Brushing The North Shore Scenic

On Monday, August 18, 2014, a group of motorcar (speeder) enthusiasts gathered in Duluth to brush the North Shore Scenic Railroad.  Trees and brush were crowding the right-of-way, reducing visibility and hitting the train as it passed by.  A group of 11 men was organized but with a weather prediction of 90% rain and thunderstorms, four people didn't chance the weather considering the long distances they had to drive.  The previous night experienced hard thunderstorms but the rain stopped by 7 AM when we gathered to begin our adventure!!!  Also helping us was NSS brakeman John Peterson until he had to leave and run trains for the day.  This group cut a LOT of brush during the day and when I start my A-1 Tree Service, I am hiring them!!  Here is Bill Ash from northwest Minnesota with his speeder.  Joe Lewis of Bloomer rode with Bill for the day.

Fred Hoeser of Durand, WI brought his spiffy GB&W car.

Brothers Kyle and Paul Johnson of Eau Claire, WI brought their CNW putt-putt which has a turntable to turn it!

Here are Kyle and Paul cutting brush along the run-around track at Lakeside.

We took time to have a delicious breakfast at the New London Cafe at Lakeside.  I heartily recommend their omelets and hashbrowns, some of the best I have ever had.  At the Lester River bridge we cut some brush.  Apparently these "brushers" can't read!!

After we got north of Highway 61, there were stretches where we didn't have to do much brushing so we could speed along!!

The North Shore Scenic Railroad crosses several small rivers which are a long way down.  Here are a few of them.

Nearing Palmer's, the group cuts brush just before the Little Sucker River.

This neat bridge is over old Highway 61 near Knife River and advertises the railroad.

The group pauses on the Knife River bridge.  Left to right, Fred Hoeser, Kyle Johnson, Paul Johnson, Bill Ash, and Joe Lewis.

From the Knife River bridge, looking towards Lake Superior.

And looking upriver.

Ken Buehler, General Manager of the NSS, offered us a free meal at Emily's.  This picture was taken from the Knife River Bridge.

We all enjoyed a walleye meal and it sure hit the spot.  Thanks, Mr. Buehler and the NSS!!!

The speeders wait to be turned around and head back.  We had cut a lot of brush, it was getting late, and more thunderstorms were predicted!!!  It was time to "speed" back on the speeders.

Waiting to cross busy Highway 61.

And crossing Highway 61.

Paul and Kyle load up their motorcar.

AND--just when we finished loading all the speeders, the rain started.  Great timing and a great day of speeder riding and brush cutting.

Fred Hoeser and I stayed overnight in Duluth on Monday night.  After another night of storms, the rain let up and on Tuesday morning we took a speeder ride on the Lake Superior & Mississippi Railroad and cut a bunch of brush.  A speeder group had brushed this line earlier in the summer but again foliage was causing interference with operations.  Before we headed out, we had breakfast at the Duluth Grille.  I had a smoked salmon omelet and Fred had a wild duck omelet.  Very delicious!!  We set on at the Munger Boat Landing.

A few shots on our ride.

A CN train was on the Oliver Bridge, which we will go under.

The end of the LS&M track.  The engine runs around its cars on the track at the right and pulls the train back to the depot.

There has been lots of rain in Duluth the last couple of days and with the red clay base, the water does not drain well!

Heading back.

We saw deer, eagles, partridge, and this cormorant along the line.

And would you believe, just as we finished loading Fred's speeder onto his trailer, the skies let loose!!

A fun 2 days in Duluth!!!






 

Thomas The Tank

Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be "driving" Thomas The Tank Engine.  I've hardly even seen it on TV.  But when I was asked by the North Shore Scenic Railroad in Duluth to run Thomas for a day, I thought it would be a fun and new adventure.

The previous day they had 4,138 people ride Thomas and take part in "Day Out With Thomas."  There are all sorts of activities for kids (and opportunities for the parents and grandparents to buy memorabilia).

Thomas is not powered.  He is shoved and pulled by a regular engine at the end of the train.  My job was to animate Thomas with smoke and talk and have the mouth move.  AND--Blow the whistle.  They wanted lots of whistle blowing and it is a LOUD SHRILL whistle and my ears are still ringing!  And I tell the engineer when to go, where to stop, and watch the track when he shoves us around.

And, here's Thomas!!!  (Arlyn is the one looking out the engine window).

 Here's some pix as we shove back into the depot area:

Everyone wants their picture taken with Thomas (and me!!!)  There was a professional photographer so people could buy pictures or take their own.  I must have waved to thousands of kids (and parents).

Kids were really fascinated with Thomas as his mouth moved and he "talked."

 

We made 8 trips and I didn't hear how many passengers we carried but it was in the thousands.  Here we had to wait for the Two Harbors train to finish loading and shove out before we could unload our kids (big and little!!)

 

It was a fun day.  But, there is no seat in the engine and I stood for 9 hours straight!!! 

PGR Cab Ride 2014

On July 30, 2014, I had the opportunity to take a train ride on Progressive Rail from Northfield to Lakeville, MN and back.  Accompanying me was friend Rod Peters.  Rod had recently accepted a job as a train crew member with the Union Pacific Railroad and this was his last free week.  Here is Progressive's office in Northfield:

Here is Rod, posing in front of our power for the train.  Our train will be powered by three GP38-3s, this engine being built in 1965 and has 2000 horsepower.

Progressive Rail interchanges with the Union Pacific and the Canadian Pacific at Northfield.  Only CP delivered cars the previous night and their train was left on the siding for another crew to take back north.  That crew would arrive about 3 PM.

There is a new grain loading facility in Randolph which loads unit trains.  A loaded train was sitting on the track to Randolph so we can't make a trip to Randolph or Cannon Falls today.  That train has been sitting there for four days, waiting for additional UP power.  That power would arrive today so hopefully the unit train will be gone shortly.
With only CP delivering cars, our train crew deftly made up our train in less than an hour.  Cars are blocked for industries in Lakeville so they can quickly be switched into industries there by the Lakeville crew.
Looking north as we switch:

As we switch, Progressive's section crew changes ties on the lead to the large Malt-O-Meal plant which makes cereal.  As I understand, this was the original Minneapolis, Northfield & Southern mainline track to Lakeville.  When the Soo Line took over the MN&S, they didn't want to maintain the highway crossings so for about a quarter of a mile, they access the UP/CP mainline before returning to home rails.

And this is the TITAN trackmobile used by Malt-O-Meal crews:

We will be taking these 3 carloads of pipe to Lakeville:

Looking north from the south end of the yard as we switch:

Our train is about ready to go:

 

We get our Track Warrant for the mainline and head out.  The track to the left of the mainline is the lead track for our switching:

Out on the main line.  This City of Northfield truck had just pulled ahead a little.  He was sitting dangerously close to the crossing.

We pass by the Northfield depot.  A group is trying to save the building and is raising funds for moving it and restoration.

Looking back, we see some of our 31 cars on this train:

Here is the switch to the track to Randolph and Cannon Falls:

This is the switch to the connection track from the main line to the old MN&S main track.  PGR's conductor travels in a truck and throws the switches.

It's a climb up the hill but our 6,000 horses have no trouble dragging the train up the incline.

Come along for a neat train ride through the Minnesota countryside on a beautiful late summer day:

Pretty soon Rod will be sitting in this position on the Union Pacific!!

We get to Lakeville but we can't get into the yard just yet as the Lakeville crew is finishing their switching and making up our train for the return trip.  So we sit south of the yard at a town road.

The switcher is waiting for us.  After we pull by him, he will grab the tail end cars and quickly start spotting the industries.

The switcher is already spotting cars as we back in more cars.

Here are the attractive PGR offices with outside displays including an MN&S boxcar and a caboose.

Our train is made up and almost ready to go.

One of the hazards of summer railroading is bees.  Here we find a swarm in the switchstand!!

We'll pull forward, grab these flats, do the air test, and head south.

Our lead unit for the trip back to Northfield is GP38-3 #3800 and fresh out of the paint shop.  It also has air conditioning!!

Thank you to PGR owner Dave Fellon and crew members Brandon and Tony for a great day of railroading!!