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My spots:
Sedalia Subdivision again but my favorite spot is Hermann,
Missouri. For those unfamiliar with the town it is located on the
southern bank of the Missouri River about 1.5 hours west of St. Louis
(much less if your riding with Dave). The town is a midwestern town
that reflects the strong German heritage of it immigrants. Rail traffic
is around 30-35 trains/day (guess), with a blend of mixed freight,
stack, and unit grain and coal trains. Amtrak sends four trains through
trough town as they shuttle back-n-forth between St. Louis and Kansas
City. Traffic is pretty evenly distributed throughout the day, with a
slight grouping early and late in the day as they work around Amtrak.
Since the town is built along side the river bluff there are several
places to gain elevation on your shots. The two best are the Rt. 19
bridge over the river and a pair of bluffs on the east side of town.
Because the track curves around the edge of the river there are numerous
angles where you can work the light to your advantage. The orange
cantilever signal bridge shot of mine was taken there last fall.
Besides trains it's noted for its wineries and historic German
celebrations in October and May. Since I have three boys the town is
such that they can fish or ride bikes while I'm off taking train
pictures.
If that gets boring you can always drive north towards I-70 (20
minutes) and scope out the NS track that runs between St. Louis and
Mexico Missouri.
Spot #2 Lake Pepin Area Lake Pepin is a wide spot on the Mississippi
River located between Winona and the the Twin Cities of Minnesota. The
CP Rail (ex Milw Road and Soo Line) run on the western bank of the
river, while the BNSF (ex BN/ex CB&Q) run on the Wisconsin side.
Because of the tracks meander along the river there are various curves
which can we be worked to your advantage though out the day. Staking
out the southern crossing near Nelson, WI and Wabash, MN (my usual
approach) allows you to jump back-n-forth to each track in less than ten
minutes (bring your scanners). There are lots of nice track by the
river shots between Wabash and Lake City that work well in the morning,
while the BNSF trackage works well in both the morning and the
afternoon. Traffic on the BNSF is around 25-35 trains per day (big
guess) and is CPR around 15-20 per day ( another big guess). Amtrak's
Empire Builder runs through the area on the MN side of the river in mid
morning (the lights still good if it isn't running too late). The only
disadvantage is you'll always hear the trains on the other side of the
river (Murphy's Law - Railfan Axiom).
The area has some of the best fall scenery in the upper midwest and
is an hours drive SW of Eau Claire Wisconsin. Other towns Alma, Pepin,
and Maiden Rock on the Wisconsin side; and Red Wing, Lake City, Wabash
(site of the filming of the movie Grumpy Old Men).
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