Steam & Excursion > Oil train starting up

T&P 2-10-4 #645 has just left  the passing  track of Prebble some 10 miles west of Weatherford Tx  with an oil train crossing over the "Bankhead highway" known today simply as US 180.  The fireman has opened the firing valve flooding oil into the fire box since he knows the engineer will be opening up the giant to attack a grade ranging between 1.41 and 1.5% for about 4 miles topping out at the base of the hill seen in left part of the photo.  Bare in mind its a standing start to surmount the grade from the passing track.

Even in diesel times the hill could provide a challenge. When the UP took over and moved a bunch of WP GP-40's to the Ft Worth- El Paso run, it was necessary  one day for a work train engine to come out of the siding and couple on the fly to the  rear of  the east bound to shove it over the grade.  Why?  Two of the 5 WP  GP-40's were dead. It was fun to  watch all that,. Today the highway is a divided road and the bridge was lengthened to cover the other lanes.

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Having a look at the concrete bridge it looks Very Modern by todays standards.  it look very much like the UP current bridge sections used today. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/09/19 19:45 by czuleget.

Yes it does.  But the brick road and car and steam engine sure date it all.

Really neat vintage picture.  Almost like a Peter Lero Charter.

Super great image from back in the day.
ALLEN

I always enjoy seeing your old photos taken on the Baird sub from that time period. Since you were so close, I only WISH you had ventured over to Santa Fe's Dublin sub. back during those days! I guess had I been in your shoes, those TP 600s would have kept ME right were you were! LOL!

I really like that one, Tom. Thanks for posting.

Jason Rose
Spring, TX
Rio Grande Explorations