I live in Minot, ND, the heart of grain operations for any railroad: the Bread Bowl What I would like to know is who's from around here, MN, SD, MT, WY, etc.? I love to watch BNSF, and we have plenty of railfanning oportunities: yards, and mainline action. I have just now begun to take pics of the action, too.
I'm not from ND, but have been there plenty of times. In fact, I'm planing to go there in October to visit some relatives. My father was born and raised near Lakota, so I see plenty of old BN action when I go up there. I remember my dad saying the US 2 bridge over the BNSF in Petersburg being like a mountain compared with all the flat land around! Eric
No joke, sometimes the land is flatter than 3-week-old roadkill on Interstate 94 thru Chicago! Where you at now? I am originally from the land of Big Blue, and CSX: NE Ohio.
I'm from Rock Island, aka the Quad Cities, by way of Chicago. Moved about five years ago and haven't regreted anything. You'd be amazed what can get you t'ed off when there's 7 million people cramed into an area like that! How the hell did you wind up in ND? Never heard of people moving TO North Dakota! LOL! I'm looking forward to visiting up there. Know some good spots to fan? I'm sure I'll be seeing plenty of BNSF. Hopefully I'll get some time to see the RRV&W. Eric
Four words: United States Air Force. I like to visit Gavin Yard, east of here, and there are plenty of overpasses ove the double-track mainline. I have seen plenty of action here: BIG GE's, SD40-2's, Amtrak Genesis/EMD F59PH(?) and Superliners on the Empire Builder. Soo/CP goes thru town, also. Interchange with BNSF/Soo right at train station!
Sorry to hear that! I think I'm only going to get as far west as Rugby. Maybe go up to the International Peace Garden. It's been about 8-9 years since I last visited, so I'm actually looking forwardto going there. I just hope it doesn't snow in the middle of October like it did last time! Eric
I'm not: if it wasn't for Uncle Sam sending me to this forbidding wasteland, I'd not have met my wife!!! Rugby? Why not Minot? It's only about 90 min- 2 hrs from Rugby. Bigger town, and more action on the rails!
It's kind of like doing what I want vs. doing what I have to do. I definately have to visit all my relatives first and foremost. After that, anything else will be squeezed into whatever time is left each day. Hopefully I don't have to visit fourth cousins five times removed from my great grandparents' sister! Still a long time away, so I'll figure out some sort of plan. Hee! Hee! Hee! Eric
From the Home of the Pacifics! Milwaukee, WI CP and UP have tracks all over, and there's lots of action! [ 19 February 2001: Message edited by: CPRailfan ]
Cool, if you can, but no biggie if you can't venture this far west. I got a nice photo of a westbound freight, crossing that long singletrack steel trestle west of Minot, ND yesterday. I hope it comes out nice!!!!! We have a CPR line *main or not* going thru town, too. I saw 2 older CP Geeps last night, too, switching grain empties.
How far west is Minot from Devils Lake? I can hear my wife now "Ahh, hon, where are we going?" and "We didn't come up here to look at trains." It isn't anything I haven't heard before and I've pretty much learned to "ignore" her by now. I just hope she doesn't see this! I don't need a new a** ripped in me! Eric
