By KenFL9 | Published:
March 11, 2010
It was not long before sunset on Saturday February 20th when I finished up my family business in Sweetwater with a visit to the Post Office. The sun was coming out for the last few minutes of daylight and circling the court house square I drove south towards the tracks on Oak. I heard the sound of an eastbound train throttling up at the UP depot and pulled over for this shot of the UP 5282 East looking down the quiet street lined with a few remaining businesses barely hanging on.
The eastbound intermodal paused at the west switch to the siding and the conductor came down as the dispatcher decided who would hold the main as a westbound rare loaded coal train was leaving Eskota after changing crews there.
I relocated to the east end of the 11,569-foot siding where a few minutes later the UP 6514 West went into the hole.
I rapidly moved to the Business 80 overpass behind me and got this view of the eastbound intermodal coming towards me on the main as the coal train moved up the siding on the right.
Pulling back on the zoom I snapped one more shot of the UP 5282 East leaving town with the sun setting over the train.
Standing directly over both trains I recorded the contrasts in cargo, especially the coal train that is rare for this line. I will have to find out from someone what the destination is.
I had missed a similar infrequent coal train move on the Baird Sub two weeks ago, so this time I drove back towards the Sweetwater depot for another shot as the train started to gain speed after cresting the grade at the west switch in the background.
There were two units up front and two more on the rear shoving hard up the next grade to Roscoe as the UP 8212’s headlight provided the rear marker in the fading light at milepost 447.8 across from the depot.
The day was done and I put the camera away before making a three hour run back home, arriving shortly after 11:00pm.
By KenFL9 | Published:
March 9, 2010
On Saturday February 20th I made a one-day trip to Sweetwater and back on family business. The sky was overcast on the way west, but I still took time out to exit I20 and head down to Brazos when the radio indicated the eastbound Abilene local was there waiting on a westbound “Z” train. He was stopped short of the main crossing with the usual two GP60’s for power.
I drove on to the rural crossing just west of the west switch at Brazos where I set up this shot of the UP 7814 West a few minutes later.
Getting back on I20 I overtook the “Z” train and got off again at Eastland when the radio indicated another meet would take place there in the next few minutes. An eastbound manifest train pulled down to the east end of the siding, and shortly the UP 7814 West came around the curve at track speed.
UP conductor Don Moore was on the ground to check the “Z” train by with a friendly wave.
The “Z” train passed quickly, and then it was the mainfest train’s turn to roll out of the siding back to the main.
As soon as the DPU cleared the switch it throttled up to shove the train on towards Fort Worth.
From here it was smooth sailing on to Sweetwater where I hoped for a few more shots after taking care of business.
By KenFL9 | Published:
March 7, 2010
Wednesday February 17th the BNSF delivered an oversize load to the FWWR in the form of a new transformer going to the TXU nuclear power plant at Comanche Peak. Weighing in at over 200 tons and riding on a special 16-axle depressed-center flat car, the transformer was too large to fit through the two truss bridges over the Trinity River on the FWWR between Tower 60 and Belt Junction. Here are two photos of the car at Hodge Yard that morning.
The plan was to put a BNSF pilot on the train at Hodge Yard and run the FWWR special through Tower 55 south to Birds and then down the little-used connector to Belt Junction. After a delay getting the BNSF delivery job on its way to North Yard, the special with FWWR GP50’s 2010 and 2011 left Hodge Yard and entered UP’s Choctaw Main One for the run to Tower 55. Here is the train coming down hill towards Tower 60.
A few minutes later the train crossed over the Trinity River bottoms.
A few delays allowed me to catch up and be in position when the special passed through Tower 55 at 12:27pm.
The train made a straight run to the south switch at Birds where it entered the now little-used connector to the Dublin Sub a mile west at Belt Junction.
After stopping at Belt Junction to let the BNSF pilot crew off, the train proceeded out the Dublin Sub at track speed. I caught it for one more sequence just north of I20 before having to go to work.
The rest of the delivery run passed without incident, and another transformer was interchanged to FWWR on February 26th although this time a pair of BNSF GenSets delivered the load to the FWWR at Belt Junction.
By KenFL9 | Published:
March 5, 2010
After a brief stint of rail photography on the morning of February 15th I went back home and got a few chores done. I was ready to get out again in the afternoon so I checked with the FWWR dispatcher and learned the Dublin train would run as a Cresson Turn called at 4:00pm. I left the house just after 4:00pm with a decision I wanted to catch the train crossing the Clear Fork of the Trinity in Forest Park. Over the radio I heard the train show out of Hodge Yard about 4:30pm, but then fate intervened when BNSF DS22 told the FWWR 2016 they would have to wait on three southbound BNSF trains leaving Saginaw before they could cross Tower 60.
I contemplated sitting along the banks of the Trinity for at least an hour with nothing to show for it but one shot, or taking a risk and going after the three southbounds in good light and then making it back for the FWWR photo in the park. The spirit of adventure won out so I drove on over to the dead end west of the tracks at East Annie Street south of Tower 55. I put on the 100-400mm zoom and at 4:55pm took these two views of a loaded grain train with the BNSF 609 up front in faded warbonnet.
On the radio right behind him was the BSNF 6204 South, and I figured this to be a loaded coal train. Wanting a different location I moved further south to the closed crossing at South Jennings Avenue just north of the Birds siding. At 5:15pm I squeezed off this view of what indeed was a coal load with a GEVO and an SD70MAC up front.
The sun was starting to get low, so I passed on a shot of the DPU’s and used the time to find a spot that was still lit on the west side of the tracks at Berry Street for the third BNSF train. I had the time as DS22 had just told the FWWR 2016 they would now have to wait on Amtrak 822 to pass Tower 60 before they would get the signal. This final southbound for the evening turned out to be a merchandise train that I recorded at 5:36pm with lengthening shadows.
I drove back to my chosen spot on the south bank of the Trinity across from Forest Park with a few minutes to spare. When the FWWR 2016 South came by at 5:54pm there was still be some direct light on the side of the train.
All four SD40’s were on the train and I was happy with the resulting shot as the ex-UP unit was partially blocked from view by the bridge. I thought I was going to get skunked on my original goal but instead President’s Day turned out very well. The 3252 is supposed to be repainted as the FWWR 2018 this summer, so soon all the units will be in a common paint scheme.
