CPKC Siloam Springs

I heard a horn blowing for one of the crossings south of town, and headed into town to see if there was a shot, There was just barely enough light to get this northbound empty TXUX train rolling through, a hint of sun on its flanks.

The DPU on the coal train, rolling away from me into the dusk. It will be well past dark by the time he gets to Kansas City

A full moon is overseeing the crossing protection at Davidson Rd, north of Siloam Springs.

I had gone out to get and oil change and a car wash on the RAV4, and decided, since there was still a little light left at 1730, to check the signals in town. Lo and behold, the automatic at Davidson Rd is high green!! I pulled off and waited, to be rewarded three minutes later by a southbound TXUX train, rolling past my favorite tree, dragging 125 cars uphill from Sleepy Hollow

The full moon looks down on the coal trains leader.

The trains at Davidson Rd are pulling a pretty stiff grade, and once I get the shot there, if I hustle, I can beat him to Country Club Rd for this shot of the train rolling past the Cobb feed mill. If I get a good enough lead, I can beat him to Tahlequah St, where the signals are for CP North Siloam Springs.

Literally and figuratively. The trains DPU is rolling southwest by compass into the setting sun, and will be in the dark by the time he reaches Westville. The Toyota at right has been the "railfan chase vehicle" for the last decade. I bought it new-24 miles on it-in April 2014, and have put 155,500 miles on it since then, chasing all over America for all kinds of things, and a lot of trains, too. This is its last such outing. We just acquired at Subaru Outback Touring XT, which has 105 miles on it, and will replace the Toyota. Its staying in the family, my wifes son is getting it, but were moving up to a newer ride. The Toyota served us well for ten years. But now weve been dog tested, dog approved, and moving onward.

Id gone up into town for something-I dont recall what now-and saw a grain train heading south at Lake Frances Rd. I went to the tracks to see what his DPU was, and got this shot of a KCS/CP duo rolling away down the hill to Watts

Who sit and wait. We were coming back from bingo(I turned 65 in May, its mandatory) and saw coal hoppers on the Main St overpass. We swung around to see if there was a shot. There was, the power was pulled up short of the Lincoln St crossing, waiting on a meet. I got the shot in fading light. We hung around 20 minutes or so, but no southbound showed, and the light was going, so we left him to the gathering darkness.

I can often hear trains climbing the hill from Watts. Its easier at night, when theres less ambient noise, but sometimes I can hear them during the day. So it was with this 261, which started out as a distant rumble. I stopped to try to confirm, then I heard him blow for State Line Rd. Off I go!! It took him almost 15 minutes to get to Siloam with a heavy train, but I was at Tahlequah St waiting as he crossed Lincoln, diesel after diesel emerging from behind the large tree next to the road.

The full complement of power is now visible on the 261. Some of these units must be a power balancing move, since the unit trains are heavier going south, and DPUs sometimes get cut at Heavener, or Shreveport. For the second time in as many weeks, the 261 has eight units, more than needed for what is admittedly a big train, 90 freight, 34 autos, and two articulated racks.

Fifth in the consist of eight was the Veterans unit, which I did not expect. It had been here twice in recent weeks, both times in darkness. Would have been better leading, but you cant have everything.

A closer, better lit look at the Veterans unit on the Tahlequah St crossing.

The grain train I shot in Gentry has now made it to Siloam Springs, but is holding north of County Club Rd, most likely waiting on a meet. I had other things to do, so cut off the chase here, leaving my train hiding in the bushes next to the Cobb feed mill.

We got done with what I call "stretchy class," a senior low impact aerobic class that keeps us moving, and does some good for our old bones. We get done around 1030, so breakfast is the next order of business. Ill often take Davidson Rd out to Ark 59 if were going to Gentry, as we were this day. Aside from being a fairly quick ride out to the state highway, it also passes automatic 226-5, which was flashing yellow as we crossed the tracks. I set up, and this southbound grain train was on us a few minutes later, with an AC 44 that was pretending it was CP 2816.

Davidson Road is at the top of a long climb out of a section called Sleepy Hollow, a dip between here and Gentry down into a creek valley. Unit trains really work here, and this 101 car grain train is no exception, and it shows as the leader smokes from a bad turbo as it makes a final push to crest the grade.

The DPU on the grain train had a surprise, this NS ET 44, rolling away south, the heavy lifting part of the run up from Gentry now over.

A longer view shows the DPU pushing away, past the speed sign for the curve in the distance, and the relay case at left that houses the equipment for the defect detector, so far the only one I know of that announces, "CPKC detector...the others still announce KCS), that will shortly give me an axle count on the train.

We were headed up to Gentry for an early dinner-a local place there does a crab special on Thursday and Friday-and I was doing my usual run up to Davidson Rd for a signal check and quick run out to Ark 59. As we crossed the tracks south of the Cobb feed mill, three lights came around the corner. I pulled off quickly, and got this 126 car AEPX coal train.

The DPU on the coal train approaches.

The DPU has passed and is now rolling away toward Siloam Springs and Texas. Crab legs await!!

I had called down to Pour Jons for a couple of bagels this morning, and headed for the shop when they texted me. As I came up over the US 412 overpass, I noted a train moving south over Lincoln St. I made a quick turn onto Kenwood, to see if the head end was there already. No, but there was what looked like MOW equipment in the siding. I did a quick run onto US 412, getting this shot from the bridge of a southbound 262. The train in the siding?? A northbound military extra.

After grabbing the 262 off the US 412 overpass, I shot uptown hoping to catch the head end of the northbound, knowing hed be restricted to 15 MPH coming off the siding. I was able to catch him at Country Club Rd, getting this shot at the crossing, with the Cheri Whitlock overpass in the distance. Of note, the US Army train is led by truly foreign power, a Canadian unit leading a Mexican unit. Go figure!! Not my preferred angle, but it was what I could get, and besides, my bagels were waiting.

We were coming back from bingo, which is at the American Legion hall in town, to find a coal train sitting on the Main St overpass. I swung around at Lake Frances Rd to see what he had on the south end, which turned out to be this BNSF SD 70ACe and a well hidden KCS unit. He was off in the distance, clear in the siding, and canned. This was the shot, such as it is

After dropping my wife home, I went back to see if I could find the head end. It was pulled up short of the Lincoln St crossing, seen here from the road, KCSM and CP units in charge

The sun had gone in behind a cloud bank, which didnt help the lighting, but it did even it out. I took the opportunity to get a shot from the team yard on the Lincoln St side of the tracks, getting a better angle on the power.

The south end of the train under a tall thunderhead.

We were heading to breakfast after our senior light aerobics class, and saw this train sitting on the bridge, just like thea couple nights earlier. I had to go past the head end anyway, so I was able to get a shot, but it turned out it was now a second train, an empty AEPX train headed north. He had a UP leader, not unusual for these trains, and four more units trailing. When I came back the next day, the three trailing units had been picked up, leaving the two head end unit on the train. It sat here a good 36 hours before moving.

I had sanitized the fresh water tank on the Winnebago in preparation for an upcoming trip, and was riding around town to get good coverage of the bleach solution in the tank, That involved a lot of jostling, which meant as many railroad crossings as I could go over. When I hit Davidson Rd, the signal at 226-5 was flashing yellow. Oh, good, somethings coming. By the time I got turned around and back over the crossing, the train was climbing the hill. I beat him down to the Cobb mill, since Davidson was getting into the shadows, and caught this Texas Utilities train, with a KCSM leader passing the feed mill.

I was out in the driveway and heard the horn of a northbound. The light was getting low, and I thought I would not have much of a shot, if any. To my surprise, there was just enough light left at Tahlequah St to get the empty TXUX trains leader with the little bit of light left.

As the famous TRP page goes. In this case, on a couple of fronts. First, I didnt get a clean shot of the engine. I typically shoot every unit in a consist, especially if its more than about three units, since I wont recall every diesel to log it later. I tend to blast quickly, just so I get the numbers, and dont pay much attention to the framing, etc, since these almost never make it to the web. The other close call is the engine number. The leader was CP 9780; this us BNSF 9783. Three numbers lower, Id have had the same engine number on consecutive units. What a hoot that would have been!!

The DPU on the empty coal train rolls away into the shadows behind Ozark Electronics. These units would have led south. There were five engines on the head end of this train, so some power balancing going on.

Seems like I see a lot of trains bouncing about town when Im doing something else. Here I came across this 261rolling onto the Lincoln St crossing with 129 cars.

The 261 is taking the high green on the main as it starts north.with 129 cars

We had gone up to Gentry for breakfast. As I was settling up the check, I heard a horn, and looked over to see a southboubd TXUX train rolling by. I knew by the time we got organized and away, Id probably miss it in Siloam Springs. Much to my surprise, the DPU was slowly rolling past Cheri Whitlock as I approached the overpass. I turned down the ramp to Country Club, as wa able to get a couple of shots, including this Grinstein SD 70.

They also serve who sit and wait. In this case, its 261 holding back short of the Lincoln St crossing, waiting on a 262 to arrive so it can get its 78 cars moving toward KC once more.

Before the light was totally gone. The 262 rolls its 137 cars toward Shreveport at Lincoln St. The leader has a pink ribbon midway down the long hood to honor breast cancer survivors.

The power on the southbound is a truly North American set, one from Mexico, one from Canada. Everything goes everywhere!!

The DPU on the rear of 262 is making the transition to dynamic braking as the 262 clears the crossing

The conductor of the 261 watches as the DPU on 262 rolls past. All is well

The DPU on the southbound coal train, in a side on view

The 261, now moving, rolls underneath the Siloam water tower with just enough light to see whats going on.

Heres why the stop at Siloam. A new crew takes the helm at Jefferson St under a pretty sky

The coal train sits under a big sky, waiting to go south

The lead unit of the DPU rolls south over Jefferson St

A 5000 series ET44AH trails on the DPU. KCS has 25 of these, I hardly ever see one.

I heard a horn and beat it into town, catching this 100 car empty grain move going north. Should have gone farther up to Davidson Rd, the light would have been better.

I had a similar situation, only this time a little better angle. CP 9831 with another empty grain train waits on the siding, short of the Lincoln St crossing.

I heard a northbound coming up the hill from Watts, and took off, this time going to Davidson Rd, getting a better angle for the late afternoon. An empty TXUX train approaches the crossing behind a trio of BNSF units and a KCSM GE, 113 cars trailing.

The head end crosses Davidson Rd and heads down the grade into Sleepy Hollow, a few vestiges of fall color still visible as it makes its way into the trees.