Western Railroad Discussion > Signal Sunday: an Abilene landmark

If you’ve ever been to or through Abilene, KS this might be a familiar skyline item, just not from a familiar angle. In the back ground of this vertical shot sits the famous ‘Hotel Sunflower’. It’s been an integral part of a very iconic & readily identifiable Abilene skyline since long before I was born.

With that said we now look in the foreground for an offering for Signal Sunday: UP 5810 is shown here with empty coal hoppers, crossing the BNSF Strong City Sub on the west side of Abilene. The switch right in front of the train is the connection between the UP & the BNSF. Back in my Santa Fe days I worked many a train that used this switch for access to the Union Pacific mainline for running over to & back from Salina, KS. Santa Fe had running rights over the UP here for many years. Today it’s the K&O boys who use this connection between Salina & Abilene. The signal shown here does not directly govern movement over this switch, It merely protects the UP/BNSF crossing just a few cars behind the power.

1. UP 5810 is rolling through Abilene, KS westbound with coal empties on February 22, 2011. That’s the famous Hotel Sunflower landmark directly behind the train.

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

---