FL9

Saturday morning brought a call from the FWWR dispatcher that another military train was on the way to head south on the Dublin Sub.  Even though it was largely overcast, I quickly got dressed and made it to Fort Worth Junction just as the new FWWR crew was lining the switch for their passage down from Birds on the BNSF.

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When I called the FWWR dispatcher this morning on another matter, I found out there was a military train about to leave Tower 55 to run south from Birds to Brownwood.  I had seen Robert Seale’s shots on Trainorders for May 24th of a southbound military train with KCS SD40-2 #682 leading in Dublin on the FWWR that snuck past me on that day, but my luck was getting better today.  I called John Briggs and then checked out from work for awhile.

As I was heading for Birds where the KCS 7021 South was pausing to pick up a FWWR crew, I heard BNSF DS22 call the KCS 682 North.  Now things were really interesting as this was the same unit Robert Seale had photographed in Dublin on Wednesday, and now he was on the way back coming up the BNSF.  John called to say the 7021 South was now pulling out from Birds to head down to Belt Junction on the FWWR, so I made a quick stop at Gambrell Street where the 682 North had stopped so as to not block any crossings.

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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.

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Since we have been on the subject of UP Steam, we should not ignore the other star in the stable, 4-6-6-4 Challenger #3985.  While it is #844’s turn to be out running now, #3985 filled in for a long while as #844 was undergoing a major overhaul.  I have a large number of slides of #3985 over the years to scan, but in the meantime here are three shots I took with my first digital camera, the Canon G3.

I primarily shot slides on 6/13/04 when #3985 pulled the George Bush Sr. Birthday Train from Houston up to College Station.  Troy Minnick and I followed if from Navasota to College Station, and then on to Valley Junction and back.  The first digital shot I attempted was at Tatsie when he was northbound approaching Valley Junction.

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