FL9

Within minutes of my arrival at the Benbrook house track, a westbound “Z” train left town in a big hurry.  This spot offers the most open space next to the track for the high angle side light available to work with, so I worked in a clump of sunflowers as the train roared on by.

(Read on …)

On Sunday morning just to the west of the two trains in Monday’s blog sat a southbound BNSF train powered by a single SD70MAC.  I heard him get a track warrant on the Midlothian Sub and I started to follow him south looking for a good spot.  Diesel John and Jerry Shaw caught him at Broadway Street, but I kept ahead of him looking for just the right spot.  I did not find it until I stopped in Forest Hill a few blocks north of I20.

The 8805 looks like it has seen hard times due to the burn marks at the top of the hood and the black patch on the side.  The track warrant issued to this train indicated it would get off the Midlothian Sub at appropriately enough, Midlothian.  The UP 9518 received a warrant to proceed from Ney Yard to milepost zero, so I drove a few miles further south into Kennedale and then waited for this scenic view as it rolled by.

I almost missed it while I was getting back in my truck, but I just managed to get this shot of an ex-SP scale test car buried in the train.

During my wait I had spoken to David Hawkins and learned an eastbound UP intermodal was closing in on Fort Worth over the Baird Sub that was powered by three FXE ES44AC’s from south of the border.  After this picture I headed back towards Benbrook to see if I could catch him passing the station sign. David had called John Briggs also, so when John called me we decided to meet there after he had checked the yard.

Today is El Reno, Oklahoma resident Bryan Nelm’s birthday, so this shot is for him.  Bryan can tell us what is left there today, but back on March 21st in 1976 the west end of the Rock Island’s yard in El Reno was a very busy spot with three different trains in the same picture.  On the left we see GP35 302 leading an eastbound train into the yard from Amarillo.  In the middle is U30C 4596 running parallel with a train that has just turned the corner from Enid to the north.  Waiting patiently on the right is SD40-2 4791 leading a train that will head north towards Enid once the two other trains have gotten in the clear.

Today what rails remain here are owned by the UP, and the shortline Austin, Todd & Ladd that runs west to Geary and then north to Watonga on the ex-Rock Island interchanges here.  Happy birthday Bryan, and your gift is a sight you won’t see here again.

Driving up by Tower 55 Sunday morning, I spotted these two train sitting side by side north of the interlocking, and the shot was too good to pass up.  On the left we have the UP 6174, an ex-SP AC44 that still wears faded and dirty scarlet and grey but with a UP patch.  On the right we have the SP GP60 9752 as clean as can be and devoid of any UP markings.

One day in the future they may come together again, both wearing a fresh coat of UP yellow.