Western Railroad Discussion > Monday Meets: Holding pattern at Loring

As we often see a major RR terminal can sometimes get clogged with traffic. This can take up yard capacity very quickly. Therefore the ability to receive inbound trains gets strained. UP’s Kansas City, KS terminal is no exception. When this happens the easiest thing to do is to have the inbound train sit just outside of town and wait it out. Having spent a career in train service I can vouch for the frustration of a homebound crew who has made it all the way over the road, only to sit and wait for yard space to open up.

This could easily be the situation below in image #2 at the Loring (KS) crossovers. After the coal empty cleared I hung around and waited for the manifest to get moving. My thinking was that only one main was open for inbound & outbound traffic. But the train continued to sit there. And having shot another manifest back at Lawrence earlier in the morning I thought it would go into a similar holding pattern behind this one. So I moved on toward my final destination, which was the big Train Show at Bartle Hall in downtown KCMO.

Just east of Bonner Springs (KC suburb) I saw evidence an eastbound train was close. I set up for a shot (image #3), expecting our holding pattern heroes from Loring. WRONG! Those poor boys got the ol’ run around by my original manifest back at Lawrence. Not being privy to the actual facts, I can only guess. Maybe this manifest has some hot, high priority lading that needs forwarding. Maybe the string of autoracks on the point are in immediate demand somewhere. Maybe the crew back at Loring is too short on time to work. Maybe there’s some unseen mechanical difficulty. Could be anything.

One thing we do know: it’s just another day out on the ‘high iron’…

1. UP 5606 is eastbound with a manifest at Lawrence, KS.

2. UP 2643 leads a westbound coal empty by an eastbound manifest sitting in a ‘holding pattern’ at Loring (crossovers), KS.

3. UP 5606 makes another appearance in Bonner Springs, KS.
Photo date: August 11, 2018.

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/18 11:58 by santafe199.

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Lance - Great catch on a great stretch of railroad with a parallel highway with your usual analysis of the situation. The only thing missing is the Bonner Springs interurban (of the good ol' days).

BB

bmarti7 Wrote: > ...  only thing missing is the Bonner Springs interurban ...

That would be the Kansas City & Kaw Valley (KCKV) which called it quits in the late 50s. I was actually on the planet back then, but my tricycle just wouldn't pedal that far east. Thank goodness for the 'Team Gibson' duo  (WAG Sr & WAG Jr) for covering the KCKV! Bill & Art, along with a handful of their local cronies got some really good photo coverage. Check this link : https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,2614273,2614273#msg-2614273  , This will lead you to other parts of the KCKV story...

Lance



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/18 12:25 by santafe199.

Thanks for directing us there. Great coverage of a fallen flag.

BB

This seems to be happening a lot on the Union Pacfic here lately. I too was out and about last Saturday. I was up just north of Lawrence. One EB train that had stopped at the signal north of the depot left and then a short auto rack train came along and stopped at the same signal for 10-15 minutes. That train left and a UCEX coal load came along and  did the same. It was like they were all waiting their turn. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/13/18 15:16 by WichitaJct.

WichitaJct Wrote: > ...  just north of Lawrence. One EB train that had stopped ...

I've seen EB trains stopped as far back as Perry, KS on the UP. And on the BNSF I've seen them stopped clear back to Edgerton, 40 some-odd miles out of Argentine...

Lance

> I've seen EB trains stopped as far back as Perry,
> KS on the UP. And on the BNSF I've seen them
> stopped clear back to Edgerton, 40 some-odd miles
> out of Argentine...
>
> Lance

Not unique to Kansas. The last time I was through Fargo/Dilworth they were parking eastbound trains all over (west and north) because there were no rested  Northtown crews.

BB

We've seen trains stopped as far back as Ottawa on the BNSF. Sometimes they get REALLY backed up. That was before LPKC though...
mg8711

I like these nice scenic shots !  Holding pretty much everywhere goes on it seems like.  Last week Birdwood and Hershey NE was the same situation getting into the west side of North Platte.  Railroading has changed so much over the past decades from a mileage job to just a 12 hr and tie up job.
Brian Stevens