FL9

After steam-cleaning some of our carpets this morning, I was ready for some railroad action in the afternoon.  The light was good and according to the radio several westbounds were in the picture for the Baird Sub.  John Briggs came over at 3:00pm, and we headed west on I20 right behind the UP 4415.  He met eastbounds at Iona, Earls and Weatherford, but we let all those go in favor of the good light on the nose of the westbounds.  The 4415 was moving at a good clip on the refurbished track, so we bet on the idea we could beat him to North Lambert Road on the west side of Weatherford.  Most of the driving yuppies that have adopted Weatherford as their new home decided to get in our way, but we still made it with about three minutes to spare before this shot.

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Driving to Sweetwater today to see my father got pushed back until next weekend, as the FWWR asked me to photograph a 40-car unit pipe train they would be transporting from Fort Worth to the siding at Waples just north of Granbury in the morning.  The cars were to be unloaded a few at a time at the pipe yard halfway between Granbury and Tolar.  This was important enough to them that in addition to me on the ground, they hired an aerial photographer to get a few shots of the train.  In the end I enlisted John Brigg’s help also due to the number of consecutive locations they asked it be photographed in leaving Fort Worth.

The power was decided to be GP50’s #2009 and #2008 along with GP38-2 #2163, and I took this shot of the cars on the main at Hodge Yard while the crew was getting ready.  Today was going to be a good day for my Discover Card’s new Canon 5D and EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens combination to start paying for themselves. 

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My wife and I will be headed to Sweetwater tomorrow morning for a quick weekend visit with my father, so I thought it appropriate to revisit the area for today’s picture.  The UP’s Baird Sub has been upgraded in 2006 with welded rail, new signals, new sidings and CTC “islands” to support 70 mph running, but two years ago back in 2004 that work was just beginning, and the rails around Eskota just east of Tecific were still jointed.  An afternoon thunderstorm is brewing to the north as we look down the side of a westbound BNSF train holding the main for a meet with an easbound BNSF already in the siding.  The rail may be welded today and the signals upgraded, but this area is still dominated by ABS signalling with TWC and spring switches hand-thrown to enter a siding.

Since the train in yesterday’s daily log was headed towards Hearne, I thought it would be appropriate if we made it on into town today.  During a railfan trip in 1990, here we see a northbound SP train leaving Hearne for Corsicana and points east.   The lead Cotton Belt GP60 is about to pass over the ex-MP, then Union Pacific Austin to Palestine line.  Now both tracks are active Union Pacific mainlines, and a connection track has been added in the northwest quadrant.  The depot has been moved to the other side of Highway 6 also to the northwest, and hopefully will be restored to its full glory some day.