FL9

Today was a beautiful day with nary a cloud in sight! I got out after lunch, but even though there were plenty of trains and sun, I just could not seem to get into the thrill of the chase. Not seeing the sense in burning $3.00 a gallon gas without realy enjoying a train fix in return, I headed on over to the Stockyards to visit with Troy when the passenger train arrived. Grapevine GP-7 #2199 looked especially good in the afternoon light.

I had not done so in awhile, so I decided to use my cab pass and ride along to Eighth Avenue and back. We had all six cars this Sunday, and they were about one-third full when we pulled out. Gary McCord was on vacation, so we had FWWR conductor Brad Jones working today to throw the Synpro/Ferro Switch for us to continue south.

South of Main Street, you would not know you were so close to downtown Fort Worth by looking at the line of trees and unbroken sky.

That perception is soon broken as we emerge to cross the meandering West Fork of the Trinity River while looking at the Fort Worth skyline.

The flashing red “X” signs were working for the quiet zone at Seventh Avenue and Museum Way, so we eased on through without sounding the horn. If they had not been flashing, we would have had to disturb the local residents.

I could look back at our train as we moved out onto the trestle over Trinity Park, and Troy and I could see the preparations going on below for the upcoming “Cinco de Mayo” celebration.

 When we arrived at Eighth Avenue, I hopped off to photograph #2199 pulling away from the train as Brad placed a red flag in the rear coupler for our return trip.

Brad lined #2199 into the siding so we could run around the passenger train.

When we got back to the north end of the train, Brad stepped off to signal Troy to a gentle coupling.

After an air test, we are on our way back to the Stockyards as Troy is now running long hood forward.

In a few minutes we are once again on the trestle over Trinity Park as a lone bicyclist passes below without noticing us.

Tourists cleared off the tracks as we pulled through the shed, and everyone appeared to be having a good time from my elevated point-of-view.

We uncoupled and pulled onto the turntable so we could reach the run around track outside the shed. A 4:45pm departure time does not leave much time to get to the other end and prepare to return to Grapevine.

I got off and drove back down to the Synpro/Ferro Switch to capture a good side view of #2009 and #2010 returning light from Eighth Avenue on their way back to Hodge Yard behind the passenger train.

It was now a few minutes after 5:00pm, so I drove on over to Tower 60 to see Amtrak #822 go north. He was right on time as cab car #90229 led the way.

Steve Bledsoe arrived next with the news that a BNSF loaded coal train was meeting Amtrak #822 at North Fort Worth, and while he had a faded unit on the point, his DPU on the rear was brand new pair of ES44AC’s. While we were waiting a southbound UP loaded grain train came off the Duncan Sub and made the transition to head up the old FW&D to Tower 55.

The passage of the loaded grain train was shortly followed by the loaded coal train starting his run up the BNSF mainline to Tower 55.

We then got set for the perfectly lit going away shot of the pair of brand new ES44AC’s, #5940 and #5941 as they shoved the coal train up across the Trinity and up the hill.

The two new units looked so good I decided to try for one more shot south of town. I knew he was going to follow Amtrak #21 on south, and not wanting to miss him while trying to find an open shot just south of the Tower, I drove on down to the Sycamore School Road area south of I20. Sycamore School Road itself did not offer any parking close to the crossing, so I dropped on down to Cuningham Street on the south end of Sycamore Strip Airport. Now I could see him coming in the distance, so this spot would have to do. I put on the 100-400mm and zoomed out for this shot.

The solid string of identical loads sang as they swept by on the welded rail, and I could see a cloud of exhaust rising above the rear of the train in the distance.

All too quickly the DPU’s roared past pushing hard on the loaded coal cars, and I squeezed off this going away shot while they were between tree shadows.

That was it for the weekend, but I will have a little time to railfan Monday morning as I have made arrangements to get to work late so I can deliver some photographs to BNSF headquarters.