East of Tolono NS 8100 leads the last 256 across the Illinois farm fields and will soon be coming to a stop to meet the second to last 255.

Tags:   NS 8100 Norfolk Southern CO 800 county road Tolono IL Illinois GE ES44AC Triple Crown railer railroad railway train corn 256

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For decades, photographers, railfans, and travelers alike have been drawn to milepost 113 of Canadian Pacific’s Laggan Subdivision. Better known as “Morant’s Curve”, this legendary location in the Canadian Rockies owes its fame to the countless, iconic images captured here by C.P.R. staff photographer Nicholas Morant.

Since moving to Calgary earlier in the year, I’ve had several opportunities to visit this stunning vista, where the railway gracefully follows the Bow River Valley, framed by the majestic Bow Range. After CP’s takeover of KCS, and the subsequent formation of CPKC on April 14, 2023, I’ve been eager to capture a photograph that reflects the essence of the new railway at this esteemed location — a modern homage to the timeless work of Nicholas Morant.

Yesterday, during a family holiday to Banff, some fresh snowfall and a stroke of luck gave me the opportunity I’d been waiting for. Hearing that CP 7433, one of CPKC’s brand-new Tier 4 locomotives, was leading an eastbound intermodal train, I set out to capture the shot I’d been envisioning.

Here, Vancouver-to-Montreal hotshot no. 112 snakes through the pristine, snow-covered landscape, led by CP 7433 less than five weeks after entering service, offering a contemporary glimpse of CPKC at this celebrated location. In the background, the peaks (from left to right) are Mount Aberdeen (10,350 ft.), Saddle Mountain (7,993 ft.), Fairview Mountain (9,011 ft.), Mount Whyte (9,786 ft.), and Mount Niblock (9,764 ft.), towering above the valley of Lake Louise.

Interestingly, this marks the third time I’ve captured CP 7433 leading train 112 over the Laggan Subdivision in just three weeks. However, with 7433 as the sole leader, a clean consist of graffiti-free cars, and bright-red CP containers behind the head end, this train was the perfect subject to bring my vision to life.

As we welcome 2025, I’m eager to see what new photography opportunities lie ahead, especially after such a memorable 2024. Wishing all my friends, followers, and fellow photographers a safe and Happy New Year!

Tags:   CPKC CPKC Laggan Subdivision Morant's Curve Banff National Park Lake Louise Rockies Rocky Mountains Bow River CP 7433 CP 112 Tier 4 GE ET44AC Canadian Pacific Railroad Railfan Railway Railroading Train Trains Transportation Freight Train Locomotive Scenic Scenery Alberta Canada Canadian Winter Snow Forest Snowy Moody

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The calm waters of Crew Lake create a beautiful reflection of KCS 1, 3 and 2 as they lead the CPKC Holiday Express east for an event in Jackson, Mississippi.

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The Kansas City Southern Business train is passing by one of the many soybean fields in extreme Southwest Missouri on its southbound run from Kansas City back to it's home base of Shreveport Louisiana. Running as CPKC train D40B-13 the classy looking train with it's Southern Belle painted EMD FP9s leading the way is southbound on CPKC's Pittsburg Subdivision at Burgess Missouri. The combination of the golden color of the soybeans nearing the time of harvest mixed with the color from the Southern Belle FP9s was a nice combination and one I hoped I could capture at some point on the chase this particular day.

Tags:   Kansas City Southern KCS Business Passenger Train 1 CPKC D40B Burgess Missouri Pittsburg Subdivision Soybeans EMD FP9 Belle

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Led by a pair of Illinois Central SD70 Death Stars, Canadian National Train A408 sprints south passing through Neoga Illinois on the ex Illinois Central's Mainline of Mid-America. The train from will soon arrive at Effingham and work the yard in Effingham before continuing south toward the train's final destination of Centralia Illinois.

Tags:   Illinois Central IC SD70 Deathstar Neoga IL A408 Freight Train Trains EMD Mainline Mid-America

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