Search found 72 matches

by Ottergoose
September 28th, 2017, 9:46 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

Apologies for the blatant self-promotion, but, if you're interested in unusual flights in or out of MSP, I've just launched an alert service that will send you a text or email when something unusual is coming in. It's similar to the services offered by FlightAware and FlightRadar24, but doesn't requ...
by Ottergoose
December 19th, 2015, 2:49 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

With winds out of the northwest Monday morning, all of those departing freighters should put on quite a show from the new aircraft viewing area on Cargo Road; have been wanting to shoot the DC/MD 10/11's for a while now, the presence of a 744 will be icing on the cake. On Friday morning, the 744 fil...
by Ottergoose
November 28th, 2015, 1:22 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

Are they taking more international flights from MSP, or is something else causing the 747's to disappear? Think they are just using 767 LR in their place. They have the similar range but more efficient, with better seat numbers for the MSP market. 767 are a wide body with 300+ seats depending on co...
by Ottergoose
November 28th, 2015, 10:41 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

Delta will be flying what could be the last round of scheduled flights on a 747 out of MSP this weekend. There are six arrivals or departures to see through Monday morning between MSP and Atlanta - should be a good show from the new aircraft viewing area.
by Ottergoose
October 10th, 2015, 9:59 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

Speaking of parking, it looks like the new aircraft viewing area at the end of Cargo Road is nearly complete - the end of the road's no longer closed anyways; suspect an official opening will take place once the sod gets laid down. This spot offers really, really nice views of departing aircraft whe...
by Ottergoose
October 9th, 2015, 8:43 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

But parking fees and car rental surcharges are a cash cow for the airport. That's an understatement; per their budget (page 37) , 37% of their 2015 revenues will be coming from parking. They actually make more from parking than they do from the airlines - MSP is functionally a parking lot with an a...
by Ottergoose
September 17th, 2015, 12:05 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Twin Cities to Eau Claire regional rail
Replies: 83
Views: 10132

Re: Twin Cities to Eau Claire regional rail

UP invested heavily in infrastructure on that line recently to serve the frac sand boom which has since crashed; seems like it'd be a good time to piggyback off of that since it's already been paid for privately.
by Ottergoose
August 19th, 2015, 9:18 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Freight Rail News and Happenings
Replies: 247
Views: 121360

Re: Freight Rail News and Happenings

Really gotta get me some old railroad atlases...
Open Railway Map is pretty good for historic infrastructure (and you can edit it, Wikipedia style), and Railfan Atlas is a good way to get a handle on current/recent operations.
by Ottergoose
August 18th, 2015, 8:53 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

https://farm1.staticflickr.com/608/20602579822_195fd6f57c.jpg For those of you who might want to see some of the cool seasonal, non-Delta international departures (around 8 PM or so) this year, you only have a few more chances this summer. Air France, with daily service to Paris, has its final flig...
by Ottergoose
August 1st, 2015, 8:08 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Green Line LRT
Replies: 1294
Views: 87912

Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Have had this shot in mind for a few weeks and got a chance to get out and bag it last night; nighttime pan shot of a Green Line train heading towards Downtown Minneapolis. Tip of the hat to Mr. Catpin; was nice seeing where the trains were. https://farm1.staticflickr.com/548/19585634984_93b02f9df7....
by Ottergoose
July 31st, 2015, 10:57 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

Wait. The public (i.e. my kids and I) can drive on that road? Why have I never tried that? I guess I assumed there was a gate involved at some point and I had no real purpose other than seeing cool takeoffs. Thanks for making me aware of this! Indeed! And it's amazing when they're departing on 30L ...
by Ottergoose
July 31st, 2015, 7:36 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: MSP Airport / Metropolitan Airports Commission
Replies: 1359
Views: 346076

Re: MSP Airport

The "Aircraft Viewing Area" at the end of Cargo Road is under construction now, with the end of the road closed off, and an excavator doing some work. When completed in coming months, this quasi-park will offer spectacular views airplanes taking off from 30L (heading northwest), along with...
by Ottergoose
July 24th, 2015, 9:08 am
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Green Line LRT
Replies: 1294
Views: 87912

Re: Green Line (Central Corridor LRT)

Any chance I could convince to to set it up on Github?

I've got a train-related Google Maps mash-up too - Railfan Atlas - and would love to tinker/play/contribute to the codebase a bit, if you're into that sort of thing.
by Ottergoose
March 13th, 2015, 1:23 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Freight Rail News and Happenings
Replies: 247
Views: 121360

Re: Freight Rail News and Happenings

There've been rumblings about a new intermodal (as in semi-trailer / container loading/unloading) facility in the Twin Cities area for a while; I've heard BNSF's current facility near the old Midway Amtrak Depot is getting cramped. A facility there would be well suited to handling Chicago - MSP trai...
by Ottergoose
February 25th, 2015, 2:09 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: I'm on a Boat!
Replies: 35
Views: 6729

Re: I'm on a Boat!

Cool! For what it's worth, American Cruise Lines has been offering long-distance cruises here for a while now, I think. I know I saw them show up on the SPUD Cam a couple of times last summer. Looked like they disembarked directly into a line of coach buses at Lambert's Landing(?) when they were her...
by Ottergoose
February 17th, 2015, 12:34 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: 2015 Minnesota State Rail Plan
Replies: 46
Views: 8352

Re: 2015 Minnesota State Rail Plan

Some very good points by Mike, although I think he's much underestimating the amount of cost/effort it would take to get the PGR/TCWR/CP alignment via Savage up to snuff; even if the track was in better shape, it's still a very meandering/curvy route - I'm clueless with regards to how that curvature...
by Ottergoose
February 16th, 2015, 11:21 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: 2015 Minnesota State Rail Plan
Replies: 46
Views: 8352

Re: 2015 Minnesota State Rail Plan

Did you guys all notice the Twin Cities - Northfield - Des Moines line being recognized as a phase 1 project? Routing from Minneapolis to Northfield via Lakeville (as proposed here) seems unlikely from my relatively-uninformed perspective... The portion of the MN&S Spur (Golden Valley to West B...
by Ottergoose
February 6th, 2015, 3:35 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Freight Rail News and Happenings
Replies: 247
Views: 121360

Re: Freight Rail News and Happenings

Seems to me like they should double track the Wayzata Sub, the southern leg of the Mpls Jct Wye, and the Midway Sub at least over to Midway/MNNR. This would open up capacity for BNSF trains from Wayzata and Northtown to St. Paul, and CP via this new arrangement. Then St. Paul Sub can hopefully be m...
by Ottergoose
February 6th, 2015, 3:10 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Freight Rail News and Happenings
Replies: 247
Views: 121360

Re: Freight Rail News and Happenings

Interesting stuff. So, how is CP in BNSF's way currently? Are they routing intermodals via Shoreham Yard to St. Paul or Midway Subs to get over to Pigs Eye via BNSF? I swear I see CP intermodal/oil traffic on the BNSF St. Paul Sub all the time. Any time there's a CP train on BNSF's tracks between M...
by Ottergoose
February 6th, 2015, 2:31 pm
Forum: Transportation
Topic: Freight Rail News and Happenings
Replies: 247
Views: 121360

Re: Freight Rail News and Happenings

Mulad is correct; the idea is that CP traffic will circulate around the Twin Cities, with westbound traffic taking the route to the northeast (CP's St. Paul Sub) via Arden Hills, and eastbounds taking the southwestern route (BNSF's Monticello, Wayzata, and Midway Subs) via Golden Valley. Canadian Pa...