The eastbound intermodal paused at the west switch to the siding and the conductor came down as the dispatcher decided who would hold the main as a westbound rare loaded coal train was leaving Eskota after changing crews there.

I relocated to the east end of the 11,569-foot siding where a few minutes later the UP 6514 West went into the hole.

I rapidly moved to the Business 80 overpass behind me and got this view of the eastbound intermodal coming towards me on the main as the coal train moved up the siding on the right.

Pulling back on the zoom I snapped one more shot of the UP 5282 East leaving town with the sun setting over the train.

Standing directly over both trains I recorded the contrasts in cargo, especially the coal train that is rare for this line. I will have to find out from someone what the destination is.

I had missed a similar infrequent coal train move on the Baird Sub two weeks ago, so this time I drove back towards the Sweetwater depot for another shot as the train started to gain speed after cresting the grade at the west switch in the background.

There were two units up front and two more on the rear shoving hard up the next grade to Roscoe as the UP 8212’s headlight provided the rear marker in the fading light at milepost 447.8 across from the depot.

The day was done and I put the camera away before making a three hour run back home, arriving shortly after 11:00pm.

I drove on to the rural crossing just west of the west switch at Brazos where I set up this shot of the UP 7814 West a few minutes later.

Getting back on I20 I overtook the “Z” train and got off again at Eastland when the radio indicated another meet would take place there in the next few minutes. An eastbound manifest train pulled down to the east end of the siding, and shortly the UP 7814 West came around the curve at track speed.

UP conductor Don Moore was on the ground to check the “Z” train by with a friendly wave.

The “Z” train passed quickly, and then it was the mainfest train’s turn to roll out of the siding back to the main.

As soon as the DPU cleared the switch it throttled up to shove the train on towards Fort Worth.

From here it was smooth sailing on to Sweetwater where I hoped for a few more shots after taking care of business.

The plan was to put a BNSF pilot on the train at Hodge Yard and run the FWWR special through Tower 55 south to Birds and then down the little-used connector to Belt Junction. After a delay getting the BNSF delivery job on its way to North Yard, the special with FWWR GP50’s 2010 and 2011 left Hodge Yard and entered UP’s Choctaw Main One for the run to Tower 55. Here is the train coming down hill towards Tower 60.

A few minutes later the train crossed over the Trinity River bottoms.

A few delays allowed me to catch up and be in position when the special passed through Tower 55 at 12:27pm.

The train made a straight run to the south switch at Birds where it entered the now little-used connector to the Dublin Sub a mile west at Belt Junction.

After stopping at Belt Junction to let the BNSF pilot crew off, the train proceeded out the Dublin Sub at track speed. I caught it for one more sequence just north of I20 before having to go to work.

The rest of the delivery run passed without incident, and another transformer was interchanged to FWWR on February 26th although this time a pair of BNSF GenSets delivered the load to the FWWR at Belt Junction.

I contemplated sitting along the banks of the Trinity for at least an hour with nothing to show for it but one shot, or taking a risk and going after the three southbounds in good light and then making it back for the FWWR photo in the park. The spirit of adventure won out so I drove on over to the dead end west of the tracks at East Annie Street south of Tower 55. I put on the 100-400mm zoom and at 4:55pm took these two views of a loaded grain train with the BNSF 609 up front in faded warbonnet.

On the radio right behind him was the BSNF 6204 South, and I figured this to be a loaded coal train. Wanting a different location I moved further south to the closed crossing at South Jennings Avenue just north of the Birds siding. At 5:15pm I squeezed off this view of what indeed was a coal load with a GEVO and an SD70MAC up front.

The sun was starting to get low, so I passed on a shot of the DPU’s and used the time to find a spot that was still lit on the west side of the tracks at Berry Street for the third BNSF train. I had the time as DS22 had just told the FWWR 2016 they would now have to wait on Amtrak 822 to pass Tower 60 before they would get the signal. This final southbound for the evening turned out to be a merchandise train that I recorded at 5:36pm with lengthening shadows.

I drove back to my chosen spot on the south bank of the Trinity across from Forest Park with a few minutes to spare. When the FWWR 2016 South came by at 5:54pm there was still be some direct light on the side of the train.

All four SD40’s were on the train and I was happy with the resulting shot as the ex-UP unit was partially blocked from view by the bridge. I thought I was going to get skunked on my original goal but instead President’s Day turned out very well. The 3252 is supposed to be repainted as the FWWR 2018 this summer, so soon all the units will be in a common paint scheme.

There was a single GE shoving on the rear in DPU mode.

Arriving at the ITC a few minutes later I set up at the grade crossing north of the depot. A few minutes later Train 2921 arrived, but with standard equipment instead of the Budd cars I had hoped for.

I drove back south looking for another shot and wound up composing this one out the SUV window as F59 number 566 quickly overtook me and crossed over Lancaster Avenue on the approach to the T&P depot.

As my eyes followed the TRE train towards the depot I saw a UP train in the background that looked like it was about to go south towards Ney Yard. The radio identified it as the MFWEW train, so I relocated to Arizona Avenue on the east side of the Choctaw Sub where I took this photo a few minutes later.

In a moment I recognized the trailing unit as a Fort Worth & Western. When it passed by I could see it was the original 2009, a GP50 problem child that was traded back to NREX in return for a GP40-2.

A phone call confirmed this and that the first 2009 was now a NREX lease unit on its way to an un-named industry in the Houston area. So far the second 2009 has been working out well for the FWWR.

My wife noticed the change in course immediately, but I said they were being kidnapped so just keep up the conversation and they would be released soon. Sure enough when we caught up to the head end stopped under I30 just west of the tower the lead unit was the UP 1982. I drove on to the southwest corner of the Barnhart Wye and had my three passengers remain in the SUV while I put on my PPE. Listening to the UP terminal dispatcher we learned that Amtrak 22 would be arriving from Cleburne in a few minutes and the MFWEC would be allowed to go south after that and ahead of Amtrak 21 departing for Cleburne. Sure enough less than five minutes later a nice K5LA preceeded the arrival of number 22 with P42 89 doing the honors.

I took another shot after the rear end cleared the view of Tower 55.

I joined the conversation in the SUV until a few more minutes passed, and then photographed the UP 1982 coming around the corner in perfect light on its way to Ney Yard. The engineer spied the females in the Pilot and gave a number of short blasts on the K5LAA as he and the conductor waved.

Just as soon as the last car cleared the switch to the BNSF mainline behind me the points threw and Amtrak 21 got the signal to proceed.

P42 number 97 was leading the southbound Texas Eagle on this trip.

The excitement done for now, so I took my gear off and put us back on course for home. My wife and the others were pleasantly surprised that they had a good time watching trains since I kept it brief and did not obsess……

A quick zoom back to 24mm netted me this winter scene as the conductor gave a wave from his position of warmth.

Several UPS trailers that contibuted to this train having a “Z” rating flashed by.

Many more stacks silently rolled by and then two more engines rumbled past me in DPU mode.

Darkness was about to envelope me here at the cut, and unfortunately listening to the radio the two westbound trains had waited long enough that now the switches were going to have to be cleaned out again before they could leave. The best snow day I can remember in Fort Worth since Valentine’s Day in 2004 was done.

After these photos I made my way back down to ground level for a few more shots at both ends of the yard.

The resources available to me in the tower had indicated that the two trains in the final photo would be trying to go west on the Baird Sub soon and a “Z” train was inbound within the hour, so I decided to finish up the day at my favorite cut in Boaz Park.

Zooming back I got more of a broadside view with a hint of a building in the background.

The 103 job was finishing up switching west of Eighth Avenue and asked the Dublin Turn on the radio if they could start their train again if they stopped at the west switch to let the 103 Job get in the clear. The answer was affirmative, so John and I met up there for a meet sequence. The snow was falling a bit heavier as the Dublin Turn eased to a stop on the main just short of the west switch.

The conductor on the Dublin Turn walked up to the switch and lined it for the siding, and the snow was really coming down as the 103 Job came into view.

Panning to the right nailed the meet shot between the 2014 and the consecutively numbered 2015.

As soon as the switch was lined back for the main the Dublin Turn’s three SD40’s roared to life and quickly headed down along side Old Granbury Road.

Shortly after the last car of the Dublin Turn cleared the west end the 103 Job backed out to the main as engineer Richard Benton gave me a wave barely visible through the falling snow.

With perfect timing my phone now rang with an invitation from the UP to photograph the record snow from the Crest Tower, so I said goodbye to John and headed in that direction.

I panned to the left and got one more shot of the train crossing over Benbrook Boulevard.

I followed the MODFW on down to Davidson Yard and stopped to put on my PPE before driving in from the west end for this shot of a manifest train getting ready to head west. The crew has just gotten on board and the van is waiting to take the hostlers back to the Bowl Tower.

I took one more closer shot to emphasize the falling snow.

Driving on to the hump I turned around and started back west. I made a quick stop to photograph the UP 1446 on the east end of one of the three long strings of power stored west of the Hulen overpass.

From here I went on to the day job with the intention of getting back out to shoot at lunch time.