Rail roads and their tracks.

[MossRoad]

The CN Holiday Train came through Elkhart on Nov. 25 at 3:40AM.

View attachment 834683

We've tried to see it a few times, as it goes just a couple blocks from our home. However, it's about impossible to get an accurate time and wife and kids do not want to wait in car at X-O'clock in the morning.

Interesting that the CN Christmas train runs on NS tracks. Wonder why? CN has tracks from Detroit to Chicago.

 

[ArlyA]

This is powder basin coal heading south and east. I lived SE of where this film was made on a double ribbon main line. The uni-body coal cars I worked on back then which was a new design at that time I never see, so I'd guess that design flailed.

 

[Hay Dude]

Coal trains? How gross lol

Little more on the “local” side. Caught this East Penn photo on Monday while loading hay.

 

[bcp]

This is powder basin coal heading south and east. I lived SE of where this film was made on a double ribbon main line. The uni-body coal cars I worked on back then which was a new design at that time I never see, so I'd guess that design flailed.

Bruce

 

[ArlyA]

The orange of the Bessemer trio complements the pre-dawn color on the horizon as the Joe Block loads UTAC* production for Indiana Harbor Thursday morning. Duluth, MN - November 30, 2023
*United Taconite. The United Taconite mine is located on Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range in and around the city of Eveleth, Minnesota

 

[ArlyA]

Some new pellet cars have arrived on the Lakes North for evaluation by mechanical, and testing on the docks. It has been a minute since I have hooked my eyes on ore cars this fresh. Duluth MN.

 

[California]

What triggers the doors on those?

 

[Cub 7274]

I think they are air dumps 2 sets of hosebags

 

[BravoXray]

The orange of the Bessemer trio complements the pre-dawn color on the horizon as the Joe Block loads UTAC* production for Indiana Harbor Thursday morning. Duluth, MN - November 30, 2023
*United Taconite. The United Taconite mine is located on Minnesota's Mesabi Iron Range in and around the city of Eveleth, Minnesota
View attachment 834950

Those locomotives are rather rare (now) SD40T-3 "Tunnel Motors."
The air inlets for the cooling fans on the aft end are located just above the walkway instead of just below the top of the carbody.
The were originally built for Souther Pacific, Cotton Belt and Rio Grande to solve a cooling problem when the locomotives went through long snow sheds built over the tracks in areas of high snow accumulation and long tunnels. They were built in SD45T-2 and SD40T-2 models and some were later rebuilt as -3 models.

EMD "Tunnel Motors" (Locomotives): SD45T-2 and SD40T-2

 

[bcp]

I've wondered why that special cooling design was needed then, but not now.

Bruce