Sunday, August 31, 2014

August 31, 2014; Small Town, Small Power

An aging set of Geeps switch the yard in Burlington, WA.

Saturday, August 30, 2014

August 30, 2014; High Tide

Passengers of a southbound enjoy the scenery along Chuckanut Drive.

Friday, August 29, 2014

August 29. 2014: Samish Bay

How local seagulls would view a freight train skirting Samish Bay.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

August 28, 2014: Summer Evening Departure

An evening eastbound pulls out of Tacoma, crossing the Muni Beltline/BN interchange point out on the tide flats.

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

August 27, 2014: What the Mind Forgets the Heart Remembers

That's what famed western rail photographer Richard Steinheimer said about the Milwaukee Road.  How right he was.

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

August 26, 2014: A Whole Lot of Nothing

Empty tracks and an endless gray horizon, not much happening here.

Monday, August 25, 2014

August 25, 2014; Billy Goat Ruins

Snow shed remains near the "twin tunnels," Stevens Pass, Washington.

Sunday, August 24, 2014

August 24, 2014: Storing Summer's Sun

Grass produced by summer's sun pours from the spout of a chopper.  Next stop will be the silo where it will be stored for winter feed.

Saturday, August 23, 2014

August 23, 2014; Banged-Up but Still Working

A little bloody, but still attached to my hand.

Friday, August 22, 2014

Thursday, August 21, 2014

August 21, 2014; Coming and Going

From the cab of the rear pusher engines, the head-end of the same train traveling in the opposite direction, Austin, MT.

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

August 20, 2014: Dust and Steam

In a feed mill, it's hard to tell where the dust ends and the steam begins.

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

August 19, 2014; St. Maries Depot

A great place to sit in the shade and watch the St. Maries switching.

Monday, August 18, 2014

August 18, 2014; Insignificant

The Montana landscape dwarfs a westbound local.

Sunday, August 17, 2014

August 17, 2014: Cutting In At Helena Junction

After splitting a westbound freight, the switchman catches a ride up to the switch where the awaiting helper will be coupled into the train.

Saturday, August 16, 2014

August 16, 2014; Local Under the Big Skies

A local job hustles west under Montana's big skies.

Friday, August 15, 2014

August 15, 2014; 4-set At Austin Gulch

Four big motors help a westbound train towards the Great Divide.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

August 14, 2014; Crew Change

One crew's done, one's just starting, Helena, MT.

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

August 13, 2014; Brain Trust

A Montana Rail Link RFE and Assistant Trainmaster brainstorm ideas on how to streamline helper placement on trains crossing Mullan Pass.

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Monday, August 11, 2014

August 11, 2014; Shooting the "Es"

A dairy farmer pauses from his morning chores to tell a story or two.

Sunday, August 10, 2014

August 10, 2014; Adding Power

A Montana Rail Link switchman couples a helper to the rear of an eastbound freight for the shove over Bozeman Pass.

Saturday, August 9, 2014

August 9, 2014; Filling the Truck....One Kernel at a Time

Wheat is augured out of a combine and into an awaiting truck.

Friday, August 8, 2014

August 8, 2014: Helper Westbound

A Montana Rail Link helper set travels west to Bozeman for their next shove.

Thursday, August 7, 2014

August 7, 2014; Another Barn Bites the Dust

No room for cows when you are building rooms for people.

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

August 6, 2014; Grinding It Out

Throttle in the eight notch, the speedometer topped out at 11.  It's going to be a hard shove to the top.

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

August 5, 2014; Smoke Break

The engineer of a local grabs a smoke while waiting on a siding.

Monday, August 4, 2014

August 4, 2014; Close the Gate Behind You

The switchman on the MRL Harrison Local dutifully closes the cattle gate after this train has passed through.

Sunday, August 3, 2014

Saturday, August 2, 2014

August 2, 2014; "Thaaaat'll Do"

A trainman directs a gentle coupling of a helper set onto the pilot of a stalled train.

Friday, August 1, 2014

August 1, 2014: The Air We Breathe

Shafts of sunlight reveal the dusty atmosphere of a feed mill.