Grand Trunk Western (GTW) 6221 - EMD GP38-2

After the morning L518 Biron mill run, the crew (or another, perhaps the L558 Necedah turn) performed other work with this unit throughout the day while I was chasing L581 to Wausau and back.

This gives the Tier 4 GEVOs a distinctive look apart from their Evolution Series predecessors. Also note the two-chime back-up horn. Some newer EMDs, such as the Tier 4 SD70ACes, also have them, along with the CP GP20C-ECOs, although I have yet to hear a crew actually use one in place of the main horn when operating the unit long-hood-forward.

Instead of going straight into the yard as I was expecting them to, they took the southeast connector onto the ex-MILW Valley Line and then shoved into the yard.

Frame grab from 4K video. CGs (cloud-to-ground lightning) had been striking to the west and north the whole time I was waiting for the train here, and I was hoping to capture something like this. A light shower had begun moments before the train arrived, and shortly the skies opened up and it poured the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon, all the way up to north of Junction City as I chased L581 toward Wausau.

The big Billerud/former Verso plant is in the background.

Unfortunately, my timing was just a little off to catch the big cloud-to-ground lightning bolt that struck in the distance behind the crossing signal moments after this photo was snapped, and my video camera wasn't framed wide enough to catch it. I would redeem myself shortly, though.

A quick run to pick up 17 from the mill this morning.

The paper mill at Biron has been a major rail customer since the GBW days.

GTW 6221 works Neenah Yard on 5/20/2023.

GTW 6221 works Neenah Yard on 5/20/2023.