[Mipman25]

I don't think there's going to be another set of photos this week, as my father is going out of town from Thursday until Sunday. I'll see if something can be worked out.

[Mipman25]

There will be photos tomorrow or the day after, as the flight has been postponed. Stay tuned, everyone; I have a feeling Sunday's going to be a good one!

[Mipman25]

Today was another chilly morning, and a seemingly inactive one at that. When we got there, all visible signals were red and a train just didn't come at all. If the last wait for a train was long, this was longer. We paced around the bridge, noticed things around the track, and thought we saw lights from the east. A signal turned from red to blinking yellow, making me think that something was amiss. Eventually, my father gave me a pen with a small replica bottle inside of it. I was going to watch the bottle go up and down in a desperate attempt for entertainment, and...

There was a distant light from the west. As it grew closer, it seemed unfamiliar to me. After looking at it for a bit, I noticed that it was in H1 livery.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/9-30-12/Activityafteranhour.jpg

As it got closer, I gave it a good wave and it answered with two honks on its K3L. The trailing stock was not as interesting, though, being an ordinary H2 C44-9W and a long string of well cars with containers and flatcars with trailers.

BNSF C44-9W #1116
BNSF C44-9W #5038

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/9-30-12/BNSF1116.jpg

After the intermodal passed, I noticed that the blinking yellow signal and the red signal behind it had both changed to green. I was thinking of leaving, but I decided not to due to the fact that a westbound could be coming in a matter of mintues. Suddenly, a light glowed from the east, strangely blasting its K3LA for a nearby crossing which trains usually didn't honk for. What I was expecting was an eastbound mixed freight or the like. What I wasn't expecting was an all-EMD lashup with a patched GP28M, a rebuilt Geep exclusive to BNSF, last in the lashup. In this case, this was rebuilt from an ex-Northern Pacific GP9 in 1992.

BNSF SD70MAC #8901
BNSF SD70MAC #9956
BN/BNSF GP28M #1530

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/9-30-12/BNSF8901.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/9-30-12/BNSF1530.jpg

A few minutes after that train had passed and yet another light glinted from the west! Zooming into this one revealed a blue, yellow, and white cab car, signaling an eastbound Northstar commuter train. Sure enough, it sounded its very strange and high-pitched K5LA as it approached the Anoka platform. After a while, it eventually passed us rather slowly. This is the third time I've ever identified a certain MP36PH-3C as 504, the unit known for its appearance in Dirty Jobs, and the second time I've ever identified it on a trip to the Staples Sub.

MNRX Bombardier cab car #604
MNRX MP36PH-3C #503
MNRX MP36PH-3C #504

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/9-30-12/MNRX604.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/9-30-12/ThereturnofMNRX504.jpg

As the Northstar approached the distance, I heard a chord that sounded vaguely familiar...

A Nathan M5.

This was it. I would finally hear what unit in Minnesota has a Nathan M5 on it. I saw a light from the east...

...Which quickly disappeared. However, a light shone from the west again. It was too far away to have its horn as audible, though. As it approached the two crossings near the Anoka platform, it was proven that this train didn't have an M5 at all; its horn was a K3LA instead. This train was a westbound ethanol train, a first for me.

BNSF C44-9W #5118 (seems to have suffered a bit of turbo trouble)
BNSF C44-9W #5295
BNSF C44-9W #4812 (with a little patch of H1 paint for whatever reason)

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/9-30-12/BNSF5118.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/9-30-12/4812slittlepatchofH1paint.jpg

After the ethanol train departed, we figured it was time to leave. I had a feeling this trip would be good, and it certainly was. However, I still wonder where that M5 came from...

EDIT- The "M5" was actually the Northstar blowing for a crossing after it had passed us. The way the newer K5LAs Northstar uses on their cab cars are tuned makes them sound like M5s after they pass by, as the tuning is essentially a higher-pitched M5.

[Mipman25]

Since my father was out of town last weekend, we decided to head out to the Staples Sub yesterday to make up for the absence. When we got there, we discussed signals and set up two lawn chairs. The signal for westbounds was green, so I thought a westbound would be coming in a few minutes. My father disagreed, saying that green meant all conditions ahead were clear. Sure enough, a light did appear, but it was for an eastbound. After a minute or so, another light appeared for a westbound!

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-08-12/P1050285.jpg

The westbound was a Northstar commuter train, which had a different consist from the eastbounds. An interesting thing to note is that this train had two cab cars!

MNRX MP36PH-3C #501
MNRX Bombardier cab car #605
MNRX Bombardier cab car #601

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-08-12/MNRX501.jpg

The other train soon approached, giving several blasts for the two crossings ahead.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-08-12/Somethingelseapproaches.jpg

Eventually, the train materialized into three diesels and a string of black tank cars as the leading engine, a SD70MAC, gave a few friendly honks for us. For me, SD70MACs always have the best K3LAs. This was also my first time seeing a SD70ACe on any of these trips!

BNSF SD70MAC #8834
BNSF SD70ACe #9156
BNSF C44-9W #5370? (Camera got foggy)

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-08-12/BNSF8834.jpg

Just after the tank train passed, another light glinted behind it! As this one approached, it sounded a very mysterious horn. I could make out a K-something-something horn, but what? Was it a K5LA? An amazing K3LA? A sick K5HL? Only intensifying the feeling was that I couldn't actually make out the lead unit; just a shining triangle of lights piercing through the twilit atmostphere. Even worse was that I needed some time to do some *ahem* Number 1 and the train was approaching, although rather slowly. I ended up forcing it all over the Highway 10 bridge where I was out of sight just to not miss that train.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-08-12/P1050292.jpg

As it got closer, the lights seemed to have shrunk, revealing another SD70ACe at the front and the mysterious horn as a K5LLA.

BNSF SD70ACe #9283
BNSF C44-9W #4??? (Camera got foggy again)

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-08-12/BNSF9283.jpg

After this slow autorack train passed, yet another light shone from the west! At this point, the stream of trains today was constant. Who knows, we could have been at North Street for hours!

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-08-12/P1050297.jpg

At this point, the sun was almost completely down and this light was blinding. The horn sounded like some sort of K3L playing a C minor chord, and the crew seemed to get rather friendly as they approached the Anoka commuter station. This train was going even slower than the first train, and the engines on this one just looked like silhouettes in the video that I filmed. However, based on memory and renaming the video, I was able to remember the numbers of these two engines. Honestly, I don't think I can go to the Staples Sub without seeing at least one lashup of two Dash-9s.

BNSF C44-9W #1117
BNSF C44-9W #5526

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-08-12/BNSF1117ssilhouette.jpg

After that, we just left. There was no sign of a train anywhere and it was just about pitch-black. This trip really made up for no trip last weekend, although I did hear an M3 last Sunday and I really would've wanted to see what was wearing it.

[Mipman25]

Well, today wasn't the best trip. This time, we took a shortcut under a small rail bridge and headed to North Street that way. Thank God we did, as a train was rapidly approaching and I barely had time to set up my tripod before the power shot by emitting an unbearably loud scream and two honks on the lead engine's K3LA, thanks to my father. What resulted was a 60 mph grain train shooting by as I desperately set up my tripod while filming and my father foamed. Yes, he foamed during this trip, and now the name "Foamer Simpson" really works for him after eight trips and two months. Needless to say, I had to move my tripod away from him so that his foaming wouldn't get in the way of my clip. After the last few grain cars passed, I was rather cross with him and advised him not to foam when I was filming.

BNSF AC44CW #5713
BNSF AC44CW #5698

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-13-12/BNSF5713approaches.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-13-12/5713and5698.jpg

The weather was cool and overcast, which seemed rather gloomy. However, I personally like overcast weather, although this time it felt a bit moist. This was likely due to a very light drizzle. We waited for about half an hour, but despite some signals going red and then green, signalling that something had just cleared the westbound track and was likely headed toward us, nothing seemed to approach. Our trip was cut short due to a doctor's appointment, so we left at about 10. This was an unusually short trip, considering that we got there at about 9:30 and we usually stay for an hour or so. It wasn't the best trip, but we finally tried a shortcut which saved us in the nick of time and allowed us to catch a train that we would have missed if we had taken our regular path.

I'd like to point out that starting now, I am going to be uploading my video clips to Photobucket along with my photos. I'm doing this for backup purposes, but you can watch my clips by going to my Photobucket album and going into one of my Staples Sub sub-albums starting from 9-30. The reason for not uploading any clips before is because they were all lost in a hard drive crash. However, I did compile my clips from my first trip on a computer which didn't crash, so I'll be uploading that compilation as well. I happened to make a one-minute project using quite a few of my clips from 8-19-12 to 9-8-12, which I will also be uploading. The clip contains some of my finest moments, such as the NS ethanol train and the patched SP AC44CW.

[Mipman25]

I had been joking with my father about being a foamer for a week, but for today's trip to the Staples Sub, I didn't want as much as a peep of foaming in any of my videos. Before we got to milepost 26.0, though, my father needed another coffee. We headed over to a gas station near the Staples Sub, but they didn't sell decaf. We went to another gas station, I waited, I heard a K3LA, and my heart sank. When my father got out, I told him the news about the train we missed.

When we got there, we followed a biker who was biking along North Street and went over the tracks. We parked about 15 feet or so away from the rails and then got out. Immediately, I noticed an eastbound approaching us from a far away distance, so I looked around and noticed that a mound I saw last trip that could've been a good filming spot seemed to be even bigger than it originally was.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/10-20-12/P1050305.jpg

Seeing this, I hurried onto the mound and tried to get a good zoom-in. As the train approached the crossing, I was a bit surprised to hear that this train had an ES44DC on the point, as evidenced by its MicroPrecision K5HL. As it got a bit closer, I was able to nab this shot.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/10-20-12/BNSF7353approaches.jpg

This train was a very slow intermodal with a GEVO and a Dash-9 as power. Not too good of a lashup, but at least it wasn't two Dash-9s. The speed of this train gave the crew plenty of time to look at me as though I was insane.

BNSF ES44DC #7353
BNSF C44-9W #4689

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/10-20-12/BNSF7353.jpg

It was very cold out, so I went in the car to warm up a bit. My father and I decided to talk a little, but one of my sentences was cut off when a light emerged from the east. I went up a bit lower on the mound on this time and decided to get another pre-zoom clip. What resulted is what I (at this point) consider my best shot ever.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/10-20-12/1096approaches.jpg

If I had any thoughts of speed restrictions on the Staples Sub today, they were immediately shattered. This tank train charged by us at around 50-60 miles per hour with an interesting surprise at the front; a rebuilt 900-1100 class Dash-9 with a shiny coat of H3 paint and a big, bold number!

BNSF C44-9W #1096 (Rebuilt in 2010 with H3 paint)
BNSF C44-9W #4323
BNSF C44-9W #4369

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/10-20-12/BNSF1096.jpg

My father didn't foam at this train, but rather took a picture of me with his cell phone. Honestly, I think it turned out very good and I might have to make it my profile picture here. We got in the car and talked a little more while watching out for lights. I eventually noticed one that popped out from the west. As this train got closer, I noticed that it had windows, but it was too long to be a Northstar.

The Empire Builder had finally returned while we were at milepost 26.0.

This one shot by with a bit of mixed power (Well, not really mixed as both engines on this train looked almost identical) at the 79 mph speed limit, likely making this the fastest train I have ever seen as far as I could remember.

AMTK P42DC #96
AMTK P40DC #817 (How I wish this unit was on the front and that we had gotten a horn show; this specific engine has a first-generation K5L!)

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/10-20-12/TheEmpireBuilder.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/10-20-12/96and817pass.jpg

Since the battery in the camera was getting low, we decided to head home. When we got to a bridge which passed the Staples Sub, our hearts sunk when we noticed a fast mixed freight was passing through minutes after we left. This trip was excellent, but if we had waited a bit more and we went to the right gas station, this would've been what I consider to be my best trip ever.

[Mipman25]

That's right, I went twice this weekend. This time, my younger brother went with me and I was wearing a Santa hat.

I make a casual series featuring the Staples Sub for my brother, which obviously resulted in him saying it was odd being on the set of the series. (I could post an episode if you'd like.) We waited for a while until an eastbound appeared. I was starting to focus on it a little bit until I heard my father and my younger brother shouting to me and what sounded like a S-3L in the distance.

This was it. My first S-3L on camera.

I rapidly turned away from the approaching BNSF train and zoomed in to see a NS D9-40CW with a black brow. I only have one shot of it as I tried to do another BNSF 1096, but it resulted in zooming out a bit too slow and being zoomed in way too much when the power passed by, giving a honk of what sounded like what happened if a particularly echoey S-3L and a K5LA mated. It was only a stroke of luck that my shaky pan caught the number of the second engine.

NS D9-40CW #9288
NS D9-40CW #9070

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-21-12/NS9288.png

After the fast NS ethanol train passed, the BNSF train, revealed to be another ethanol train, came into view as it approached us, giving us two honks on a seemingly flawless K3LA. The two Dash-9s on the front were predictable, but the SD70ACe functioning as a DPU wasn't.

BNSF C44-9W #4455
BNSF C44-9W #4424
BNSF SD70ACe #9206

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-21-12/BNSF4455.png

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-21-12/4455upclose.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-21-12/BNSF9206helping.jpg

After waiting a little more, I could hear my father and my younger brother noticing another light in the distance, which I couldn't see. This was because it was an idling Northstar commuter. I took a picture of it idling in the Coon Rapids station. Notice the particularly awful siding near the Pentair Technical Products.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-21-12/P1050435.jpg

At this moment, someone was approaching the tracks and the Northstar was about to depart! I told this unsuspecting pedestrian that a train was coming, so he hightailed it over the gauge and stayed away from the tracks, sensibly. The Northstar commuter soon departed. My father and my brother both gave this train a wave, and the crew couldn't resist but to give three very short honks on what sounded like a hybrid K5LA.

MNRX MP36PH-3C #505
MNRX Bombardier cab car #603

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-21-12/505approaching.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-21-12/MNRX505.jpg

The rush hour soon ended and we stayed for a bit longer before leaving. We went home, we brought back a spike, my brother seemed to like it there, and I found out that 9288's horn was indeedly a very sick K5LA.

[Mipman25]

My younger brother came along again today, and I swear that kid is a Horsehead magnet. When we reached the overpass that led to our shortcut under the Staples Sub, a light shone in the distance and I could make out a Norfolk Southern engine! I got scared, thinking I was going to miss it. However, once I turned my camera around and the lens adjusted to the light, a NS SD70M and a D9-40CW shot out from behind us! What resulted was a 40 mph chase with a great lashup which turned out to undeniably be what I consider my Catch of the Month for October of 2012 and probably the best-timed moment of all my trips to the Staples Sub.

NS SD70M #2621 (Apparently has a K5H based on a video I saw of it)
NS D9-40CW #9273
BNSF ES44C4 #7015

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/Thepowerappears.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/Pacingtheethanoltrain.jpg

I got out of the car when we arrived (conveniently after the power passed) and extended my tripod while running to the mound I use for shooting. It was sort of like BNSF 5713 from October 13th, except with better power, a chase scene (with quite a bit of talking, to say the least), and no foaming. After this ethanol train passed, I decided to run over to the grade crossing nearby to get to the other side. However, I noticed that nobody was following me and a meet was about to occur, so I went back. I was exhausted when I reached the mound, but I used up my remaining stamina to hurry over to the mound, climb up the pile, turn on the camera, and start filming. Plus, with a bit of standing around on the mound, I didn't feel so exhausted anymore. The westbound came first, and this one was what I call the "average Staples Sub consist".

BNSF C44-9W #4407
BNSF C44-9W #4523

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/BNSF4407withtoomuchglare.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/BNSF4407and4523passing.jpg

If one moment of extreme luck wasn't enough, what resulted with the eastbound was. Most of the well cars were double-stacked, and I was afraid that the eastbound would be blotted out. However, a single-stack car went by in front of both engines, including my third ES44C4!

If the last autorack train from October 8th was slow, this ethanol train was slower. In fact, it got so slow at the end that the steady rumble became an occasional bang or clank and I had to Pentrex this one (stopping for a large part of the train) in order to avoid a 5-10 minute clip and stopped to take a picture of the red ethanol diamond! I could make out a DPU in the distance, and it turned out to be another ES44DC making that really nice sounding GE chug, which I don't hear many GEVOs doing.

BNSF ES44DC #7486
BNSF ES44C4 #6652
BNSF ES44DC #7326

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/BNSF7486.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/MysecondES44C4.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/P1050452.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/BNSF7326chuggingaway.jpg

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/10-27-12/P1050454.jpg

We eventually decided that we wouldn't try going over there since a siding took up a lot of space where I would film and I would have to trespass on the siding to get a decent angle, so it wasn't worth running over to a grade crossing. Even if I would have, it was another "off" hour on an "on/off" subdivision, which would've been a waste of time. It was a bit of a disappointment not trying the other side, but it would've involved quite a bit of trespassing and I wouldn't be able to see westbounds coming unless I stayed at the Highway 10 bridge and ran over to another place to film. Either way, with two moments of extreme luck and perfect timing, this was really a trip to remember.

[Mipman25]

I didn't go to the Staples Sub last weekend since my father was out of town and never bothered to post the shots from the weekend before, so here they are now. I promise next weekend will be a double feature to make up for the lack of Dash-9 floods last weekend.

It was a dreary fall day on November 3rd and I decided to head down to North Street to do a bit of Staples Sub railfanning. We did go a little late, though, as we missed a mixed freight as we approached the Highway 10 overpass. Luckily, I caught the power, which looked like a SD70ACe and a Dash-9.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/11-3-12/P1050456.jpg

We got there just in time for the tail of the manifest to pass. All the signals were red, so we set up and looked around for a while. I decided to get a snail's-eye view of a siding nearby.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/11-3-12/P1050458.jpg

I climbed onto the mound to try and set up my tripod in case another train passed. I was looking around when I noticed something sponge-like and bullet-shaped.

An earplug.

I'm not alone.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/11-3-12/P1050459.jpg

Two people parked near our spot and headed across the street to a North Star Towing. One of them looked at me and pointed! I was very scared and slid down the mound. I climbed back up and waited for a while only to see a light in the distance. I was hoping for a BNSF freight, but the light just stayed there. Sure enough, a quick zoom-in revealed a Northstar commuter waiting at the Coon Rapids station. With a few honks for a nearby crossing, the Northstar departed. I though this would be another ordinary train, but then I got a good glimpse at the power.

I finally did it. I finally caught the Dirty Jobs unit leading a westbound commuter.

MNRX MP36PH-3C #504
MNRX MP36PH-3C #505
MNRX Bombardier cab car #603

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/11-3-12/MNRX504finallyleading.jpg

I captured this shot as the commuter loaded and unloaded at the Anoka platform. I really like how this shot turned out scenery-wise.

http://i1212.photobucket.com/albums/cc443/DustinJRaiken/BNSF%20Staples%20Sub/11-3-12/P1050462.jpg

After that, we waited in the car listening to the Sleepless in Seattle OST and warming up. Sadly, another train didn't come, so we left for a doctor's appointment at about 12:30. Honestly, this trip was a bit disappointing, but at least I got a little bit of EMD power in there.

[Mipman25]

Sorry for the lack of updates. I have been railfanning, although not as much due to the ridiculously cold weather up here in Minnesota.