Hello everyone, I am new to this site, My interest are gettign into photography as I work in train service for BNSF northtown but live in hudson and was looking to get into maybe photographing the train but was wondering what the frequency of trains goign throug hudson and over the bridge are and if any ran on any type of schedual, I do not hear to many of them and glancing at the timebables appears to only be single track, I have never photographed trains before but previously was an engineer on cargo ships which i did a lot of photography so i figured id give trains a shot as i see some nice pictures while working but never have my camera,
thanks for the help,
~Billy

I am totaly useless at answering your question, but Welcome you'll find lots of good info. the only one I can guarantee is the Triple Crown road railer out of the Midway yard, always has NS power. they go through there I thought in the evenings.

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A BNSF fan by default.

thanks braham fireman!, Ive always wondered where that thing went, I have seen it a lot when working the midway jobs and thought it was the oddest looking thing in the world.

welcome

Welcome to the site. As for the RoadRailer trains, usually they arrive at East Mpls around 0830-0900 and leave the same evening. That was back in the fall but the schedule has stayed pretty much the same for quite some time... And as far as I know the local still switches the (sparse) local industries in the late evening... Other than that it is a handful of mixed trains daily I believe.

Need the KNOW on the Altoona Sub. just ask me, I have been studying the line for years. As for your question, the train count is about 4-5 trains a day give or take a few. On weekdays, I've noticed they come by about 10:30AM, 4:30PM, 10:30PM, and 1 or 2 between 2:00 and 3:30AM. These include, 1 or 2 coal trains, 1 Roadrailer, and a few manifests. The coal and Roadrailers are pulled by GEs (the Roadrailers usually have Norfork Southern units). The manifests usually have about 4 or 5 SD40-?s, the grades are steep.The coal trains pull past the switch at the bridge on the MN side, and then back up down the line to Bayport. Thats operations on the Minnesota side of the Altoona Sub.

P.S. Welcome to the group.

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Taylor P.
Lake Elmo, MN
Route of the "400"

my train pictures.

Thanks! I ventured down there today for a walk by the bridge with the fiance after my union meeting today around 3:00ish didnt see nothin but definatly scoping out some possible spots,

You'll be better off checking in the morning, there was a manifest waiting to get through Westminister this morning around 7, I see it there quite often and sometimes there is a second manifest train waiting further back. I would suspect that these cross from Hudson fairly early in the AM and would be against the sun for any good shots on the swing bridge.

I also used to see MNNR heading to Bayport on Wednesaday mornings early but haven't seen that in a while.

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MyPhoto's
More of myPhoto's

I'm a bit late on this but welcome to the forums Billy! It's been fun communicating with you thus far.

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John Fladung
Saint Paul, MN

I lived in Hudson for just under a year, and still work downtown. It's a tough town for railroad photography, as far as I can tell... train frequency is low and the tendency is to run against the sun.

If you're able to get out onto the islands/sandbars in the St. Croix off of the old pier, there's a really, really nice shot to be had - I've only been out there once (walked out on the ice), but foolishly didn't bring my camera along.

If you shoot from the base of the pier, there's a shot like this: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ottergoose/3282219910/

There's also a park that overlooks the valley right above downtown - I don't recall the name of it off of the top of my head, but it's worth visiting.

A cool trick during the spring/summer/fall is to listen to the scanner (UP's road channel is AAR 52), and the marine bands (marine channels 14 and 16, I think). you'll hear conversations between the swing bridge tender and the trains / boats. Trains will verify that the bridge is closed, and the folks on the river will ask why the bridge is closed/closing. If you were really slick, you could probably even get a radio that'll broadcast on the marine frequency and ask the bridge tender what's up yourself.

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Nick Benson | | |

awesome sounds good! when the weather stops raining i will try to make a venture out there to see whats up, been pretty silent though lately it seems, hopefully rail traffic increases this summer.