Two classics meet north of Minot.

Although it's been a while since sunrise, the cool air still made for a good plume as 2816 rolls down the grade out of Anamoose.

2816 climbs the grade from the Sheyenne River after passing under BNSF's massive viaduct.

2816 rolls southeastward across the prairie at Milestone, Saskatchewan on it's last day in Canada for a few montths.

2816 crosses the Mississippi River on the short run from Humboldt Yard to St. Paul Union Station for display.

2816 gets underway at Minot on the 320-mile run to Glenwood, MN that will involve by my count six meets with oncoming trains and four maintenance stops, making for more than a full day.

The Final Spike Tour has started and Day One is about to wrap up with the train between Medicine Hat and Dunmore. Interesting set up between yards here plus the landscape is an escape from the ot... (more)

Sitting out the festivities in 2024. It once served as back-up power for #2816 as well as making a complete A-B-A set for the Royal Canadian Pacific sets. With the merger, CPKC now has a rather ... (more)

2816 sweeps through Valley City on the long climb up the grade. In the background, the Hi-Line trestle is visible, taking BNSF trains over the city. The climb up this hill was challenging, for som... (more)

After a meet with 445, 2816 continues east through the North Dakota countryside near Velva. There's plenty of old codeline still to be found on this portion of the ex SOO main.

CP 2816 heads east out of Minot on the morning of May Day, continuing its long journey down to Mexico City. The long drive from near the twin cities to Minot had paid off, with a perfect morning h... (more)

The days are getting shorter however the sun still rises early as CP 8823 emerges from the shadows into brilliant morning sunshine approaching Trenton.

Golden Hour Empress The much-awaited return of steam to North Dakota was met with a phenomenal show from the whole CPKC crew. At golden hour, the CP Empress steam locomotive... (more)

Impressed by the Empress. The Final Spike Tour: Day One has passed thru Medicine Hat and is going towards the yard in Dunmore for the night. The Hydrogen unit #1001 will be pulled off the consis... (more)

The pre-Final Spike Tour prep. My last visit to this exact spot was in 2013, as the former Ogden Shops were being transformed into the Ogden Campus. This very same unit, #1401 was sitting right ... (more)