Western Railroad Discussion > Warbonnet Wednesday: a little blue & orange?

I’m not trying to fool anybody. Honest! There really is a Warbonnet in the first image. But I’m hoping the early morning sky color will intercept any Red & Silver disappointment. This was a shot of opportunity. I had seen the train parked here the night before and I was glad to find it still here in the morning, giving me a chance for some artsy sunrise shooting.
 
My second image is probably more in line with what you were expecting. But there’s a catch*: The Red & Silver in this image isn’t sitting on BNSF rails, ex-Santa Fe or otherwise. No foolin’! It’s pointing a UP train taking a very convoluted route which will eventually end up on the Golden State Route. These wind generator blades wouldn’t clear the sharp curve on the south end of the ex-Rock Island bridge over the Kansas River at Topeka. So the train ran the KP out here to this siding named “Ike” after the 34th President (… no foolin’!) just west of Abilene, his boyhood hometown. The power will cut off & run around and get on the east end of the train. It will go back into Abilene and get on old Santa Fe rails for a jog down to Lost Springs, KS where it will re-gain its own rails. Namely the UP’s ex-Rock island main (which runs from Herington south through Wichita, and on down through Oklahoma into Texas). Another change of directions at Lost Springs will jog the train up to Herington. Yet one more change of direction (again, no foolin’) at Herington and this train will finally be heading west down the GSR.

Let’s see now: This world famous Santa Fe passenger paint scheme is on trackage where Portland Roses & Cities of St Louis used to run. But the train is ultimately heading for a mainline with yet another form of former passenger glory: the Rock Island Maroon of the Golden State Route. And all this because some wind mill blades won’t fit through a curve out of a bridge. No foolin’…

1. BNSF Warbonnet 710 is the DP unit on a grainer parked overnight at Walton, KS on June 20, 2014.

2. BNSF Warbonnet 943 in the siding at Ike, KS (just west of Abilene on the KP) on September 1, 2013.

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

*Study that 2nd paragraph real hard. There’ll be a pop quiz in the morning!
(Ah shucks. I’m just foolin’…. ;^)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/01/15 06:25 by santafe199.

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Nice shots, I like the blade train the best with Warbonnet 943 at the ready..

Larry

NICE pics!!

Lance,

Nice stuff!  That clearcoat sure didn't hold up though!