Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren

53 Years of Railroad Photography 1960-2013

Mike's Main Railroad Web Site

Sept. 19, 2013

When I first arrived at the A&M shop area, I get this shot of the rear of A&M #70.

This was the other power in front of the new shop building.

A clear shot of the front of the engine was not possible because of the work on the mainline. A large backhoe was digged out the area under the mainline.

I finally got this shot of #70.

After driving to Fayeteville to check on the passenger train for the biker invassion, I returned to find the track gang gone. The other 2 SD70ACes had returned from Monett and I got this shot with some sun.

This view shows all three units being refueled.

This view shows the relationship of the fueling station to the new shop building.

This view shows the equipment still stored north of the shop area.

Sept. 22, 2013

In Ft. Smith I headed to the Fort Smith Railroad at the one time site of the Missouri Pacific yard office. This derrick GP7 just sits at the end of one of the tracks used by the Fort Smith Railroad for its units.

One of the GP20s is still in the Santa Fe yellow warbonnet scheme.

I then drove to the A&M, former Frisco yard, in Ft. Smith and discovered these engines working the yard.

After the talk at the Clayton House, I headed to Van Buren to check on my Mother in the nursing home. When I crossed the Arkansas River, the vertical lft bridge was down so I headed to the A&M/UP crossing and discovered the A&M's new SD70ACes.

Sept. 25, 2013

We went to Sedan, KS so that Jan could search her genealogy. While she worked in the History/Genalogy Center, I went looking for evidence of the former MP line from Coffeyville to Wichita and found this deelict station on the right-of-way south of downtown.

This view from our hotel room shows the site where the Midland Valley station once stood on the west side of the Arkansas River. It was torn down to make room for the Metropolitan Baptish Church. The drive along the river is the former Midland Valley right-of-way.

Sept. 26, 2013

I decided to head to Wellington, KS on the "trans-con" for some action. I headed to the yard and found this maintenance building on the north side.

I then headed back to the Panhandle Railway Museum.

On the other side of the parking lot was this former Santa Fe prairie.

I then discovered this Santa Fe office building on the south end of Washington, the main street in town.

Across the street was the Santa Fe Transport Freight Depot.

My first train in Wellington was this westbound stack train.

The next stack train had two "red warbonnets" on the end of the consist, one Santa Fe and one BNSF.

He met an eastbound stack train which can be seen through the gaps between the containers.

and then the end of the train and the eastbound on the north track

and then the ends of both trains.

I missed the coming shot of this stack train with 2 units on the point and 2 DPUs.

This eastbound general freight has a UP SD70ACe in consist, the only non-GE locomotive of the day in Wellington. All BNSF units were GEs!

The westbound stack trains just kept coming.

I took a break to get something to eat and shot this view of the yard with my long lens.

While I was getting lunch, I missed an eastbound general freight and discovered the BNSF/UP connection west of downtown.

I then returned to my normal position and noticed a set of power coming out of the yard and a westbound freight on the main.

This piggyback train contrained a string of FexEx trailers.

The piggyback train finally clears and we can see the pair of locos on the north track.

The next train was a westbound double stack train.

Next was this eastbound stack train.

Next was another eastbound intermodal train.

I was surprised to see my first "Prime Intermodal".

I caught the next train at Belle Plaine, KS. The Midland Valley once crossed the ATSF "trans-con" here on its line to Wichita.

Sept. 27, 2013

This BN switcher is part of the Great Plains Railroad Museum in Wichita, KS.

These yellow warbonnet BNSF geeps are seen working the yard in north Wichita, KS.

This BNSF unit sat at the end of a string of ballast cars for the last 2 days of our stay in Wichita.

This intermodal train was shot at the north end of the yard in north Wichita.

This northbound unit cattle feed, dried distllers grains train returning to an ethanol plant was shot north of the yard in Wichita. Some of the rotary gons appear to have a cover.

I caught this UP train waiting for permission to enter the elevated tracks shared with the BNSF through downtown Wichita.

This northbound general freight is seen just north of the yard in Wichita.

The next train was a northbound stack train with mostly Maersk containers.

The last train of the day was another stack train at the north end of the yard.

Sept. 28, 2013

The first train of the day was this northbound "Triple Crown" that I caught south of the elevated in Wichita.

This freight was at the north end of the elevated in Wichita.

I had spotted a pair of geeps on the lower level at the beginning of the elevated tracks. I then drove to the location.

This UP train is about to enter the shared mains of the BNSF on the elevated tracks through downtown Wichita.

I missed the coming shot of this train.

After lunch, the sun came out and I headed to the north end of the BNSF yard in Wichita.

The next train was another southbound intermodal.

The third straight southbound was a piggyback train.

The last train of the trip was this northbound stack train.

This page was designed and is maintained by Mike Condren.
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