FL9

I decided to get out for a few hours after work on Friday, and headed downtown with the thought of catching some TRE action along with the departure of Amtrak 822.  I positioned myself in a sunny spot at the end of double track at North Fort Worth, but even though there was a green board lit up for 822 to leave the ITC, I could see no activity in the distance and the radio was silent as departure time came and went.  The BNSF 110 job on his way back from interchange at UP’s Centennial Yard pulled up on the siding, and toned up DS22 to find out what was up.

DS22 answered, and it turned out after checking he was unaware that 822 was not going to depart until 6:25pm today.  He took back the green board on the main and gave it to the 110 job as I got a closeup shot of the leading SD45-2.

With a little time to kill now, I headed down to the TRE’s Trinity River bridge on the east side of downtown.  The next passenger run was train #2940 to Dallas, and I shot him going away over the river as he accelerated out of town.

It was scheduled to meet the #2933 out of Dallas at Sylvania, but I did not see an angle I wanted as the sun was almost directly down the track.  I drove back to Purina Junction, and arrived less than a minute before this shot of the lead unit coming around the curve.

I turned and also shot him going away as the cab car bringing up the rear passed under the UP’s Choctaw Sub as an empty coal train rumbled by overhead.

Checking my watch it was time to head back to the BNSF for #822’s delayed departure.  As I was on the way there, The FWWR’s FWDU train called DS22, and was told he would be waiting on Amtrak #822 before proceeding south through Tower 60.  Now I had something to catch on the way home to finish off the evening.

The spot I had used earlier was now in shadow, so with a few minutes to spare I followed the tracks north for about a mile until I found this clear location in a residential neighborhood that was still bathed in late afternoon light.  I broke off a few tall weeds and was in position just in time for this photo.

The shadows were deepening further, but I thought I would still have sun at Eighth Avenue.  I did not have to wait too long before three GP50’s came into view around the curve from Windsor Place with 42 cars of pipe in their train.

The symmetry of the pipe cars made for a good shot with the skyline in the background.

Thanks to the 20mph speed limit within restricted limits, I was able to get a head of him again for one more shot of the 2009 leading the train through the last bit of direct light at milepost one on the Dublin Sub.

Not a bad way to start the weekend!