Western Railroad Discussion > Toto Tuesday: Those blades again!

Sometimes when you least expect it, the good ol’ KP can send us otherwise patient local photogs a real treat! While I was in town on another kamikaze grocery run my very able local compatriot 'mg8711' texted me about a wind-farm blade train, heading west out of Topeka. Although I’d been staying hunkered very close to home, I texted back: “Dang! You caught me downtown with sunshine AND my camera. Looks like I’ll have to go hunt me up a train…” In addition to the kind-sorta rare blades it had a pair of sharp CN units up front. It was a nice contrast of a Rudolph-red nose against the blue sky & green spring foliage. There’s not much else to reveal, except for the locations:

1. Here’s CN 2285 & 2229 crossing Swamp Angel Rd about 4 miles east of Manhattan, KS. This is a spot we have coined as “the Swamp”.

2. Taken from the 56th St overpass across from the Manhattan Regional Airport about 2 miles east of Ogden, KS. HEY… we’re in the BIG time here in MHK! We have direct flights to & from O’Hare and DFW both.

3. You gotta haul assets, but it IS possible to shoot a train off 56th St and catch it again off the stub KS hwy 114 overpass at Ogden.

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4. With less than 5 minutes to play with I made it over to Junction City and caught it passing by the meager remnants of the yard. At one point in time Junction City, KS was a division point and a crew change terminal complete with a busy yard, lots of local industry business, a complete roundhouse facility & semi-major engine shops. The old branch line up to Clay Center, Miltonvale and on to Concordia & Belleville once took off NW out of “JC”. That branch is now mostly drowned under Milford Lake flood-control reservoir…

5. Here we are with the 2285 crossing main drag Buckeye Ave (KS hwy 15) in Abilene, KS. I’m on the former passenger platform in front of the still-standing former UP depot.

6. One more: Here’s the 2285 + co taking the siding at Ike, KS. The crew will tie it down and taxi on into Salina, their home terminal. A rested Wichita-based crew will taxi out from Salina and swap ends with the power and FRED. After an air test this train will reverse itself back to West Abilene where it will employ running rights over the BNSF (ex-Santa Fe) to home rails at Lost Springs…
(6 photos taken May 17, 2020)

Thanks for riding along!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/07/20 07:24 by santafe199.

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Very NICE blade series! Lots of cool pictures!

Larry

Lance, any idea who the reefers are for at jct. City?

Thanks,

Exprail

I knew the Kansas politicians were very vocal.
That should help the blades turn once installed.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

exprail Wrote: > ... any idea who the reefers are for ...

I think they're just stored. They've been there a while...

Lance/199

Nice pics!!

Lance, you saved the best for last.

Randy Lundgren

Heck of a catch!