Western Railroad Discussion > West From Oakley

Back on Monday I was able to give chase to a westbound coal empty on the UP Kansas Pacific Line west of Oakley, Kansas. I have rarely gotten to chase anything west of Oakley, mainly due to it just being so far out west. With good sunlight and an actual train I decided to chase the empty down as long as I could.

1) After meeting a eastbound coal load at Hackberry siding, UP 6891 leads the 2CCSBR-30 past the distant approach signal for the west end of Hackberry siding.
2) Bouncing and swaying on the welded rail, 6891 finally gets up to track speed west of Monument, Kansas.
3) Looking down Logan County road 260, just outside of Page City, Kansas...it's easy to see the carbody differences between the ex. AC6000CW and the ex. SP AC4400CW.

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4) Dwarfed by the Winona Feed and Grain elevator, 6891 rolls westward through Winona, Kansas.
5) West of Winona now, 6891 starts down the beginning of the 1% grade of Winona Hill, the tracks will descend into the Smoky Hill River valley and cross the river just east of McAllaster.
6) Stretched out across the prairie, the train rolls along through the now ghost town of McAllaster, Kansas.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/13 10:14 by nwkrailfan.

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7) Although already posted, 6891 has its train strung out on the big sag west of McAllaster siding. The train is crossing Turkey Creek...for those who have seen the pictures of a UP coal train on a burning bridge in western Kansas, this would be the bridge. For a shot from 1949, look at PRose post here: (http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3252354)
8) My final shot for the day was of the train slowly rolling down the stair step just outside of Wallace, Kansas. The overpass in the background is Highway 40.

Thanks for looking!
nwkrailfan



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/13 10:16 by nwkrailfan.

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Great series Luke, I really like #5! The farthest East I have been on the KP is to Wallace, I have often thought about a shot from that overpass while wasting away in the Oak Tree Inn! If only I had wheels:}

A really great series of photos. Can't decide which one is my favorite. 2 thumbs up!!

Ronda Thomas

Are the signals just two-color on the top head? Green over red or yellow over red? That is like SP's Phoenix line semaphores on the west end: any reason for that? TIA

Luke and/or others..

I have one question, what aspect would a train get if going the opposite way for the signals in picture #1 and #7 (assuming the train was lined main to main, eastward direction)?????


SP8100

StStephen Wrote:
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> Are the signals just two-color on the top head?
> Green over red or yellow over red? That is like
> SP's Phoenix line semaphores on the west end: any
> reason for that? TIA

Green and yellow on the top head and then yellow on the bottom.

SP8100 Wrote:
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> Luke and/or others..
>
> I have one question, what aspect would a train get
> if going the opposite way for the signals in
> picture #1 and #7 (assuming the train was lined
> main to main, eastward direction)?????
>
>
> SP8100

If lined through the siding ahead (main to main) you get a green signal, lined into the siding you get double yellows, and if you are going to be holding the main you get a single yellow, poor mans CTC.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/13 12:42 by nwkrailfan.

SUPER pics!!!! Thanks for sharing.

Wonderful. Thanks.

Luke,
Pic. #7 I don't think, is Turkey Creek bridge nor is #8 that has the Hwy over the RR tracks. The bridge that burned was almost 300' long and around 17 miles East of Sharon Springs. I will show a pic. of the bridge burning and what replaced it. The bridge in your pic. looks to short. upkpfan



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/13 19:38 by upkpfan.

The first pic. is the one that Luke was referring to and this is 17 miles East of Sharon Springs, KS. to as burning on the KP around April 12, 2002. There were a total of 6 loaded cars that were lost to fire as well as the timber trestle bridge.

#2 pic. is what they replaced it with. This happened on a Friday afternoon and they just let it burn to get rid if the wood and the coal. Less to clean up that way. A pile driver was called in from Denver and another one from Salina, KS and the first train rolled across the new bridge at 6 AM Wed, morning and came thru Ellsworth at 10 AM. upkpfan

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upkpfan Wrote:
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> Luke,
> Pic. #7 I don't think, is Turkey Creek bridge nor
> is #8 that has the Hwy over the RR tracks. The
> bridge that burned was almost 300' long and around
> 17 miles East of Sharon Springs. I will show a
> pic. of the bridge burning and what replaced it.
> The bridge in your pic. looks to short. upkpfan

It's telephoto compression...I'm 110% certain the bridge in my photo is the same one that burned. It's the only new construction concrete bridge west of Oakley.

Posted from iPhone

Nice pictures, sure miss that part of the country. As for the signals, they are just on the passing tracks. They are on the approach, then for the switch. From what I have been told, that is CTC between the switches. Maybe I will make it back home to NW Kansas soon.