Whiskey, Texas

4 months in 9 photos

2010-07-24T13:37:00.014-05:00

Had to put the blog on hold for a while... here's 9 photos representing a few highlights from the past 4 months.

April: bike ride with M.

April: UP steam engine 844 in Mansfield, TX

May: hangin' with Miss L downtown...

May: benching in Saginaw. Part of a self-portrait project.

June: A-Kon 21 in Dallas

June: taking M to camp at Sky Ranch

June: moving in to my new house! How did we ever fit all my stuff into a truck that small?

June: Blue was just one of the many colors L chose for painting her room.

July: chasing trains with Miss L

That's all for now... hope to have a chance to post in more detail later. Check back soon for more...

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np: Willie Heath Neal - "Willie's Rant"

El Paso afternoon

2010-06-03T12:48:00.010-05:00

Spring Break Day 7 - Saturday, March 20, 2010
(Part 2 of 2)

More from March 20 in El Paso. As trackwork continued on Main 2 west of the city, several trains entered and left town on Main 1...

El Paso fuel racks: westbound and eastbound freights take on fuel west of downtown. The red brick building in the background is El Paso Union Depot.

UP 8097 leads a westbound across the Rio Grande, from Texas into New Mexico.

Arizona Eastern 6070 trails the UP locomotives on a westbound MEPTU (El Paso - Tucson) train.

Train # 1 - Amtrak's westbound Sunset Limited departs El Paso.

If I had planned my day differently, I could have chased this BNSF grain train down the El Paso Sub. Instead, I had to settle for a shot of it entering town along Paisano Blvd.

BNSF 7638 leads southbound grain loads into El Paso...

BNSF grainers along Paisano Blvd - El Paso, TX

I finished out the afternoon near the small city park which overlooks the Bataan Memorial Trainway, a short trench-like section of track which allows trains to pass beneath the streets of downtown El Paso on a route free of grade crossings.

A westbound enters the El Paso trainway...

It was time to head east. I'd spend the night in Van Horn; the next morning I'd have a few hours to shoot photos before heading home to Whiskeytown.

Twilight on I-10 near Fort Hancock...

Stay tuned for the conclusion of the trip.

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np: BaD Radio on KTCK 1310 AM "the Ticket"

No mo' snow!

2010-05-20T11:55:00.017-05:00

Spring Break Day 7 - Saturday, March 20, 2010
(Part 1 of 2)

So this is the scene that greeted me when I woke up Saturday morning...

Uh-oh. Should have remembered to bring those tire chains...

The storm that blew in late Friday dropped several inches of fluffy white powder, which continued to fall as I packed up on Saturday morning. I wasn't exactly snowbound, but I didn't have a whole lot of time to spare before it became a possibility.

Mom and the kids had planned to head back to Fort Worth, but ended up delaying their departure until Sunday. I had ideas of going northwest to Albuquerque to do some photography, but reports of weather-reported road closures caused me to think otherwise. I could have followed the snow east toward Lubbock or Amarillo... I bet I could have gotten some nice train photos in all that snow... but the idea of several hours of slow going on treacherous roads before I even reached the tracks seemed equally unappealing.

Remembering how much I enjoy a good photo shoot in El Paso, I decided to head south. The "partly cloudy" forecast sounded favorable, and El Paso would be my quickest route away from the snow.

snowy Ruidoso roads

The roads were snow-covered from Ruidoso down to Mescalero... and then as if by magic, the snow ended and the roads were clear. By Alamogordo, the clouds were moving off, and in El Paso? Nothing but clear skies. (At least for the first hour I was there. But that's another story...)

Sunrise over Hwy 54 - southbound near Orogrande, NM

Driving I-10 through El Paso (yes, that's snow on the front of my truck).

The snow was gone, the skies were sunny... all I needed was the trains. So I pulled up to a nice spot in Sunland Park near the base of Mt. Cristo Rey, and made an unfortunate discovery -- I'd landed right in the middle of a track window.

Instant buzzkill! The tie gang was getting into position to work the very stretch of track where I hoped to shoot eastbound trains.

Trains were still moving, but they were on the other main line (on a separate, less scenic right-of-way) and were mostly westbounds. By the time the eastbounds started running, the light was no good. It was starting to get cloudy, anyway. Seemed like a good time to do some sightseeing away from the tracks...

"God is Mexican" - a mural I first photographed five or six years ago is still on display near the Rio Grande in El Paso.

If there was ever a place that needed to heed this message, it's Ciudad Juarez, the city which boasted the world's highest murder rate in 2009, and has long been known as a center of violence. Viewed from beneath one of the international bridges, the mountainside message (translated to English) reads, "The Bible is the Truth. Read it."

Later, I stopped for lunch out in Sunland Park. The tacos were tasty; too bad I didn't have my taxes quite ready to file....

Notary service, tax filing, and tacos all under one roof!

By mid-afternoon, several trains were in the area. The tie gang continued to work on Main 2, but I caught several moves on Main 1 nearby. The sun even stayed out for a few of them.

Freights over the Rio Grande. An eastbound rolls into El Paso from New Mexico. Just south of here, the Rio Grande becomes the international border between the US and Mexico. The driver of the Dodge pickup was fishing.

We're not through yet... stay tuned for Part 2 from Saturday...

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np: Waylon Jennings - "Are you ready for the country"

time running out...

2010-05-19T13:07:00.005-05:00

Spring Break Day 6 - Friday, March 19, 2010

All vacations have to end eventually, and time was running out on ours. I had already returned our ski gear, and some nasty weather was moving in. Friday was spent around the house, alternating between jigsaw puzzle assembly and reconnaissance missions in the woods with M while the girls played video games.

Time was running out as I snapped this self portrait on my cell phone... on the plus side, I'd soon be back in 3G range, and would once again be able to email photos to my sweetie...

running through the woods with M...

Rain moved into the area in the late afternoon, and changed over to snow as the temperatures dropped. Would we be able to start home on Saturday? Stay tuned to find out...

Vacation was almost finished, but the next wave of snow was just starting...

Coming next: heading home via El Paso.

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np: BaD Radio on KTCK 1310 AM "the Ticket"

chasin' in the basin

2010-05-16T13:15:00.016-05:00

Spring Break Day 5 - Thursday, March 18, 2010

Lauren wasn't feeling well on Thursday morning, so we decided to take the day off from skiing. I knew of a few trains running nearby on the UP Carrizozo line between Tucumcari and El Paso. It was another day of great weather, so I decided to head for the Tularosa Basin to get some photos...

I've always enjoyed the landscape around Carrizozo. As you drive down from the mountains to the lower elevations, the pinon oaks give way to wide open prairies... dig those wide open vistas!

Above Nogal, NM

driving US 380 near Carrizozo

I missed the first train (they really move out there in the desert) and had to wait a couple hours until the next one showed up. I drove to Alamogordo, did some shopping, and then headed back to Carrizozo. That gave the light time to swing around to a more favorable angle. I'd lost interest in the Carrizozo line after the lower quadrant semaphore signals came down (geeze, has it really been 11 years?) but the line still offers some photo opportunities worth checking out.

UP 7349 leads a west/southbound stack train, south of Carrizozo.

Near Three Rivers, NM. Sierra Blanca, where we had skied the past two days, looms in the background.

Pacing north of Tularosa.

Approaching Tularosa, NM

It was an enjoyable chase on a line I haven't photographed in several years.

Also seen in southern New Mexico during our travels was the work of graffiti artist "Irot" / "Riot". Irot's trademark cyclops creature caught my eye on a number of abandoned buildings and structures. I'd first noticed them on Monday as we drove from El Paso to Ruidoso, so I made sure to return for a few flicks...

Riot / Ante in Alamogordo

Riot in Mescalero

Irot near Ruidoso

Vacation time was winding down, but we still had a day left... check back soon for more.

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np: The Simpsons on dvd - Season 7, Disc 1

Epic Ski - Day 2

2010-05-13T01:18:00.002-05:00

Spring Break Day 4 - Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Another great day of skiing... a little warmer than the day before, and less crowded. Gotta love those spring days when you can shed the jacket and ski in short sleeves. I even broke out my favorite pair of shorts for a few hours in the afternoon.

The only thing missing was the extra layer of sunscreen. They'd be sorry about that later...

Another great day on the slopes. This must have been the first run of the day; they still had their jackets on...

It's still hard for me to believe sometimes that L knows how to do this... and she gets better every year...

Good times!

M's birthday usually coincides with the Spring Break holidays, so he's become accustomed to celebrating it in New Mexico. After a "Pasta Mania" dinner at Alto Lakes, we returned to our lodgings to open presents.

Celebrating M's 9th birthday

The piece de resistance: the Lego Imperial Flagship. It would take us most of the rest of our week in New Mexico to assemble this monstrosity. M wouldn't have it any other way...

Up next: a day in the Tularosa Valley.

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np: Split Lip Rayfield - "Used to call me baby"

Epic Ski - Day 1

2010-05-10T20:50:00.001-05:00

Spring Break Day 3 - Tuesday, March 16, 2010

The sunny skies and excellent snow definitely brought out the crowds... Ski Apache employees told us this was the busiest day they had seen in 10 years. The lift lines would be long, but it was a great day for skiing...

getting close... mile 10 of the 12-mile drive

Beautiful day

MV had never skied before; she did great and didn't even take a lesson.

stoked about skiing!

One of many rewards for the adventurous skier at Ski Apache: a view of the Tularosa Basin including White Sands National Monument.

Jesus Rocks (and he says hello)

Stay tuned for Epic Ski - Day 2...

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np: Matthew Sweet - "Sick of Myself"

Head for the mountains

2010-05-09T20:34:00.008-05:00

Spring Break Day 2 - Monday, March 15, 2010

The skies were mostly cloudy when M and I woke up on Monday morning -- a bit of an anomaly for El Paso. After a bit of sightseeing, we were ready to head toward Ruidoso.

Driving Paisano Blvd along the Rio Grande. The border fence in El Paso seems larger and more imposing every time I see it.

I-25 north in Las Cruces

US 70 East near White Sands Missile Range

US 70 East between Tularosa and Mescalero, NM

El Nino wasn't finished with New Mexico yet; we drove through some snow flurries on our way into Ruidoso, arriving in the early afternoon. Mom arrived a couple hours later with L and L's friend MV. We decided to stop by the ski shop to pick up our gear for the following day...

Ready to ski - L and MV

a buck near the Alto Lakes golf course

For dinner, we decided to go to Casa Blanca, Ruidoso's premiere Mexican restaurant. The kids might have disagreed, but I thought the experience was worth every second of the 90 minutes we waited for our table.

waiting for a table - M and Mom at Casa Blanca

One unhappy discovery I made early on was that Ruidoso hasn't landed on the map of AT&T's 3G coverage. I'd be able to communicate with Miss L back in Texas via phone and text, but those photo attachments would have to wait until we returned to civilization...

Coming next: hitting the slopes with L and MV.

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np: "Commando" on Cinemax

West Texas holiday

2010-05-03T13:36:00.012-05:00

Spring Break - Day 1: Sunday, March 14, 2010

Spring Break began on Monday, March 15; the kids and Mom and I had planned to spend the week in New Mexico. Among other things, we were really looking forward to the excellent conditions at Ski Apache. El Nino weather cycles tend to produce large accumulations of snow in New Mexico's Sacramento Mountains, and this year was no exception. Southern New Mexico hadn't seen snow like this for five years!

M and I left Whiskeytown on Sunday the 14th; L and her friend MV would depart the following day with Mom, who had just returned from another trip. I hoped to be in position to do some photography around Van Horn by late afternoon / early evening, so we only stopped a handful of times as we drove west...

We were still in Fort Worth when we made our first stop to grab a shot of UP's "Western Pacific Heritage" locomotive...

Ghost sign at Trent, TX

West Texas windmills - an eastbound stack train passes an imposing backdrop near Roscoe

My friend Chris just happened to be dispatching the UP Toyah desk on 2nd shift that day; we enjoyed hearing him on the radio, especially when one of the train crews mentioned the presence of a "photographer driving a silver Toyota" over the radio to Chris. I'm sure it was pure coincidence that we were able to catch up to a couple of westbound trains in time to get some great shots.

One of the day's photographic highlights - a westbound approaching Kent, TX

West Texas road trip icon - the legendary Diesel Fried Chicken sign in Van Horn.

a quick self portrait at Allamore...

Pacing the UP 7828 west of Van Horn

M shot a movie with his new Ipod (an early birthday present from K) as we paced the westbound toward Sierra Blanca

Sunset at McNary - the end of an enjoyable day

We had dinner in Fort Hancock, where M got to know the local Border Patrol agents and State Troopers. An hour later, we checked into an El Paso motel to begin resting up after our long day. On Monday, we'd head for the mountains...

***

Tim Barry postscript

A few more reflections on the Tim Barry show...

It was interesting to step inside the Prophet Bar (which I thought I had never been to before) and realize it was the old Gypsy Tea Room, a venue in which I've enjoyed performances ranging from Hagfish to the Old 97s. It seemed appropriate that Barry, whose music I feel a strong connection to, would perform on the very same stage has which hosted some of my other favorite acts.

We would have enjoyed visiting some more with Tim after the show, but Miss L and I both had to work the next day. Besides, Tim had quite a drive ahead of him. His tour schedule designated the day after his Dallas show as a "driving day"; he had a thousand miles of Interstate highway to travel before a Thursday night show in Phoenix. With a schedule like that, there just might be another song or two waiting to be written.

A review of his Phoenix show is available here: http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/uponsun/2010/03/tim_barry_at_yucca_tap_room.php. It sounded very similar to the show we saw, with the exception of the multi-colored mohawks in the crowd.

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np: BaD Radio on KTCK 1310 AM "The Ticket"

Tim Barry at the Prophet Bar

2010-04-30T13:08:00.022-05:00

The night Tim Barry came to town...

Tuesday night headline billing - the Prophet Bar in Deep Ellum

Longtime followers of the east coast punk scene might recall Avail, a Richmond-based punk band whose frontman was Tim Barry. I'd missed out on their work, having lost most of my interest in punk after the 1980s. Thanks to testimonials from a couple of friends, however, I am no longer oblivious to Barry's solo career. One listen to his songs "Avoiding Catatonic Surrender" and "Church of Level Track" (both of which are available on his Myspace page at: http://www.myspace.com/timbarryrva ) told me immediately that I'd been missing out on something GOOD. I found his sound to be a natural fit with a lot of the alt-country, folk, and roots-rock stuff I've been listening to during the past few years. Barry's stuff goes well with the likes of James McMurtry, the Old 97s, Ray Wylie Hubbard, and Chris Knight.

The lyrics to some of Barry's songs express a sense of cynicism and bitterness -- perfect anthems for the morose, the forgotten, the disenchanted. Others feature a more optimistic counterpoint as Barry, a part-time hobo, celebrates the freedom and adventure of life on the road and rails. Some of his songs condemn materialism and consumerism, and instead extol the virtues and value of friendship and family.

It wasn't just Barry's music and freight-hopping experiences that attracted my interest. The cover and sleeves of his cd's feature railroad-themed photos and art, including stencil artwork by buZ blurr. Barry pays tribute to the "Colossus of Roads" freight car moniker on his album "Rivanna Junction"; the title of each song is named for a Colossus icon caption.

Song title inspiration - the Colossus caption which inspired the title for one of my favorite Tim Barry songs

Barry's friendship with the late Travis Conner (of "Conrail Twitty" moniker fame) intrigued me further, as did the knowledge that another well-known moniker -- one I've been seeing for several years -- is drawn by none other than Mr. Barry himself. So when I found out that a bar in Deep Ellum had booked Barry for a Tuesday evening performance in March, I knew I had to be there...

Miss L was ready for her initiation...

We arrived in Deep Ellum early enough for dinner, and got to the Prophet Bar just as the doors were opening. First on stage was a local act, the Driftin' Outlaw Band. Their brand of high-octane, high-velocity country reminded me of Speedtrucker. The Driftin' Outlaws knocked out a mix of original songs and cover tunes, the highlight of which was "Ghost Riders in the Sky".

Driftin' Outlaw Band

Up next was Ninja Gun, an alt-rock act from Valdosta, Georgia. Their sound reminded me of the Connells, For Squirrels, or maybe the Gin Blossoms -- listener-friendly, mostly up-tempo alt-rock with a slight blend of punk and country elements, nothing too heavy. I liked them enough to buy one of their cd's after the show.

Ninja Gun

Finally, Tim Barry took the stage, wearing a black "Conrail Twitty" tribute t-shirt. Surveying the sparse crowd, he quickly deduced that the audience would benefit from a more intimate performance. He unplugged and climbed down from the stage to perform his first song, "Idle Idyllist", on the floor, as the crowd formed a circle around him. In 20-plus years of seeing live music, this was one of the coolest concert experiences I've ever witnessed.

Tim Barry on stage - Prophet Bar in Deep Ellum

Barry returned to the stage for the remainder of his performance, except for "Church of Level Track", when he again joined the crowd on the floor....

Joining the crowd for an up-close performance. The small crowd brought to mind a concert t-shirt slogan I remember from long ago: "Did you miss ______ (fill-in-the-blank)? Then you f*cked up!" Miss L and I were proud to say that we did NOT miss Tim Barry.

Barry's voice wasn't in great shape, and he apologized profusely for the hand injury which hindered his guitar-playing abilities (he had injured it in a fight a few weeks earlier). We thought we might even get an opportunity to see his fighting skills for ourselves; a tense moment developed when an obnoxious member of the crowd yelled an obscene remark between songs. Barry put him in his place, though, and the guy shut the hell up.

Barry merch

But overall, it was one of the more enjoyable shows I've been to in a while. It was great to hear live performances of some of my favorite songs of his -- and we even had a few minutes to talk before he started his set. On stage or off, Barry came across as one of the most honest and genuine people you could ever hope to meet. Like me, you might have missed out on Avail. But you don't have to miss out on his solo stuff.

Coming next: beginning another road trip...

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np: BaD Radio on KTCK 1310 "the Ticket"

Introducing Miss L

2010-04-30T13:06:00.001-05:00

Meet "Miss L"

I'd like you to meet Miss L., the new "special someone" in my life. We hit it off well when we met back in January, and have since discovered that we share a number of mutual interests, including "Kids in the Hall", the BBC tv series "Coupling", 80's alt-rock music, and Coen Brothers movies. Best of all, she's a native Texan. :-)

Miss L is a graduate of the University of Texas (but I don't hold that against her, ha!) and works in community relations for a local Alzheimer's care facility. During her spare time she has been learning a lot about trains and hobo monikers. Last month, she joined me for an evening in Deep Ellum to catch a Tim Barry show... (see following entry).

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the Great White South

2010-04-24T10:48:00.010-05:00

In case you didn't hear about it, north Texas received a record snowfall back in February. We set a new record for snow on a calendar day when the D-FW Airport measured 11.2 inches on Thursday, February 11, and a separate record for a 24-hour total (12.5 inches fell between 4 a.m. on the 11th and 4 a.m. on the 12th). Wet and sloppy, it was a bitch to get around in, but fun to look at... and of course the first thing I thought about was getting out to snap a few train photos...

Meeting Steve G at "the spot" in Saginaw. He was on the phone with Dave to find out where the trains were.

The snow didn't slow down the southbound "Heartland Flyer" too much; it was close to on time when it passed through Saginaw.

snowy gensets - Saginaw, TX

By Friday morning, the snowfall had ended, but the skies remained overcast, and north Texas continued to resemble the set of a certain Coen Brothers movie...

Snow day # 2: UP Gensets in Roanoke

By Saturday, the skies had cleared, temperatures were warming, and life would begin returning to normal as the snow started to melt...

This southbound at Birds siding in south Fort Worth had just come to a stop and switched off its headlights and ditch lights when I snapped this photo.

a snowman in every yard...

Ironically, Mom was on a trip to Antarctica during our blizzard. She could have seen just as much snow and ice if she'd stayed here.

Coming next... introducing "Miss L" and a review of a Tim Barry performance in Dallas.

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np: Ninja Gun - "Permanent Press"

The Gourds in Fort Worth

2010-04-01T00:55:00.009-05:00

concert review - December 12 at Lola's

"Literate roots party music" - the Gourds in Fort Worth

On a Saturday morning, I received a Tweet from Kevin "Shinyribs" Russell... the Gourds were in town, scheduled to perform that very evening at Lola's, a relocated / reincarnated version of the old Wreck Room west of downtown Fort (Party) Worth. Lola's website mentioned the show, but the Gourds' own site did not. Good thing I subscribe to Shinyribs' Twitter feed.

I headed to Lola's after work and arrived early in the set. I arrived during "Spanky" so I only missed about 5 songs.

Jimmy on bass

As usual, one of the highlights was the animated antics of Kevin "Shinyribs" Russell...

Jimmy in the spotlight. Claude was on stage left and I didn't get any good shots of him this time.

It's always cool to catch the Gourds around Christmastime, because they'll usually work a few holiday-themed songs into their set. December 12 at Lola's was no exception, as they offered up "Xmas in the city" (a Kevin original), "Have the Stones ever done a Christmas song" (a Jimmy original), and even worked "Away in a Manger" and "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer" into the bridge / medley near the end of "Gin & Juice". And it's always a treat to hear them do "Last month of the year".

Lola's set list

See below for the complete set list, including encore (thanks to The Gourds News blog at:
http://thegourdsnews.blogspot.com/2009/12/12-12-09-fort-worth-tx.html )

01. Magnolia
02. El Paso
03. Ants on the Melon
04. Burn the Honeysuckle
05. Valentine
06. Spanky
07. Blanket Show
08. Bean Bowl
09. Country Love
10. Lower 48
11. Xmas in the City
12. A Few Extra Kilos
13. All the Labor
14. Thurman
15. Shake the Chandelier
16. Promenade
17. Best of Me
18. The Gyroscopic
19. Luddite
20. Have the Stones Ever Done a Christmas Song?
21. The Last Month of the Year

(Encore)

22. Tex-Mex Mile
23. Holiday Road (Lindsey Buckingham)
24. Gin and Juice > Cupid > Away in a Manger > Pride (In the Name of Love) > I Feel Love > Heart of Glass > Hate & War > Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer > Gin and Juice

It was a fun show, and I'm hoping to see 'em again soon.

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np: "O Brother, Where Art Thou?"

Kansas City - Day 2

2010-03-24T11:08:00.013-05:00

Sunday, October 25

My second day in Kansas City allowed me the opportunity for some additional sightseeing, and catching some of the railroad stuff I had missed on Saturday. The skies were mostly cloudy, and darkened as the day progressed. By the time I headed back to Andy's house to meet him after work, rain had began to fall.

Holsum Food Products - Kansas City West Bottoms (viewed from underneath 12th Street Viaduct)

BNSF geeps under the 12th Street Viaduct - KC West Bottoms

Dumpster Diver - KC West Bottoms

I hadn't been over to the east side of town yet, so after a stop through the West Bottoms, I headed over toward Knoche Yard. A freshly painted Iowa Interstate GE had just left the paint shop at Mid-America Car, and awaited movement east. Meanwhile, an eastbound IC&E train was departing, so I drove out to Birmingham to set up for a photo.

Iowa Interstate 512, just out of the Mid-America Car paint shop.

Hobo markings under the Hwy 210 bridge - Birmingham, MO

UP eastbound and more fall color - Birmingham, MO

Back at Mid-America Car, I found a dozen stored locomotives, including several former C&NW C40-8s.

UP 9053 - stored at Mid-America Car.

When the rain moved in, I headed home.... it was time to meet Andy after work and watch some football. We enjoyed seeing the Cowboys smack the Falcons around, and then headed out to the local B-dubs for some dinner.

Monday morning dawned with sunny skies (wouldn't you know it) but it was time for me to head home. Vacation over, back to work, and over 500 miles of highway ahead of me...

Andy and his "Love Bunker". He had a lot of leaves to rake. Wish I could've stayed around to help, but I had to be getting on back to Texas...

So it has only taken 5 months to post everything, and now the KC trip report is complete. A little bit of closure: upon my return to Ft Worth, I called off my relationship with Miss C (trouble had been building for a while, and reached a breaking point during and immediately after my travels). I spent November and December enjoying the single life, began dating again in January, and have met a new special someone who I will be introducing soon. Life moves on...

Still have some loose ends to tie up... a Gourds show from December, Whiskey's movie reviews, Tim Barry in Deep Ellum, and my recently completed trip to New Mexico. Check back soon for some new stuff.

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np: Hagfish - "Herve"

Kansas City - Day 1

2010-03-14T00:01:00.002-06:00

Saturday, October 24

Kansas City is one of my favorite places to take photographs, and one of the few places outside of Texas or New Mexico that I'd consider moving to. I spent three months there in 1995 during my dispatcher training, and fell head-over-heels with the city and its dynamic railroad scene. I've been back a handful of times since -- a wedding here, a family weekend trip there -- but it had been about 7 years since my last visit.

A grab shot from the freeway of something I hadn't seen since Tuesday. (That would be the sun.) I'd have to work fast... clouds would be moving back into the area by early afternoon.

Andy was working 1st shift over the weekend, which would give me time to get out and shoot photos in the morning and early afternoon. We'd meet up later in the day for some train watching and Kansas City barbecue...

UP eastbound coal at Bonner Springs, KS.

I managed to hit most of my favorite KC spots during the day: Bonner Springs, the West Bottoms, Santa Fe Junction, KC Union Station. And what I didn't catch on Saturday, I'd see on Sunday...

Unmistakably KC: The red brick warehouses of the West Bottoms district dominate the background behind BNSF 9845, which has paused briefly to await clearance into Murray Yard.

More Bottoms - UP 7400 leads an eastbound.

I had lunch out in Lenexa, where I found a boxcar displaying this old Frisco logo...

After lunch, I headed to Santa Fe Junction, where I'd get my first look at the recently constructed "flyover" bridges. Built and placed in service within the past 5 years, the bridges allow through trains on the BNSF Transcon to avoid delay from cross traffic on the BNSF Fort Scott line and the UP. The railroad was getting its money's worth on Saturday as Z trains in opposite directions "flew over" three other trains on the lower levels.

Big-time action at Santa Fe Junction: five trains on three levels, and all were moving when I snapped this photo. Never seen anything like it!

Andy met me at Kansas City Union Station after work. He's not a foamer, but he patiently waited while I watched and photographed a few more trains before we headed out for some barbecue...

Foamer simulation - Andy at KC Union Station

A westbound UP train passes another of my favorite KC landmarks -- the Western Auto Building.

KCS 34 lurks in the shadows at KC Union Station.

On Sunday, I'd have time for more photography (under mostly cloudy skies) before meeting up with Andy after he finished work.

I had hoped to finish the KC trip reports BEFORE my next vacation started, but the clock has run out. I'm heading to New Mexico for a week with the kids while they're on Spring Break. So check back sometime after the 22nd for a Kansas City finale. By then, I'll have another week's worth of vacation photos and trip reports to share. So we'll see how much success I have at posting more timely blog reports after that. Until then, take care of yourselves... and each other.

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np: David Grisman & Jerry Garcia - "Jack-a-roe"

Alcos, Ozarks, and overcast skies

2010-03-13T10:01:00.008-06:00

Friday, October 23

It had been 14 years since I'd photographed the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad and its fleet of Alco locomotives. Almost every year, I've hoped to get up to the Fayetteville area for a return trip, only to have other plans or priorities take precedence.

So I was a little disappointed that my first visit in a decade and a half was beset by such undesirable weather: cold, breezy, and heavily overcast. At least the fall colors looked nice...
And the good news is that I managed to catch both of the A&M's Friday trains, beginning with the passenger train from Springdale to Van Buren.

Caboose brings up the rear of the southbound passenger train to Van Buren, photographed at Winslow.

Scenic highlights: Arkansas & Missouri passenger train rolls through a bucolic landscape near Mountainburg, Arkansas.

Vibrant fall colors made the trip worthwhile...

As the passenger train approached the Van Buren / Fort Smith area, I gave up the chase and headed north, planning to intercept the Monett Turn on its return to Springdale from Monett, Missouri. I found a nice location about 20 miles north of the Arkansas - Missouri state line to sit and wait. Overcast skies dampened the visual scene, but those 5 Alcos -- with about 50 cars in tow -- SOUNDED great.

Southbound Monett turn at Exeter, MO

In your face: A&M # 60 leads the southbound Monett Turn at Avoca, AR

It was my least productive day of the trip in terms of photography, but still nice to see the A&M again. I had a few hours of driving ahead of me... I'd be meeting my friend Andy in Kansas City that night. Wouldn't you know it... the skies began to clear up around Carthage, a harbinger of improved photographic potential the following day in KC.

Stay tuned...

WSC

np: New Order - "Love Vigilantes"

Rich Mountain in the rain - 2nd section

2010-03-09T14:28:00.001-06:00

more from Thursday, October 22, 2009 ...

rainy Arkansas roads

KCS switching at the south end of DeQueen yard. Viewed from the front porch of an abandoned house.

UP 5908 bangs across the DeQueen & Eastern diamond: DeQueen, Ark.

This LED signal protects the KCS / DQ&E crossing in DeQueen.

Miller's Garage: Hatfield, Ark.

A good thing for a railfan to know.

Coming next: More clouds on the A&M, and on to KC...

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np: Canned Heat & John Lee Hooker - "Boogie Chillen No. 2"

Rich Mountain in the rain

2010-03-08T10:22:00.014-06:00

Thursday, October 22, 2009

I last visited Rich Mountain two years ago, following my California trip in October 2007. (See trip report here: http://whiskeytexas.blogspot.com/2007/11/escape-to-rich-mountain.html ) I enjoyed gorgeous weather on that trip, so I guess it was only fitting that this year's visit would feature less-than-ideal conditions (gray skies and scattered showers). I don't often venture out to shoot in that kind of weather, but I would certainly feel more experienced with it by the end of the day. And there wouldn't be much concern about beating trains to the next spot for "ideal sun"...

Southbound in the rain near Gilham, Ark.

KCS northbound with UP locomotives south of Wickes, Ark.

I stuck around DeQueen to photograph a couple of northbound coal empties, then followed them north toward Heavener. The railroad was busy; southbound trains were waiting for the northbounds at Gilham, Wickes, Rich Mountain, and Heavener.

It's hard to tell this is KCS... BNSF locomotives power coal loads and empties meeting at Wickes, Arkansas.

The first northbound - coal empties with BNSF power at Eagleton

The second northbound - coal empties with UP power.

A colorful trio of locomotives powers a southbound between Heavener and Page.

These weren't exactly the weather conditions I had hoped for, but the overcast skies made the fall colors appear even more dynamic. And the low clouds obscuring the hillsides around Page contributed a somber mood and surreal atmosphere. What a great day to be a photographer!

Mood lighting - a northbound KCS train departs Page, Oklahoma.

Two things in short supply in north Texas -- fall color and misty hillsides -- are represented here. It was worth the trip!

Graffiti by "Theory". One of the most interesting pieces I saw during the trip.

Held out of Heavener - KCS 4601 cools its heels, waiting for a spot to open up in Heavener yard.

After it got too dark to shoot anymore, I headed north to tie up for the night in Fort Smith, Arkansas. Friday's objective would be to photograph two trains on the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad. Stay tuned for that report... but coming next you'll see a second section of photos from Rich Mountain. Stay tuned...

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np: Ray Wylie Hubbard - "The Lovers in your Dreams"

Southwest (Arkansas) shorts

2010-01-24T21:38:00.014-06:00

Wednesday, October 21

I was up around sunrise and began making my way around the town of Prescott, in search of the Prescott & Northwestern. Unfortunately, the good weather from Tuesday did not last. Skies were overcast the entire day, and the rain moved in after dark. But rain or shine, I was here to shoot the P&NW, so I tried to make the best of it. It didn't take me long to locate them; they were switching cars on the north side of town before they heading to a nearby tire plant. Next, they headed south to interchange cars with the UP.

Prescott & Northwestern # 24 - Prescott, AR

Unique locomotives were the attraction: Prescott & North- western owns three GE 70-ton switching locomotives. # 24 was hard at work during my visit.

Next, I headed back over to Gurdon to check out the Caddo Valley Railroad, a shortline which operates a former Missouri Pacific branch. They had a few ratty looking geeps and some of the worst track I had ever seen.

walking-speed track through a tunnel of trees

Caddo Valley shop tracks northeast of Gurdon

Traffic was busy on the Union Pacific Little Rock Subdivision through Prescott and Gurdon throughout the day. This former Missouri Pacific line sees predominantly eastbound traffic between Texarkana and Little Rock. (Westbounds use the former Cotton Belt line bewteen Pine Bluff and Texarkana.) Trains rolled through Prescott about once every 30 to 45 minutes during my visit.

CSX locomotives power an eastbound past the Prescott depot.

An eastbound stack train streaks across a gravel road approaching Prescott.

The Colossus sightings continued...

I planned to spend Thursday on Rich Mountain -- in the Ouchita Mountains between Mena, Arkansas and Heavener, Oklahoma. So I drove west to Ashdown, stopped for a brief night photo session, then continued north to DeQueen to spend the night.

This pair of Kansas City Southern locomotives in the "Southern Belle" scheme made a nice subject for an after-dark photo shoot. Light source was a sodium vapour street lamp directly behind my camera.

Coming next: Rich Mountain in the rain. Check back soon...

WSC

np: Kathleen Hanna - "I wish I was him"

Really late road trip re-cap

2010-01-23T12:32:00.015-06:00

In Whiskey, Texas, just because a vacation trip took place 3 months ago doesn't mean you won't get a chance to read about it. Coverage of my October vacation to Kansas City begins now.

I had a week of vacation scheduled for the third week of October. Anxious to be out on the road during my favorite season to travel, I planned out an itinerary which would allow me to visit a friend in Kansas City and do plenty of sightseeing along the way. It would be a typical Whiskey road trip... run & gun, spontaneous changes, no motel reservations, and maximum productivity of limited time. That's how I roll, baby... and this is how it went down.

On the road: Highway 80 in east Texas

Tuesday, October 20 - Surrealville Sojourn

I was on the road just after sunrise with a goal of reaching Gurdon, Arkansas by mid-afternoon. In Gurdon, I would meet buZ blurr, the retired railroader who draws the "Colossus of Roads" railcar icons.

It was a great day to begin a road trip. I traveled east and north at a leisurely pace, stopping to photograph church signs, ghost signs, the Texas & Pacific depot in Marshall, and various other small town scenes, before arriving on buZ's doorstep at the appointed time.

Marshall, Texas: Texas & Pacific depot and steam locomotive display

Texarkana church sign: Shouldn't this say "Tweet God"?

I've been noticing the Colossus of Roads monikers for many years; the Colossus is one of my favorite drawings out on the rails. Every time a train passes by, I watch intently, hoping to see one. A couple years ago, buZ and I began corresponding via mail and e-mail. In fact, he originally contacted me through this blog after I posted some Colossus photos.

buZ and his wife really rolled out the red carpet for my visit and made me feel welcome. After a visit in their home, buZ provided me with a guided tour of Surrealville (that's Gurdon in buZ nomenclature). We stopped by the railroad depot, the yard, and his art studio... and even made it out to the family farm in "Surrealville West" so I could view the "Rust Never Rests" / "Fill the Ford Fully" works-in-progress.

Colossus Ground Zero: buZ blurr and Colossus drawings in Gurdon, Arkansas.

Driving to Surrealville West with buZ.

buZ blurr with 1950 Ford, part of the "Rust Never Rests" project. buZ welcomes contributions of old keys to "Fill the Ford Fully" in an effort to confound future archaeologists.

It was a pleasure and privilege to finally meet the man behind the moniker, and learn more about his background in railroading and his modern-day artistic endeavors. It was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Thanks, buZ...

Surrealville scenes: empty chair in open field...

Signs of Surrealville...

chainsaw mailbox

I would tie up for the night in nearby Prescott, and planned to spend the next morning tracking down operations on a local shortline, the Prescott & Northwestern Railroad. Stay tuned...

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np: Cross Canadian Ragweed - "Boys from Oklahoma"

North Texas White Christmas

2010-01-12T13:01:00.013-06:00

We've enjoyed plenty of 70-degree Christmases in Texas over the years, but this year gave us something different: actual snow on Christmas Eve (which remained on the ground on Christmas Day, and then some!) Driven by fierce 40-mph wind gusts which blew it into large drifts, it was the kind of snow that's more enjoyable to stay inside and look at rather than step outside and experience. Of course, I was at work on Christmas Eve, but I stepped outside the NOC long enough to snap this photo of something rarely seen...

White Christmas Eve in north Fort Worth

Before I went to work on the 24th, we celebrated Christmas with the kids at Mom's house.

M had a good haul this year...

L's credo

M's favorite gift - the Lego pirate ship

This "reindeer tongue" sucker was runner-up in the "bad taste in Christmas candy" category...

"Bad taste in Christmas candy" winners: Panda and polar bears that poop brown jelly beans

Even Sprocket got a gift: a chewable rubber tongue

I worked on Christmas, too. Not a single train moved until 7 pm, by which time I had enjoyed the nice catered dinner that the company provides for dispatchers on Christmas Day. Before work, I stopped through Saginaw to snap a photo...

White Christmas in Saginaw.

Hope all of my family and friends had an enjoyable holiday season.

Stay tuned for more coming soon.

WSC

np: Wayne Hancock - "Track 49"

Old 97s review

2009-12-31T10:31:00.015-06:00

December 28 at Sons of Hermann Hall (Dallas, TX)

Starting back around 1998 or '99, I caught the Old 97s numerous times a year, until they started touring more nationally and playing less locally. North Texas' loss was the nation's gain; during the past few years they have certainly achieved an admirable level of nationwide popularity. I've heard their songs over the PA systems in Chili's restaurants and at baseball games, and the new movie "Youth in Revolt" features one of their songs. But for my own selfish reasons, I wish they were still one of our "local" bands. It's just not as easy to catch one of their shows as it used to be. So I considered their schedule of Dallas shows on four consecutive nights (Dec 27-28-29-30) to be a Christmas gift of sorts, and I suspect that many of my fellow north Texans did, too.

Sons of Hermann Hall - one of Dallas' finest.

As an added bonus, they were booked at the Sons of Hermann Hall, one of our finest and most historic local music venues. This would be my first time to see the '97s since 2006. I had caught Rhett and Murry (as the Ranchero Brothers) several years ago at the Sons, but had never seen the whole band there.

upstairs at the Sons

Another bonus would be the solo acoustic performances by Murry and Rhett to open the show, each playing about 8 songs before the full band took the stage.

Murry Hammond on harmonium

Murry was up first, treating the crowd to a number of tracks from his solo album -- including a harmonium performance on "I Will Never Marry" (his unique take on a Carter Family classic) as well as a poem, an a capela number, and his solo version of the Old 97's "Valentine". I loved the performance, but the size of crowd that the '97s attract pushes the limits of respectful listenership for a finely crafted "unplugged" set. Why anyone would pay 30 bucks to see a show and then engage in conversations loud enough to drown out the opening acts (in this case, members of the very band they paid to see) is beyond me. Douchers. I guess I'm just expecting too much from the rest of the audience.

Rhett Miller solo performance

Rhett was up next, cranking out mostly high-powered numbers from his solo catalog. He gave an entertaining and energetic performance, hopping around and strumming the hell out of his guitar during the up-tempo tunes. I haven't followed his solo career, and didn't know the songs... a few of them were ok, but nothing really stood out enough to make me want to buy his albums. I was polite enough not to ignore him while he was on stage, though.

Stompin' at the Sons: The Old 97s

After a short intermission, the full band took the stage. Their set consisted of at least one of two tracks from each of their albums. Rhett had promised that during their four night stand, they wouldn't duplicate any songs, with the exception of "Timebomb", their standard set closer. This meant we'd be heaing some deeper cuts and obscure covers not normally heard at Old 97s shows. In fact, I couldn't recall ever having heard them play "If my heart was a car" (from Hitchhike to Rhome), "Dressing Room Walls" (from Wreck Your Life), "Let the train blow the whistle" (Cash cover), or "Five Years" (David Bowie cover) at any show I had seen. I just wish we'd gotten to hear them play "Doreen". Then again, WE (those of us on hand for Night # 2) were the lucky audience who got to hear "Big Brown Eyes" and "St. Ignatius".

Night # 2 of 4 in Dallas

Set list: Old 97s at Sons of Hermann Hall (Dallas, TX) December 28, 2009:

Niteclub
Jagged
Here's to the Halcyon
Weightless
Let the train blow the whistle
Moonlight
Victoria
Murder (or a heart attack)
If my heart was a car
Alone so far
She loves the sunset
Buick city complex
Can't get a line
St. Ignatius
Indefinitely
Am I too late?
Big brown eyes

Encore:
Ranchero Brothers (Rhett & Murry acoustic)
Only me on the table (unsure of title)
In the satellite rides a star

(full band back on stage)
Five years (David Bowie cover)
Dressing room walls
Nineteen
Timebomb

Overall, it was great stuff... the standard Old 97s mix of twangy alt-country and radio-friendly pop rock. Their live performance sounded better than perhaps any show of theirs I've attended; all that experience playing for various crowds from California to Ohio to New York must be paying off. Rhett switched between electric and acoustic guitar after every song or two. The crowd (of several hundred, in my estimation) knew all the older songs and sang along with them. It's great to see the band doing well, and to see that they haven't forgotten the north Texas fans who bought those early albums and went to their shows at holes-in-the-wall like the Barley House (Dallas) and Rick's Place (Denton). But still, just a little, I can't help lamenting that Texas no longer has 'em all to itself.

Wish I was driving home in this...

Now that I've posted a current entry, I'll see if I can make any progress on my backlog if I work chronologically backwards from here. Happy New Year, y'all... Check back soon for more...

WSC

np: kid watching "Christmas Vacation"

First time, long time

2009-12-19T12:02:00.010-06:00

Readers have been commenting that Whiskey, Texas seems to have fallen by the wayside recently. I'll admit I have been remiss in not keeping the blog current; I've been lacking a certain motivation to continue posting, and I've been preoccupied with other outlets for my creativity. But I don't want to leave anyone hangin'... let's bring you up to speed on what the kids and I have been doing.

Anime Fest: Labor Day weekend

I've been cosplaying as the wrong character; Near's the one who gets all the ladies...

M never has trouble making new friends at a con.

Over Labor Day weekend, we attended the Anime Fest convention at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Dallas. Smaller but more intimate than the massive A-Kon which we attended in June, Anime Fest featured cosplay events, art exhibits, workshops, and round-the-clock screenings of anime shows and movies.

M cosplayed again as Near, much to the delight of many DeathNote fans who remembered him from A-Kon.

Gender bending: two girls dressed as two guys (Mello and Matt from DeathNote)

The confrontation: Near settles the score with his rival

Cosplay photo shoot

Recession sale

Near has pissed off Mello one too many times...

L and her friend MV were around there somewhere, but I didn't see them enough to get any photos. And yes, I cosplayed as well... the Speed Racer gear remained on the shelf this time around in favor of a new character. Alas, no photos... I didn't manage to get any that I liked. But I'll resurrect the role at a future con, so stay tuned.

In October, I had a week of vacation and took a trip to Kasas City, with an extensive agenda of photography and sightseeing along the way. Trip reports will begin soon. In the meantime, here's a preview...

Church signs, ghost signs, fall colors, trains, and a meeting with buZ blurr. Check back soon for trip reports...

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np: Beastie Boys - "Girls"

Back to the tracks

2009-10-04T10:37:00.013-05:00

I haven't been getting out to shoot trains a whole lot lately -- just once or twice a month. Here are some highlights from the past few months.

BNSF empty coal at Herman, TX - BNSF Wichita Falls Sub

Gensets on the 110 job - Saginaw, TX - July 2009

Brookville Genset in Roanoke, TX - July 2009

UP westbound at Judd (between Weatherford and Ranger, one of my favorite spots on the UP Baird Sub.) August 2009.

Sunset meet - Judd, TX. August 2009.

The "Pig Dance": KCS and BNSF trains exchange UPS trailers. Metro, TX. August 2009.

Out after dark: Ferromex 4662 at 17th Street in Fort Worth.

Behind the power... still flickin' freights. SP auto parts boxcar in Fort Worth.

Benching the storage tracks in Roanoke... M flicks a Whistle Blower.

That's all for now... stay tuned for photos from Anime Fest in Dallas.

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np: Baboon - "You and I"

Goin' wild in the Arbuckles

2009-09-16T13:01:00.000-05:00

After a good night's sleep, we headed to Arbuckle Wilderness on Monday morning. Located near Davis, Arbuckle Wilderness is an exotic animal theme park, the highlight of which is a 7-mile drive-thru portion where visitors can see some of the animals up close and actually feed them from their vehicles.

This giraffe had to bend WAAAY down to reach the food in M's hand...

Most of the animals were gentle and tame, but the camels were very aggressive (and dirty!) and so were the ostriches. They would actually snatch your food cup away if you let them.

Not something I see everyday in my truck... L keeps her distance from the hungry ostrich.

Awwww... that's better.

Not a sable... not a gazelle... what the heck WAS this thing?

More animals...

We really enjoyed the drive-thru portion of our visit... it was cool to interact with so many animals. But wait! There's more...

Mandatory "photo op" at the visitors' center

MV and L take a spin on the go-karts...

We headed back to Davis for lunch and then returned to Turner Falls. The Monday crowd was much smaller than Sunday's, and we had an enjoyable time. If your schedule is flexible, I'd highly recommend visiting on a weekday instead of the weekend.

It's a long way down... should I do it?

The girls put on a tandem jumping demonstration

In all, it was a really nice weekend getaway. The drive was shorter than going to New Braunfels. We liked it enough that we'd probably return in a year or two.

Coming next... back to the tracks... and check back in a week or so for photos from Anime Fest.

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np: Slaid Cleaves - "Below"

beating the August heat

2009-09-14T13:28:00.010-05:00

What's the best way to cool off from a Texas heat wave? Sometimes you gotta leave the state...

In early August, the kids and I took a weekend trip to Turner Falls, Oklahoma. We had hoped to make another trip down to New Braunfels for some tubing on the Comal River, but that part of the state had been suffering a bad drought, and we were afraid the water levels would be too low. So what was our "Plan B"? How about Turner Falls Park, located less than two hours north on I-35 (about 2 hours closer than New Braunfels) in Oklahoma's Arbuckle Mountains? Spring-fed Honey Creek cascades down 77 feet of rocky cliffs into a large natural swimming pool. A second pool, located half a mile downstream, features a diving board and slide. The cool, clear water was a perfect place to escape from the "dog days" temperatures of north Texas.

L's friend MV joined us for the trip... we left Fort Worth around noon, stopped for lunch in Gainesville, and were enjoying T-Falls by mid afternoon. The Sunday crowd was quite large and it took us a while to even find a place to park. The girls went off on their own, so M and I explored the various pools and hiking trails. We'd catch up with the girls again later.

MV and L enjoying Turner Falls

M cruises down the Turner Falls slide

I had been to Turner Falls once before, about 16 years ago, with K. I remembered the hiking trail and caves more than anything else. It's always cool to return someplace I last visited years ago --this time with the kids-- to share the experience with them.

Caving with the M, L, and MV... fun times!

M comes from the water

The next morning, we visited the Arbuckle Wilderness (a drive-thru wildlife park) and returned to Turner Falls in the afternoon. Stay tuned for more...

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np: NFL Prime Time (week 1 re-cap) on ESPN

Summer re-cap (lightning round)

2009-09-10T12:23:00.014-05:00

Following my Chicago trip with M, my summer was pretty low-key. M and L each took separate trips with Mom (M to Palo Duro Canyon and L to Japan), but I didn't do much traveling. That didn't stop me from falling behind on the blog, though... so here's a "lightning round" re-cap of the past few months...

Hangin' with Sprocket (Mom's dog) on Father's Day

L at the Ft. Worth Cats game - July 5

Railroading with M

(belated) Fourth of July fireworks at Miss C's

Cycling along the Trinity River

M is really getting this bicycling thing down...

Miss C joined me for a Gourds show at the Longhorn in the Fort Worth Stockyards. It was just a few days after Michael Jackson died; the band paid its respects by throwing down a rippin' version of "Don't Stop Til You Get Enough" (with Kevin singing in Michael Jackson falsetto). Classic Gourds... always a good time.

Kev and the boys get rowdy at the Longhorn

The Gourds - Max, Kev, Jimmy - at the Longhorn (FW Stockyards).

My cousin Marc's wife gave birth to their son a few months ago. We attended his baptism in July. It's good to see that they're raising him proper... (see below)

Promoting the work of Johnny Cash at age 0... way to go, kid.

In early August, the kids joined me for a quick weekend trip to Turner Falls, Oklahoma. Stay tuned for photos... coming soon.

WSC

np: Elvis Costello - "Radio, radio"

Chicago Finis

2009-08-14T11:58:00.015-05:00

More from June 14: after the Cubs game, we shot a few photos of the Amtrak servicing facility on the south side of downtown, and then stopped for dinner in Berwyn on our way back to Matt's.

Amtrak locomotives - Chicago - June 14

Dad, can we bring this home?

Sunday evening Metra - Berwyn

Monday, June 15: What's a trip to Chicago without a visit to the Sears Tower? (OK, so it's called Willis Tower now... whatever.) Unfortunately, M had gotten sick during the night... we suspected it was a case of food poisoning from the hot dog he'd eaten at Wrigley Field the day before. So he wasn't feeling well, but we made our Sears pilgrimage nonetheless. We caught a Metra train at the Route 59 station near Matt's apartment and rode downtown.

Cheers to the Sears Tower, jeers to Wrigley Field hot dogs...

I remember visiting the Sears on a summer day in 1999 when all we could see was haze. We were more fortunate this time. It was a clear day -- and not too warm or too humid -- so we had a great view.

Looking northeast

Looking northwest

M discovers that the Sears Tower observation deck isn't the best place to sleep off a Wrigley hangover...

Back on the ground, we grabbed some lunch -- Chicago style pizza -- at a nearby pizzeria. M felt better after having some saltines and some cucumber slices. Next, it was back to Chicago Union Station so Matt could head to work, and so M and I could catch a train back to Matt's apartment to get our rental car and drive to the airport.

Chicago River barge

Matt at work (well, almost... his Amtrak train was waiting somewhere outside)

That's about it... we made it to the airport about two hours before our flight's scheduled departure (and about 3 and a half hours before it ACTUALLY left...) It was an enjoyable trip, with generally good weather, we saw two ball games, traveled through parts of four states, saw lots of cool scenery, visited with family and friends, and saw and photographed a BUNCH of trains (and even rode a few). Hopefully we'll return to Chi-town sooner rather than later...

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np: Waylon Jennings - "Honky tonk heroes"

Sunday afternoon in Wrigleyville

2009-08-07T10:23:00.014-05:00

Sunday, June 14. We had tickets for the Cubs-Twins game on Sunday afternoon. This would be my first visit to the "Friendly Confines" since 1991. Sure, Wrigley may be a bit run-down and a challenge to get to, but it's still a great place to see a game.

Home of the Cubs, bay-beeeeee!

We decided to park in a pay parking lot downtown and ride a CTA train out to the game... probably a wise choice considering the horror stories I've read about trying to park within a 5-mile radius of Wrigley during a ball game. Before the game, we met up with Matt's friend Erik at Harry Caray's sports bar. I'm not sure it was even noon yet (and on a Sunday, no less!) but the beer was flowing freely.

Matt, Erik, Whiskey.

M was ready for some baseball.

We could feel the energy just being part of the crowd on Addison Street. This season may end up being a disappointment like all the rest, but there was optimism and excitement in the air. "The Cubs are going to win TODAY"...

Addison St Cubs crowd

first pitch: full stands and full rooftops. Oh, did I mention it was sunny and in the 70s... a GREAT day for a ballgame? Too bad our seats were in the shade... oh well, we had a good view, anyway.

Ted Lilly turned in a quality start, allowing just 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings.

Cubs win! Ryan Theriot batted in the winning run with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 9th. Final score..... Cubs 3, Twins 2.

Wrigley Field bleachers and scoreboard.

After the game, we waited in a long line to board a CTA train back to downtown. Then we shot some photos of Amtrak and Metra trains, and headed to Berwyn to meet a friend for dinner. Our vacation was almost over...

Riding the CTA after the Cubs game.

Coming next: a few more trains, a sick kid, and a visit to the Sears Tower. Stay tuned...

WSC

np: the Toadies - "Tyler"

Cloudy Indiana, sunny Chicago

2009-08-06T13:04:00.015-05:00

Saturday, June 13: We left Kendallville around mid-morning and drove west toward Chicago, making a few stops along the way. We had cloudy skies and scattered light rain, but we expected the weather to improve by the time we reached Chicago.

NS 8933 eastbound on the NS Chicago Line near Wawaka, IN.

BNSF locomotives power an eastbound CSX train at Nappanee.

Nappanee has a significant Amish population. Here, a horse-drawn buggy is seen crossing the former Baltimore & Ohio main line.

Diamonds and tower at Walkerton, IN

After lunch at a Greek restaurant in Valparaiso, we headed to Chicago to meet up with our friends Matt and Brian near the downtown area. The sun came out, and we enjoyed a nice afternoon of photography.

"Engineer Matt" on the Roosevelt Rd overpass, just south of Chicago Union Station

Amtrak train # 3, the Southwest Chief, departs downtown Chicago to begin its long westbound trip to Los Angeles.

Like a scene from The Blues Brothers... we enjoyed a short drive underneath the CTA elevated line through downtown.

Canal Street foam crew: Matt, M, Whiskey

A recently reactivated Metra F40C leads a commuter train departing downtown on the Milwaukee line at Canal Street.

After dinner, we headed to Matt's apartment near Aurora, where we'd be staying for the next two nights.

Coming next: Sunday afternoon at the Cubs game. Stay tuned...

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np: "Bad Radio" from Dallas Cowboys training camp - on KTCK 1310 AM "the Ticket"

Family and Fostoria

2009-07-28T13:16:00.000-05:00

Friday, June 12... M and I would be starting back toward Chicago, but first the B-family would be hosting a brunch in our honor in Massillon.

Me with my four cousins

The next generation. M (second from left) with 10 of my aunt & uncle's 11 grandkids. (K, who had joined us for the Indians game, was at day camp and was absent for this photo).

We had a great time visiting with my dad's sister and her family... we were long overdue for a visit and we'll try not to take so long before returning for our next one. Thanks, y'all!

The sun came out as we drove west along CSX's former Baltimore & Ohio main line that afternoon, and we made several stops for photos of trains in nice light. The most interesting spot was the town of Fostoria, which features the junctions of three busy rail lines. By some counts, over 150 trains a day pass through the town. Trains rolled through one after another while we were there.

A CSX switch job works on the former B&O line at Fostoria.

Plenty of company: at least a dozen other fans were on hand for Friday night at Fostoria.

Along the NS former Nickel Plate line in Fostoria.

NS westbound Roadrailers on the NKP.

Fostoria station sign and CSX stacks.

NKP lettering on railway overpass.

The other side of the bridge - B&O logo.

We spent the night in Kendallville, Indiana, and would continue toward Chicago on Saturday.

Stay tuned for the next report...

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np: M watching Simpsons dvd's - Season 11

Thursday night with the Tribe

2009-07-23T00:15:00.012-05:00

Tim had gotten us tickets to the Cleveland Indians game on the evening of June 11. I had only been to Jacobs Field once before -- in 1994. I guess it's called "Progressive Field" now. Whatever. We drove through some rain on our way to Cleveland, but it stopped by the time we got there.

Walking to the game.

M poses in front of the Bob Feller statue. M's Granddad went to many Indians games as a boy and was a big fan of Bob Feller... had even met him and had a book and a baseball with Feller's autograph.

Bob Feller memorial - they don't make 'em like that anymore.

The Indians aren't having much of a season this year. They've made the playoffs several times in recent years -- and even played in the World Series in 1995 and 1997 -- but this year's team is more along the lines of the Indians from "Major League." They have the American League's worst record, and in all of baseball, only the Nationals are worse.

On the plus side, Tim had scored the best seats I've ever had at ANY major league game... for around 35 bucks apiece. These would be $200 seats at a Rangers game. I guess a battle for last place (vs. the Royals) isn't much of a draw on a week night. Oh well, even with temps in the 50s and occasional drizzle, it was just nice to be at a game in some great seats.

Check out the view from our seats!

Tim, K, and M. Good times!

It wasn't Bob Feller, but we did get to see a great pitching performance from Kerry Wood, who pitched a perfect 9th -- including two strikeouts.

Kerry Wood throws some heat in the 9th inning.

Four dudes at the game.

The game went to extra innings (tied 3-3 after the 9th), and we stuck around to see the Indians pull off a win in the 10th -- in unlikely fashion. With two runners on base, Shin-Soo Choo singled up the middle. The ball impacted a bird, which altered its trajectory and allowed Mark DeRosa to score from 2nd.

Check out the links below for a video of the game's end (1:11) and a Sports Illustrated recap.

http://indians.fandome.com/video/113082/Game-Winning-Hit-Nails-Seagull-Indians-Win/

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/baseball/mlb/gameflash/2009/06/11/26698_recap.html

The end result was one of the more unusual finishes I've seen at a game. As Kansas City center fielder Coco Crisp said, "You never know what the heck is going to happen." Indeed. Glad we were there!

Coming next: we enjoy a family brunch, and then follow CSX's former B&O line west toward Chicago.

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np: Jesus & Mary Chain - "Kill Surf City"

Rainy day at Atwood Lake

2009-07-17T05:21:00.001-05:00

Thursday, June 11: We'd be spending the day with my cousin Tim B. and his family at Atwood Lake, southeast of Canton, OH. M had been to the lake during a visit to Ohio a few years ago, but I had never been. After a restful night in the B-family camper, we awoke to heavy clouds and scattered showers. Ahhh, Ohio.

M explores the lake shore...

Our hosts for our day at the lake.

As soon as the rain let up (or so we thought), we headed out on the water in the B-family pontoon boat.

We were joined by my cousin's kids and some friends of his family. What were the boys looking for?

Enjoying the ride with Dad.

We had Boaters' Beach to ourselves. Contrast with this view of Tim's kids on July 4 at the same location. I'm glad we went when we did!

M enjoys a moment of solitude.

M at the helm.

B didn't let the rain dampen her spirits.

Despite the inclement weather, we still had an enjoyable time. As I said to Tim, "hey, I'm still on vacation..." But would the rain clear up in time for the Cleveland Indians game on Thursday evening? Stay tuned to find out...

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np: The Fray - "How to save a life"

A day to drive

2009-07-16T00:29:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, June 10: Our first stop was the power plant and Alcoa complex near Yankeetown. We had hoped to find some of the Respondek locomotives recently reported to be on hand there. We didn't have any luck with those, but we did find a high-hood Norfolk Southern geep making a few switch moves, and also some Indiana Southern geeps tied down.

NS 5155 works near the power plant at Yankeetown, IN

This would be our longest day of driving on the trip: from Evansville, IN to Atwood Lake in northeastern Ohio (near Canton), a total of close to 500 miles. My cousin and his family would be waiting for us at Atwood Lake. Our route would take us through Louisville, Cincinnati, and Columbus. It was a nice day for driving; we only ran into a little rain around Louisville. We successfully avoided the rush hours in the cities; and we enjoyed lots of nice scenery, especially along the Ohio River in southern Indiana. And we even arrived at the lake within an hour or so of the time I had predicted the night before.

We didn't have much time to check out roadside attractions, but I made an exception for this caboose -- part of Los Panchos Mexican Restaurant in Rockport, Indiana. Hmmm, Mexican food in Indiana... even if they HAD been open, I don't think we would have stopped...

power plant along the Ohio River near Rockport, IN

Barn near Tell City, IN

Driving Interstate 64 toward Louisville

Crossing the Ohio River into Kentucky

rain in Louisville

Our "Best Ambience at an Ohio Subway" award goes to this restaurant located on the ground floor of a 3-story brick house in Zanesville.

We made it... sunset at Atwood Lake. Unfortunately, this would be the last time we'd see the sun for about two days.

Check back in a couple days, and I'll show you how much fun we had on a rainy day at the lake.

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np: For Squirrels - "Under Smithville"

Hoosiers for a day

2009-07-13T10:05:00.012-05:00

Tuesday, June 9: After spending the night in Danville, IL, we crossed into Indiana and headed south toward Terre Haute and Sullivan. The western part of Indiana has a large number of covered bridges, and we began our day with photos of the Newport Covered Bridge southeast of Danville.

My first photo ever in the Hoosier state: Newport Covered Bridge

"action shot" - Newport Covered Bridge

We had our sights set on the Indiana Rail Road near Sullivan, hoping to catch some of the railroad's new SD9043MACs in coal train service. We were partially successful; we caught some INRD trains, but the only coal train we saw had UP power... and the only SD9043MAC we saw was dead at the Hiawatha shops in Jasonville. But it's always interesting to explore a new area, and we had no shortage of trains... we found CSX's former C&EI line (sold to the L&N in 1969) south of Terre Haute to be extremely busy.

One of many: this southbound CSX grain shuttle rolling through Sullivan, Indiana was one of a couple dozen CSX trains we saw or heard of on Tuesday. This was the only SD50 we caught in the lead, though...

Not long after the CSX grain shuttle passed, INRD 42 led an eastbound freight through Sullivan...

We had lunch in Terre Haute at a newly opened White Castle (man, is THAT place over-rated), caught several CSX trains, and checked out Haley Tower (on the property of the local railroad museum) before heading back south.

Haley Tower - old railroad interlocking tower in Terre Haute.

Later, we caught this INRD northbound heading up the Hiawatha line (former MILW line sold to INRD by the CP a couple years ago) at Lewis.

Pay dirt, sort of... INRD 9008 at the Hiawatha shops in Jasonville. This would be the only SD9043MAC we'd see during our trip.

We'd be heading to Evansville to tie up for the night. But first, we took time to poke around Jasonville a little more...

M took aim at our rental car on this World War II anti-aircraft gun display in Jasonville.

INRD caboose display - Jasonville, IN.

Coming next: a long drive from southern Indiana to northeastern Ohio.

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np: Asylum Street Spankers - "If I had possession over judgment day"

East End Afternoon

2009-07-09T09:29:00.016-05:00

We spent Monday afternoon (June 8) on the BNSF "Race Track" (the former BN line from Chicago through the western suburbs to Aurora.) We boarded an eastbound Metra train at the Route 59 station, rode to Hinsdale, and walked a half mile east to Highlands to watch the afternoon commuter rush hour get started.

Westbound Z train blasts through the Route 59 Station near Aurora.

"Bike to Metra" poster at the Route 59 station.

My last visit to Highlands had been in 1991 when the E9s were still in service. With a kid in tow, and Metra F40PHM-2s replacing the E-units, the experience would be a little different this time.

Ready to see some TRAINS!

Eastbound coal loads meet a westbound Metra between Highlands and Hinsdale.

Rush hour starts now: a last freight rolls through Highlands before the parade starts. With Metra trains scheduled out of Chicago every FOUR MINUTES during the busiest part of the rush, freight traffic on the East End is more or less suspended during the late afternoon and early evening.

Running "express" on Main 2, Metra 214 sails past Highlands

Cottage-style depot at Highlands, IL. Highlands is just a minor stop and many of the Metra trains don't stop there.

Thumbs-up to a successful day. Hopefully it won't be another 18 years before I return...

We caught a westbound Metra out of Highlands and rode back to the Route 59 station. We still had some miles to cover... we had motel reservations in Danville, and plans to shoot the Indiana Rail Road on Tuesday.

Crossing the Des Plaines River on I-55.

Coming next: a day on the INRD and C&EI.

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np: Hank Williams - "I'd still want you"

Rochelle, Rochelle

2009-07-07T11:09:00.014-05:00

Monday, June 8. We had spent Sunday night in Rochelle. After breakfast, we headed to the Rochelle Railroad Park. Here is a town that knows how to capitalize on its railroad heritage and rail traffic. The Railroad Park features numerous amenities for the casual visitor -- a covered train viewing platform (complete with picnic tables and a radio scanner), interpretive displays, and a small shop. We never saw fewer than 6 or 8 other railfans there during our visit -- even on Monday morning. A few nearby businesses have gotten in on the action as well.

We didn't stay here this time. Maybe next time, though...

UP eastbound at Rochelle.

BNSF eastbound Z-train

BNSF Rochelle switcher. That's the Rochelle train viewing pavillion to the right.

M makes a mockery of the rules.

We caught up to the Rochelle switcher again on our way out of town.

This is the first mention you'll read of it, but our trip got off to a bit of a rocky start on Sunday when I realized I had forgotten my cd's (and M's Nintendo DS, as well). Miss C had been nice enough to drive us to the airport, and I left those items in her car while I repacked our carry-on bags. M actually did fine without his DS; I offered to loan him my Game Boy, but he actually spent lots of time reading the books he brought (ones which probably would have gone untouched if the DS had been with us). I, on the other hand, had no intention of enduring the trip without suitable music to listen to. So I upgraded our rental car to one with a satellite radio -- money well spent, IMHO.

train-chasin' tunes!

It took me a few hours to get the hang of it, but Sirius / XM satellite radio ended up being everything I hoped it would be. In addition to my daily fix of Howard Stern (I hadn't listened to Howard since he left the traditional airwaves), Sirius featured an exhaustive menu of specialty musical selections: outlaw country, classic / traditional country, bluegrass, "Lithium" (early 1990s alternative rock), a station that played only Grateful Dead... really great stuff. I was surprised to hear Dallas Wayne, formerly of north Texas' KHYI, spinning tunes on the "Outlaw" and "Willie's" stations. So that's where he ended up. And I discovered a number of new tunes to add to my itunes library. We drove about 2000 miles during our 9 days in the heartland; the satellite radio sure made the trip a lot more enjoyable.

After leaving Rochelle, we headed back to the city to catch the afternoon commuter rush hour on the BNSF "East End" between Chicago and Aurora.

Lee, Illinois: home of tractors and Zephyrs.

back at Big Rock.

Coming next: rush hour on the East End.

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np: Ginny Hawker & Carol Elizabeth Jones - "Time is Winding Up" / kid watching "I-Carly" on Nickelodeon

Rochelle Railroad Days

2009-07-03T10:51:00.009-05:00

We hadn't planned it this way, but it turned out that we began our trip on the weekend of Rochelle's "Railroad Days" celebration. In addition to the festivities at the Rochelle Railfan Pavillion, Union Pacific had placed four of its "heritage" locomotives on display near downtown. The 1995 (Chicago & Northwestern), 1983 (Western Pacific), 1996 (Southern Pacific) and 1982 (Missouri Pacific) locomotives were all on hand. This would be my first time to see the C&NW and SP units in person. Better yet, I was able to photograph them during the only hour that the sun came out from behind the clouds that day.

UP heritage lineup - Rochelle Railroad Days

Chicago & North Western logo

battle scars

The heritage display attracted plenty of railfans.

Since an "uncoupled" shot of the SP unit wasn't possible, I settled for this view of its nose striping instead.

Western Pacific logo - UP 1983.

Coming next... Monday morning in Rochelle, and an evening rush hour on the BN suburban line. Stay tuned... and Happy Fourth of July.

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np: Jesus & Mary Chain - "Happy Place"

side tracked in Waterman

2009-06-29T00:29:00.001-05:00

On our way out west to Rochelle, I spotted a sign advertising Sunday afternoon train rides at a park in the small town of Waterman. It seemed like the perfect opportunity to get out of the car, stretch our legs, and enjoy something different -- the kind of spontaneous, spur-of-the-moment activity that makes a loosely-scheduled vacation road trip so enjoyable.

Waiting to take a ride on the Waterman & Western park train: Waterman, IL

a curious logo

At the station, M tried out the engineer's seat...

... but he had to ride "coach".

"Action shot".

"Roster shot" - Waterman & Western Railroad - Waterman, IL

Leaving the station.

Best of all, we made it back to the BNSF tracks before we missed any trains. Coming next... a special locomotive display at the Railroad Days celebration in Rochelle. Stay tuned...

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np: Hank Williams - "I'd still want you"

The Road to Rochelle

2009-06-27T11:53:00.013-05:00

By early afternoon, we were trackside on the BNSF Aurora Subdivision, part of my current dispatching territory (I work 2nd shift on the C&I desk). I always enjoy getting a first-hand look at rail ops on lines I have dispatched. Within an hour, a westbound Z-train showed up...

Running hot for Portland, the Z CHCPTL races through Big Rock

We took our time driving to Rochelle, stopping for photo ops at towns along the way.

Looking west at Hinckley.

Ghost signs at Shabbona. Dig that Schlitz logo!

We're not in Texas anymore...

Steward, Illinois is Old Style country.

Steward depot

Rochelle, IL: "a hub city"

The city of Rochelle features a busy railroad crossing where BNSF's Aurora Sub (former CB&Q between Chicago and the Twin Cities) intersects with Union Pacific's east-west main (former C&NW) running west from Chicago. There's also some local industry and warehousing, along with UP's recently constructed "Global 3" intermodal facility.

Westbound UP freight crosses the Rochelle diamonds. UP traffic outnumbered BNSF moves by a sizeable margin during our visit.

"No clearance" sign near an old industry spur in Rochelle.

Stay tuned for more, coming soon...

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Chicago trip - 1.1

2009-06-23T18:51:00.012-05:00

M and I embarked on our summer vacation trip on the first Sunday in June. L was attending a summer camp program at Texas Tech in Lubbock. We had scheduled a 9-day visit to Chicago, Indiana, Ohio, and back to Chicago. Along the way, we'd be visiting with family and friends, catching a couple of baseball games, and of course watching and photographing some trains. I hadn't visited Chicago since 1999, and hadn't railfanned in the city since 1991!

On June 7, we caught a morning flight from D-FW to Chicago...

Not much to see outside...

... until we arrived in Chicago and executed a turn above Lake Michigan near downtown before approaching O'Hare from the east.

Wrigleyville! We had tickets for a game there the following Sunday.

What's the story here?

After claiming our luggage and obtaining our rental vehicle, we headed west toward Rochelle. We'd return later in the week to Chicago to actually see the city.

Sweet! We're on the road to Sugar Grove -- the first time I would see first-hand part of the territory I am currently dispatching (BNSF Aurora Subdivision west of Aurora, IL).

We discovered this item on the floor of our rental van. Our realization that we could change the name and purpose of the item simply by covering up two of the letters, provided a near-constant source of amusement during the trip.

Coming next: BNSF Aurora Sub, Rochelle Railroad Days, and a train ride at Waterman. Stay tuned...

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np: Cubs vs Tigers on WGN

No time for the blog... 8

2009-06-20T10:04:00.012-05:00

... just the photos. Thanks to everyone who emailed, asking when the next update was going to be. This "lightning round" edition should get things caught up, just in time for me to start with another trip report series. Here's what's been happening in Whiskey, Texas.

Mayfest was cancelled due to the Swine Flu scare.

M finally got the hang of riding his 2-wheeler. We have enjoyed several rides together, including a beautiful Sunday afternoon along the Trinity River.

Riding to school. The school year was almost over when I snapped this pic.

Self portrait - high sun along the tracks in Roanoke.

Six Flags visit - L takes a spin on the teacups.

My cousin Marc has a new critter: Luke, age 0. Congrats, cuz!

Mom got a dog. Meet Sprocket.

A-Kon 2009. M cosplayed as Near from "Deathnote" (seen in 4 of the 8 photos above). I'll plead the fifth as to whether or not I cosplayed...

lunch with Miss C.

M and I just returned from a week-long visit to the midwest; stay tuned and I'll have some trip reports posted soon.

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np: Grateful Dead - "China Cat Sunflower"

Springtime in Texas

2009-05-06T09:48:00.010-05:00

I can't think of many better ways to celebrate springtime in Texas than being out by the tracks, enjoying clear skies, a cool breeze, and green landscapes (and they're getting greener with the recent rains we've had). M joined me on April 5 for an afternoon north of Ft. Worth.

Pacing a KCS GE through Ponder

BNSF officers' special south of Krum. This was our mission for the day, but we saw lots of other good stuff, too...

M was glad to be along for the ride.

Sunday benchings

car load of wheels

Southbound grain loads south of Krum

When the train stops, we practice our dance moves...

Grain empties in Saginaw

Coming next... ??? Stay tuned.

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np: Husker Du: "Don't want to know if you are lonely"

Spring Break breakdown - 7

2009-05-04T13:05:00.005-05:00

Closure

Saturday, March 21: We had spent the previous night in Midland. (One of my traveling companions was craving IHOP, and we believed Midland would have the nearest one). I woke up early on Saturday and went out to take a few photos...

Eastbound UP train passes downtown Midland, TX

Eastbound stack train (left) passes a freight east of Midland at Chub siding.

Our trip home was generally uneventful, although we stopped several times to take train photos. We dragged our feet so much, in fact, that Mom, L and M (who left from Ruidoso that morning) caught up to us near Abilene, despite Miss C, C and I having more than a 200-mile head start!

An ominous sign? Passing a casket truck on I-20. They must have been stocking up for all the Swine Flu casualties...

That completes the Spring Break trip. Check back soon for April activities.

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np: Rage Against the Machine - "Wake Up"

Spring Break breakdown - 6

2009-04-15T12:46:00.014-05:00

Deer observation, Roswell reconnaissance

Friday, March 20: It was time for us to start heading back to Texas. Before we loaded up the truck, we were graced with the presence of several deer, which wandered down the hill behind the house, scrounging for pinon nuts and other food. The deer in the Alto Lakes area, while not tame, are certainly used to the presence of people and will closely approach houses and cars, providing many opportunities for observation and photography. The dozen or so which visited us on Friday morning hung around for about half an hour.

Alto Lakes doe

Miss C, C, and I headed out around lunch time. L and M stayed behind an extra day and rode back home with Mom. We'd rendezvous with them at the Clyde Dairy Queen the next day. First stop for my half of the group? The International UFO Museum and Research Center in nearby Roswell. We've been driving through Roswell for years, but had never visited the museum before. It was time to see what all the hype was about.

Roswell's downtown are is crowded with tributes to the area's UFO connection.

Inspired by the purported UFO crash near Corona, NM in 1947, and the subsequent analysis of "UFO debris" (and allegedly, even alien bodies) in Roswell, the UFO museum presents a multitude of displays and "evidence", encouraging believers and skeptics alike to decide for themselves for themselves if the reports were true.

Summer of 1947: NM alien activity at its peak

Alien autopsy diorama

Exhibits run from factual and informative to humorous and comical to just plain weird. Nothing we saw helped confirm the presence of UFOs or aliens to US... then again, we didn't have time to conduct our own research in the museum's "research library" since closing time was approaching. I do believe that intelligent life has evolved somewhere else in the universe... but has it ever visited Earth? Call me a skeptic.

One of many displays implying (playfully... right?) a gummint cover-up

Alien hunters, don't leave home without one of these...

The museum's most, umm, unusual exhibit was this sculpture of a horse plastered with newspaper clippings about the Roswell Incident. WTF?

He prefers Dr. Pepper? Not an alien...

So, was it worth the $5.00 admission charge (per person)? Well, it was interesting to read a few of the news clippings and some of the affadavits from people connected with the incident. Beyond that, it was about what I expected it to be... mildly entertaining, with more hype than substance. I suppose it was worth visiting once...

Coming next... Saturday morning train watching in Midland.

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np: Gurf Morlix - "Your sister"

Spring Break breakdown - 5

2009-04-10T10:48:00.012-05:00

Ghost hunting & sand surfing

We spent the afternoon of March 19 on a "mini" road trip to Cloudcroft and White Sands. Back in Texas, L's Junior Historians group was embarking on a "ghost hunt" project in the Ft. Worth Stockyards, so we thought we'd hold a ghost hunt of our own at a hotel in Cloudcroft. Simply known as "The Lodge", Cloudcroft's finest hotel is reportedly haunted (the hotel owners prefer the term "charmed") by the spirit of Rebecca, a beautiful red-haired chambermaid who disappeared from the hotel under mysterious circumstances in the early 1900s. Would we find her?

Observation tower - The Lodge, Cloudcroft NM

stained glass portrait of Rebecca - the Lodge, Cloudcroft NM

L looks for signs in the observation tower.

During our climb up into the observation tower, the boys reported that a chair in the stairwell had inexplicably "moved". (The mischievous Rebecca is reportedly fond of rearranging furniture, and pulling other little pranks to startle guests.) But since our visit to the Lodge didn't yield any definite ghost sightings or other contact, the results of our visit were "inconclusive". We did, however, enjoy a nice lunch in Rebecca's restaurant... and our little adventure helped stimulate a discussion of college dorm room proportions on our trip home.

Next, we headed for White Sands National Monument near Alamogordo. Although there's plenty to be learned at White Sands about nature, geology, climate, weather, wind patterns, etc., the primary purpose of our visit was to entertain ourselves. Namely, to spend a couple hours sliding down the dunes on brightly colored "sand saucers". A good time was had by all!

Climbing the dunes

All that climbing was worth it!

L wasn't afraid to try it standing up.

Enjoying the good life

A dearth of vegetation... but footprints were everywhere.

Happy times!

Happy Easter, y'all... and check back after the holidays for my next report... a visit to the UFO Museum in Roswell on our way back to Texas.

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np: Ralph Stanley / Jim Lauderdale - "This world is not my home"

Spring Break breakdown - 4.3

2009-04-07T08:27:00.000-05:00

Railroad jewels & Rail Runners

On to Albuquerque...

We were fortunate to be in New Mexico during the Alvarado Hotel exhibit at the Albuqerque Museum of Art and History. The Alvarado Hotel was one of the famed Harvey House hotels of the Santa Fe Railway. Opened in 1902 and located in downtown Albuquerque, the hotel provided train passengers and other travelers with first-class lodging and meals through its closure in the 1960s. It was demolished in 1970.

The museum exhibit featured artifacts and memorabilia from the hotel and from the railroad during the Harvey House era.

The exhibit runs through June 7; I'd highly recommend it if you're in the area. Check the Albuquerque Museum's website for more information: http://www.cabq.gov/museum/featured.html

Next, it was back to trackside to accomplish our next goal: shooting the Albuquerque Rail Runner commuter trains on the new line to Santa Fe. When Miss C and I visited New Mexico last November, we were about a month too early to see the Rail Runners on the new extension. Rail Runner service to Santa Fe commenced in mid-December, on a route that included several miles of newly constructed railroad, built expressly for the commuter train service. The line featured some impressive engineering work, including a stretch down the median of Interstate 25.

C gets some practice with my Canon gear near Belen.

A southbound Rail Runner arrives in Los Lunas.

"Next time, take the train!" This southbound Rail Runner, about 20 minutes out of Santa Fe, paces vehicle traffic on Interstate 25. The new line runs down the I-25 median for several miles southwest of Santa Fe.

Catching the last rays of sunlight near Santo Domingo Pueblo. This is the former BNSF Glorieta Subdivision, now owned by the state of New Mexico.

Coming next: ghost hunting and sand surfing. Stay tuned...

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np: Kevin Welch & Kieran Kane - "Them wheels don't roll"

Spring Break breakdown - 4.2

2009-04-06T13:17:00.012-05:00

Ghost sign pay-dirt

Continuing with Day Four (March 18) of our Spring Break trip... in Socorro, we located some ghost signs which had been on my "must shoot" list. In the city's downtown area, the K of P (Knights of Pythias) building features Owl Cigar ads on both its east- and west-facing walls (the best surviving example of which I've seen), and also a Bull Durham ad on its east wall.

Bull Durham tobacco ad - Socorro, NM

Owl Cigar ad - east wall of the K of P Hall. Socorro, NM

The building now houses an optometrist's office. Socorroans seem to take a certain level of pride in the signs; one passerby even recommended a nearby spot for me to obtain a more favorable photo angle (she said she had featured the signs on her Flickr page.) At any rate, they're worth checking out if you're in the area.

Owl Cigar ad, west wall, K of P Hall. Socorro, NM.

Continuing on, we stopped briefly to check out the caboose and rail cars on the Grefco spur (BNSF's rail line to Dicaperl, a perlite loading facility)...

Grefco Spur Milepost Zero. Caboose is used as a "shove platform" so brakemen won't have to ride the sides of the cars during the long shove up to Dicaperl.

As you can see, it's not in the best of shape.

Miss C waits patiently...

C checks out the railcar inventory.

Next, we continued on toward Belen and Albuquerque. Check back soon for the report & photos.

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np: Hank Thomspon - "Wake up, Irene"

Spring Break breakdown - 4.1

2009-04-03T13:02:00.009-05:00

El Camino Real Tour 2009

March 18: Miss C and her son C joined me for a day trip out on the El Camino Real between San Antonio and Santa Fe. Objectives for the day: locate a ghost sign in Socorro, visit the Albuquerque Museum of Art & History to see their Alvarado Hotel exhibit, and photograph the Albuquerque Rail Runner commuter trains on their recently opened line to Santa Fe. It would be a full day, but we were up to the task...

On the road between Carrizozo and San Antonio.

Our first stop would be at San Antonio, where we took a look around town and checked out the Santa Fe's San Antonio depot.

BNSF El Paso Sub: looking north toward Belen.

"This used to be my railroad..."

The old depot has been moved off of the railroad's right-of-way.

What's inside?

faded lettering and peeling paint

Mother and son pose for a photo.

Stay tuned for more. Coming next, a stop in Socorro.

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np: Stevie Ray Vaughan - "Give me back my wig"

Spring Break breakdown - 3

2009-04-01T11:12:00.016-05:00

Spring skiing

Tuesday, March 17 - time for some skiing at Ruidoso's Ski Apache. L was ready to tear it up; M attempted to do the same but quickly decided he'd do better if he took another beginner lesson. After lunch, Mom, Miss C, and C arrived and invited M on a gondola ride to the top of the mountain.

Heading up the mountain, hoping it's still ski-able...

"Let's do this."

Part of our happy group, ready for a ride on the Ski Apache gondola.

Heading toward the summit.

Enjoying the 70-degree weather in our short sleeves (and I in shorts), L and I had a great afternoon skiing the few runs that were actually open. We were lucky though; Ski Apache closed for the season just five days after our visit.

L says: "What's up, people?"

This seems more like water skiing...

A great day on the slopes!

That night, we went to dinner and treated M to an early celebration for his 8th birthday.

At Alto Lakes, they do things a bit differently (birthday candles in key-lime cheesecake) but M didn't care...

Tear it up, duuuuuuuude... and happy 8th birthday.

Coming next... El Camino Real and the Albuquerque Rail Runners...

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np: Anthrax - "Got the time"

Spring Break breakdown - 2

2009-03-30T11:57:00.006-05:00

March 16: tire swings and snow tubes

Monday was a relaxed day around the house. I fixed up the tire swing and then we took the kids snow-tubing in the afternoon.

Pine trees and clear skies

Wasn't there a Kimya Dawson song about this...

L catches air on the snow tube

M - Superman impersonation

Coming next: a day at Ski Apache.

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np: R.E.M. "Sitting still"

Spring Break breakdown - 1

2009-03-30T11:30:00.007-05:00

Beware the Ides of March...

The kids were on Spring Break from March 16-20 and joined me for a trip to New Mexico with Miss C (her son was on Spring Break also) to do some skiing and sightseeing. We hit the road on Sunday, March 15. Mom joined us, also... she and M left the day before we did.

Ready to roll: my double-cab Tacoma would be cramped quarters for two adults and two kids...

US 84 between Snyder and Post

Group benching effort: rolling by a BNSF grain load near Post

Striking a pose at the state line

last leg to Ruidoso: dropping into the Hondo Valley

Stay tuned... coming next: tire swings and snow tubing.

WSC

np: Baboon - "Why'd you say die?"

By train to the Stars

2009-03-06T12:51:00.012-06:00

For my birthday a couple months ago, Miss C bought me tickets to a Dallas Stars hockey game. The game was Monday, Feb 23 against the San Jose Sharks. It would be my first Stars game in about 13 years, and my first time ever inside the American Airlines Center. In lieu of driving to Dallas during the evening rush hour, we elected to take the train...

Trinity Railway Express in Ft. Worth

Miss C on board the TRE

Walking to the AAC with a train load of Stars fans.

We had a great view from our seats on the Platinum level.

A face-off in our corner

Trailing 1-0 late in the 3rd, the Stars pulled their goalie and left an empty net...

... to no avail. The final: Sharks 1, Stars 0. It was still a fun time though...

Lots of activity at the DART / TRE station after the game...

Ridin' the train with my Sweetie!

In all, it was a very enjoyable evening. Hope it won't be another 13 years before I get to see the Stars again. Thanks, Miss C!

I've got vacation coming up in about 9 days... the kids will be on Spring Break and we'll be attempting a ski trip to New Mexico (even though I understand there's barely any snow). I may or may not post another blog entry before the trip. Check back soon and see...

WSC

np: Led Zeppelin - "Ramble On"

idle assets

2009-02-03T09:41:00.003-06:00

What happens on the railroads when the economy goes in the crapper? Well, when traffic slows down enough, we start parking stuff. Lots and lots of stuff. Like this collection of more than 50 SD40-2 locomotives seen in Wichita Falls in December...

FURX deadline - Wichita Falls, TX

A year ago, these diesels were powering trains all over the western 2/3 of the country. Now, they might never run again...

Meanwhile, this small yard on the edge of downtown Ft Worth has been empty for years. Now, it's crammed full of stored boxcars and gondolas awaiting their next loads.

Stored boxcars in Ft. Worth

BNSF's competitor Union Pacific is by no means immune from the downturn, either. Witness this dead line of GE and EMD locomotives, some of them less than 15 years old, in Ft Worth TX. Will their next move be on a revenue train, or en route to a scrapper?

Stored UP locomotives in Ft Worth - Feb. 2, 2009

All those stored cars and locomotives obviously result in fewer trains moving across the country, and across each individual dispatching desk.

Not every day is like this (a slow day in northern Illinois on the Saturday after Thanksgiving), but they have definitely slowed down...

All we can do is be thankful for our jobs. And wonder how much worse things will get before they begin to improve.

WSC

np: Lemonheads - "Rudderless"

No time for the blog... (7)

2009-01-30T14:05:00.000-06:00

... just more photos. I'm almost current again.

"Billiards and Pool" ghost sign / Coca Cola ad - a non-railroad photo I snapped in Wichita Falls, TX during a railroad-themed photo shoot.

Dr. Pepper sign / storefront - Venus, TX

Chris Berman helps us make sense of the Cowboys' final game. He left out the phrase "Jerry Jones is a &$#%-ing retard", but we were all thinking it...

The Gourds at Dan's Silverleaf (Denton) on Jan 15. Highlights included a cover of Neil Young's "For the Turnstiles" --> segue into --> "Clear Night"...

... another highlight was the "Lowrider" instrumental during "High Highs & Low Lows". Viva Dem Gourds!

Check back soon for more...

WSC

np: Corb Lund Band - "5 dollar bill"

No time for the blog... (6)

2009-01-28T12:33:00.011-06:00

... just the photos. Let's see what the kids were up to during the holiday season...

On December 22, I celebrated Christmas with the kids a few days early at Mom's house...

"L pose"

M's piano recital in mid-December.

I spent Christmas Day with Miss C's family. Thanks to everyone who expressed concern about me being "alone" for the holidays this year, but trust me, I had plenty of company and was well-taken care of...

Miss C's son got the present he wanted, an X-Box 360...

A few days after Christmas, M joined me for a train ride to Dallas with my friend Blair and his son.

Taking a spin on the local merry-go-round...

Climbing a tree at the park...

... and ready to start a militia with his friend, C.

Check back soon for more.

WSC

np: Fred Eaglesmith - "I shot your dog"

Playing with Photoshop

2009-01-20T12:27:00.008-06:00

... ok, Paint Shop Pro, actually... anyway, I've been doing some b&w conversions of a few digital shots I've taken (in color) during the past few years. First of all, kids, this has nothing to do with converting a color image to Grayscale. It takes a little more work to produce an image that at least resembles a finely toned black and white print. Some of my results were more successful than others; these are just a few examples. Anyway, enjoy... and let me know what you think.

Taken on a cloudy summer day in northern Oklahoma in 2006. (I was riding the Avard Subdivision with our track inspector and we had to set off to allow this eastbound train to pass). I feel that the b&w conversion "saved" this image... I liked the composition, but the color version was dull and flat. Now it's a work of "art".

New Mexico Rail Runner - near Isleta, NM - November 2008

Empty grain train leaving Amarillo - November 2008

Southbound at sunset - UP Choctaw Sub near Argyle, TX

Westbound vehicle train at Sandcut, CA - October 2007.

Freight car monikers - fall / winter 2008

WSC

np: Fugazi - "Waiting room"

birthday benching

2009-01-12T11:56:00.001-06:00

I had a birthday a few days ago. In the past, I've spent parts of several birthdays photographing trains and rail subjects. I maintained that tradition this year -- but with a twist. The primary target of this year's efforts would be freight car sketches and monikers. In fact, I didn't photograph a single locomotive. But I found some interesting stuff...

Colossus of Roads - "Hide & Cry" Earlene

Golden West squares & Colossus

Bookman - XXX NOLA

Whistle Blower - Pluto Demoted

The Solo Artist

This seems like a good time to plug my Flickr stream at www.flickr.com/photos/whiskeytexas. You'll find lots of shots from my benching (watching trains, photographing monikers and graffiti) expeditions, an album of railroad logos, and more. My collection is always growing...

WSC

np: Public Enemy - "Move!"