Fall 2013 Trip - 5

Hi, We spent a third day in Sioux Falls, this time photographing the Ellis and Eastern, another hauler of aggregate, with a few BNSF opportunities thrown in.  We learned that one crew was working on the west end of town with two switch engines and another crew was headed for a quarry at the east end of the line with the two road locomotives (they have 4 units).  We elected to go to the west end of town as that train would be would facing east.

It did not take long to find the crew switching.  The low sun provided an opportunity for glint shots.

They had a number of customers in an industrial park.

After they were done with switching in the industrial park they headed downtown to drop some cars for BNSF.

The sun was still low so another glint shot was gotten.

While the Ellis and Eastern switched we found a BNSF local switching.  We got coming and

going photographs when they finished and headed downtown.

The Ellis and Eastern came into view as it switched the area.

The photo above and the three following were taken from the back of the local transit bus garage.

We got to talking to a local railfan who was just hanging out on a coffee break and learned that a BNSF empty ethanol train was waiting to come into town with a lone CSX unit.

After finishing up in town we drove east along the Ellis and Eastern looking for photo locations.  The above view is along East Rice Street.  The plant in the background is not rail served.

The train arrived at its destination, ran around its cars, and began to switch.  As the power was now on the west end of the train and it was mid morning we elected to look for the other train with road power.  We had good maps and found the road train easily.

On the way we stopped for a few minutes to photograph a BNSF train sitting at a grade crossing.  The Ellis and Eastern runs a few miles on BNSF trackage rights from a quarry to a point about a mile east of where the switchers were working.  At that point the road train got on its own trackage.

We caught the road train as it exited the quarry.  The switch is on the other side of the grade crossing.

Our second location was just west of the grade crossing where we had photographed the BNSF train.  Note: this is good track and the road train is fast.  However, we beat it here easily.

The road train pulled up into an inaccessible area and waited while the switchers worked.

This photo and the next 3 were taken at N. Richard Place off East Rice Street.

After the switchers finished the road train began to unload.  We got a few images and left.

Our final photograph was of a BNSF ethanol train downtown.  We then left so we could cover some of the distance toward our next objective, the Iowa Northern at Manly.  On the way we saw this train again in Canton.  Thanks for looking.