Western Railroad Discussion > Hoping for a Rotary but getting a Wedgie Instead

After the blizzard of '19 last week, the BNSF Mobridge Sub had been shut down since Wednesday night and parallel US-12 as well. I had info that a work train crew had been called in Hettinger for 0700 Saturday. The highway was still showing "no travel advised (TNA)". Although technically not closed, that terminology in the Dakotas means: fool don't go! The TNA was lifted at 1000 so I decided to head south for my quest. I went from Mandan to McIntosh, SD. I chose McIntosh because US-12 closely follows the BNSF sub. To my delight, as I approached the state line, the scanner belched a warrant (I think "check box 6"), to the BNSF 4907 East, from MP 863 to 807 on the Mobridge Sub. As I headed eastward I still had to punch through drifts even though the highway had been plowed multiple times. There were even one-lane-only openings in some cuts.

Then I spotted the target ahead. As I caught up I could see the work train with a Jordan Spreader on the rear and.......a wedge plow on the point. A brief moment of disappointment (no rotary) quickly turned to seeing the opportunity to get some good snow-busting shots and in some sunshine! I chased to Mclaughlin where the train stopped to clean off some snow. After that the railroad and highway separate until Mobridge. I went ahead but didn't hear any more radio traffic. Also at Mobridge the skies had turned back to heavy clouds. So that ended my quest for this day. On the way back to Bismarck I had to punch through some big drifts. Ah....Spring in the Dakotas. Thanks for looking.

BB

1. On the way out of town I stopped by the west pumps of the Mandan Terminal. The BNSF 8326 West, loaded grain train, and the BNSF 6992 with the H-DILLAU, wait for departure to Glendive. Passing, on the left, the BNSF 7105 East with coal loads, instructed to proceed to the east pumps while looking ahead for a train departing which was the BNSF 8383 East, an empty grainer.
2. The BNSF work train 4907 East "posing" at 40 mph
3. Road Foreman (I believe) to Engineer: "Notch it up" for a big one ahead

 



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/17/19 19:22 by bmarti7.

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4. Hitting a deep drift
5. Into the deep
6. Into the deeper

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Nice catches.  I bet it is fun to watch a wedge bust through some high drifts.
Brian Stevens

7. Stopped in McLaughlin for cleaning - I'm sure cleaning the front porch to exit the cab is included in crew training
8. Posed for departure from Mclaughlin. As they departed, there was a grain train in the siding. The crew commented that the train would have to be "dug out" if the dispatcher wanted it moved in the near future.

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Nice set, Russell's are the best, love them.  Rotary is a slow mover, large expense. If it handle it the Russell can clear the drifts at track speed.  Did they  go back with the spreader the next day.

Bob

robj Wrote:
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> Nice set, Russell's are the best, love them. 
> Rotary is a slow mover, large expense. If it
> handle it the Russell can clear the drifts at
> track speed.  Did they  go back with the
> spreader the next day.
>
> Bob

Not sure - would be from Aberdeen westward TODAY.

BB

Wow, great series Bill! You caught it just right to see all the flying snow action. Nothing but a muddy swamp in the backyard with all the snow melting.

Larry

Looks like a pretty fancy-ass Jordan spreader bringing up the rear ... what's in that big housing?

CPR_4000 Wrote:
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> Looks like a pretty fancy-ass Jordan spreader
> bringing up the rear ... what's in that big
> housing?

Condo for the crew?

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A setup very similar to this worked the BNSF Laurel Sub about 3 weeks ago.  My cell phone picture shows a similar but different Harsco spreader on the rear and spreader #939525 leading.  Units #7063 and #6646 were providing the power.  Winter was tough east of Great Falls for a week to ten days. BNSF had what appeared to be two rescue units idling holding the siding at Stanford, MT.  Between the snow and cold it was a tough go between Mossmain and Great Falls. Trains were left sitting on the main in strange places.  I thought that one particular north bound train had picked a switch but later in the day two rescue units came out of Gt Falls. They shuffled power around with the 2 rescue units ending up as the DPU's on the train.  Don't know what the issue was. Maybe gelled fuel in the one original DPU?  A south bound freight pulled up to the west crossing in Geyser, Mt around 2 a.m. another day.  It was finally re crewed at 10 a.m. later that morning.  That train pulled into the siding at mm170 allowing a north bound to pass and also re crew at Geyser.  There was a week here with wind chills pushing -50 below and blowing snow throwing everything it had at the BNSF on the Laurel Sub. All appears normal now but it is obvious PSR has come to the sub.......kind of.

Excellent adventure  there Bill and glad that you made it safely  both ways  over the road.   Great seeing these images!!!  Thanks for sharing..

Pat

Great series Bill! Glad you're safe...

James Nelson
Thornton, CO
www.flickr.com/mojaveflyer

Great series of Winter captures!
GK

WOW...#3 Super, all good...Steve

I remember the year that the BNSF had a few of their rotaries down for repairs when they got caught with one of these storms and they hired us to come up and plow that line from Forsythe to Aberdeen and we took the UP 900082 up there. Some of the drifts were 15 feet deep that time and we had to plow slow through of the line. We plowed around the clock, Steve and I taking 10 hour shifts. When we got to Aberdeen in the dark I was operating and noticed that they had the old ATSF plow from Topeka in their roundhouse. They said it developed truck bearing issues on the trip up. Also when we got in the clear to get ready to head back west a couple of coal trains came to town to supply their power plant which supposedly was down to about one day of slack coal left.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Nice coverage, and a well-deserved IOTD!

Congrats on the IOTD Bill!

Larry

Nice find!!  Last time I heard of someone getting a wedgie was my classmate Tommy back when we were in 7th grade (damn 8th graders)!!!

All joking aside - very nice!  

Great pics Bill and Congrats on IOTD did you get any video?

Ed