Western Railroad Discussion > It was a good start...

…but I ended up going “ka-THUD!”

I had grand plans, I really did! I got the green light to attend the annual Santa Fe modelers & railfans convention in Dallas last month. I had a number of railfanning options for the drive down from Kansas. After some serious idea juggling I opted to follow the old Rock Island main line south out of Herington, KS. I had only seen the line as far south as Caldwell, KS early in the OKKT days. And with the exception of a tour bus swing around El Reno, OK in 1978 I had never seen any of the rest of the main line down to Fort Worth.

I got my planned early start out of Manhattan and picked up UP’s current version of Rock Island’s old GSR at Alta Vista. I quickly put 2 trains in the bag at White City, and added a third at Herington. But I couldn’t really count them. The first two trains were shot northeast of Herington, and the third was coming in off the GSR from southwest of Herington. I had yet to touch my intended target main south out of Herington. After a routine pit-stop for gas, snack & drink I was finally southbound and on the hunt for signboards, grain elevators & other tell-tale traces of the former Rock Island. Most of all I was looking to shoot real live trains, even if they were of the Uncle Pete variety. From adjacent Interstate hwy 135 I saw lots of power at UP’s impregnable fortress in Wichita. But it was a big fat “zip-zero-nada” the rest of the way to El Reno, where I broke off and headed for Norman, OK to stay the night with my cousin.

I would return to El Reno the next morning and experience my only bright spot of the day by discovering the “Rock Island Diner” downtown. After a worthy breakfast I was back on the southbound trail. I kept to US hwy 81 and was able to keep a close watch on the main, but the pickin’s were slim. I saw but didn’t shoot a local [switch?] crew at work in Chickasha, OK. I also found a few scraggly roster shots which I did take. After a brief museum stop in Duncan, OK (Rock Island steamer #905) I would cross the Red River before seeing ANY other sign of life on the line. I found a northbound train looking very tied down near the tiny radar blip of Stoneburg, TX. I could see the train sitting still, but it was too far away to make out an engine number. That's ok; the weather was crapping out anyhow.

It was a totally UNDER-whelming experience. I guess I’ll have to go back down & try again some day…

1. UP 8112 is eastbound out of White City, KS.

2. UP 4605 is in the hole westbound at White City, KS.

3. UP 8983 is about to enter the yard at Herington, KS.
(photos 1-3 taken June 20, 2015)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/15 05:34 by santafe199.

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4. UP 8446 & SPatch 6394 sit idle in Chickasha, OK.

5. A northbound train [engine # unknown] sits tied down at “Belknap” near Stoneburg, TX.
(photos 4-5 taken June 21, 2015)

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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I only truly chased one train on the old Rock during my time in Oklahoma. It's quite sad to see what became of the old Rock Island town of El Reno!

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Hope you had a good time at the convention.  I couldn't make it there this year.  I like the vertical curve in photo 1.  

Russell Honey
Springfield, MO
My Flickr page

The container train in #1 is an impressive shot. Too bad the old Rock Isand line is so often hard to document with the little aount of traffic it receives.
Brian Stevens

You're going to hate this, Lance, but Sunday, after the convention ended, I went to Saginaw, TX,
for some shots, hopefully with better light than the last time I was there.  (More on that in a moment.)
While I was there, TWO trains came north on the old Rock Island and continued through the plant
to the northwest.  I considered that to be extremely fortunate.  

Note to self and others as interested.  Saginaw is a really neat place you won't be hassled at.  However,
you really need to get there after three in the afternoon for the light to work best.  I'm still trying. 

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

I like the look of Pic 1!!

No. 1 is a winner. Excellent use of the "rule of thirds."  The locomotive headlight is right on the 2/3rds mark from the left and you have about 1/3rd ground and 2/3rds sky.  I don't know why this "thirds stuff" is so appealing, but somehow it always make a scene look better.  I first learned about that rule around 1982 in an evening college photography class.  I've been using it ever since.

Cheers,
Paul Greenfield
 

e9abba Wrote: > ... Excellent use of the "rule of thirds."

Thank-you,sir! In high school (1972-73) I took a 2 hour course called "Design Drawing & Composition" thinking I could become some artist. Unfortunately my ability with painting or artistic drawing never answered the bell. But I do like to think the course (still) has some effect when I look through a viewfinder.

Lance



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/15 18:23 by santafe199.

Really great shots Lance.

Ronda Thomas