The following Monday June 13th before lunch, I heard over the radio that the westbound Union Pacific LBG79 Fort Worth to Abilene local would be stopping at Aledo to spot a car at the elevator track. I made the five minute drive from home to the middle of the siding at Iona, and at a minute past noon, three SD40N’s rolled by a clump of weed flowers on the approach to Aledo.
The local crew left their train on the main track east of Aledo, and I next caught them backing up the double-ended elevator track from the west end with light power and the conductor up front for protection.
I thought the crew was going to pick up the car on the east side of the elevator, but they just pulled it to a new spot closer to the loading/unloading location. I guess it was a load and the elevator did not want to try to move it on their own due to the steep grade from east to west. I did manage to get the shot I wanted with the elevator as the units pulled west again to go back to their train.
I took one more photo as the power headed back east on the main to return to their train before heading off to Abilene.
After this I decided I had enough photos and took a few steps to my right into the Aledo Cafe for lunch. By the time the train highballed west past the cafe I had a ordered a cheeseburger and onion rings.
