Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

54 Years of Railroad Photography
1960-2014

Mike's Main Railroad Web Site

August 21, 2014

I was in Springdale, AR for the monthly meeting of the Boston Mtn Chapter of NRHS. I found these units outside the backshop. Left to right, we see partial views of a C424, a C420, a RS1, and a T6.

I then got this broadside view of the streamlined diner which once served the Southern Pacific.

I next heard a horn and drove to the parking lot across from the A&M station. I discovered that the horn was the switcher returning from the north and switching cars north of the shops.
The cloud of blacksmoke upon throttling up reminded me of my shot which appeared in the Nov 1987 issue of Trains magazine.

I then drove towards Huntsville Ave. where these units were switching and caught them returning to the shops.

I next heard the "Monett Turn" returning from its trip north and stopping at the yard office.

ALCo C420 #44 was the 3rd unit of the consist of power for the returning Monett Turn.

EMD SD70ACe #71 was the middle unit of the consist for the returning Monett Turn.

EMD SD70ACe #72 was the lead unit of the consist for the returning Monett Turn.

ALCo C424 #34 is one of two C424s with remote control capability.

The power from the Monett Turn is now seen on the track which leads to the fueling rack.

EMD SD70ACe #70 is seen sitting by itself north of the backshop.

Sept. 13, 2014

This DD40X is stuffed and mounted in front of Jenks Shops in North Little Rock, AR on a trip to a train show in Jacksonville, AR.

This is the group of UP locos outside of the Jenks Shops in North Little Rock, AR.

Oct. 3, 2014

On my way to Memphis, I ran into this north bound local in Stilwell, OK along US 59.

Upon arriving in Memphis, I discovered that the sign to the right of the cantilever signal bridge has been changed to "Kentucky St" from "Kansas Ave".

The first railroad movement was this light loco heading across the river at Kentucky Street.

After a few minutes the loco returned with this string of cars.

Upon driving past Central Station, I got these shots of the Amtrak Exhibit train parked on "track 10" as part of the Central Station Centennial celebration.

View from a room on the top floor of the Comfort Inn in downtown Memphis. Note the railroad tracks in the lower right corner where Amtrak runs in Memphis. In the distant of the top image, one can see the Harrahan Bridge of the UP across the Mississippi River.

Oct. 4, 2014

On my way from my motel to Memphis, I spotted a southbound BNSF stack train. I caught it at Kansas Ave just at sunrise.

The Memphis Central Station is seen on its 100th anniversary.

When I arrived at Central Station, I discovered that the southbound "City of New Orleans" was loading and being refueled.

The train is then seen leaving the station with the Exhibit train on the adjacent track.

The Amtrak Exhibit train is seen in Central Station on the 100th anniversary of the opening of the station.
The Norfolk Southern contributed an exhibit car.

This is looking down into the area outside of the main waiting room.

This is in the Amtrak waiting room of the current station.

This schedule of trains which used Central Station on Oct. 30, 1960 hangs in the Amtrak waiting room.

Here come a series of locos from CN, NS, and GMTX for display.

This is the view of Central Station from the corner of Main and Calhoun(GE Patterson). The Memphis Railroad & Trolley Museum entrance is on Main Street in the shadowed area at the left of this photo. The Train Show for the train convention was in the Board Room of the station with the entrance in a door at the right side of the photo.

This is one of the displays in the museum, visible through the windows along Main Street.

This display in the MR&T museum features the CTC board which was located in what my daughter called "Steve's Little House". This location was better known as Kentucky Street, a one story tower.
Below is a photo of Steve Forrest working this CTC board.
Below is my photo of Kentucky Street tower before it was torn down.

Located between Central Station and Union Station was the downtown NC&StL yard which once served this warehouse.

Along Calhoun east of Central Station was the Post Office which served the railroad stations. Across 2nd Street on its east once stood Union Station.

This view east along Carolina St shows the abutment and dip where the street once dipped under the approaches to Union Station.

This dip in Carolina Street between 2nd and Main Streets once was for the underpass under the approach to the downtown NC&StL yard between Central and Union Stations.

Upon returning to the Kansas Ave area, I caught this westbound light engine movement.

A westbound vehicle train is seen approaching Kentucky Street on its way west.

UP 4088 is seen entering the joint trackage at Kentucky Street from the former IC South Yard with a westbound vehicle train.
It is first seen crossing over the BNSF 2 tracks.
The train is then seen entering UP trackage.
The train is finally seen crossing over to the north most UP track and heading toward the Harahan Bridge.

An eastbound vehicle train is seen crossing Riverside Drive in Memphis.

An eastbound UP stack train is seen heading for NS off the south track across the Harahan Bridge.

The UP and BNSF race their respective stack trains east after the UP cleared the crossing at River Jct on the west side of the Mississippi River.
A westbound BNSF freight is stopped at the signals at CN Jct for these stack trains to clear the way for its journey west.

The westbound freight is then seen passing the end of the stack train on its way west.

A westbound train with a CSX unit on the point is seen exiting the westbound "Southern" main and is passing Kentucky Street.

This westbound freight is seen at Kentucky St.

Two NS westbound moves are seen as they approach CN Jct.
The first train was a general freight, the second was an empty BNSF coal train returning to WY.

The empty unit coal train stops at "Tower 17" to change crews and sits for several minutes while other traffic passes it by.

These CSX units are leading a BNSF freight eastbound past Kentucky St.

This eastbound freight off the UP is led by a NS unit at Kentucky St.

This BNSF local surprised me, thus the shot out the car window. As the train disappears, the NS led train is seen along with the stopped empty coal train.

On Friday afternoon, this was the main action, FedEx jets taking off from Memphis International Airport.

This stack train is seen passing CN Jct and approaching Kentucky St.

The group of locos which had been on display at Central Station are seen crossing Broadway at CN Jct.

The next train was an eastbound stack train at Kentucky St.
As the stack train crosses CN Jct, the headlights on the empty coal train are seen to be turned on.

The empty coal train is seen crossing over from the NS/UP track to the north BNSF track.

Oct. 5, 2014

I discovered this CN switcher working the "sugar yard" when I arrived at Central Station.

The Amtrak Exhibit Train was parked on the former track 10.

The City of New Orleans is seen arriving a few minutes later.

The engine crew is then seen leaving the loco.

Recrewed and loaded, the "City" prepares to leave Memphis.

My first train at Kentucky St was a loaded unit coal which headed east on the "westbound Southern".

The last train at Kentucky St was this loaded eastbound taconite train.

The last shot of the day was the CN switcher crossing Broadway at CN Jct.

 
 

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