Western Railroad Discussion > My Dad's and I railfan outing, Day four

After spending the night at Siloam Springs, AR, we got up early the next morning, which was Saturday Oct. 3rd and headed South following the Kansas City Southern.

Just South of Watts, we spotted a Northbound empty Grain train with a pair of Belle painted engines so we turned around, drove back through Siloam Springs and shot it at Gentry.

1)KCS 4117 and 4816 head North through Gentry with just enough Sun on the tracks.

After turning around and again making it just South of Watts, we saw another Northbound train so another U-turn to get it at the North end of Watts. After having all sorts of focusing issues, I was lucky to come away with one picture but I wasn't happy with the framing so he started to head back North again towards Siloam Springs. We then changed our minds and turned around heading South only to change our minds again and go North! As we were driving through Siloam Springs yet again, we heard the Dispatcher call the KCS 4117 (the train we shot at Gentry) and tell him that he was going to meet a pair of Southbound trains. Right on, good thing that we were heading North. But right after that, he called the KCS 3920 North and said to highball the setout at Watts and head to Siloam Springs to meet the first Southbound train. Well, with that information we turned around yet again and drove through Siloam Springs one more time to head down towards Watts. For the third time, when we were just South of Watts we saw the 3920 so turned around and went to the location just North of Watts!

Long story short, if we had just stayed where we were, we would have saved probably 100 miles on the rental car and maybe a quarter tank of Gas ! Oh well:]

2)Northbound Empty Oil train with the CP 8857, KCS 4600, KCS 3900, KCS 3999 and KCS 4771 at the North end of Watts.

3)CP 8908 is the rear DPU.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/10/15 18:02 by SP8595.

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4)KCS 3920, 4194, 4614, 3915 and 4765 head North with a train consisting of empty Sand cars and a whole slew of empty coil steel gons. The Dispatcher stated when he called this train, "Holy Crap, are you 8200' long?" And the answer was yes! I still had focusing issues here, maybe it was the steam?

We went to a spot South of Watts to wait for the Southbound trains but another Northbound train surprised us. Since it was heading right out of the Sun, only could shoot it going away.

5)Union Pacific 5591, 6727, KCS 3972, 4056 head over Ballard Creek.

6)UP 6507 was the rear DPU.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/15 11:25 by SP8595.

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7)The first Southbound train was a Texas Utilities loaded coal train with BNSF 8494 and 6087.

8)Rear DPU's were BNSF 5821 and KCS 3921 and 4595.

We then met up TO members "SKCP187", "oklachaser", TTownTrains" and BNSF-6432" at Watts. KCS 4172 was the next Southbound train and picked up three local engines at Watts.

9)The KCS 4172, 2955, 2969 and 1914 head through Baron, OK past concrete mile milepost 250.

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/15 11:31 by SP8595.

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10)South of Stilwell, we went to a spot where the tracks headed West looking for a better Sun angle but the crossing was closed and not cleared out, even though the cross bucks were still standing! So just a "super-wedgie".

We then met up with our fellow TO members at Sallisaw were they then led us to the Arkansas River bridge. Talk about back country!

11)KCS 4172 with the three local engines heads South over the Arkansas River Navigational Channel.

12)Rear DPU was the KCS 4849.

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/15 11:51 by SP8595.

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When we got word that there was a Southbound Oil train right behind the KCS 4172, I misunderstood and thought that it had 5 engines on the head end and wouldn't be able to fit them all in the frame on the bridge. So we originally were going to try and get to the overpass at Gans but decided instead to wait at the crossing just North of the bridge.
Even though it was just a front three-quarter shot, it was a good thing we waited here as it wasn't long before he showed up and was doing every bit of the 45 MPH allowed over the bridge!

The two Southbound trains beat us to Heavener and after looking for the shortline East of there (no power found on that day) we drove around waiting for something to move.
The Oil train took off first and just flew out of Heavener! We barely beat it to Hodgen and to Stapp before the Sun went down but all of the shots we got were just more 3/4 wedges:{

13)CP 8519, KCS 4828 and NS 9099 head South with a loaded Oil train just North of the big bridge.

14)In nice light at Hodgen.

15)At Stapp with some high clouds obscuring the Sun.

That ended day four and then it was down to Poteau for dinner with our TO friends:}
 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/09/15 11:53 by SP8595.

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In photo two it looks like the 3rd locomotive is steaming.. Hehe. Nice shots.

An AWESOME bunch in awesome weather. Quality time with dad and with a sixteen to five Belle to Gray KCS ratio who could ask for anything more. Makes me want to go back soon even though I was just there five months ago!
JB

Really liked number six,altho all were great.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

A nice bunch of photos in good light.  A great day 4.

Great photos John. I really like the shots at Ballard Creek. I've never thought about checking out that angle.

Ronda Thomas

Gorgeous shots, especially #4!

#14 (along with the rest of them) is sweet! KCS 3999 used to be an EMD demo, if I remember correctly. 

GREAT pics!! You got some nice bridge shots.

John,
Great shots but I think you lost all track of time. Oct. 4th was Sunday. My wife and I spent Sat. night the 3rd. of Oct. in Siloam Springs and then Sun. headed for OK. upkpfan

What a day!

Some of the BEST KCS shots I,ve seen on this board! All in good light and they focus well!

upkpfan Wrote:
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> John,
> Great shots but I think you lost all track of
> time. Oct. 4th was Sunday.

Thanks for catching this Marv, these pictures were taken on Sat. the 3rd. I was just seeing if you were paying attention:}

> My wife and I spent
> Sat. night the 3rd. of Oct. in Siloam Springs and
> then Sun. headed for OK. 

Pretty strange that we both were in Siloam Springs the night of the 3rd and both drove across OK the next day!

Small world. upkpfan