Western Railroad Discussion > UP Local on the Giddings Sub - Giddings, TX - 11/6/18

A quick work trip to Giddings gave me an opportunity to check out the progress on the CapMetro line from Giddings to Austin. There appeared to be a UP work crew on site and progress is being made. While I was getting photos, a local ran by.

I'm standing on the old H&TC mainline between Austin and Houston. The H&TC/T&NO (UP) diamond was directly in front of me. A portion of the interchange track on the east side remains. Just about everything to the east ( to Hempstead) is gone except for a short segment in Brenham that is used by the Bluebell Ice Cream factory. The line to the west is intact, but has been unused for quite some time. CapMetro is rehabilitating it.
 
Photo 1) Looking west towards Austin
Photo 2) Close-up of UP work crew near the interchange.
 

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/18 11:28 by Jason-Rose.

---

---

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Photo 3) Looking west over Giddings Sub along the old H&TC main towards Austin. UP is staging equipment here.
Photo 4) H&TC Depot. Looking west, towards the location of the diamond.
Photo 5) North towards UP interchange

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations

---

---

---

What business is there that makes them want to rebuild the line out to Giddings?

They already connect with the UP in McNeil and Elgin...

Commuter rail by Austin's Capitol Metro.

Jason,

I think you have your directions mixed up. From Giddings it is east to Brenham and Hempstead. It is west to Elgin and Austin.

There is a new customer on the line at Paige. I think it is a new quarry as Old Castle Materials has been involved.
Capital Metro has been rebuilding the line from the Elgin to Giddings to serice that customer.

I have heard conflicting reports as to whether or not they will reconnect to the UP at Giddings and do any interchange. All Interchange is done at McNeil now.

The commuter line only goes north to Leander on the Llano branch. There are no plans at this time to go east to Elgin with the commuter service.

Thanks,

Ricky
Austin, Texas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/07/18 11:10 by TexasEagle77.

Ricky, thanks for the info and correction. I fixed the post.  That was a pretty dumb mistake.

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations

I have not seen Giddings since about 1987, it is a pleasant surprise to see the old brick depot, but the wood depot is new to me.
Is it some historical depot relocated to here?
I was in the brick depot to get track car lineups on every trip through there from 1980 to '87.
Used to be some serious BBQ in Giddings too.

There are 3 depots in Giddings. The brick one is T&NO and some called it the Union Station as it superceded the other two. The long wooden depot is the H&TC Depot and for many years it was a feed store. Maybe about 10 years ago the town restored it. There is another one to the left of the H&TC depot that was the SA&AP depot. I believe it is wooden too but has stucco on it now. The SA&AP line to Waco crossed the H&TC to Austin at Giddings. Later the T&NO built the Dalsa cut off from Giddings to Hearne and the SA&AP line north of Giddings was abandoned.

Ricky
Austin, Texas



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/18 03:26 by TexasEagle77.

Thanks again, Ricky.

I believe this is the correct layout, but please correct me if I got it wrong.

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/08/18 10:44 by Jason-Rose.

---

Jason, thanks for posting the layout of the depots at Giddings.  The only thing "wrong" with it is you forgot to caption the "City Meat Market" in the lower right hand corner.  Used to be great BBQ.

Mark

Jason,

Looks good to me! Your aerial map shows how tight that old connection that went by the T&NO Depot.

I have always thought how odd it was that they cut the roof of the depot to clear the track.

Thanks for posting all of this on Giddings. If you are on facebook you should look up our Austin Area group. (The Austin Subdivision / Llano Branch)

Lots of history and current stuff on that group concerning Central Texas Railroading. One member has been documenting the rebuilding of the line to Giddings.

Ricky