Western Railroad Discussion > Cloudy Day on Rich Mountain

Earlier this week (11-16-23) with my wife out of town and a day off of work I made my way up to Rich Mountain in Eastern Oklahoma to photograph the now CPKC operations over the grade. Leading up the weather forcast showed nothing but cloudy wether, none the less I persisted and decided I would make do as any time spent foaming is better than none. In the short time I was there I managed to get a couple trains in each direction and try some new shops I never got around to my last time visiting. I won't post each and every photo to prevent being repetative in the same posting, but I've post what I feel are my better shots considering the conditions of the day

1: Upon arrival to Heavener, OK, I caught WAMX 3842 and 3845 leading a train of hopper cars down the KCS Waldon Branch towards the OK Foods Feed Mill
2: After shooting that I made my way up the mainline along Highway 59 where I intercepted CP 8103 leading a manifest north (geographical west). I flipped a U-Turn and managed to snag this shot of them taking the siding at Page
3: The KCS 4745 is what they'd be waiting on which I got ahead of to shoot at the OK/Arkansas border as they struggling up the grade



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/23 14:48 by Jadon.

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1: Next up I managed to race, well theres no need to race an uphill train so I drove, ahead of the 4745 to the famous S-Curve as they near the top of the grade
2&3: I once again got ahead and shot them at the north (geographical west) end of Rich Mountain siding. Here they'd meet the BNSF 5906 which was waiting in the siding



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/20/23 15:14 by Jadon.

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1: BNSF 5906 pulling out of the siding to start its decent down the grade into Heavener
2: The 5906 and train taking the siding at Page. I never saw what they met here as I drove off and when I returned they were gone
3: The next train I'd shoot would be KCS 4797 at Page.

That would be the end of the day for me as I had a 4 hour drive home and I was kicking on minimal sleep. All in all a good day and I look forward to returning, maybe on a sunny day next time

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Nice set, cloudy can have advantages.

Bob

Posted from Android

robj Wrote:
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> Nice set, cloudy can have advantages.
>
> Bob
>
> Posted from Android

Thank you! I 100% agree and was happy with what I got on this trip

Sure a lot of color in the Ozarks.

That's better fall color than I ever got there.  Good job!

Jadon Wrote:
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> 1: Next up I managed to race, well theres no need
> to race an uphill train so I drove, ahead of the
> 4745 to the famous S-Curve as they near the top of
> the grade
> 2&3: I once again got ahead and shot them at the
> north (geographically east) end of Rich Mountain
> siding. Here they'd meet the BNSF 5906 which was
> waiting in the siding

That would be geographically WEST.  Don't want to confuse those of us already well underway to getting there, confused that is.

RR

Very productive day. I've only managed to catch the WAMX units once in the last six or seven visits.
JB

How long, how steep and how high is that climb over Rich mountain??

Posted from iPhone

robj Wrote: > ... cloudy can have advantages ...

Exactly what I was thinking! Kudos on a sequence well done... :^)

Lance/199

coach Wrote:
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> How long, how steep and how high is that climb
> over Rich mountain??
I know that the grade for southbound trains is 1.5% and goes from Page (OK) to Rich Mountain (AR}

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Very productive day. I've only managed to catch
> the WAMX units once in the last six or seven
> visits.
> JB

WAMX usually runs up there on Thursdays. On my last visit, they pulled into KCS Heavener Yard in the early afternoon, and quickly turned back towards Waldron. 

Very Colorful series!

It looks like the fall color was very good this year. Trains were coloful too.
go

Nice pics!!  I like Pic 2!!

koloradokid Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jadon Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > 1: Next up I managed to race, well theres no
> need
> > to race an uphill train so I drove, ahead of
> the
> > 4745 to the famous S-Curve as they near the top
> of
> > the grade
> > 2&3: I once again got ahead and shot them at
> the
> > north (geographically east) end of Rich
> Mountain
> > siding. Here they'd meet the BNSF 5906 which
> was
> > waiting in the siding
>
> That would be geographically WEST.  Don't want to
> confuse those of us already well underway to
> getting there, confused that is.
>
> RR

OOPS! Thank you for catching that, needless to say I was very tired when I posted

Posted from iPhone

Very nice series!  The lack of direct sun didn't hold you back.  The fall colours and Southern Belles look just as nice in overcast conditions.

This is a great series of photos! That S Curve. Is it easy to access off of 59? Or a little walking involved? Thanks!

Marc L

Excellent series, great fall colors!