568

Houston, TX

June 8th, 2025

KCS Eastbound Local Freight Train ( Rankin Turn ) passes through Brandon, MS. on their way to work in Rankin, MS. & return back to High Oak Yard in Pearl, MS. working in Brandon, MS. on the return trip.

Birmingham Terminal Railway BH-1 Yard works in Ensley, AL. Birmingham Terminal Railway, a WATCO Railroad took over operations of the Birmingham Southern Railroad.

What a great day chasing RJCS. Caught the GP38-2 and also caught their GP16 down in Red Hill, more photos and videos to come.

GTW GP38-2 5824, CN GP38-2W 4781, and GP40-2L(W) 9555 lead CN L529 out of MacMillan Yard and onto the Halton Sub at Snider West

CP GP38-2 3133 is seen on the point switching the yard at Woodstock, Ontario. Vantage point is the Vansittart Avenue Bridge over the railway and Thames River.

A Lhoist North America Fall Foliage Excursion passes through Daysville, TN. on their way to Rockwood, TN. from Crab Orchard, TN. & return.

12/26/2022

A Wichita Tillman & Jackson Railroad Job departs Altus, OK. headed for Wichita, TX.

An RJ Corman local cuts between old and new buildings as it heads back towards the yard in Lexington, Kentucky after switching out the Standlee Hay Company. A GATC GP38-2 and an ex CSX GP15 lead the train, while an RJCC RS23BD brings up the rear.

====Info====

RJCC Old Road Subdivision

Lexington, KY

Unknown Symbol (Local; Lexington, KY)

GMTX 2230 GP38-2 Ex. EMDX 799, PC 7999 Blt. 1972

RJCC 1561 GP15-1 Ex. PRLX 1561, CSX 1561, CR 1675 Blt. 1979

(Rear) RJCC 2017 RS23BD Blt. 2017

Five GP38-2's hustle a southbound freight near the old station name sign of Wessex, on CP's Red Deer Sub.

The Great Lakes Central's OSTN pulls out on to the connection from the GLC's Cadillac District to the HESR's Owosso Sub as it puts together its southbound train in the GLC's San Yard east of town in Owosso, Michigan. Once the train is ready to depart south, they will run over the HESR to Durand, then briefly over CN before diverging back onto home rails for the rest of the run down to Ann Arbor.

====Info====

GLC Cadillac District

Owosso, MI

GLC OSTN (Local; Owosso, MI to Ann Arbor, MI Turn)

GLC 399 GP38-2 Ex. LLPX 2336, UP 1963, CR 8031, PC 8031 Blt. 1972

GLC 398 GP38-2 Ex. LLPX 2331, EMDX 821, CR 8021, PC 8021 Blt. 1972

GLC 386 SD35 Ex. MRL 705, IMRL 705, MRL 1553, NW 1553 Blt. 1965

A Farmrail System, Inc. Job tied down in Clinton, OK. waiting on a crew that will take the train to Custer City or Enid, OK.

Originally built for the Rock Island as CRIP 4345 in November 1976, this venerable Geep spent time on the MoPac (as MP 2283) and Union Pacific (as UP 783) before being sold to GATX for leaser service. Spending a number of years as GMTX 2154, its recent assignment to Houston's Port Terminal Railroad Authority is a long-term lease that includes a renumbering.

Now known as PTRA 2218, the locomotive is seen here as it gets some headroom with a friend at the bottom end of PTRA's massive North Yard.

PTRA GP38-2 #2218

Houston, TX

October 4th, 2024

April 10, 2018: A GP38-2 EMD engine brings local yard job CSX Y220 by the Milepost OWA 47.32 at Cartersville, GA on the CSX W&A Subdivision in Cartersville, GA. The train had been working a chemical plant on the South side of town, and is now headed back to North Yard.

Built in June 1980 at SOO 4437, this Geep was repainted into CP Action Red in 1996 (after CP took full control of the Soo Line in 1990). It received its current Golden Beaver paint in early 2023.

CPKC Yard Job

CP GP38-2 / DRS-20 #4437

Calgary, AB

August 26th, 2025

Reproduced 35mm Slide

Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, at Reliance, TN October 1976

Three GP38-2s and a GP38AC lead a string of chemical tank cars across the Hiwasee River bridge at Reliance, TN October 1976, bound for Copperhill, TN.

Reproduced 35mm slide

Photo shot by my Dad, Jay Thomson, Sept. 8, 1984

For many years the engine house (called the "roundhouse" by the locals even though it was a large square) was exactly that, but eventually better mileage and better built units resulted in the shop becoming a car repair shop. Here in the late Summer of 1984 it was still an active engine shop and GP38-2 4127 and what appears to be a GP30 behind it are both sitting there waiting for service.

NOTE - The original slide of this shot was slit completely down the transparency from top to bottom near the right side. I imported the scan into Macromedia's Fireworks and digitally repaired the image using the Clone tool. If anyone would like to see a scan of the original for comparison just let me know and I'll e-mail it to you.

BNSF Transfer Job interchanges with NS at 32nd Street North Yard in Birmingham, AL.

Former Southern RR GP38 and upgraded to a GP38-2 by Norfolk Southern, now working on the Carolina Coastal RR. Seen here approaching Stantonsburg, NC. with GP15-1 running second in the heritage paint scheme.

Looking down the former right of way of the Ann Arbor, the Great Lakes Central's OSTN is building their train at the south end of San Yard in Owosso, Michigan. When the train leaves the yard, they will hop on the HESR's line to Durand.

====Info====

GLC Cadillac District

Owosso, MI

GLC OSTN (Owosso, MI to Ann Arbor, MI Turn)

GLC 399 GP38-2 Ex. LLPX 2336, UP 1963, CR 8031, PC 8031 Blt. 1972

GLC 398 GP38-2 Ex. LLPX 2331, EMDX 821, CR 8021, PC 8021 Blt. 1972

GLC 386 SD35 Ex. MRL 705, IMRL 705, MRL 1553, NW 1553 Blt. 1965

A BNSF Yard Job works East Thomas Yard ( BNSF’s Birmingham Terminal ).

In 1987, Grand Trunk Western purchased a group of 36 former Missouri Pacific GP38-2s from Helm Leasing that had been returned by Union Pacific. Initially numbered GTW 5700-5735, they were moved to the 4900-4935 block in 1997 so that their numbers would not conflict with the new 5700 series CN SD75Is. Prolific on the GTW and now most of the CN's US system, many still wear their Burdakin Blue and Morenci Orange today. #4910 is seen resting between assignments at Battle Creek on a sunny Spring day in 2007.

While I don’t recall the exact problem, the crew of a Conrail local switching a readi-mix concrete plant in Bowie, Maryland encountered an issue with a Reading covered hopper, possibly a knuckle that wouldn’t open. To help correct the situation, the crew enlisted the aid of the concrete plant’s front-end loader, shown here positioning itself against the balky car.

A Farmrail System, Inc. Freight waits on a crew just north of Clinton, OK.