Western Railroad Discussion > Just two for Saturday around La Crosse WI

A few discussions back the topic was how bad the ex-ATSF C40-8Ws were beginning to look. Scabby, faded, burnt and rusty. The H-PASGAL had the #829 leading and imagine my surprise when I saw this! The #829 looked might nice against the morning sun! Next up was the H-NTWGAL, he cleared his warrant with the BNSF #981, I figured this would just another H1 GE, boy was I wrong! Another H3 locomotive. Was this unit involved in the wreck at Kismet CA a while back? The only other H1 C44-9W gone H3 is the #1065. Is this correct?

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BNSF 981 was involved in the Marysville, WA derailment. Nice catches.

- John

John Crisanti
Longmont, CO

nice shots saw the 827 a few weeks back had to take a nite shot.....

Wow, they actually didn't squawk at you for standing by the shanty next to the diamonds?
Things have changed since they put up the great chain link fence. I used to always go back be the diamonds and also many times parked under the Gillet overpass to stay out of the elements. You could still shoot in pouring rain from under there. Heck, I often used the bathrooms in the yard office, BS'd with many a crew and even got offered rides to Chicago and back. Made sure I went out there at least four times a year. Then the fence went up. I inquired about it and was told it isn't because of railfans. The railfans around here are great and we have got a chance to know many of you and enjoy being able to visit on occasion. They said it was more for the School kids with Logan being right there. The kids would walk or bike to the tracks and then step through or carry the bike over right at the road dead end, which as you know is by a set of power switches.
They where worried that without warning someone was going to get caught in a switch and loose a foot. Made complete sense actually. Funny though as I said earlier I used to always use the bathroom with NO problems...After the fence went up as soon as you pulled in the parking lot you had people watching you. NO way I would even consider shooting from the diamonds as uncomfortable as that was, and I always shot from them on southbounds pulling out. Now I've learned to shoot at different places along the highway between there and Prarie Du Chein going the way of "Artsy Fartsy" rather than close up roster type shots.

BNSFCSX