Western Railroad Discussion > Patience & Independence

This past February ‘mg8711’ and I bagged Amtrak’s heritage unit 145 at Camden in northwestern Missouri. And we made a day of it shooting whatever else got in front of our cameras. Later in the afternoon we were homeward bound, passing through Independence, MO. Snooping around we found a coal empty sitting patiently at the Kentucky Ave crossing. So we got out and did a routine photo-study. Just as soon as we got our shots this train “put ‘er in gear” and resumed course on into downtown Kansas City. Were these guys sitting there, PATIENTLY waiting until we could show up and take some photos?!!?

Nahhhh……

1. UP 5771 is holding a pose on the point of a coal empty at the Kentucky Ave crossing.

2. & 3. The 5771 is now in forward motion. Up ahead [if I have the correct routing in mind] is the Sheffield flyover, KC Union Station, SFe Jct Interlocking & UP’s sprawling yard in Kansas City, KS.
(3 photos taken February 2, 2014 in Independence, MO)

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/14 10:30 by santafe199.

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Nice set of photos, Lance! Rock creek is usually a stand in for trains waiting to enter Neff Yard.

As far as the routing of this train, *most* empty UP coal trains avoid the KCT and Union Station, and instead, run via UP's KC Metro Subdivision - Neff Yard - Lydia - Troost - Broadway - Hickory Street and then 18th Street or Fairfax, depending on their routing afterwards.

-Dalton

Great photos Lance. I'm not sure but I think that would have been a coal from the power plant at Oologah OK just by looking at the lettering on the cars "AEPX".

Ronda Thomas

oklachaser Wrote:
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> Great photos Lance. I'm not sure but I think that
> would have been a coal from the power plant at
> Oologah OK just by looking at the lettering on the
> cars "AEPX".
>
> Ronda Thomas


AEPX would be American Electric Power and they usually transload to barges at Metropolis, IL last I knew.

Rob

oklachaser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great photos Lance. I'm not sure but I think that
> would have been a coal from the power plant at
> Oologah OK just by looking at the lettering on the
> cars "AEPX".
>
> Ronda Thomas


AEPX cars go several places. American Electric Power serves customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia.

Pump

CP_M260 Wrote: > As far as the routing of this train...

The routing I had in mind was just a semi-wild guess. I've seen UP coal empties passing through SFe Jct on the way to Armourdale, usually over the elevated track from KCUS. Of course I've also seen them passing through the gooseneck...

Thanks for the info

Lance

Took lots of video at Camden, Mo when there was a wig-wag on the BNSF. Thanks for bringing back good old memories.

Larry

Most of UP's PRB coal drags route back west through Fairfax up to the Falls City Subdivision that runs along the Missouri River on the Kansas side (up through Leavenworth and Atchison), before diverting to the Hiawatha Sub, and eventually the Marysville Sub.

The ones coming out of southern Colorado usually route back through Armourdale from Neff via the KCT, before hitting the Kansas Subdivision west of Armourdale and moving west along the Salina and Sharon Springs Subs.

Of course, this is based on experience along both lines, and things may have changed in the last couple of years, especially with how things are being routed through the KC area now compared to 10 years ago.