This past Wednesday July 22nd started out well when I had to run some errands and also heard there was a northbound UP train approaching Fort Worth that had a Tier Four SD70AH on the point. I headed for the area just south of the old MKT Ney Yard where I only had to wait a few minutes for the train to arrive.
I was rewarded with a very clean UP number 3047.
I headed due west and upon crossing the BNSF Fort Worth Sub I saw a northbound headlight approaching the south end of Birds siding. I made a quick U-turn and was ready when the Cleburne local passed by and headed into the siding.
The third unit was GP60 number 187 showing its Santa Fe heritage .
Only a few minutes later the BNSF 7237 South entered the scene with a roar as the southbound loaded grain train accelerated out of town just as a cloud passed overhead.
The DPU brought a surprise and I quickly lined up for this broadside of CP SD70ACU number 7042 in the beaver paint scheme.
I took care of my errands and headed back home for lunch, but was not destined to stay indoors out of the heat. Information came through that a UP loaded ethanol train was about to leave the ex-MKT Ray Yard in Denison with their Veterans locomotive SD70AH number 1943 leading. I had photographed this unit only once before when it was on display at Davidson Yard.
Those shots were not quite what I wanted as there were numerous obstructions around the locomotive, so if the sun would cooperate this would be my opportunity for a clear shot. Since the afternoon sun was in the northwest quadrant, I chose to drive to Denton where there is a stretch of several miles that the Choctaw Sub runs east to west. This would provide perfect three-quarters lighting if indeed the sun would be out from behind the passing clouds.
I scouted spots along this stretch and decided on this location along Mingo Road just west of the hotbox detector at milepost 717.2. A northbound bare table train rolled by shortly after 5:00pm. I heard on the radio this train would go to Pilot Point to meet my target train.
The clouds to my back that would block the sun began to dissipate and at 6:36pm I was rewarded by with this sequence that met my goal.
Close to home and just before sunset I pulled over for this view of an isolated storm complex in the northwest over Parker and Palo Pinto Counties.
Two clean locomotives equaled a good day photographically.
