The L’Anse/Skanee area had some wet snowfall late last week. Sure makes for some beautiful scenery and thanks to Nancy and Jim Haun (the third photo), we get a good look around there. Starting out with a beautiful shot coming down Herman Hill...it’s like you can see forever in the distance. Then Nancy snapped a shot of her barn all snowy, as she was out on the road checking to see if the snowplow had come by yet.

The remaining shots are the beauty of the trains in the snow. Jim snapped the third photo of the CN crossing US41 in L’Anse. Then Nancy took the remaining photos. Pretty neat to see the snowplow on the tracks crossing the Falls River. Then a look at the CN coming from Koppers and last but not least, check out the snow on the tracks in that last picture. Nancy said there’s nothing prettier than the Canadian National in the snow...I totally agree. The red and black of the CN just POP against the white of the snow.

Nancy also shares a video of the CN crossing County Road CI Railroad Overpass. Fun to see it going across over the road, instead of crossing the highway like we’re used to seeing. You never know where Nancy and Jim will be making videos and snapping pictures!

These are outstanding. The barn picture and
the train pictures would definitely be
frameable (is that a word?). The 2nd and 3rd
are definitely my favorites. Thanks for
getting out there and sharing these.

I really like these photos, especially the 1st two.

But where is Herman Hill?

Beautiful pics, great shots and nice video with
sounds of the train rollin down the tracks!!

I'm with D.A. - where is Herman Hill, inquiring
minds would like to know. :=))

Herman Hill was an American professional baseball player, an outfielder who appeared in 43 Major League games for the 1969–1970 Minnesota Twins. Hill drowned in the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Venezuela during the 1970 winter baseball season.Wikipedia

Oh wow! Thanks for that information, John.
How sad.

I don't know the exact location of the Herman Hill, but Herman is located outside of L'Anse near Bovine.

Interesting that one of the engines is numbered 5404 and in other shots we see 5405. Maybe one is the lead and the other is at the end(?)

George,

Here is a previous video from Nancy that shows both locomotives, both pulling in tandem. Maybe I misunderstood you but engines very rarely are configured to push except is very special conditions (and not with another pulling).

I think there are 2 tandem engines in all the photos above, with the 2nd just not very visible. Engines numbered 5404 and 5405 seem to hang out in the U.P. rather than make it across country.

Which one is placed up front is most likely random although they might pay attention to it in order to even out the wear and tear. The 2nd one does not have to work as hard.

Herman Hill?

I discovered Google Street View goes all the way from Bovine to Herman. It abruptly ends there. Maybe the Google driver fell in love with Herman?

I "drove" this entire length of Herman Road and found no hill steep enough to qualify.

Hey D.A. thanks and I agree about the engines pulling rather than pushing but the question begs: assuming these pics were taken on the same day, both engines appear to have plowed thru snow as the lead engine. But why would they switch them?

George,

I believe they were taken on different days. They appear to be different trains. In one photo the cars immediately behind the engines are brown box cars. In the other they are grey covered hopper cars.

Herman Hill remains a mystery.

I think you solved it, D.A. Also in the first train pic it's snowing pretty good; not so in the others. Good detective work!
I'd never heard of Herman Hill either, BTW. I wouldn't like to drive a car down that snowy hill!