Western Railroad Discussion > Oklahoma City

Was that a BNSF hump yard south of downtown OKC??? Looked like it might be..And, too, looked like I saw a double track heading east near the yard..is that BNSF heading east??? and how does the UP play into OKC??? saw UP trackage I think...

Okla City has a 'mini' hump. The tracks you saw going east are probably the lead to the General Motors plant. Don't know much about the UP operation there except I believe they own the ex-Rock island trackage west to El Reno and east to???

SantaFeChief

Goofey
Assuming you saw all this via I-35, just north of Flynn yard (former ATSF) is the GM crossover to serve the OKC GM plant to the east. As you headed further north, on the west side of the highway, you may have seen the former Frisco/BN Yard. Just north of that, you may have crossed over or paralleled (depending on the route you took when you hit I-40) the UP (former CRIP). To the north and east of I-35 (at I-40), you likely saw the former Rock Island Harter Yard (now UP). The E-W UP line through OKC usually sees a rock train or two a day, and a local each way. In addition, the entire line has just received a much needed upgrade to expedite the new GM business, which now accounts for 2-4 trains a day between OKC and KC. Hope this helps!

billywa

Thanks for the responses..I was actually on the Heartland Flyer Sunday a.m. coming back to Fort Worth...because of the blockage of view from all the rail cars *mainly box cars, grain and auto racks* I could not get a good view of the double line heading east..

At the BNSF Flynn yard that was a hump yard at one time, the retarders were getting old and needed a lot of repair and the cost for new one was to much, then the manufacture stoped making repair part so the took them out. Now the yard is flat switched from the (short) hump, the hump hut still controls the switches but no gravity moves.

gwl
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