Western Railroad Discussion > One elephant from every town

I guess you could say my thread title is a mix between ‘elephant style lash-up’ & ‘one dog from every town’. Last month I got an interesting, but secondary heads-up on an an eastbound UP manifest coming down from Marysville. The primary heads-up was for the Rio Grande Heritage unit, UP 1989. I was finished chasing the 1989 and knew this “one dog from every town” consist was hanging out there somewhere. But I still managed to get myself caught by surprise, AND in a bad spot to showcase a four unit consist. I must now defer to one of Murphy’s Railfan Laws which decrees: “There will always be a much better spot to shoot a given train”.

Thanks a lot, Murph…

1. UP 7719 leads train MNPFW-12, with this consist: UP 7719, CN 2615, CSXT 88 & NS 9021. Back lighting is not exactly the best way to show off a consist…

2. The away shot is lit up a bit better, but with a big fat crossing gate in the middle of it.
(2 photos taken February 13, 2019 at Menoken Rd in Topeka, KS)

Thanks for the tip!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/19 11:53 by santafe199.

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That was a cool consist!

Larry

Ahh, yes.  I got that one on the other side of the river.  Neat consist!  

- Jeff Carlson



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/19 11:56 by bnsfsd70.

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bnsfsd70 Wrote: > ... For the record, that's the MNPFW, not FT ...

Thanks. That's what I get for years of writing and typing out Ft Worth...

added: And I wish I'd had the time to go south of the river. I was headed back to Manhattan after the shots at Menoken Rd...

Lance/199



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/09/19 11:59 by santafe199.

Yeah, you would've had to wait a while anyway, as they had a crew change in the New South that wasn't there when the train arrived.

- Jeff

santafe199 Wrote:
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> added: And I wish I'd had the time to go south of
> the river. I was headed back to Manhattan after
> the shots at Menoken Rd...
>
> Lance/199

I hate it when that happens!  It is a good consist though.  And you title is cute.

Andy

Love the Elephant style, look impresive.
Great set

Bob

Great photo. I like those multi-RR lash-ups. Were fairly common back in the 70s and 80s, not so much anymore. Glad you were there to capture the image. 

Great consist catch.
Brian Stevens

santafe199 Wrote:
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> I must now defer to one of Murphy’s Railfan Laws
> which decrees: “There will always be a much
> better spot to shoot a given train”.
>
> Thanks a lot, Murph…

Yes, but don't forget the corrollaries to this law:
A. The train will arrive at the current spot, AFTER you've left to find the better spot, or...
B. The train will arrive at the better spot BEFORE YOU do!

Best that you stayed put to catch that great consist! Thanks for the post.

I will have to concur with Witchita Jct in that in the 70's and 80's we would see so much pool power. Especially in the lines not having CTC requrements you might even see them in the lead. I know when I was hostling in Cheyenne in 1977 we would make up Dener power and its consists had to have CTC equipped units to get from Cheyenne to Speer Junction just west of Cheyenne. But they would send the unique consists that way, i.e. U50's, GP35's, SD24's etc. The CTC was in effect between Omaha and Ogden at that time.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Awesome shots, Great consist!

SP8595 Wrote: > ... Great consist! ...

Thanks! I had a GREAT cyber-shotgun rider along with me (wink, wink ... ;^)

Lance

Great catch Lance!
Reminds one of those crazy SP consists I used to catch on video in the 90's

Jim Baker
Riverside, CA