FL9

Since the BNSF 5143 West was meeting the BNSF 7673 East at Bison, we had plenty of time to drive on to Two Medicine Bridge and set up for the famous barn shot with the eastbound in good light.  I used the extra time to first zoom in on a shot looking towards Dancing Lady Mountain.

(Read on …)

Time to return to the saga of our recent Montana adventure.  Leaving Java behind, Judy and I paced the BNSF 7673 East as he climbed the grade towards Marias Pass.  I pulled over at a corral with several horses resting up after a summer of trail riding.  They were far less interested in the train than we were.

(Read on …)

My wife and I had a great time at the Texas State Railroad this past weekend, compliments of the wonderful staff and the Gulf Coast Chapter of the NRHS.  I hope everyone’s efforts to obtain funding and/or find an operator for the state park for next year will be successful.  Today’s post will be brief, and I will cover the weekend in more detail once I have the rest of the digital pictures and audio recordings processed.

I elected to not use my ticket and chase instead while my wife rode.  Here is a view of the morning westbound steam-powered train out of Rusk as #300 crests one of the numerous hills at Cherokee County road 2103.  The Katy caboose is along for a special charter, and two extra cars are on the rear for the NRHS group.

TSRR 2-8-0 #300 blew out the rod packing on the engineer’s side just before reaching Palestine, and parts were rushed over from Rusk by road to make a quick repair.  The train was 30 minutes late out of Palestine for the afternoon return trip, and here we see it crossing Anderson County road 1232 in a tree-framed view.

Within minutes of this picture #300 blew out the packing again and stopped short of Jarvis.  The re-engined RS2 #7 was on the afternoon train out of Rusk, and they had wisely brought along MRS1 #8 as an emergency replacement for #300.  While #7 stayed with its train at the passing siding at Mewshaw, the #8 ran on ahead to Jarvis to pick up the #300 and its train to pull them the rest of the way back to Rusk.  Here we see #8 running light through Jarvis to rescue the steam train.

I took my wife back to Palestine at this point so she could rest up.  Once the #8 arrived back in Rusk with the #300 and its train, it was decided to go ahead and operate the railfan special to Maydelle, so the crew quickly put a train together with 2-6-0 #201 for power.  Here we see the ex-T&P engine steaming at the Rusk platform just before departure.

A successful night photo session was held at Maydelle, and then the train returned to Rusk while I headed back to Palestine to have dinner with Judy.

Today Judy and I should be on the way back from Palestine and the Texas State Railroad railfan weekend.  I will try to share some of the highlights in tomorrow’s blog if there is time to process the digital RAW images.  For the time being please enjoy this slide of the ex-Frisco now-BN QLA train, seen here just east of Enid, OK at Callahan as it traverses the Avard Sub on 9/06/82.

The lead unit today is a rare treat, BN F45 #6632 ahead of two Santa Fe SD45’s as the power of the future merger partners works together to hustle this hot train along on its way to the west coast.