Western Railroad Discussion > Monday (double-ended) Meet: Ottawa, KS

Yesterday (Dec 2) I was part of a semi-coordinated Kansas Gang/TO members' safari. Our mutual prey was one certain Talgo train on its way out to the Colorado
test track. This train turned out to be a very slippery devil, though not by its own fault. The original information in the cyber pipeline was that the train
would travel west from Kansas City via Topeka. TO members rich6000, UPTRAIN & bnsfsd70 were all on hand to record the train in Kansas City. I took up station
near Topeka and Milw E-70 held court near Emporia. Within 5 minutes of my arrival at the Goodell Rd overpass in Tecumseh, KS (1st station east of Topeka) word
came down from cyber space that the train was passing Holliday, KS down the Ottawa cut-off instead of over the Topeka Sub as previously reported. I immediately
headed south, finally settling on Melvern, KS as my choice of locations. 30 minutes later another piece of information came down. The train was stuck behind an
ore train that had developed power problems. I contacted E-70 and considering the now rapidly disappearing daylight we had to work with we both decided to head
east, me from Melvern & him from just east of Emporia. Then, with news about the train's "logjam" status between Kansas City & Ottawa worsening, we settled on
meeting at the Wilson St/Eisenhower Terrace overpass in west Ottawa. Bnsfsd70 joined us there just in time to catch the train in very marginal lighting.

My shots of the Talgo train are more or less identical to those already posted by the guys, however since I was first on the scene I was able to catch an earlier
sequence which I'm posting for "Monday Meets". I was parking my car just off the overpass and I could see an eastbound train approaching. As I was grabbing my
tripod & camera gear (and locking the car) I could also hear a westbound train approaching. As fast as my 57 year old legs could churn I scrambled to get into
position with one camera on the tripod pointing east. Then I looked west with the 2nd camera, grabbing a few quick hand held telephoto shots. It was a very close
shave, with the 2 sets of power meeting about 5 car lengths east of the spot my feet were occupying on the overpass. As I dashed to the east side of the overpass
to peer through the eastward pointing viewfinder I suddenly remembered that in my haste I had completely forgotten to check the shutter speed. I knew I was in
'shutter priority' so I just trusted to luck.

In a recent check, the EXIF time information in my D3000 is off by about 12 minutes, but my newly acquired D5100's time is exactly on cyber time (per my cell phone).
So start to finish I had parked, set up the tripod, formulated a plan and captured the meet with about 2 dozen shots, all within less than 4 minutes of arriving at
the overpass (including the 2 DP going away shots). In lieu of planning or talent, it pays to be lucky...

1. BNSF 5447 with an EB grain empty.



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/12 13:07 by santafe199.

---

2. 3. & 4. The 5447 is meeting BNSF Grinstein unit 9656 on the infamous WB ore train (with the power trouble).

---

---

---

5. Still looking east the westbound DP unit comes into sight.

6. BNSF 4454 is that westbound DP unit as both rear trains' ends meet right under my feet on the overpass.

---

---

7. BNSF 8820 is the eastbound DP and...

8. ...a full look at the westbound DP 4454.
(all photos taken December 2, 2012 in Ottawa, KS)

Thanks for that lucky star!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

---

---

That grain train casts doubts on what I was told about DPU's. Note it has 3 on the rear, and a single engine leading. I was old never more DPU's on the rear than on the front and in most cases at least one less than the lead.

not true, we used to frequently change directions at Las Animas, Colorado on a 2 x 1 configured grain train that operated from Kansdas to the elevators at Etter, TX. We'd just have them reconfigure the DPU's lead to trailer so they could operate 1 x 2 and Bob's yer uncle as the brits say. saved a lot of time from having to hostel power an clog up the main line. Because the Kansas Div. would always send these to us right in front of a fleet of loads departing La Junta.

Gentlemen: There are only 2 DP units on the EB grainer, both facing west...
(count the sun-shades)

Lance



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/03/12 14:32 by santafe199.

tomstp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That grain train casts doubts on what I was told
> about DPU's. Note it has 3 on the rear, and a
> single engine leading. I was old never more DPU's
> on the rear than on the front and in most cases at
> least one less than the lead.

BNSF JHMX coal trains thru Memphis for Palos AL always run 2 on the front and 3 on the back, have done this for years.
Also, the BNSF taconite trains will run 2x3 sometimes. BNSF Coil steel trains run 1x2.

gmojim

tomstp Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> That grain train casts doubts on what I was told
> about DPU's. Note it has 3 on the rear, and a
> single engine leading. I was old never more DPU's
> on the rear than on the front and in most cases at
> least one less than the lead.


Foamer rumor. We've been running unit commodity trains (grain, steel, and even coal) 1x2 for several years.

Milw_E70 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> tomstp Wrote:
> I was old never more
> DPU's
> > on the rear...
>
>
> Foamer rumor. We've been running unit commodity
> trains (grain, steel, and even coal) 1x2 for
> several years.


Union Pacific has been doing the same thing. I've see 1x3 before on a coal empty out of Southern Illinois.

Pump