March 01, 2025, dawned as a beautiful Saturday in north Texas and I decided to fly my Mavic 3 Classic over the UP Baird Sub less than 10 minutes from home west of Fort Worth. While I was loading up the drone equipment, I heard on the radio that a meet was planned at Iona, the first passing siding about nine miles west of Davidson Yard in Fort Worth. When I arrived fifteen minutes later there was an eastbound intermodal stopped in the siding and a westbound “Z” train was coming up the 1.5% grade out of Fort Worth.
As the westbound “Z” train was coming directly out of the rising sun, I decided to pass on it and head down the hill to be in a good position for the perfectly lit eastbound intermodal train. Following this logic, I had ample time to set up and launch the drone for this photo at 8:19 am as the eastbound with two units up front came out of the siding with dynamic braking in use.
Two thirds of the way back in the train, two more locomotives were cut in as DPU’s.
The westbound “Z” train went on west to Weatherford where it met another eastbound intermodal. This time I flew the drone back west to the shallow “S” curve just east of the east end of Iona Siding. Once again, the morning light at 9:17 am was streaming in from the perfect angle.
This eastbound intermodal was slightly shorter than the previous train and only had one mid train DPU.
Nearly two hours passed before I had a westbound arrive at my location at 11:13 am. With three units on the point the long train was working hard up the 1.5% grade. The Fort Worth skyline can be seen on the horizon around 14 miles away.
Only a slight breeze was blowing out of the south, so the speedy Mavic 3 Classic had no problem getting ahead of the train for this second view as it started through the “S” curve to the west at what I would guess was around 20 mph.
I flew back east along the train to the launch point and photographed the rear end of the westbound intermodal prior to landing.
The radio alerted me to the fact the westbound “ZAILA” Atlanta to Los Angeles “Laser” run by UP and NS was approaching Tower 55 in Fort Worth. I relocated to the middle of Iona Siding before putting the drone up again when I heard a horn sequence for the grade crossing at the east end. A few minutes later at straight up noon the Laser sped by with three NS horses up front.
The open spaces behind the train looking north towards I30 is planned to become a large housing development within the city limits of Fort Worth as evidenced by the newly built water tower.
The rear end passed me as the head end was approaching Aledo about two miles away next to the distant grain elevator.
I could hear a westbound MFWWC (Manifest Fort Worth to West Colton) leaving the yard as the Laser was passing my location. I drove on to Aledo and launched the drone one more time to scout out a good location. Dayne’s Craft BBQ is one of Texas Monthly Magazine’s Top 50 in Texas and was well patronized this Saturday afternoon.
Looking east along the south side of the Baird Sub, my launch point was up by the building with the red roof and the manifest train snuck up on me while I was pointing the drone the other way. I quickly spun it back around to the east for this view at 12:37 pm.
I panned counterclockwise and took this photo looking north towards “old downtown” Aledo.
Flying back to my launch point I paused as the two rear DPU’s passed by the full parking lot for Dayne’s. Dayne’s and Press Cafe on the south side complimented by the Aledo Cafe on the north side of the tracks give you a choice of three good eating places in Aledo with a view of the Baird Sub.
With nothing else apparently close, five trains in close to three and a half hours was a good time for me, especially with no drone mishaps. The next day, Sunday was overcast and rainy, so this was a perfect day!
