With the bridge out of service over the Brazos River west of Houston, the Sunset Limited has been forced to reroute over the BNSF from Rosenberg south to Alvin and then north to enter the city. I took this opportunity to get some rare mileage over the detour. My daughter gave me a ride to San Antonio on Monday and dropped me off at Sunset Station around 5 AM this morning. Here are a few photos from my quick trip. The Texas Eagle was farther back down the platform waiting a later departure than the Sunset. An old SP 2-8-2 stuffed and mounted on display at the depot. A new baggage car. The tail ends of the Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle.
Tower 3 controlled the crossing in Flatonia, Texas. It has been restored and is now on display there. Arriving in Rosenberg there was a KCS train waiting to come off the Victoria Sub and follow the Amtrak around the detour. After backing up onto the BNSF Galveston Sub using the track on the far right, we pulled forward crossing the diamond from another direction. The 3rd Street crossing in Rosenberg with the railroad museum on the left. Tower 17 is behind the MoPac caboose. Crossing the muddy Brazos on the BNSF bridge. It had started to rain a little. The bridge on the left was built to bring UP coal trains into the power plant at Thompsons when the BNSF refused to give them access over their rails.
Great Rare Mileage trip, thanks. BTW, UP having to build a special bridge to reach the power plant at Thompsons should dispel any criticism that only Uncle Pete is an arrogant self-centered company. Apparently Warren Buffet's organization can be just as arrogant......
It's called business. Actually the power company built it. They were trying to pick up coal on the spot market and have UP deliver it at reduced rates. BNSF had a monopoly on the bulk of the coal and was charging accordingly. BNSF was trying to preserve their "Cash Cow" and refused to give the UP track rights to get up to the plant. So, the power company built their own line from the power plant, and over the river to connect with a UP branch line that was used to deliver crushed lime stone to a gravel company in Arcola. UP coal trains ran for less than a year before BNSF agreed to renegotiate their long tern contract to a much more favorable rate. The money saved by the power company more than paid for the new line. And they still use the new line but for an alternate route for BNSF trains. They installed a new loop to connect to the Galveston Sub right next to their junction with the UP in Arcola. I am not sure but they may come in to the plant on one and go out on the other. This shows the new loop in Arcola. They still have the connection to the UP as leverage to use against BNSF. https://www.google.com/maps/@29.4997066,-95.4661183,982m/data=!3m1!1e3
Interesting. You know that companies use devious means to counter competition. Though it's hard to realize that it can be on such a large and expensive scale.
