Best of 2007 - non-railroad photos

A selection of a few of my favorite non-railroad photos from 2007. I took each of these with my Fuji Finepix "point & shoot" autofocus digital camera. It's perfect for taking quick, spur-of-the-moment snapshots, which are esentially what all of these photos are.

Self-portrait with bike: my reflection in the wheel of a fire truck in Keller

In May, I rode the 50 mile course in the Cross Timbers Classic, a bike ride which started at Texas Motor Speedway and included a lap around the race track. Here we are entering Turn 1...

Warning signs along the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. April 2007

Windblown tree. Island of Oahu, Hawaii. April 2007.

Driving Chain of Craters Rd., Pacific Ocean in background. Volcanoes National Park on the Big Island of Hawaii. April 2007.

Barrel races, Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. January 2007.

Texas flag. Fort Worth Stockyards. September 2007.

Hotel Texas. Fort Worth Stockyards. September 2007.

Dr. Pepper fading ad and fire escape shadow. Fort Worth Stockyards. September 2007.

WSC

np: Discovery Channel - Man Vs. Wild

nr: John Steinbeck - Grapes of Wrath

photos, scrapped locomotives, and beer

a few photos from some of my recent bike rides...

Lucky Lady truck stop - north Fort Worth

a Tuesday morning bike ride on the Trinity River trails

BNSF hoppers pass over me during a ride south of Justin.

This Kroger truck made a brief stop in my neighborhood last week. The kids and I call these "big baby butts".

"the end"

Two of RESCAR's CF7 locomotives headed to that great roundhouse in the sky last week. I remember seeing these locomotives during my earliest visits to Saginaw, 17 or 18 years ago. Longtime fixtures of Saginaw, CF7s 2507 and 2535 were assigned to switch the Horizon flour mill (a former Cargill facility), but had recently been sidelined after a newer locomotive replaced them earlier this year. They were finally scrapped last week. Here's a shot of them meeting their unhappy end.

Nothing left but the cabs... scrappers' torches were hissing as I snapped this photo of the remains of 2507 / 2535 on September 29.

And here's a photo of them back in July...

RESCAR CF7s 2535 / 2507 in Saginaw - July 2007

The story behind the creation of locomotives like RESCAR 2507 and 2535 makes their very existence in Saginaw in 2007 all the more remarkable.

An original F7, and a post-conversion CF7

During the 1970s, Santa Fe's locomotive shops in Cleburne embarked on an ambitious program to rebuild and convert 1950s-era streamlined F7 passenger locomotives to freight locomotives of a more utilitarian design, suitable for yard and road service. Between 1970 and 1978, Cleburne churned out some 233 of the converted locomotives, designating them "CF7" (for "Converted F7"). Bearing little resemblence to the handsome F7, the CF7s were often referred to as "ugly ducklings". Displaying an appearance that was more function than form (and some would question the "function" as well), the locomotives were somewhat similar to EMD's GP-series locomotives, but had slightly larger cabs and oddly-shaped noses. The only parts of the F7 that were even recognizable were the trucks and the front of the frame (and a curved portion of the cab roof on some of the units). The locomotives held down assignments across the Santa Fe system, but always seemed to be commonly found in Texas.

In the 1980s, Santa Fe began to sell off the CF7s to shortlines and regional railroads throughout North America. A large number of them were traded to Amtrak in exchange for a group of troublesome six-axle passenger locomotives which Santa Fe planned to use in freight service. Still others, like the two RESCAR units in Saginaw, found work at grain elevators and other industrial facilities. Units 2507 and 2535 in Saginaw began their careers as F7s 313L and 38L, built in 1953 and 1949, respectively. Rebuilt and converted in 1974, they continued to serve the Santa Fe until 1987, and then lived out their final 20 years on the RESCAR roster, assigned to the Saginaw flour mill.

Parted out for scrap at the age of 58 and 54 (and 33 years after their conversion to CF7s), it's safe to say that the 2507 and 2535 lasted for many years longer than their intended lifespans, both pre- and post-rebuild.

attack of the light beer commercials

So, Coors Light is running new versions of their commercials featuring football coach "interviews". Those are still pretty clever, although the ones last year were funnier. Meanwhile, Bud Light is running the hilarious skit of two guys whose beer bottles are shattered by a high note at the opera. Nothing wrong with that (except for the beer). And Miller Lite is running ads featuring John C. McGinley from "Scrubs" as the "commish" of ... "the More Taste League"? Dude, are you s***ing me? What a bunch of lame crap. If their commercials are supposed to make me want to go out and buy their product, they're failing pretty spectacularly. In fact, I'm tempted to go to the fridge right now, gather up all my bottles of Miller products, and pour them down the damned sink. And I actually consider Miller Lite to be the best tasting of the three! This has to be one of the worst ad campaigns from a beer company in years. How about another round of "Man Law" commercials? Now that was some funny stuff. Hell, how about going "retro" for a year -- bring back Madden and the "Less Filling - Tastes Great" debates. But this "More Taste League" garbage is a waste of my time. And yours, too, since you just finished reading about it...

WSC

np: ESPN - SportsCenter

nr: John Steinbeck - Cannery Row

Tale of two bike rides

Saturday, May 12, 2007 - North Texas Classic, Saginaw, TX

Sponsored by Saginaw Kiwanis, the North Texas Classic offered riders a choice of four rides: 10, 20 40, or 60 miles. I had to be at work on Saturday afternoon, so I chose the 40-mile route. It began at Boswell High School in Saginaw, then headed up along the east shore of Eagle Mountain Lake toward Newark, then north to Rhome, then southeast toward Avondale and along Hicks Airport and back to Saginaw.

Starting area at the North Texas Classic - Saginaw, TX

The ride itself did not seem very well attended; I'd estimate there were less than 300 riders on all the routes combined. This is only their third or fourth year to sponsor this ride, so maybe it will grow more popular in the years to come. I'm not a fan of huge crowds, but when I'm part of an organized ride, I don't want to feel like I'm the only one on the road. 20 miles into the ride, there were many times when I didn't see any other riders ahead of me or behind me, including on long straightaways.

the open road near Newark

(UP Duncan Subdivision tracks at left)

I was a bit disappointed at the 40-mile course. I didn't have any complaints about the route, except that it wasn't 40 miles... just 37.5 as I measured it. I stopped at two of the three rest areas along the course. None were crowded, and all were staffed by friendly volunteers offering Gatorade, water, bananas, orange slices, and cookies. The post-ride hot dogs, Cokes, and chips were a nice finish.

North Texas Classic finish

Saturday, May 19, 2007 - Cross Timbers Classic - Flower Mound, Texas

This was the ride I'd been looking forward to. Scheduled to start at Texas Motor Speedway, the Cross Timbers Classic promised riders on all routes (10, 30, 50, and 100 miles) an introductory lap around the race track.

Cycling at the speedway - Cross Timbers Classic 2007

This ride drew a much larger crowd; I'd estimate there were at least 1000 riders. The morning began with cloudy skies and light rain, but the ride started as scheduled, and we got make a complete lap before we exited TMS and headed out onto the highways. I overheard more than one rider saying that just the TMS lap made the ride worthwhile. It was definitely the most unique feature of any organized ride I've been on so far. I've driven by TMS countless times on I-35 and have even watched a few races on tv, but had never been there in person until the Cross Timbers Classic. Pedaling around the 1.5-mile track at ground level gives you a real sense of appreciation for how highly the turns are banked (24 degrees, according to the TMS website). I had no idea they were that high!

Lining up in pit row for the start of the Cross Timbers Classic

Leaving pit row, heading into Turn 1

Turn 1

Turn 4

I had decided in advance to ride the 50-mile route. After leaving TMS, we headed north to Justin, east to Argyle, and then through a series of backroads east of Argyle before heading back to Justin and TMS. It was a nice course; I'll probably go out and ride parts of it again on my own. I stopped at two of the rest areas for Gatorade, water, and bananas. Only one of the rest stops had cookies. Fortunately, the rain let up, but the skies stayed cloudy so it never got too hot. I finished my 50 miles with energy to spare. Back at TMS, there wasn't much in the way of post-ride festivities... the only food they had was smoked sausage and other barbecue that the sponsoring Rotary club was seeking "donations" for. I didn't have any cash with me and didn't see any ATM's around, so I called it quits and headed for home.

Cross Timbers Classic riders near Argyle

Final thoughts

These were the first two organized rides I have done where the courses use some of the same roads I use during my daily rides. It was cool to be part of an organized group on roads that I normally ride on my own.

As far as which of the two rides was better, I'd give the edge to the Cross Timbers Classic. It's hard to beat that introductory lap around the TMS track, and it was fun to be part of a larger group and not feel like I was out there all alone.

Memo for next year: the North Texas Classic might be worth checking out if you happen not to be doing anything else that day, but the Cross Timbers Classic is the one to mark on your calendar.

WSC

nr: June 2006 Railfan & Railroad

np: Mazzy Star - "Ghost on the Highway" from "She Hangs Brightly"

No time for the blog... (4)

... Just the photos. Please excuse my extended absence; I've been a bit preoccupied lately. Here is a selection of scenes from the past couple weeks in north Texas. Enjoy!

My reflection in the wheel of a fire truck at Keller, Tx.

May 17, 2007.

BNSF Z-train heads north, approaching Justin, TX. May 13, 2007.

Texas music billboard & suburban rooftops. Watauga, TX.

May 17, 2007.

No comment. Avondale, TX. May 14, 2007.


Southbound UP freight on BNSF. Haslet, TX. May 13, 2007.


BNSF loaded coal train north of Saginaw, TX. May 14, 2007.

Old coal hoppers rolling through Haslet, Tx. May 14, 2007.

Center-cab switch engine at Trinity Industries near Hicks Airport. May 14, 2007.

A cultural statement on the rear window of a pickup truck.

Watauga, Tx. May 17, 2007.

That's all for now... stay tuned for my next entry, "A tale of two bike rides" (my reviews of the May 12 North Texas Classic and the May 19 Cross Timbers Classic).

WSC

np: Hayes Carll - "Hey baby where you been" from the "Little Rock" album

nr: Ayn Rand - The Fountainhead