Good Morning! Good morning from a place where it's 6:18am and 28F outside with a thick skiff of frost on everything that's not indoors.
MIA for awhile, not because anything is wrong. More like I was just not doing anything railroad related. Not modeling, not playing with a layout, and not taking rail photos. All those things are exactly what the forum is all about, so I feel I've got no business popping in if I'm not practicing what I preach.
I suppose I've entered into a wee bit of a depression, probably brought on by all the bullshit one has to wade through these days. For my own well-being, I retreated into the forest for awhile, and allowed all healing 'Nature' to do her work in making me come back to life.
Then, yesterday, I happened to be walking past the CN yard here in town. Low and behold, there was an oddly colored engine parked there. So out comes the camera from the safety of my vest pocket.
The thing about the local yard is, there are power poles everywhere. Engines are not parked with an artsy photograph in mind, so pictures are always going to have a pole or two in them.
CN 3934 was parked in an unusually horrific spot. She was crowded in by other engines and a fence line that wouldn't allow me to get good photos on the right side of the sun. Plus, there is always the poles strung with ugly wiring.
Here's a couple of shots of the engine parked:
I cannot reconcile that paint-job in my mind, but, I have not researched it either.
I observed to the east, that a line of railcars was left on the mainline tracks. So, I figured they were going to move that train sooner or later, and decided to hang around the area.
It didn't take long, about 1/2hr. Then they started to move; and I was taking photos all along.
Here's a couple of shots of the engines moving down to pick up the railcars, and then returning with the train:
In that 4th photo, the engines are bringing that long line of open hoppers to the local staging area, where they will drop off the cars. The engines will then pick up whatever loaded train is sitting in the staging yard, and begin the journey east to Edmonton.
This is first time I've seen that type of open hopper come into town. There were two types, both of which I took photos of as they moved past me.
I'm not sure what the plan is for those hoppers, but, they are definitely larger than what is usually brought in to carry gravel.
Well, there's my post for awhile. Can't say I will be coming in again any time soon. Think I'll grab the rifle and head out for a hunt. But, I'll be back, as soon as another interesting train comes by, or the snows come and I get to modeling again. That's going to happen sooner than later.
Everyone have a great day! And I really mean that.
Made my day, if not month! 
