Half a Lifetime Ago

Sunday, March 11

2008-03-15T06:03:00.000-07:00

Sunday, March 11, 1990

On my way home to San Angelo from the CKI convention, I stopped to shoot a westbound on the SantaFe Lampasas Sub at View...

ATSF 5431 leads westbound trailers and mixed freight at View.

bringin' up the rear...

1) ATSF w/b TOFC / mixed freight, View TX

5431 (SD45) / 5039 (SD40-2)

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Fort Worth - Fri., March 9

2008-03-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

Friday, March 9, 1990

I spent the weekend of March 9-11 in Addison (suburb of north Dallas) at the Circle K District Convention (Circle K was the college level equivalent of Key Club). On my way to Addison on Friday, I stopped through Fort Worth to do some train watching near Tower 55.

UP 2226 at Tower 55 in Fort Worth

A tired looking Missouri Pacific GP15-1 at Tower 55

SSW 8050 at SP's Broadway Yard in Fort Worth

SSW 8050

Louisiana & Delta CF7 # 1504 at SP's Broadway Yard

UP GP50 # 66 (former MP without dynamic brakes)

Fort Worth's East Yard (east of Tower 55)

MP SD50 # 5056 in UP colors

Amtrak 392 leads the southbound Texas Eagle at Broadway.

1) SP power on hand at Broadway Yard, Fort Worth

SP 2728 (MP15), SSW 8050 (B40-8), L&D 1504 (CF7)

SP 7447 (SD45) / 8241 (SD40T-2) / 6844 (SD45T-2)

2) UP power on hand at Tower 55

MP 1722 (GP15-1) / UP 1604 (GP15-1)

3) UP n/b, Broadway

UP 3467 (SD40-2) / 2346 (GP38-2) / 3931 (SD40-2) / 2412 (C30-7)

4) UP yard transfer at Tower 55

UP 2226 (GP38-2) / 1979 (GP39-2)

5) UP power, East yard

MP 5056 (SD50 - UP yellow) / UP 508 (GP40-2)

6) UP n/b light power at Broadway

UP 3453 (SD40-2) / 3272 (SD40-2) / 3935 (SD40-2) / 3953 (SD40-2)

7) AMTK s/b 21 at Broadway

AMTK 392 (F40PH)

8) UP n/b empty grain, Hattie St.

UP 3279 (SD40-2) / 3965 (SD40-2)

9) AMTK n/b 22 at Broadway

AMTK 406 (F40PH)

10) UP power, East yard

UP 2267 (GP38-2) / 66 (GP50)

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Brownwood - San Angelo local

2008-03-05T10:20:00.000-08:00

Sunday, March 4, 1990

On Sunday, I went out east of San Angelo to shoot the westbound local from Brownwood. I caught them near Miles and followed them west toward San Angelo until it got dark.

Westbound San Angelo local at Miles, TX

setting out at San Angelo Feed Yard west of Miles...

coupling back to their train after setting out

Back on the move, with GP39-2 3410 in charge.

sunset at Red Creek

1) ATSF w/b local (Brownwood to San Angelo) - 3410 (GP39-2) / 2772 (GP30 - Kodachrome)

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Sunday at Tecific / Sweetwater - 1 of 2

2008-02-26T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sunday, February 25, 1990

I decided to spend most of the day east of Sweetwater at Tecific, where the Santa Fe Lampasas Subdivision ran parallel to the UP Baird Subdivision for a mile or so. It was a fairly typical Sunday at Tecific.

ATSF 5833 leads eastbound sulfur loads at Tecific.

UP 5013 is the trailing unit on a UP westbound.

ATSF 5174 / Conrail 6332 at Sweetwater

westbound trailers at Tecific

ATSF GP60 # 4016

Stay tuned for Part 2...

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Sunday at Tecific / Sweetwater - 2 of 2

2008-02-26T05:59:00.000-08:00

UP 4244 leads a transfer for the Santa Fe at Tecific

Meanwhile, UP 228 heads toward Sweetwater to perform local work...

Side by side at Tecific: UP 4244 and ATSF 5149. Both trains are waiting to enter Sweetwater.

ATSF 8748. This may have been the last U36C I ever saw.

ATSF 3438 leads a westbound into Sweetwater.

Trailing unit on a westbound: ATSF 6407.

Back together, UP's westbound heads west through Sweetwater.

Sweetwater / Tecific trip

1) UP w/b freight - MP 5027 (SD50 - UP yellow) / UP 5049 (SD50) / UP5013 (SD50)

2) ATSF e/b sulfur - 5833 (SD45-2) / 5510 (SD45-2B) / 8736 (U36C) / more???

3) UP e/b freight - MP 5053 (SD50 - UP yellow) / UP 3972 (SD40-2) / 5001(SD50) / 3148 (SD40-2)

4) ATSF w/b TOFC - 5025 (SD40-2) / 4016 (GP60)

5) ATSF e/b freight - 5174 (SD40-2) / CR 6332 (SD40-2)

6) ATSF switch job - gypsum spur - 2252 (GP9) / ???? (unknown)

7) UP w/b interchange to ATSF - UP 4244 (SD40-2 / 4092 (SD40-2)

8) UP w/b local - UP 228 (B30-7A)

9) ATSF w/b freight - 5149 (SD40-2) / 5070 (SD40-2/ ???? (unknown)

10) ATSF w/b freight - 3438 (GP39-2) / 5362 (SD45) / 2903 (GP35) / 6407 (B23-7)

5) ATSF e/b at Tecific - 5174 / CR 6332 / 8748 (U36C)/ 5973 (SDF45 - Kodachrome)

8) UP w/b leaving Sweetwater - UP 4244 / 4092 / 228

Next report will be on or about March 4.

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San Angelo Saturday

2008-02-24T00:22:00.000-08:00

Saturday, February 24, 1990

On Saturday, I ventured out to San Angelo yard and found the power I had seen leading Friday's eastbound, along with a "Kodachrome" GP35.

GP35 # 2814 in the "Kodachrome" scheme

GP35 # 2918 - engineer's side of cab

GP20 # 3006

1) ATSF power in San Angelo: 2859 (GP35) / 2918 (GP35) / 3006 (GP20) + 2814 (GP35 - "Kodachrome")

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West of San Angelo

2008-02-23T06:31:00.000-08:00

Friday, February 23, 1990

Late Friday afternoon, I went out west of San Angelo to catch an eastbound heading into town. I got shots of the train crossing one of the bridges over the Concho River near Tankersley.

Santa Fe eastbound crossing the Concho River west of San Angelo

ATSF 2859

caboose reflection

1) ATSF e/b near Tankersley - 2859 (GP35) / 2918 (GP35) / 3006 (GP20) /mixed freight + caboose 999804

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Friday evening eastbound

2008-02-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

February 16, 1990

On a Friday evening, I caught an eastbound heading toward San Angelo from Fort Stockton.

Santa Fe eastbound approaching San Angelo, TX. Feb 16, 1990.

1) ATSF e/b - 2215 (GP7) / 3420 (GP39-2) / 2074 (GP7)

Next report will be on or about February 23...

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Ruidoso ski trip

2008-02-14T05:52:00.000-08:00

February 11, 1990

A photo from a weekend ski trip to Ruidoso NM with Mom, Dad, and girlfriend "H". H and I had been dating for close to a year at this point. This may have been her first time on skis. It didn't go so well.

More fun than our time on the slopes - enjoying the scenery at Inn of the Mountain Gods

Next report will be on or about February 16...

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Brownwood & San Angelo - February 3

2008-02-02T23:38:00.000-08:00

February 3, 1990 : Brownwood and back

I joined a few of my fellow Key Clubbers for a trip to Brownwood for "Spring Rally", a one-day mini leadership conference and community service idea brainstorming session with the San Angelo and Brownwood Key Club chapters.

Me & Natasha at Spring Rally

On our way back to San Angelo, we overtook the Sunday local from Brownwood. After we got back to town, I headed out to the yard to take a few photos.

GP39-2 # 3426 - San Angelo, TX

ATSF 3426 builder's plate

GP30 # 2763 - San Angelo TX

Even way back then I was photographing boxcar scrawls.

ATSF power on hand at San Angelo yard - 2763 (GP30) / 2095 (GP7) / 2814 (GP35 - Kodachrome) / 2708 (GP30) / 3426 (GP39-2)

The next report will be on or about February 10, re-capping a weekend ski trip to New Mexico. Until then...

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Late January in San Angelo

2008-01-26T21:34:00.000-08:00

At some point in late January (exact date not recorded) I made a quick trip out to the San Angelo yard to see what was on hand. The results were quite typical of what I'd normally see out there on a weekday or Sunday afternoon when the three-day-a-week local from Brownwood was in town. (It ran west from Brownwood to San Angelo on Sun-Tue-Thur, and returned to Brownwood on Mon-Wed-Fri).

GP7 # 2183 - San Angelo, TX - January 1990

B23-7 # 6412 in San Angelo.

Ballast regulator.

Power on hand at ATSF San Angelo yard:

ATSF 2183 (GP7)
ATSF 6412 (B23-7) / 2222 (GP7) / 2709 (GP30)

That's all for today and for this month; next update will be on or about February 3.

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Austin - Arlington - Fort Worth

2008-01-18T09:57:00.000-08:00

January 19-21, 1990

I was the District Bulletin Editor for the Texas-Oklahoma District of Key Club International (high school level community service organization sponsored by Kiwanis International) during the 1989-90 school year. During the weekend of January 19-21, I was in Austin for a district board meeting. It was time for us to begin making preparations for our district convention which would take place in Austin in April. Our hotel featured a view of the railroad bridge across the Colorado River, and during the weekend, I snapped a few photos of trains rolling across it.

southbound UP freight crosses the Colorado River

Key Clubbin' in Austin - me, Natasha, and Brian. Natasha was one of our Lieutenant Governors and was also from San Angelo. We were good friends all the way through high school. Brian was our District Treasurer and was from Victoria.

sporting my District Editor badge -- and a Cure t-shirt!

Brush with greatness: District Governor James R. meets Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox

Instead of returning to San Angelo on Sunday after the board meeting, I caught a ride to Arlington with Key Club Governor James. (I remember during that drive north on I-35, hearing the B-52's song "Roam" for the first time). On Monday, I met up with some friends for a college familiarization trip to TCU in Fort Worth. After that, I had a couple hours to poke around Tower 55 and UP's Centennial Yard in Fort Worth.

Bad shot of a good consist: an MP SD40-2 and a Santa Fe C30-7 lead an eastbound ready to depart Centennial yard.

former MoPac GP15-1 wears UP colors at Tower 55.

That's all for now... check back in about a week for the next report.

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Tecific & Sweetwater - 1 of 2

2008-01-07T08:07:00.000-08:00

January 7, 1990 - Tecific and Sweetwater (part 1 of 2)

First train of the day: a westbound passes the Tecific station sign

I spent the day a few miles east of Sweetwater, TX at Tecific. Tecific was the closest place I could drive to from San Angelo where I could see two rail lines -- the Santa Fe Lampasas Sub (Sweetwater to Temple) and the UP Baird Sub (former T&P, Fort Worth to El Paso). It took about an hour and a half to drive up there from San Angelo. I had been there twice the previous November.

My girlfriend had originally agreed to go with me this time, but when I called her early Sunday morning, she decided to stay home. So I ended up spending the day by myself. I enjoyed clear skies for the entire day. It was cold in the morning (30s and 40s) but it warmed up nicely during the afternoon, to a high of about 65 or 70. I remember taking a nap in the back of my truck for an hour or so in the early afternoon. I had to wake up quickly and get ready to take a picture when a train showed up!

I also remember feeling relieved that trains were still running in the year 1990. To listen to the skeptics and gloom-n-doomers during the late 1980s, one would have thought that 1990 would usher in the decade when all the railroads would finally declare bankruptcy and pull up their tracks forever. How wrong they were...

Anyway, enjoy the pics...

This westbound included a cowl and a "Kodachrome".

Later in the morning, I relocated to the curve at MP 456.

Kodachrome SD45 # 5342 leads a westbound.

Westbound between Tecific and Sweetwater.

Westbound on the UP Baird Subdivision.

This eastbound woke me up from my nap...

A pair of deuces powers an eastbound...

Stay tuned for part 2...

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Tecific & Sweetwater - 2 of 2

2008-01-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

January 7, 1990 - Tecific & Sweetwater (Part 2)

More from January 7 ...

ATSF 2859 leads a westbound...

UP 3229 heads west at Tecific with a delivery for Santa Fe.

Power on the UP delivery included this former Conrail GP38, patched for the Katy...

Santa Fe SF30C 9539 holds the main at Sweetwater as the UP delivery arrives.

Santa Fe SD45 5385 at Sweetwater.

Here is the day's final tally...

1) ATSF w/b freight - 5833 (SD45-2) / 3850 (GP50)

2) ATSF w/b freight - 5848 (SD45-2) / 5968 (SDF45) / 9545 (SF30C - kodachrome)

3) ATSF w/b freight - 5342 (SD45 - kodachrome) / 2941 (GP35) / 3684 (GP39-2)

4) UP w/b freight - 3453 (SD40-2) / 4141 (SD40-2) / 3663
(SD40-2)

5) ATSF e/b COFC - 5840 (SD45-2) / 5373 (SD45)

6) ATSF e/b COFC - 5183 (SD40-2) / 5213 (SD40-2)

7) ATSF e/b freight - 5063 (SD40-2) / 5330 (SD45) / 6383 (B23-7) / 2854 (GP35)

8) ATSF w/b TOFC - 2859 (GP35) / 5806 (SD45-2 - kodachrome) / 4007 (GP60)

9) UP w/b freight (interchange to ATSF) - 3229 (SD40-2) / 4136 (SD40-2) / 4234 (SD40-2) / MKT 232 (GP38 - ex-CR)

10) ATSF e/b freight - 9539 (SF30C - Kodachrome) / 5080
(SD40-2) / 5385 (SD45)

11) power on hand at Sweetwater: ATSF 5201 (SD40-2)

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New Years 1990

2008-01-01T00:25:00.000-08:00

January 1, 1990

This was me at the start of 1990, on a ski trip at Sierra Blanca in New Mexico with some friends from Key Club. Due to a lack of snow, we didn't do much skiing, but we did enjoy the nice scenery and each others' company. In a few days I'd be back in San Angelo to start the second semester of my senior year at Central High School.

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Coming soon...

2007-12-11T11:34:00.000-08:00

"Half a Lifetime Ago" begins in January...

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