St.Paul, MN, 07-26-2001
These pictures were taken from the Raymond Avenue bridge across Minnesota Commercial's yard, late in the morning, around 11 am.
Looking West, ahead is the single track CTC connecting MNNR's Yard, BNSF's intermodal facility at Midway, UP's small yard Kasota Avenue, the connection to the old NP mainline at Park Junction. Any train coming across the river at Nicollet Isand and turning East MUST pass through the single track here, which is the reason for this 4-train meeting. The events, as they unfolded:
Wb BNSF coal empty stopped at the signals first.
Wb BNSF intermodal, leaving Midway, arrived next.
Eb BNSF intermodal waiting on the other side of the single-track stretch.
Nothing for about 10 minutes, everyone is waiting for:
Eb TCW transfer to MNNR to arrive.
The TCW train comes in from Hopkins across the afore mentioned Mississippi River bridges at Nicollet Island, turning East at Minneapolis Junction (that's where MILW 261 lives). Only after that train clears, the coal-empty can leave because it leaves the Cities the way the TCW came in. This finally freed up the waiting track of the coal-empty, so that the eb intermodal could enter Midway. And here I ran out of film. Oh well...
The lead units of the wb coal-empty. Forgot to write down the # of the 3rd unit (SD70MAC as well).
Lead units of the eb intermodal. Again, no # for the 3rd unit (green SD40-2), and it looked like it died
or was isolated by the crew on purpose. Both conductor and engineer were all over the three locos.
TCW 2001 was named 'Ken P. Shoemaker', after their chairman who just retired from the board.
