Kansas City Southern System
Digital Photos
4500-Series

by Mike Condren

After we crossed the Red River and entered Texas, I spotted a private road to a ranch in Bowie County, TX that crossed the track near US 71 where I got these views.

These are the DPU units of a loaded coal train sitting on the main in Heavener, OK, 1/5/08.

A northbound grain train is seen pulling through the fueling facility.

KCS #4581 is seen headed north with an empty coal train at Heavener, OK, 1/5/08.

After holding off crossing, the northbound empty coal train behind KCS #4581 approaches the north end of North Howe passing track as KCS extra #708 south approaches the former RI crossing. and the meet. We then see the DPUs of the northbound at the spot of the former KCS-RI diamond.

With the aid of the new bypass at Poteau, I was able to get ahead of the empty coal train just north of Poteau, OK, 1/5/08.

In Van Buren I find another KCS unit as the second unit in this consist at the South 28th Street crossing preparing to depart east. This unit is from the Mexican subsidiary.

While waiting for trains in Sallisaw, OK, I heard a KCS trainand gave chase to find a solid train of new KCS covered hoppers with a retro Belle unit as the DPU. I caught up with the train just beyond the I40 overpass and near where there once was a siding that my uncle used to unload heavy machinery for the Sallisaw Stripping Co.

The last train of the day was the "Catch of the Day". It was somewhat disappointing that the road power was not in the new retro Belle but the DPU was. This solid train of covered hoppers in the new "Belle" color scheme was beautiful in the late afternoon sun on this warm January 5, 2008 between Sallisaw and Gans, OK. Sorry I did not get a car count.

At Neosho where the KCS station once stood, we shot this northbound empty unit coal train with DPUs.

On our way to Shreveport with our grandson, we took US 59 which follows the KCS very closely from OK to Texarkana. Here is the DPUs for a coal train getting refueled at the Refueling Facility at the north end of the Heavener, OK.

On my way to Memphis from Tahlequah, I spotted this northbound train as I turned onto US59 in Stilwell, OK. There was no time to get to the sunny side of the tracks, so I grabbed this shot at the north end of town.

Here we see the head-end power of the empty grain train at the fuel dock.

The only power visible in Heavener, OK was this pair of units at the north end of the yard.

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