Scouts loading at La Junta, Colorado for the hop to Raton, New Mexico where busses would take them to Philmont Scout Ranch.
Some photos my wife took with her little Instamatic camera back in 1988. We took our kids, daughter 5 and son 2 years old, on their first train trip to Dallas to visit my brother and his family. The Texas Eagle had a Houston section that split off from the San Antonio section in Dallas. It used the old Houston & Texas Central (SP) route between Houston and Dallas. Here the kids at the Union Station in Dallas waiting for the south bound from Chicago to arrive. The Reunion Hotel complex is behind the graffiti free box car in a train rolling past on the main line. An ex ATSF high level coach that was only used between Houston and Dallas waits for a locomotive and two cars pulled from the San Antonio section to couple on before heading for Houston. This is the car we rode on both going to Dallas and coming back to Houston. Looking out the open end door of the Santa Fe coach as the Dallas passengers de-train and the San Antonio folks climb aboard. After one locomotive and two cars were pulled from the consist, the remainder of the train departs for San Antonio. Our train was soon assembled and we departed as well.
I watched the Tucson station webcam a while back. Two Genesis P-series were being refueled from one rigid-body tanker. It took 45 minutes because the truck's hose wasn't long enough, so the train had to move between fueling of each engine. I hope it was merely a top-off because each engine tank holds 2800 Gallons and the max a rigid-frame tank holds is 4000 Gallons. Which reminds me of an incident behind my house about a year after the Genesis P's were delivered to the Sanford terminal. The Sunset was due to leave and needed power. Both its GE P's had had an unscheduled malfunction, so two F-40's were assigned. Someone in Operations forgot the F40's have an 1800 Gallon tank, whereas the P's have a 2800 Gallon tank, and that the mid-journey refueling stop at Pensacola, FL had been cancelled a year before when the P's came into service. As the Sunset was approaching my house, its F-40's barking mightily, they both suddenly went silent. OOPS! The Sunset coasted to a stop about a mile west of me in dense woods. A rescue CSX GP-40 was called from Pascagoula, forty miles to the east. It coupled to the rear of the Sunset, hauled it back five miles to the Beauvoir siding, ran around, and towed it to NOLA at least two hours away with no intermediate stops. Mind you, this was mid-July in south Mississippi, no HEP, and no windows that can be opened.
14 August 2023, 1803: Carolinian? I think departs Alexandria for points north. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
From 04/03/1989, Amtrak's westbound Pennsylvanian is departing Harrisburg, PA and will soon leave the wire behind. The headlight you see in the distance under the station shed is from a GG-1 on permanent display.
Gee, how many rail lines are at this point?! Looks like a lot, and the foreground one has third rail!
Three tracks at the Alexandria station-CSX, Amtrak, and VRE all run on those. Still new to the area, but that’s what I know right now. I was shooting from the Old Town/King St Metro station (two tracks, supports blue and yellow line routes) which is the metro line for DC. Best part of my daily commute is riding the metro and catching at least something-CSX, VRE, or Amtrak-out the window. I ended up having to get off early to switch trains to meet my family at a restaurant for dinner and the blue line metro was very late, so I caught a total of two VRE, three Amtrak, and that CSX in the space of 40 minutes or so. I’m also about a 15 minute drive-tops-to Lorton, and I keep meaning to head down and watch the AutoTrain someday. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
From my Los Angeles turn out of Houston in June of 2000. I had planned on taking the Surfliner down to San Diego and back but the #1 was so late into LA that I only had time to walk around the terminal before I had to get back on the #1 to go back to Houston.
Running 4h36m late out of Denver, Amtrak Train #5, is at the ESS at Plain siding on UP's Moffat Tunnel Subdivision. Joe McMillan Photo. January 23, 2024.
Agreed! The photographer's name caught my eye too. Joe McMillan was an employee of the Santa Fe, starting his career in 1964 and retiring in 1995 as Safety Director. I have a few of his books, all super well done.
Yep, same guy. I did a little work for him when I interned with the Santa Fe for a summer in Chicago when I was young. He's a smart fellow and very personable. Had him sign my copy of The 5:10 to Suburbia: Chicago's Suburban Railroads, 1960-1975.
