FL9

The Renner Connection came into being when the KCS acquired the old Santa Fe between Denton and Dallas, and needed a direct route west from Wylie to reach this trackage without having to run south to Dallas and then reverse directions.  The KCS acquired the old Cotton Belt from Wylie to Renner where it passed under the old ATSF trackage, and then built a ramp in the northeast quadrant to carry trains up or down from the Cotton Belt to the ATSF.

Here we see a westbound intermodal train climbing up the new connection to continue its journey west from Greenville to BNSF’s Alliance Yard in August of 1999.  An ex-SP SD45T-2 #4509 leads three other gray units up to the Renner Connection switch out of the picture to the left.  The ex-Cotton Belt in the foreground from here west is operated by the DGNO, and I’m standing next to the ex-ATSF tracks that lead on south to Zacha Junction.