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@rod_rail

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"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. No one likes lemonade."

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Heading back up to the O&SCV this weekend for the CN 3023 shenanigans, figured it'd be appropriate to put up a throwback post from my last trip to the St. Croix Valley in 2023.

#greatnorthern #sdp40 #wisconsin #railroad taken in Osceola, Wisconsin by @rod_rail

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4 days ago

BNSF's just throwing anything on the DMO

#bnsfrailway #dash8 #iowa #train #railroad taken in Runnells, Iowa by @rod_rail

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18 days ago

Geen 💚

A former Burlington Northern SW1200 rests under dimly lit skies in Ida Grove, awaiting its next assignment. Other than a few fading patches, this unit looks no different than it did during its days in service under the BN.

#bnsf #burlingtonnorthern #sw1200 #idagrove #iowa #train #railroad taken in Ida Grove, Iowa by @rod_rail

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2 months ago

The caboose is gone, the depot is empty
The railroad's leaving town
And they're taking the tracks with them

A railroad town without the railroad
A history forgotten, the end of an era

#cliveiowa #iowainterstate taken in Clive, Iowa by @rod_rail

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2 months ago

Happy Independence Day to my fellow Americans, 250 years of defying the British.

This was the view from the fireman's seat of BSVY 8419 a few weekends back during Boone's first steam excursion of the season. Mounted on the smokebox was a couple of commemorative flags for America's 250th, one of which is shown here. Up ahead is BSVY 1648, the old Bondurant NW2 that was (somewhat) recently repainted into Milwaukee Road colors.

#bsvy #booneandscenicvalleyrailroad #bsvy8419 #steamtrain #steamlocomotive #milwaukeeroad #america250 #boone #iowa #train #railroad taken in Boone, Iowa by @rod_rail

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3 months ago

Another great day in the Des Moines River Valley.

BSVY 8419 crossing the high bridge 156 feet over Bass Point Creek in the gorgeous Des Moines River Valley.

#bsvy #booneandscenicvalleyrailroad #bsvy8419 #steamlocomotive #boone #iowa #train #railroad taken in Boone, Iowa by @rod_rail

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4 months ago

A brakeman's perspective

This photo was captured during a cab ride on a visit to the Heartland Co-Op facility in Avon Lake. After conferring with management earlier in the week, we were given access to the property to spectate a full day of switching operations with their pair of Canadian units. Exhibited here is their ex-CN SW1200 No. 7703, still sporting its distinctive centrifugal spark arrestors it received during its service under Canadian National.

In this scene, we've pulled down with just enough room before the end of the line to clear the switch, and are now shoving a sizeable cut of freshly loaded covered hoppers into the siding where they'll be added to the rest of the train.

5/21/2026 taken in Avon Lake, Iowa by @rod_rail

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4 months ago

Lemont Parking Garage Squad

Spent the early morning hours of Monday on top of a parking garage to capture some overhead panning shots of CBBI's flashy rear DPU. 4/21/2026

#iais #iowainterstate #rockisland #es44ac #iais513 #desmoines #iowa #train #railroad taken in Des Moines, Iowa by @rod_rail

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6 months ago

Embrace outright ridiculous aspect ratios in photography

Here's a 5:1 crop from yesterday's blade train chase across the IAIS Newton Subdivision

#iais #iowainterstate #bnsf #bnsfrailway #es44ac #c44_9w #colfax #iowa #train #railroad taken in Colfax, Iowa by @rod_rail

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7 months ago

In the midst of a brief snow flurry, Union Pacific MDMDM made its way north through Shipley towards Chicago Junction.

01/17/2026

#up #unionpacific #c44acm #shipley #iowa #train #railroad taken in Shipley, Iowa by @rod_rail

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8 months ago

Year in Review - November 2025

The CPKC Holiday Train on display during its Dubuque stop of the 2025 tour. Few were gathered at the front of the train while Smash Mouth performed on the boxcar stage.

Dubuque, IA 11/25/25

#cpkc #canadianpacific #gp20ceco #dubuque #iowa #train #railroad taken in Dubuque, Iowa by @rod_rail

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10 months ago

Year in Review - October 2025

A lone former Santa Fe "Warbonnet" C44-9W traverses the many tracks spanning BNSF Northtown Yard, as a Canadian Pacific manifest sneaks past off of their mainline.

Minneapolis, MN 10/28/25

#bnsf #santafe #c44dash9w #minneapolis #minnesota #train #railroad taken in Minneapolis, Minnesota by @rod_rail

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10 months ago