Recent Digital Photos
by Mike Condren
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51 Years of Railroad Photography |
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Sept. 2, 2011
| The KCS is rebuilding is mainline through eastern Oklahoma by replacing ties and welded rail. KCS 907 is coupled to Herzog MPM XI, HZGX716. |
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Sept. 8, 2011
| Reve. Jan had a meeting of pastor from the eastern part of the Eastern Oklahoma Presbytery at Pryor, OK. We got stopped at the crossing from the UP, former MKT, mainline south of Pryor which leads to the industrial park and power plant. This job uses a former MP caboose as a shoving platform. My auto focus on my camera messed up, and I missed the shot of it crossing the highway. |
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| After dropping Jan off at the church, I headed trackside and got this loaded unit coal train heading for the OG&E Muskogee Power Plant. |
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| The next train in Pryor was this south bound general merchandize train. |
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| This former MP caboose is used by the UP on the former MKT mainline at Pryor, OK. |
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Sept. 10, 2011
| This WAMX train is led by a recently painted SD40-2 in their black and yellow colors as it enters the north end of Cherokee Yard in Tulsa, OK. |
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| The first BNSF freight had another WAMX unit DIT behind the 2 road units. |
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| This transfer run is on its way to the yard at Union Depot for interchange to the Sand Spring and Union Pacific. |
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| The next movement was a trimmer set pulling out the north end and then backing into the yard. |
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| The next train was the stack train that originates at Clovis, NM. Today it has a string of tri-level auto racks with SUVs on the rear of the train. |
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| The next train was a westbound general merchandize train which headed into the yard. |
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| Then the JB Hunt intermodal train from LA appeared from the Avard Sub, stopped for a new crew and supplies before heading east to Memphis. |
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| While the Log Beach to Memphis train is still passing, a set of trimmer engines pulls up on the parallel track. |
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| On my way back to Tahlequah, I took the 23rd Street bridge over the Arkansas River and then 21st Street toward the Broken Arrow Expressway. Shortly after getting on 21st Street you start up a grade that levels off at the former Midland Valley grade crossing. The MV ROW is now a bike path as seen below, looking toward downtown. |
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| After getting on the Broken Arrow Expressway, I run up on the caboose of the UP train returning to Muskogee after delivering to the BNSF in Tulsa. The caboose was stopped on the trackage in the center of the expressway with the engines just short of the Sheridan crossing as seen below. This was my first shot of a train on this former MKT line. |
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Sept. 15, 2011
| On my way to do some business in Van Buren, I catch the KCS MOW gang going to work at Stilwell, OK. The KCS 907 is coupled to a string of gondolas. KCS 905 is coupled to the Jordan Spreader. The Herzog train is a separate operation. All of the them head south to work on the right-og-way. |
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| At OK Foods feed mill in Ft. Smith, I shot these two track mobiles. | ||
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| I learn that the Boston Mtn Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society is having a meeting that night so I head to Springdale. Nothing was moving, so I shot some things sitting there. |
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Sept. 16, 2011
| On my way t Springfield, MO, I decided to follow the KCS from Westville, OK to Joplin, MO. Just south of Watts, OK I ran across the northbound train. |
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| I wanted to see in person the damage from the tornado in Joplin. I discovered it in the south part of Joplin, just north of I44. I headed to downtown and found the derelict Union Depot once used by the Frisco, KCS and M&A. In the 1960s, I shot KCS and MKT power here on a regular basis. I even shot the Southern Belle here on more than one occasion. |
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| Upon reaching Springfield, I drove through Kansas Ave. Yard and the area where West Shops once stood. I was so turned off by the distruction that I did not take any pictures. I saw a couple of loaded unit coal trains stopped for a crew change so I headed to North Yard. I sat there for almost 30 minutes with no action so I shot this string of MW cars and headed to the motel. |
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| After a Frisco Melt at the Steak 'n Shake on Glenwood, I headed to the operating session at Ron Williams' Srpingfield Terminal HO layout. The following images were taken with my BlackBerry and are not good enough for large presentations. Charlie Dischinger is the fellow in the bright orange shirt. Ron Williams, our host is in the kakai pants and blue shirt with Frisco coonskin patch above the pocket. | ||||||
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Sept. 17, 2011
| The following images were taken in the former Frisco Office Building where the Frisco Convention was held. These first pictures were taken in the cafeteria. | ||
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| These are the end walls of the Board Room. |
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| Picture at the end of the hall. |
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| Pictures inside the Men's Room. |
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| Display cases in the hallways of the Frisco Building. |
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Sept. 18, 2011
| On my way to Memphis along US60, I make curve and find a green over red signal and an intermodal train in the passing track. I pull off and get this shot. |
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| I then got back on the highway and drove to a crossing near the south end of the siding. |
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| Back on US60, I shot this photo through the windshield. Note the FedEx Multi-Modal trailers on the rear of the train. |
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| I took Business US63 through town at Thayer. As I crossed over the bridge over Warm Creek and the railroad, I discovered a unit coal train with the power making a pickup of power in the siding. I parked and walked out onto the pedestrian walkway on the south side of the bridge. |
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This page was designed and is maintained by Mike Condren.
If you have materials
that you would like to contribute, contact me at mcondren@cbu.edu