Thursday May 25 2006
Three in a Row at Judd on May 25th
I was headed back home to Benbrook from Sweetwater on August 14th in 2004 when I was fortunate enough to overhear the Baird Sub dispatcher tell a Hi-Railer that he would have to wait at Strawn as the dispatcher had three westbounds in a row approaching Brazos. I was 15 miles west of Brazos approaching the siding at Judd, so I pulled off of I20 and set up at the crossing at the east end of the siding. I was starting to shoot digital exclusively by this time, so I got the Canon G3 ready using the viewing screen as a more accurate viewfinder, assisted by a “HoodMan” shade to make it more visible in sunlight.
In less than 30 minutes the BNSF 5223 West showed up first with a manifest train bound for home rails at Sweetwater.
About half an hour behind him was the only UP-led train of the trio, the 9570 West also with a manifest train.
Another 30-minute wait produced the final train of the trio, this time another UP manifest train with a block of autoracks up front led by a CSX unit.
So “Three-in-a-Row” translated into over an hour’s time at Judd to record all three trains, but the light was good and I was not on a tight schedule that day. I hope the guy in the HiRailer back at Strawn was as satisfied as I was.
