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Heritage on New Year’s Day

Over the last few days of 2013, I watched on TrainOrders.com that the UP 1982 (MP Heritage Locomotive) and the NS 1069 (Virginian Heritage Locomotive) were leaving Lincoln, NE southbound for Kansas City as the sole power on a BNSF train.  I hoped they would continue on down this way, and then word came down that the BNSF M-KCKALT would leave Kansas City on New Year’s Eve 2013 with the BNSF 7438, UP 1982 and the NS 1069 for power.

I got up at 5:00am on New Year’s Day and left the house at 6:00am heading north for the BNSF Fort Worth Sub.  I picked up Troy Minnick in Roanoke around 6:45 am and checking with BNSF learned the train was at Gene Autry, OK coming south.  We headed north on I35 and made it to Thackerville, OK where we saw a green signal southbound at the north end of the siding.  We only had to wait a few minutes before I took my first photo for 2014 at 8:am as the train came by at track speed.  It would have been nicer without the cell tower in the background, but this was the only nearby spot where the sun was above the tree line and shining on the track.

001 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Thackerville OK on 2014-01-01 9K5C9613 002 UP 1982 MKCKALT at Thackerville OK on 2014-01-01 9K5C9615 003 NS 1069 MKCKALT at Thackerville OK on 2014-01-01 9K5C9616

We gave chase and stopped for the classic Red River shot with a few minutes to spare.

004 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Red River TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9618 005 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Red River TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9619

The M-KCKALT was set to meet the northbound Z-ALTWSP at Valley View, so we set up at the first crossing north along with Randy Nelson and another railfan.

007 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9626 008 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9628 009 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9630 010 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9631 011 UP 1982 MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9632 012 NS 1069 MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9635 013 NS 1069 MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9636

Here is the Z-ALTWSP with three brand new GEVO’s at the downtown crossing meeting the M-KCKALT.

014 BNSF 7185 North ZALTWSP at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9638 015 BNSF 7185 North ZALTWSP at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9639 016 BNSF 7182 ZALTWSP at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9640 017 BNSF 7184 ZALTWSP at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9641 018 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9642 019 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9645

Once we were back on the road after the meet we were far enough ahead to able to scout locations from Sanger on south.  We did not find any better spot than our already planned last pre-yard shot at Lambert where the line to Alliance Yard curves off the mainline.

020 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Lambert TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9648 021 NS 1069 MKCKALT at Lambert TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9650 022 NS 1069 MKCKALT at Lambert TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9655 023 BNSF 7438 South MKCKALT at Valley View TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9656

I checked in at the Alliance Yard Office, and with my PPE and ID in place I set up to get uncoupled nose shots of the NS 1069 on its way to the roundhouse.  While I waited I shot the yard tower and three NREX Sw1200’s 2285, 2284 and 2283 that I think were last used at Chaparral Steel in Midlothian?

024 NREX 2285 at Alliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9657 025 NREX 2284 at Alliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9658 026 NREX 2283 at Alliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9659 027 BNSF 1279 1287 at Alliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9661

A few minutes later I got the shots I came for.  The crew was joking on the radio about all the foamers out on the way down from Oklahoma City.  I offered them copies of my photos, but they said they had already seen enough of this train for one day.    Obviously I would have preferred the engine not be backlit, but you take what you are dealt in some situations.

031 NS 1069 at Aliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9671 032 NS 1069 at Aliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9674 033 NS 1069 at Aliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9676

On the way out of the yard I stopped to photograph the two large stacks of J.B. Hunt containers in storage.

034 JB Hunt containers at Alliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9677 035 JB Hunt containers at Alliance TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9678

A brief stop at the Saginaw diamonds resulted in catching two northbounds, the second with re-activated SD75M #8301 leading.

036 BNSF 7689 North at Saginaw TX on 2014-01-01 IMG_3320 037 BNSF 8301 North at Saginaw TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9680

Next I stopped by FWWR Hodge Yard where everything was shut down for the holiday including the four six axle units from the most recent CN / KCS sand train.

038 BNSF 983 FWWR 2018 at Hodge TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9683 039 FWWR 2004 at Hodge TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9684 040 FWWR 2019 at Hodge TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9685 041 FWWR 2024 KCS 4024 at Hodge TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9686 042 FWWR 2022 at Hodge TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9688

I heard the BNSF 9150 South leaving Saginaw on the radio, so I quickly relocated to the south bank of the Trinity River bottoms for this view as the train built up speed to tackle the hill up to Tower 55.

043 BNSF 9150 South at Fort Worth TX on 2014-01-01 9K5C9689

I would have caught this train south of Tower 55 also, but the UP Terminal Dispatcher said it would be at least an hour before they could get through the tower due to a broken rail.  This finished up my successful photography for New Year’s Day as I caught nothing else moving on the way home.

This Post Has 2 Comments

  1. Marc Montray

    7 Jan 2014

    Ken,
    Nice catch. Two heritage units from different RR’s. And both ACe’s. The pumpkin in the lead even adds a nice touch of contrasting color. Good to see you are back, sorry for all the trouble with the old site. I will miss being able to go back and view your fine work from the past years but look forward to all the new adventures.
    Marc

  2. Jim

    9 Jan 2014

    Looks like it was a good day! I was disappointed that that unique consist passed us in the dead of night, but that’s how it happens. UP 1982 is looking pretty weathered, isn’t it?

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