Western Railroad Discussion > CP in ND with Bonus Coverage

With multiple days of rain and gray gloom in the forecast, I decided to get in some rain fanning yesterday afternoon. However the BNSF was not cooperating with trains so I headed to the CP Carrington Sub. Bismarck to Carrington is 2 hours so I was hoping for some action. After a pit stop at Casey's General Store (yest they're up here too), I headed west on US 52 from Carrington. The CP goes fairly straight from Carrington to Fessenden while US 52 makes sections lines. Thus following the CP Carrington Sub means zig-zagging on county roads.

My first catch was a trio of BNSF pumpkins, surely the power for a unit grain train. It's harvest time around here for the spring wheat.While the CP is the big dog around here, the Red River Valley and Western (RRVW) operates the former NP line from Jamestown to Carrington to New Rockford (and northward). It connects with the BNSF KO Sub in New Rockford and the BNSF Jamestown Sub in Jamestown. Thanks from coming along for the ride.

BB
1. RRVW 4104 is tied down at 66th Ave NE, just northwest of Carrington
2, Rule 6.28 - what is it?
3. Video begins crossing the RRVW on US 52 west (you can see the BNSF motors on the right), then turning right on 66th Ave NE

much more.....

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4. RRVW tracks head northward towards New Rockford
5. Working north and west, on county roads, I see the silhouettes of stacks - it's the CP 8506 east leading the 196 train
6. The mid-train DPU, CP 9738, with equal-opportunity grime

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7. Pipe loads, possibly headed for the Keystone XL Pipeline, carry the fred. In the distance, to the right, is a ripening sunflower field. Beyond that is the grain terminal seen in the video. I heard on the scanner that the 196 went into emergency about 20 miles southeast of Carrington
8. Nothing further as I worked north and west except lots of combines and grain trucks. So I called ahead to Rosa's Pizza in Fessenden for a togo order. Rosa is the mom of one of the pastors I work with in Bismarck. No need to rail fan on an empty stomach. The next train I saw was the CP 8858 east arriving at West Harvey. In this area the railroad and US 52 run pretty much straight west. I was hoping for a nice, golden sunset shot. But the thickening clouds to the west made that impossible.West of Drake, I headed west to follow the CP New Town Sub
9. Now, with the sun down and darkening skies, I stopped at the ND 41 crossing at East Ruso. These tracks carry a lot of tonnage - grain, crude oil from the Bakken, and frac sand

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10. As I turned back to my car, I noticed the moon at 60% fullness - thanks Jim for the app suggestion. Although slightly hidden by high cirrus clouds, it shined brightly
11. The Soo line engineers had to do a lot of maneuvering to route their tracks through the thousands of spring-fed lakes in this area of ND
12. Now completely dark, I shot the CP 2225 (trailing power) while the crew was at beans in the Max, ND depot
 

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Looks like you had a fun day Bill, railfanning many different areas.

Larry

bmarti7
> 2, Rule 6.28 - what is it?




6.28 Movement on Other than Main Track
Except when moving on a main track or on a track where a block system is in effect, trains or engines
must move at a speed that allows them to stop within half the range of vision short of:
• Train.
• Engine.
• Railroad car.
• Men or equipment fouling the track.
• Stop signal.
or
• Derail or switch lined improperly.
JC

Posted from Android

Thanks for sharing from an area we often  do not see.  Those CP units needing a bath are fairly common  in our parts...

Pat