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Several weeks after the Norfolk Southern’s Savannah & Atlanta heritage unit paid us a visit early on a Sunday morning, now the Pennsylvania Railroad came to town on a Saturday afternoon.  This unit was in Fort Worth several months ago as the trailing unit on a BNSF train and more recently as the trailing unit on oil trains in Louisiana and Arkansas.  This time it was the sole power on an auto train coming to UP’s Garrett Yard in Arlington with cars for the GM assembly plant.  I put my car in the shop Saturday morning, so I was not able to get to Arlington until 3:00 pm after the train had arrived earlier.

The NS 8102 was in front of the Garrett Yard Office coupled up to the UP 4900.  I was able to get a three-quarters view from the office steps and a full side view in spite of this handicap.

I called the senior Manager Train Operations (MTO) and learned a crew should arrive around 4:30 to take the power to Fort Worth to be turned.  That would be my opportunity to get them to separate the units for a few minutes so I could get a properly lit roster shot.  I patiently waited and 4:30 came and went.  The Manager Yard Operations (MYO) told me the crew would be there around 5:30, but the fuel truck was coming too and once it started work the units could not be moved.  Looking at the lowering sun and the creeping shadows I realized my goal might not be achieved this day.

Then fate intervened as the crew arrived just before 5:00 pm and ahead of the fuel truck.  The MYO and I spoke to the crew and they agreed to help me while they waited for the fuel truck to arrive.  They uncoupled the 8102 and backed it up about 100 feet to an open area that was still well lit with minimum shadows.  I took the following sequence, and once I was satisfied with the results I took photos of those who wanted to pose with the unit for their own collections.

I thanked everyone for their cooperation and headed home with my fourth Norfolk Southern heritage engine (C of G, Pennsylvania, S&A and Virginian) personally photographed here in the DFW metroplex in the bag.  Only fourteen more to go!