Yesterday was probably one of the most busiest days I have seen at University Ave in a long time. Heres what I saw during a three hour time frame (not in any order):

*A CP westbound freight with two UP locomotives, a SD70M and a ES44AC.

*CP train 198 with a single CEFX AC4400CW

*CN transfer with a CN SD40-2W, a IC SD40-2, and a GCFX leasing SD40-3 (This train had to back all the up to New Brighton because the Northtown yard was full, only to come back on the "highline".)

*BNSF train H-CSXPAS with a BNSF C44-9W and a BNSF SD40-2

*Another CP train with 2 AC4400s

*A BNSF snow jet passed by on Pioneer 4 (thats the name of the track the NSP coal trains park on)

*Another CP train with a single SOO SD60 pulling empty molten sulfur tank cars.

*BNSF train M-NTWWIL with 8 engines, with the most interesting ones being a BNSF SD70MAC, a NS unit, a NREX gray SD40-2 w/o dynamic brakes, and SD60 still in CNW paint with NREX reporting marks

*BNSF train M-NTWMEM with a BNSF SD40-2 and a NS C40-9W

*An unknown BNSF train with a BNSF C44-9W, an old UP SD60 or 50 with NREX reporting marks, and an unpatched SP AC4400

*BNSF train U-SEMBIR with a BNSF C44-9W and a BNSF SD40-2 on the front and a BNSF C44-9W on the back

*BNSF train U-BIRSEM with 3 BNSF C44-9Ws

*4 light BNSF engines (1 SD60M, 1 SD75M, and 2 SD70MACs). These engines ran to Union yard to pick up 25 empty NSP cars, and came back later to make up a unit train of NSP cars from the Grove yard.

*Another NSP train was at Union Yard, with 1 SD70MAC and 2 SD75Ms. I think this train came from the King power plant at Bayport.

*And finally, a CP train with 2 SOO SD60s that had at least a dozen or so WSOR boxcars on it, with one of them showing something about Kellogs cereal.

There was also a UP transfer, a BNSF baretable train, and BNSF train Q-TACKCM that I didn't see aswell. So in the end, it was a great way to end the year

Steve

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The railfan side

My pictures

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The railfan side

My pictures

Where are you spotting to see all of this? On a bridge or off to a specific side?

MIKE

At the station sign University. To get there take University Ave, cross over the south end of the Northtown yard, then take the first left. There should be a company called Bemistape and a BP station at that intersection. If you take the road to the left, it gets you down to a dirt parking area. Sometimes it open, but NSP coal trains block the view on certain days.

Hope this helps!
Steve

Pioneer 4 is one of two sidings that ran to the old Pioneer Grain mill and the only reminet left, if you go behind the building up near the Uni bridge you can see part of the other siding and I think the old switch is still there.

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Milwaukee Road Matt

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Milwaukee Road Matt