I got a heads up before dawn this morning that the westbound ZMQLC train had the 1983 leading and was leaving Grand Prairie, so I speeded up my morning routine and got to the tracks by Boaz Park by 7:35am. I heard the UP 8509 West get permission to leave the Santa Fe Bypass, so I picked up a few items of trash and was ready when the train rolled past me at 7:42am just before sunrise.
I had not heard the 1983 West on the radio yet, but I was betting it would be behind this train. Sure enough 15 minutes later I heard a second K5LLA blowing for Horse Club Road one-half mile to the east. I hopped out of the vehicle again and fate was on my side along with a few streaks of sunshine through the trees.
The 1983 is starting to look like it could use a bath.
I took one more shot as the train was about to pass mile post 254 on the other side of Vickery Boulevard. It is too bad the train was not eastbound as the low dawn light would have been perfect on the nose of the locomotive here.
The DPU’s would have been perfectly lit here, but there was a huge amount of traffic backed up at the crossing so I decided to leave ahead of it towards the office.
One Comment
Awesome pictures Ken as usual. Thanks for the info! Made my whole week!