The evening of Monday March 8th found me at the TEXRail Iron Horse Station for an unusual event. The two ex-New Haven, ex-Metro North FL9’s acquired by the Grapevine Vintage Railroad have been equipped with PTC to operate over TEXRail and the system needed testing. The plan was to run the two FL9’s from Grapevine to the switch at Haltom where the FWWR separates from TEXRail and then back to Grapevine while interacting with TEXRail trains.
I arrived at Iron Horse at 9:00 pm to take advantage of the good artificial lighting and a few minutes later caught two TEXRail trains meeting with Fort Worth in the distant background.
I was early so as to not miss anything, and overheard the Grapevine train consisting of both FL9’s back to back with a coach between them would run to the siding at Smithfield and let the next westbound train overtake it just before 10:00 pm. After the east and west bound TEXRail’s met at Iron Horse and the eastbound passed Smithfield, the Grapevine train would leave Smithfield and follow the westbound TEXRail to the Junction at Haltom. So just after 10:00 pm I was down on the platform when the eastbound pulled in.
Just one passenger detrained.
The westbound train pulled out a minute later after the eastbound had left.
After the eastbound passed Smithfield Station the Grapevine train took the main and passed Iron Horse at 10:18 pm with FL9 2014 leading.
The Grapevine train stopped clear of TEXRail at Haltom and changed ends from the 2014 to the 2016 for the return trip. They were able to accomplish this in time to leave Haltom before the next eastbound TEXRail train and passed Iron Horse at 10:43 pm.
With the night’s entertainment concluded I headed my warm vehicle towards home!