A matched set of BNSF veterans cruise west through railfan country in northern Minnesota.

A high priority zippers flies through central Minnesota as the conductor copies a track warrant for the trip east.

Just a bit after sunrise, a loaded unit coke train kicks out a lot of heat as it climbs out of the river valley.

A single Warbonnet leads a baretable train across the verdant Minnesota countryside east of Hawley.

A pair of GEs are working hard eastbound out of the Red River Valley with a manifest train.

After waiting for traffic to clear, a welded rail train heads down main one to begin its day of work.

Coal loads from the powder river basin kick out all kinds of heat as they head east through Hawley.

Another train of empties bound for the Powder River Basin rolls across Minnesota on the BNSF.

Three types of BNSF coal power is used for this empty train as it rounds a sweeping curve just west of Lake Park. The paint on that GEVO isn't fairing too well. The end of the train can be seen ... (more)

A westbound manifest coasts down the grade toward Dilworth Yard.

A faded 70MAC is in charge of coal empties from Becker, MN that were pulled from the yard in Staples.

The sun makes an appearance in Hawley as coal empties from Xcel Energy cruise west.

Each of BNSF's primary coal hauling locomotives is represented in the consist of this westbound empty coal train seen between Lake Park and Hawley, MN.

After a brief stop in Hawley, we headed home in the last light of the day, having seen nearly 10 trains in a span of just a few hours. But before we could say goodbye to this great railfanning ho... (more)

Straight from the factory in Erie, PA, a trio of brand new BNSF units head west with ethanol empties for Dilworth.