Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 19 – Rochelle, Illinois

A yellow-painted locomotive hauls a freight train .

Looking for a safe, pleasant, and fully accessible spot to watch a parade of Union Pacific and BNSF trains? Drew and the MRVP Crew find just the place amidst Illinois cornfields, but not without making an adventure out of their drive from Waukesha, Wis., to Rochelle, Ill. While en route, Drew encounters trains dashing to/from […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 18 – Montana Rail Link local operations

A blue and white-striped diesel locomotive hauls a freight train through a green Montana field under blue skies and white clouds.

Drew’s “Epic” Trackside Adventure now heads into Montana, home of the Montana Rail Link. Drew’s expedition guide and Trains art director Tom “Sherpa” Danneman knows this regional railroad success story like the back of his hand, so join the MRVP crew as they trace the MRL main line from Billings, Mont., to the shops and […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 17 – Powder River Basin, Wyoming

Freight train winds through wide open prairie.

And so the epic Drew’s Trackside Adventure to Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota begins! After drawing up plans for this three-state railfan trip, Drew and Trains art director Tom Danneman hit the road for their first stop in Wyoming coal country. MRVP cameras are there as BNSF and Union Pacific coal traffic keeps the rails of the […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 16 – Mojave & Cajon Pass

An orange-and-black BNSF Railway freight train winds its way through barren desert.

Prior to chasing the Union Pacific Big Boy no. 4014 steam locomotive to Las Vegas, host Drew Halverson spent time in the sweltering Mojave Desert heat trying to keep up with some of the hottest BNSF and UP freight trains in action. Come along as Drew captures all sorts of beautiful arid scenery and hardworking […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 15 – Big Boy on the move

Union Pacific diesel locomotives brace Big Boy No. 4014 in hilly desert terrain.

Host Drew Halverson travels to sunny, hot, and scenic California to pace Union Pacific Big Boy no. 4014 steam locomotive in transit to Wyoming for restoration. Even though the massive 4-8-8-4 articulated steam locomotive was towed by diesel power, Drew still managed to capture magnificent views of no. 4014 riding the mainline rails once again. […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 14 – Chicago’s Museum of Science & Industry

A wide angle shot of model trains in an indoor layout.

Host Drew Halverson heads trackside again, but this time from a slightly different perspective aboard Amtrak and Metra intercity trains. His trek from Milwaukee, Wis., routes him to Chicago’s historic Union Station to the downtown lakefront to the Museum of Science and Industry, featuring The Great Train Story, a magnificent HO scale layout, and a […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 13 – Byron Hill, Wisconsin

Two red-black-and-white Canadian National locomotives meet in a snow-covered scene.

In this polar vortex edition of Drew’s Trackside Adventure for March 2014, host Drew Halverson and the MRVP crew make their way along Canadian National’s Waukesha subdivision in eastern Wisconsin. They capture the railroad battling the elements and gravity over a 1-percent grade known as Byron Hill. In addition to the railroad action, the guys […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 12 – Alberta, Canada

A freight train follows the tracks along a rocky canyon bottom in British Columbia.

Follow MRVP’s Drew Halverson, Kent Johnson, and friends as they trace the Canadian Pacific main line into the heart of the Canadian Rockies. Along the way Drew and crew capture a variety of freight and passenger trains in action, railroad engineering at its finest, and astonishing natural settings that are ripe for modeling. […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures: Episode 11 – British Columbia, Canada

A freight train winds its way beneath cloudy skies on a causeway.

Drew goes west and heads north of the border to British Columbia, Canada, with MRVP’s Kent Johnson and pal Mike Danneman in tow. After following the BNSF main line in Idaho, the guys cross the border to railfan Canadian Pacific’s picturesque Winderemere subdivision. Along the way, Drew and the crew catch industrial switching action, hard-working […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures, Episode 9 – Metra Towers A2 and A5 in Chicago, Ill.

Join Drew on his Chicago railfan adventure as he dives deep into the heart of Metra’s operations, visiting two legendary railroad towers: A2 and A5. Get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look inside these historic interlockings, once part of the Milwaukee Road lines. You’ll meet the dedicated operators who manage hundreds of trains daily, witness their intricate […]

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Drew’s Trackside Adventures, Episode 8 -Western Ave., Chicago

A round-nosed diesel passenger locomotive rounds a corner in a busy freight yard.

Drew’s off to Chicago this time to catch up with Metra, Chicago’s commuter rail system. After doing some railfanning with Steve Sweeney of Trains magazine at the busy Western Avenue Station, Drew and the crew are off to tour Metra’s shops. Is there a Metra-themed project railroad in our future? Time will tell! […]

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