FL9

When I learned the BNSF website was up to accept applications for the new “Citizens for Rail Security” program, I signed up and obtained my card with the number 054.  The website has been busy as I understand the numbers are now over 3000.  Whether you sign up or not is fine by me, but personally I think it is a positive step for BNSF to officially recognize the fact that railfans do exist.  I would like to see the program succeed and grow from this point.

I received a call from BNSF this week asking if I would help the program by allowing a reporter from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram to tag along on a railfan outing so he could write a story on our activities and the new initiative by BNSF.  I agreed, and picked up Dan Piller from the Star-Telegram along with John Briggs and David Hawkins on Saturday morning.  We headed towards Saginaw after hearing two northbounds on the BNSF, one with a KCS and the other with a new SD70ACe on the point.  We caught the KCS 4616 north first at the north end of Saginaw Yard.

The Temple to Tulsa train got past us at the diamonds, so we ran on up to the south end of Lake Wanda and caught him pulling slowly up the main.  This marks the first time I have seen one of these new units on anything other than a coal train.

We broke for lunch and conversation, and then returned to the diamonds at Saginaw where we met Star-Telegram photographer Ralph Lauer.  Our first train was a northbound switcher from BSNF North Yard heading through the transfer track on its way to Alliance Yard.

After awhile the next move was a UP empty rock train led by a Norfolk Southern GE running long hood first.  It was an unusual feeling to have another photographer moving all around taking pictures of us while we photographed the train.

Shortly after the empty rock train cleared on northbound, a loaded coal train with a new BNSF GE pulled off of the Wichita Falls Sub on its way down to North Yard.

His DPU provided a surprise in the form of a TFM SD70M.

Dan and Ralph felt like they had enough material for the story, so they left us to continue railfanning on our own for the rest of the afternoon, which I will cover in tomorrow’s installment.  I thought it only fair that I get a group shot with the “press” before they left since they had been covering us so far.  From left to right we have John Briggs, Dan Piller, David Hawkins, and Ralph Lauer.

Dan advised me the story will probably run Sunday June 25th or Monday June 26th.  I’m looking forward to the story as I believe we represented railfans in a positive light.    We were happy to help out as anything that will potentially ease the interactions between us and the railroads and/or the authorities is a step ahead for our hobby.