On August 1, 2026, the railfan grapevine was alive with the news the UP/NS ZAILA train from Atlanta to Los Angeles was led by the Norfolk Southern’s Lackawanna Railroad heritage unit. It would be coming through my area west of Fort Worth around noon which meant it would be backlit to a degree. When I heard it pass Davidson Yard (the crew district for UP “Z” trains is Mesquite to Sweetwater) I drove over to the Annetta area and stopped at the Center Point Road grade crossing. The train raced past me at 12:29 pm and I managed two photos.
If I had been willing to drive twenty or more miles further west, I could have found a spot with better lighting, but I had things to do at home.