SB MKT train is coming into Muskogee Oklahoma, with a GP40 in the lead. The lead unit #200 is Katy's former Bicentennial unit. The 2nd unit is a former Kennecott Copper GP39-2.

This was my first MKT train I shot, and my first week long trip I ever took. I was with David Fasules, Jeff Cwan, and Leyton Hemmert.

Train is shot on 8-27-1985

On a wintery March 3, 1989, an eastbound Burlington Northern freight climbs over Marias Pass just west of Summit, Montana, beneath the towering peaks of Glacier National Park. The train is all-EMD powered by GP40M No. 3501, GP39M No. 2808, SD40-2B No. 7502 and GP39-2 No. 2723. Leader No. 3501 is a former CB&Q GP40 that was remanufactured by Morrison-Knudsen in 1988.

Santa Fe’s 301 train, a Kansas City to Chicago mainline local, rolls along a trackside pond approaching Leeds, Illinois, on May 30, 1992. An all-EMD line up behind lead EMD GP30 No. 2772 includes a GP7u, GP35, GP39-2 and another GP7u for power.

Smoke oozes from Delaware & Hudson’s Belden Hill Tunnel after a southbound train’s power emerges from it. Four EMD’s and an Alco can now ease down the grade to Binghamton.

Smoke from wildfires in western Canada had been giving us a fit all week, but on Thursday May 18, 2023 it started to thicken quickly. The last shot of the day was at Sanborn, ND of the eastbound BNSF JY local making good time crossing the causeway through the marshland which, because of spring thaw and heavy rains, was at this point a lake. Thankfully, we were treated to a lashup of four standard cab EMD's, one of the objects of our trip. Later, when we got back to our room, the smoke was so thick that it burned your eyes.

L411 struggles over bridge 40 in notch 8 with a GP39-2, GP38-2, GP40-2, and a Road Slug.

A snow-covered mountain range in Glacier National Park towers above Burlington Northern train 1 as it heads westbound through Marias, Montana, on a frigid March 3, 1989.

Well the last photo of the MEC on the B&M week sees. LA-SE (Lawrence, MA to Selkirk, NY) headed west though CPF-FG with Maine Central U25B's 238 & 228 along with a D&H GP39-2 7401 (former Reading Railroad). In this 1984 view the U25's are showing some road grime as the new ownership is cutting back on maintenance, along with the units being matched up and D&H Alco power. Little did we know in 1984 what lied ahead regarding this ownership, that took three Northeast railroads and basically ran them into the ground. Now here in 2022 there is hope that all things Pan Am/Guilford will soon be just a memory!

Scanned from a slide K64 Canon F-1

© Robert C Barnett 2022

A former Reading RR GP39-2 heads east at the Willows with local freight B55.

Burlington Northern “Expediter” intermodal No. 41 is about to clatter across the Chicago Central diamonds at East Dubuque, Illinois, on March 10, 1991. This very unique track arrangement is at the west end of shared trackage (Burlington/Illinois Central—later BN/CC) where the CC&P main line curves away from the BN’s near the East Dubuque depot, enters a curved tunnel through a bluff, pops out of the bore and immediately crosses BN’s double-track main, and onto a bridge over the Mississippi River. A model railroad-like track arrangement and scene!

Southbound tonnage emerges from Delaware & Hudson’s Belden Hill Tunnel at Tunnel, New York. Four GP39-2’s have matters well in hand.

A westbound Burlington Northern freight passes through Budd near East Dubuque, Illinois, on the afternoon of August 21, 1994. Cascade green EMD GP38-2 No. 2107 leads newer GP39-2 No. 2737, almost looking like a publicity shot with all of those matching BN autoracks.

Copper Basin Railway’s ore train OT-1 exits short Tunnel 2 just east of Ray Junction, Arizona, on March 29, 2010. CBRY No. 501 is a former Kennecott Copper EMD GP39-2 No. 791 built in October 1978.

The smoke from the Western Canada wildfires caught up with us on the 18th, at times visibility was less than a quarter of a miles the smokes burned our eyes. Here the JY Local is Eastbound at Sanborn headed for Dilworth. Smoke or not it was a treat seeing a real train.

Twelve years after the Delaware & Hudson inherited the Reading’s GP39-2’s, one of them is still wearing its Reading colors. It’s seen here with a D&H GP38-2 and a National Railway Leasing F45 pulling a northbound D&H manifest through the fall colors at Bainbridge, New York.

Falling snow, fading light. Walked in to shoot the Kelly Lake local job on the CN Keenan sub as they were coming back from the Minorca mine on Festivus last year.

A southbound Santa Fe TOFC train rolls south approaching Palmer Lake, Colorado on the Joint Line.

An approved patch job (it always is if the big "G" is painted out!) D&H GP39-2 diesel leads a westbound NYS&W "D&H Designated Operations" freight westward at Ninevah Junction. The lead unit adds to a rather colorful mixed bag lashup, as this westbound heads for the tunnel, and then the drop downhill into Binghamton. At this point in time the train has no choice but to go that way, however at one time this was where the Penn Division took off and headed south.

A fierce cold front is blowing through town as a winter storm descends on the area and BNSF Train Y KCK2161 21A sits on the North Receiver at Argentine Yard. The 216 has a former Santa Fe GP39-2 for power, patiently waiting to head back over to the Turner side with 4 Automax cars after shoving a track in the receiving yard with loads from the IRT Auto Facility on the north side of the yard.

The temperature has dropped 20 degrees in 45 minutes. That’s railroading!

Locomotive: BNSF 2943

12-21-22

Kansas City, KS

A southbound Delaware & Hudson manifest grinds upgrade at Nineveh, NY on Oct. 8, 1977., led by GP39-2 No.7619.

I would take these conditions over the ones I'm about to work in! Great heatwave of Oregon 2021!

Evansville Western Ry's turn job to the CSX at Evansville has just left their home terminal of the company's HQ at Mount Vernon. This is the former Louisville & Nashville main line to St. Louis. A former Union Pacific SD40-2 leads an ex- Kennecott Copper GP39-2 and an SD60 of Chicago & NorthWestern origins.

D&H train RPPY at Delanson,N.Y. with power of D&H GP39-2 7418,Helm Leasing GP40 3074,CSX GP30 4257,NYSW SD45 3632,D&H GP39-2's 7406,228.Photo taken on Sept.24,1988

An interesting mix of power grinds up the hill through Jackson Street with YSPBN. The BN-UP transfer died in the Belt on Saturday morning, so the UP decided to take their pair of GPs and use them for a couple of days. The pair even served as the helpers for a Bayport loads Saturday night, but it unfortunately ran under the cover of darkness.

With the Susie-Q getting the "Directed Service Order" to operate the D&H, they suddenly found themselves tight on power and scrambled to keep things fluid. As such, northbound train #PYPR-29 is seen departing Conklin Yard with a leased ex-SR SD-45 and D&H GP39-2 helping out the two B-boats. NYSW did actually end up owning at least one ex-SR SD-45 but I think this one was just a leaser. This train operated between Potomac Yard and Rouses Point.

Semaphore Sunday finds us frozen in New York State, where on a very cold morning D&H train #MB-1 rolls westward kicking up plenty of powdery snow. During this era, It was rather typical even if sort of unwanted, to find this westbound as the first daylight action when visiting the old EL mainline. But at least it was a train to chase, and something to do as one hoped for an eastbound freight out of Buffalo. This train has two GP39-2 diesels for power, of which the D&H owned 40 units, 20 original purchase versions and 20 picked up from the Reading Lines.

Being that this is also Christmas, my best wishes for everyone to have a great Christmas. I thought I'd provide my wishes in the two most common languages of my Flickr followers, assuming the rest will also understand one or the other.

After a southbound has passed, a northbound Delaware & Hudson manifest starts out of the siding at Dyes, New York. A pair of GP39-2’s were helpers on the head of this train, but have followed the southbound to Binghamton, leaving a trio of Alcos to get the train to Oneota.

A set of Delaware & Hudson power passes through the south end of Taylor Yard.

Running over the BNSF Wayzata Sub, the TC&W transfer from CP is approaching Stadium at they cross the Mississippi onto Nicollet Island. GP38-2s 2013 and 2019 are bracketing a GP39-2 as they lead their train back towards home rails at Cedar Lake Junction.

GTI D&H inspection train just north of Princetown,N.Y. alongside I-88 with power of B&M GP39-2 364(ex D&H 7604)and MEC GP7 573 with coaches 392,390,43,100.Photo taken on Dec.13,1984.

Former Santa Fe EMD GP39-2 No. 3640, now patched and numbered for BNSF as 2854, leads an 8-car Buck Local of loaded lumber south up the 2-percent grade on Burkes Hill in Louisville, Colorado on February 6, 2023.

R PWR4251 06I

Louisville, Colorado

A freshly rebuilt EMD GP39-2 leads a Santa Fe "Pea Vine" freight from Phoenix through rugged Cosnino cut east of Flagstaff, Arizona on Oct. 1, 1988.

The Deshler local heading back South to Lima after doing some work up by Deshler.

A visit to Delaware & Hudson’s East Binghamton yard usually yielded multiple views of multi-schemed motive power lash-ups that were different from any other power consists that had previously been seen. Here a Maine Central/GTI U25B, a Delaware & Hudson GP39-2 in solid blue with nose stripes, a Delaware & Hudson GP39-2 still in Reading colors, and a Boston & Maine/GTI GP40-2. A bonus was that they were all clean.

Hamilton, MI - CSX Y121 crosses the Rabbit River with three hoppers from Hamilton Feed. Getting the shot down at Schutmaat Park was no biggie, but ascending the hill back up to road level was something else. After about 300 pounds of salt, 100 pounds of kitty litter, and a lot of elbow grease, we finally got Joe's car up the hill and out of the park. Oh, the things we do for our hobbies...

A southbound Delaware & Hudson train does some work and gets a new crew at the yard in Taylor, Pennsylvania. I’m not sure about the transfer caboose, but the road caboose at the front of the train indicates that this is probably a Potomac Yard train. In this era, trains NE84/87 and RPPY/PYRP had cabooses at each end, eliminating the need for repositioning the caboose when the trains reversed direction in Allentown.

When Conrail was formed and the D&H system grew, the new GP39-2 units were rushed out of EMD without lettering as evidenced here with the 7609 leading cast off former Reading GP39's on this freight near Lanesboro, Pa. - June 5, 1976.

An ex. Reading GP39-2 up front on CSX M367 made for a very rare treat on this sunny February afternoon. The railroad rumor mill has begun turning, and Walkerton tower is allegedly on the demolition list for CSX this year, so I figured I'd add one more to the "Walkerton File".

Susquehanna train NTV-4 works upgrade as it approaches Gulf Summit, New York, on Conrail’s Southern Tier line. This is well before the NYS&W was ordered to operate the D&H, but Guilford power is well represented on this train to Little Ferry.

A shiny Dakota & Iowa Railroad lashup consisting of GP39-2 2510, two GP9s, a GP50, and an SD40-2 haul their rock train South across the colorful South Dakota prairie toward Chatsworth, IA.

BNSF 2854, still wearing the Santa Fe Bluebonnet paint scheme powers the Buck Local (R-PWR4251 22I) southbound into Longmont, Colorado with a long load.

With a solid train of product from the salt mines on the Genesee & Wyoming, the Delaware & Hudson’s “salt train” follows the Canisteo River east on the Southern Tier line at Cameron, New York.

A pair of Union Pacific GP's work the west end of Union Pacific's Miller Yard on the south side of Dallas, Texas. The crew has just pulled a string of cement hoppers from the TAMKO Building Products spurs and is now shoving back into the yard to assemble them on to a block for pickup.

====Info====

UP Ennis Subdivision

Dallas, TX

UP YDA58R (Yard Job; Miller Yard - Dallas, TX)

UP 1209 GP39N Ex. UP 1209 GP39-2, UP 2359, MKT 360 Blt. 1984

UP 625 GP38-2 Ex. UP 2125, MP 2125 Blt. 1975

Rainbow train. Guilford-Boston & Maine GP39-2-353, Delaware & Hudson-Lehigh Valley GP38-2-7324, Guilford-B&M GP40-2-303 & Guilford-B&M GP39-2s 350 & 356 are on the point of S/B train POPY (Portland, ME to Potomac Yard, Alexandria, VA). Here, passing under the Dorsey Road overpass on Amtrak's Northeast Corridor.

Delaware & Hudson GP39-2-7620, with GP38-2s-7324 & 7322, is leading N/B train PYME-7 as it crosses the Anacostia River. The PY in the symbol is for Potomac Yard, VA. Not sure, but I think the ME was for Mechanicville, NY.

A southbound train has arrived at Delaware & Hudson’s East Binghamton yard. A Maine Central U23B, a Boston & Maine GP38-2, a Delaware & Hudson GP39-2 lead four D&H Alcos as they approach the south end of the yard.

One of 3 of Kennecots unique GP39-2's that would stay at the plant site after railroad operations were sold off in 2002, I was dumbfounded to find it operating in 2019! Equipped with its recognizable high visibility cab for use in the mine, the Kennecot Utah Copper produces about 25% of the United State's copper and as such has a very large active rail operation! Not often photographed due to the railroad being almost completely on tightly watched mine property (which is a shame because the various hills and curves are amazing!) they come out of the plant a few times a week, usually to interchange with the Union Pacific. Seen here pulling up the steep hill with cars received from the UP, it was a total surprise and treat to catch this neat operation! Thanks to Andrew Wirth for the heads up!

Whenever I take these crazy annual trips I usually have about three goals of 'must have' shots. Last years trip focused on street running, and this year I had three rather obscure and diverse operations on my list. I am pretty happy to have been completely successful with two of them and the third is no longer possible do to a schedule change.

Anyway here is a different take on 'Trains Where Trains Shouldn't Be' this time in caves instead of on streets! Ever since learning of this local I just knew I had to see it. In Springfield, Missouri in the heart of Frisco country a few miles east of town, BNSF drops below the surface of the earth in this most unusual operation.

In a former limestone mine the caverns have been transformed into 3.2 million square feet of leasable warehouse space with a constant ambient temperature of 62 degrees 100 ft below the surface. Amazingly these caves contain three miles of roads and three miles of rail sidings. BNSF local Y-SPM220 comes out 5 days a week and after switching the above ground yard curls down the steep loop past the runaway track and into the caves.

Here is one favorite as BNSF 3181 (rebuilt EMD GP50 blt. Mar. 1981 as ATSF 3828) and 2797 (rebuilt EMD GP39-2 blt. Mar. 1975 as ATSF 3643) shove a dozen cars, a mix of hoppers and reefers, into the cavern. This fascinating place began operation in 1960 when the first underground warehouse opened served by the Frisco. It has vastly expanded since then and if you want to learn more here are three links that are interesting resources with some great photos and video.

www.springfieldunderground.com/

www.news-leader.com/story/news/local/ozarks/2019/08/11/sp...

youtu.be/VhFzzrbp-4E

Of all the images this may be my favorite as an employee in a helmet seemingly matching the units pops a wheelie on his bike heading down the road beside the train.

Springfield, Missouri

Wednesday September 1, 2021