Mike Condren Photos Union Pacific AC4400CWs

The road power for the UP loaded unit coal train was parked at the location of the former passenger station in Heavener on Oct. 12, 2011.

I then headed north to find another loaded unit coal train southbound at Howe, OK. I turned around and caught the headend just before it reached the fueling facility. The DPUs stopped near the north end of the yard on Oct. 8, 2011.

Next came a loaded unit coal train southbound on the former MKT at Vinita, OK on April 28, 2012.

This northbound on the MoPac is a unit tank train with header cars to protect the power.

I spotted this loaded unit coal train on the former MKT line south of Pryor, OK on April 28, 2012.

We then raced to South 28th Street in Van Buren and got the train as it entered the passing track of the former MP yard on July 15, 2011.

The last train of the day was the empty unit coal train on Gothenburg, NE August 16, 2011.

After crossing the Arkansas River, we saw an empty unit coal train leaving the OG&E Muskogee Power Plant and gave chase. Here we see the lead locos passing a couple of remaining Frisco cross-bucks on this branch which was constructed as part of the Ozark & Cherokee Central, later Frisco Muskogee Branch, which ran from Fayetteville, AR to Okmulgee, OK. The O&CC once passed through my current home town of Tahlequah, OK before being cut back to Ft. Gibson Dam to Okmulgee in 1942 and then this branch abandoned in late 1960s.

On my way to a NRHS meeting in Springdale, AR, I ran into this loaded unit coal train just south of Watts, OK.

We saw a headlight in the distance and broke off the chase of the stack train to shoot this loaded unit coal train at MP 1605 in NE along US30 on August 16, 2011.

Next were 3 loaded unit coal trains east of Kearney, NE on August 16, 2011.

Next was another empty unit coal train at Gothenburg, NE August 16, 2011.

The next train at Wagoner, OK was this OG&E loaded unit coal train southbound off the Katy taking the connection to the MoPac and head to Ft. Gibson Jct. and the branch to the Muskogee Power Plant. This branch is laid on the original right of way of the Ozark & Cherokee Central which later became the Muskogee Branch of the Frisco on April 21, 2012.

My next train was an empty UP unit coal train at Grand Island, NE on August 15, 2011.

The next train at Wagoner, OK was northbound on the Katy and then took the connection to head north on the former MoPac tracks on April 21, 2012.

The next train was a UP loaded unit coal train. It pulled up and stopped at the BNSF signal governing the crossover between the UP and the north BNSF track. It waited several minutes before proceeding through that crossover.

The train then took the crossover from the north to south BNSF tracks.

The last train was the empty unit coal train that finally got permission to head up the MoPac northbound, taking the connection.

This northbound freight is stopped at the fueling station near Main Street in Van Buren.

After dropping Jan off at the church in Pryor, OK on Sept. 8, 2010, I headed trackside and got this loaded unit coal train heading for the OG&E Muskogee Power Plant.

I missed the head-end of the first train that I saw in Vinita, OK, a loaded unit coal train. However, I did get shots of the DPU crossing the former Frisco diamond on April 28, 2012.

This loaded unit train sat on the mainline at the South 28th Street end of the Van Buren Yardon July 26, 2011.

This UP train is seen just north of the former MKT station site in Muskogee, OK on March 25, 2012.

Next in Vinita, OK came this train of covered hoppers of sand headed to Ft. Worth on April 28, 2012.

With beautiful weather predicted, I decided to head to Wagoner, OK Hot Spot, about 25 miles from Tahlequah, and the crossing of 2 UP mainlines, the former Katy and Missouri Pacific lines in eastern OK. I had barely arrived on April 21, 2012 at the location of the former Missouri Pacific station when I heard my first horn, a loaded unit coal train. It was southbound on the Katy and took the connection to the Missouri Pacific. North of Wagoner trains to and from Kansas City run directional: southbounds on the Katy, northbounds on the Missouri Pacific.

On our way out of town, we passed over the bridge above this yard in Shreveport, LA. I noticed this train and turned into the yard from US 71.

The lead units were parked in front of the yard office, former CTC building in Heavener, OK on Jan. 3, 2012.

This DPU is stopped at the refueling station near Main Street in Van Buren, AR on May 21, 2012.

The next train at Wagoner, OK had been waiting for the unit coal train and the northbound Katy to clear before it headed north on the MoPac behind the one off the Katy on April 21, 2012.

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