On October 20, 2023, BNSF made an unusual special passenger car move that I have no idea when the last time something like this happened. Two different corporate passenger trains had been operating in Texas the past week and on Friday the 20th the plan was to combine both trains for a total of 26 cars to run a daylight move back to their hone base in Topeka. I formulated a plan to catch the entire train in one photo with the drone in a wide-open area just north of Valley View.
I left the house around 11:00 am to keep an eye and ear on the operation in case anything changed during the day. I knew the more executive class of the two trains with 12 cars was tied down in Aliance Yard while the second train was working out of Fort Worth Central Station area making employee trips. I parked along Arizona Street south of Tower 55 and caught that 14-car train coming back north at 11:23 am.
I moved to a good launch spot north of Tower 55 and sent the drone up for this aerial view as the train stopped to deboard passengers.
I drove on north to the Trinity River bridges south of Tower 60 to catch the train again when it left for Alliance Yard. First Amtrak 821 came south before the passenger train left downtown.
The train passed over the Trinity River at 1:12 pm.
While the 26-car train was being assembled at Alliance Yard with a single ES44C4 number 7195 for power, I drove north to make arrangements for my planned “money shot” photo. Just south of Justin I stopped for a southbound BNSF “Z” train.
I drove on up to my location north of Valley View and obtained the landowner’s permission to launch from his property so I would not have far to fly. The big passenger train left a few minutes after 3:00 pm but had no priority since it was a deadhead move. Close to 5:00 pm I thought it would be the next train at my spot, but then the dispatcher brought a southbound freight out of Gainesville that passed me at 5:18 pm.
The dispatcher told the special they would meet this train at Valley View, and I expected to see it very soon as the freight had already announced they were in the clear. The special pulled up to a red signal at north Valley View, and after a few minutes the dispatcher told them a train was switching at the south end of Gainesville and he was going to hold them until he could line them all the way through. This did not make me happy as I was watching the sun slip towards the horizon in the west.
Finally around 5:54 pm I heard the 7195 North announce they were moving, and I launched the drone to capture this view at 5:58 pm. I wanted the length of the whole train to be featured and I was very happy with this result.
I flew over closer to the train for the going away view two minutes later.
Pleased with the results I thanked my host and headed for home. If anyone knows the last time a passenger train of 26 cars or more other than the Ringling Brothers circus train ran in this area I would love to know!
