Western Railroad Discussion > Kansas City Sampler Pack

Well, I'm a week late in editing all of this stuff, but last Saturday was a banner day in Kansas City, both from a weather and railfanning perspective, and I thought you'd all appreciate seeing some of the results.

Photo 1: BNSF put together a pretty sweet GP35-SD45-2 combo on NS D70 up in North Kansas City, while a unit gon train waits in the background. We'll revisit the BNSF 4561's train later.

Photo 2: GMTX GP15-1 #404 caught me by surprise at KC's Mid-America Car. It and the 403 had been working at some plant in Lubbock, TX and are likely at MAC for new paint. Outside of an industrial switcher near Gary, IN, it had been some time since I'd seen anything painted in CR blue, let alone photographed it. Too bad it'll surely lose the paint shortly.

Photo 3: Anyone need a switcher? This was the scene presented outside of Mid-America Car in Kansas City, MO on 9/13/2014. Its not everyday that you can come across a lineup of three early EMD switchers like this outside of a museum.

- Jeff Carlson

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Photo 4: Mid-America Car in Kansas City, MO can always be counted on for variety, and my trip there this past weekend was no exception. Here, we've got a BNSF 70MAC #9729 in for engine work, a wreck damaged CSX AC4400 #72 ( http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3439756,3439762#msg-3439762 ), and one of Iowa Northern's new, ex-ATSF slugs. Here's what the slugs looked like on their way into MAC a few months ago: http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3418777,3419121#msg-3419121

Photo 5: NS 1069, the Virginian Heritage unit ran into KC on 9/13/2014 on the point of train 21T. After leaving its train at Voltz yard, the power ran light to the Avondale Diesel Shop where it is seen here.

Photo 6: As a kid, I spent LOTS of time along the BN in Chicagoland, so I'm always happy to shoot scenes such as this. The BNSF #2740 was built in 1963 as the Great Northern #3007, and as one of the earliest GP39 rebuilds (1989), it received the earlier "barricade stripes" paint, as opposed to the whiteface. Here it is switching out the ex-BN yard under I-35 in North Kansas City, MO, and about to cross Atlantic Ave., mp 224.09.

- Jeff Carlson

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Photo 7: After waiting at the west end of NS' Avondale Yard for quite some time, BNSF #4561 leads a unit train of MWAX gondolas off of the ex-CB&Q Brookfield Sub and through North Kansas City on its way towards Ustick Tower and the Gooseneck. This is the same train seen in the background of Photo 1.

Photo 8: Love me some Triclopses! While the 4561 was rolling through North KC, a light engine move from NS' Avondale Yard towards UP's Neff Yard rolled by with UP 2313 pulling up the markers. After running down to the south side of the river, I got it rolling past CP M281, Lydia Ave. and about to go under I-35 in Kansas City, MO. This is one of the repaints that got the REALLY low grey lightning bolt on the side, though I couldn't manage to get any good light on the side anywhere to show it off.

Photo 9: The 90's called and they want their Dash-8 back. UP C40-8 #9199 is cutting across the mains on the west end of Neff Yard, along with BNSF's transfer power. I was never a huge fan of the C40's when they were new, but I've certainly come around to them in the last few years.

- Jeff Carlson

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Photo 10: At the west end of Neff Yard in KC, MO, light BNSF power rolls west past a UP yard job, led by the UPY #844. Regardless of the paint job, I love the look of the GP30 carbody, and BNSF's H3 paint is no exception. The 2830 was built as the CB&Q 944, though the GN-inspired colors suit it well. Regarding the SD38-2, the number "844" is certainly more famous on another UP engine, though I'll happily still shoot this one.

Photo 11: After dropping off their train at UP's Neff Yard, I followed BNSF GP39-2R #2830 out to CP M281 Lydia Ave. on the UP Kansas City Metro Sub, where I was able to capture that classic GP30 design yet again.

Photo 12: NS Dash 9-40CW #8915 heads up NS auto train 239 through Kansas City's busy Santa Fe Junction. This is an empty auto rack train from Georgetown, KY and it was headed across the river towards UP's Armourdale Yard in KCK.

- Jeff Carlson



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/14 20:21 by bnsfsd70.

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Photo 13: Thanks to an absolute CLUSTER of locomotive malfunctions, delays and replacements on trains in and out of St. Louis, the afternoon MO River Runner found its way into Kansas City a cool 3 1/2 hours late this day. Here, we see it down on the bottom level of Santa Fe Junction after turning itself, while BNSF and UP stack trains cross overhead. While the photo angles at "The J" are limited, the action is tough to beat, anywhere in the nation.

Photo 14: After waiting for the Amtrak train to clear "The J," we were presented with a GREAT all-Santa Fe as the sun was setting. A northbound transfer out of Argentine Yard came rolling across the diamonds led by GP39-2 #2789, while another manifest led by the "Santa Fe" #622 waits for its turn across the diamonds.

Photo 15: Just as the 2789 cleared up, it was the 622's turn to head north. The sun was pretty well gone by this point, but who am I to argue with a Warbonnet leading an ex-Oakway SD60 in 2014?

Thanks a lot for looking, it was one heck of a day!
- Jeff Carlson

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Those are some great shots. Can never go wrong in KC, always lots of action to keep the memory cards filled up.

GOOD stuff...!!! Thanks for posting.

Great shots. The train with NS 8915 was NS 239 headed for Armourdale.

ARandall70 Wrote:
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> Great shots. The train with NS 8915 was NS 239
> headed for Armourdale.

Thanks! I guess I got it confused with another sb while I was driving through the West Bottoms. I did think it was odd to have an Armourdale auto train coming out of Murray.

In addition, when I shot this, I met Grant Goertzen for the first time. I've seen his shots of KC for a while now, but hadn't yet run into him.

Thanks for the clarification, I'll get it fixed here.

- Jeff Carlson