empty coal buckets hustle west for a reload

It's a hot August afternoon as a single fire damaged Dash 9 leads a string of Bakken oil empties westward past a dead eastbound and between the signals at CP 20 in Mapleton.

A pair of run-through motors and a single burned up Dash 9 lead a westbound string of reverse Oreos into Mapleton, about to cross over to the wrong main and pass two eastbounds fresh off of the Su... (more)

Bakken oil empties run wrong main westward past CP 20 at Mapleton on their way to the Jamestown Sub.

Fresh off of the West Fargo connector track, a string of coal empties roars westward through Mapleton on the former NP main.

Well, this wasn't exactly what I would expect to be leading the first train of the day, but I'll definitely take it! A real throwback consist leads a mixed freight eastward toward Fargo shortly af... (more)

A 4-pack of GEs led by a brand new C4 races an intermodal train westward across the northern plains.

A recently delivered CSX Gevo and a cruddy warbonnet roll westward from Fargo with empty oil cans for the Bakken.

The sun is starting to burn off the fog as BNSF keeps running eastbounds toward Fargo. This manifest emerges from a fog bank and passes some nicely frosted trees just west of Mapleton.

Fall colors are beginning to show a bit early in eastern North Dakota as a manifest freight heads westward from Fargo behind a nice mix of modern power.

An SD70ACe leads coal loads just east of the small town of Mapleton, ND. It won't be long and they'll be crossing the Red River, entering Minnesota, and rolling to a stop for a crew change in Dil... (more)

It's just after sunrise and a westbound Z train races away from some dark clouds as it flies across the tangent track between Fargo and Casselton. There, it will take the switch for the Surrey Cu... (more)

A coal empty races westward out of Fargo on a hot, muggy evening. Traffic was very sparse and stack trains were being detoured via Willmar due to a grain train derailment in Fridley, MN, earlier i... (more)

Three GEs in varying paint schemes lead an intermodal train westward near Mapleton in the last light of the day.

Clay Boswell coal loads charge eastward toward Fargo with an early SD70ACe staring into the sunset on the rear.