Western Railroad Discussion > Good Spots Near San Antonio TX

We're going to be visiting there and I'm looking for some info places to check out the local rail activity. TIA

Ed Schopperth/Papillion NE

Go take a look in the old SP depot on the Sunset route.Beautiful stained glass in there.Pretty easy walk from the Alamo.

Regards,dK

I don't know of too many good spots, but I can offer a warning to stay away from Quintana rd near the UP yard/Kelly field annex. I spent a lot of time down there watching the action in 2010 and was approached many times by different divisions of law enforcement. One time I was curious as to why they were constantly stopping me and asking why I was in that particular neighborhood. The sheriff said a lot of local gangs buried their murder victims in that area.

Very scary to hear that.

Sunset route usually has lots of traffic. Then there is the Austin Sub, north of San Antonio, which goes from San Antonio to Hearne. San Marcos is a good 30 minute drive from San Antonio, and has some northbound traffic on the Austin Sub (UP), and the Lockhart Sub (UP, BNSF has Trackage rights) has lots of trains, too. On the way to San Marcos, you pass New Braunfels, which has a museum that houses an MP saddle tank, a Pullman diner, an MP 40ft boxcar (which houses an N-scale layout), and an MP Cupola caboose. This museum is located on a UP sub I do not remember the name of. There is a also a diamond there, where that line crosses the Austin Sub. On the line that goes by the museum, just west of the museum, there is a small yard, where you will often find five or six idling UP C44-9Ws, that you can get really close to for pics, and nobody will chase you out. There also is a Pullman from MP's Eagle streamliner, that usually is stored at that yard.

One good place to railfan in San Marcos, is on the Austin Sub near Aquarina Springs Drive. There is a siding there, and a lot of action (especially on Wednesdays), and a branch that splits off there, too. Another 10 minute drive north, and you're in Kyle, on the Austin Sub. There are a few passenger cars from the 'Lone Star' there, an Amtrak phase 1 coach, a CNW 40ft boxcar, and a few other treasures. In downtown Kyle, just off of I-35, there is an MP depot that is restored as a city building, with a caboose outside it. North from Kyle 15 minutes, and you're in Manchaca, home of avid TO member PAluvR. Manchaca has some great spots, notably Dittmar Road grade crossing, on Bergstrom siding. You will often witness MFWSA (Manifest-Fort Worth to San Antonio) meet MSAFW (Manifest-San Antonio to Fort Worth) here at Bergstrom.

CeMex has lots of cement trains on the Austin Sub, frequently pulled by UP C44-9Ws, and the occasional ES44AC. 10 minutes north of Manchaca is Austin, where I live. The Amtrak station in downtown Austin is a good spot, as trains are moving slow (they have to go around a sharp curve, and then another just past the station), so it is great for stills. Amtrak (if not running late) arrives from San Antonio at about 9:30 AM, and from Chicago at about 6:30 PM.

If you are willing to drive even further north by 10 miles, McNeil is cool operation, as UPRR's Austin Sub, crosses Watco's Austin Western railway, while Capital MetroRail trains flyover the top. UP interchanges rock trains (often pulled by C44-9Ws, AC440CWs, CW6044ACs, and ES44ACs) to the AWRR at McNeil. Texas White Lime is located at McNeil, as is a nice area to set up, and watch trains. The Austin Subdivision is a great place to watch trains, as UP has assigned lots of units such as C44-9Ws, CW6044ACs, and C40/C41-8Ws that are rare on the rest of the system. Almost every single train you'll see on the Austin Sub will be a northbounder. South bounders tend to move on the Smithville Sub. Two exceptions are MFWSA and Amtrak Train 21, the southbound Texas Eagle. Be on the lookout for patched CNW C44-9Ws. A few are circulating down here. I know for sure 9798 and 9696, but there may be more. Unpatched SSW GP60 9708 is lurking near San Antonio on locals, too.

Flatonia, an hour a two east of San Antonio has tons of action. There is a diamond, the Sunset Route, even a railfan pavilion! Flatonia's subdivisions are Glidden (East-West), and Cuero (North-South). In Flatonia, there is an SP C50-9 caboose, and the tower that use to guard the interlocking. There are a few locals in the San Antonio area, too. Lots of yards in San Antonio. There is an Engine facility/test facility that has the largest variety of road names you can imagine! I've seen SP, UP, BN, BNSF, ATSF, CR, CNW, KCS, NS, CSX, NREX, GMTX, CITX, HLCX, FerroMex, even Wheeling & Lake Erie there! East yard is just around the corner from the test facility, as well. Lots of UP C40-8s and SD40-2s are stored at the test facility. There is a lot around San Antonio.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/15 19:34 by judahrice.

Don't miss the Amtrak station and the SP 2-8-2 parked there!