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| Title: |
Old Rockaway Branch |
| Description: |
In September 1977, I was just starting out at St Johns University in Queens. As an incoming freshman, I did not get to pick my schedule, and had some large gaps as a result. Rather than do something frivolous, like study, I used the time wisely to go explore parts of the area I had not spent much time in growing up. One place I found was the old LIRR Rockaway Branch. This line split off the Main Line at Rego Park, then headed directly south across Jamaica Bay, where it split, one side going to Rockaway Park, the other to Far Rockaway, running on through to todays Far Rockaway Branch and up to Valley Stream. The trestle over the bay was wood, and was prone to fires and to being pushed out of alignment in the winter. Finally, after an especially bad fire in 1950, the LIRR abandoned the line. A couple of years later, the NYCTA acquired it and rebuild the trestle, opening it as part of their A and CC lines in 1954. The LIRR continued service to this station, Woodhaven, until 1962. I had parked on Atlantic Av and was able to find a hole in the sheet metal that had been put over the stairways. I walked most of the line from where it joined the IND line up to Rego Park at various times. Today we see the north end of the Woodhaven station, now grown over after 15 years of disuse, though the railings and platforms seem to be in pretty good shape. The light fixtures are in surprisingly good condition-except for the bulbs, of course-considering they are usually one of the first targets of the youthful vandals who make their way up here. If you take the overgrowth away, this station is almost in better condition than the still active stations at Queens Village or Hollis. |
| Photo Date: |
9/20/1977 Upload Date: 11/28/2016 5:52:51 AM |
| Location: |
Woodhaven, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Station,Passenger,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
353 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Gone to rust |
| Description: |
The signal bridge at the south end of the Woodhaven station has been left to rust. The last train that ran here was in 1962, the last one to Rockaway passed here in 1950. These PRR type signals will not see another train here, though they look to have been left as is when the line was abandoned. Now, they are turned away and broken. |
| Photo Date: |
9/20/1977 Upload Date: 11/29/2016 4:21:40 AM |
| Location: |
Woodhaven, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Station,Signal,Passenger |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
358 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Woodhaven track level |
| Description: |
The view south from the track level at Woodhaven. The station had been abandoned 15 years earlier, but there is still a lot of rail in place. |
| Photo Date: |
9/20/1977 Upload Date: 11/29/2016 4:32:26 AM |
| Location: |
Woodhaven, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Station,Passenger,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
271 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
End of the line |
| Description: |
After 1950, when the LIRR abandoned the line south of here, the NYCTA took it over, using it as an extension of the Fulton St subway in Brooklyn, The A train. That line used the old BMT Fulton St el structure out to Lefferts Blvd. A connection was built to the old LIRR just beyond Rockaway Blvd, where the subway line gained the LIRR right of way. This is the point where the subway took to the LIRR, seen from the abandoned Long Island right of way near Liberty Av. |
| Photo Date: |
9/20/1977 Upload Date: 11/29/2016 4:38:38 AM |
| Location: |
Woodhaven, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
251 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Connectng track |
| Description: |
This is the view looking west on Liberty Av, under the IND line. The "main line", once the BMT Fulton St el, is overhead, taking the A train to Lefferts Blvd. Dropping down and going to the left is the connection to the Rockaway line, which will take its position on the former LIRR right of way off to the left. The building at left is an electrical substation for the IND. |
| Photo Date: |
9/20/1977 Upload Date: 11/29/2016 4:46:47 AM |
| Location: |
Woodhaven, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Bridge,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
261 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Under the bridge |
| Description: |
The LIRR Rockaway Branch made for the most part a straight dive south from the Main Line at Rego Park, through Forest Park and Woodhaven toward Jamaica Bay. A little up the line from Woodhaven, it passed under Metropolitan Av, where the track was not quite so overgrown, at least under the bridge. Except for the signs of neglect since its abandonment in 1962, it looks like you could almost run trains on it, as most of the components are still in place. |
| Photo Date: |
9/20/1977 Upload Date: 11/29/2016 5:09:15 AM |
| Location: |
Glendale, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
278 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Nothing left |
| Description: |
This signal bridge once had semaphores on it, the standard signal type prior to the Pennsy era. One of the mechanisms is still hanging on, but theres nothing else left on the gantry-and not much left down below, either, except for a lot of rail, ties, and shrubbery. In the distance, an A train made up of 1948 built R 10's curves onto the Rockaway line. |
| Photo Date: |
9/20/1977 Upload Date: 11/29/2016 5:00:45 AM |
| Location: |
Woodhaven, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Station,Signal,Passenger,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
281 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Actually, an empty station |
| Description: |
The tracks here are quite active, as this is the line to Flatbush Av on the LIRR, and sees many trains daily. The station here at East New York, however, has been closed for many years, though the platforms look to be in good shape. Seen through the front window of a Jamaica bound train. |
| Photo Date: |
11/17/1977 Upload Date: 12/13/2016 4:10:37 AM |
| Location: |
East New York, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Station,Action |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
214 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
No more |
| Description: |
The backwater of the B&O system was the Staten Island Rapid Transit, a part of the line no one really knew about. Even New Yorkers would be hard pressed to identify it as the B&O. By the time I happened on it in high school in the mid 70s, it had been taken over by the MTA, and had transit service from the ferry at St George to Tottenville. The other, unremarked part of the line extended from St George to Cranford NJ, via AK draw. At one time there were active stations on this part of the line, though by the time I got there, passengers were a long ago memory. At least a couple of the stations still existed in the 70s, among them this one, which I believe is in the Port Richmond section. Despite having been abandoned long before this date, the stairs are still intact. |
| Photo Date: |
12/6/1977 Upload Date: 11/13/2016 4:17:05 AM |
| Location: |
Port Richmond, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Station,Passenger |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
262 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Newburgh Branch |
| Description: |
The Erie station at Washingtonville stands ready for trains that will never come along the abandoned Newburgh Branch. |
| Photo Date: |
2/7/1984 Upload Date: 11/30/2013 4:16:43 AM |
| Location: |
Washingtonville, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Winter,Passenger,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
382 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Bridge to nowhere |
| Description: |
Though it once was on the Lehigh Valley Auburn branch. It is seen from the north end, and was alongside NY 38 near Moravia, not too far south of Auburn. Dont know if its still in place there. The line crossed the road, seen beyond the bridge, here. |
| Photo Date: |
3/24/1989 Upload Date: 8/7/2014 2:21:46 AM |
| Location: |
Moravia, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Bridge |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
303 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Grand Canyon |
| Description: |
Not the one youre thinking of. This is the Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania, looking from high above Pine Creek in Colton Point State Park. The wide, snow covered path along the left bank of the creek was the NYC line from Lyons NY to Jersey Shore PA. Conrail pulled it up around 1994, by which time the only trains were Enola-Syracuse trains ENSY and SYEN, with occasionall extras. It was wonderfully scenic, but had virtually no traffic south of Wellsboro. |
| Photo Date: |
3/16/2003 Upload Date: 2/10/2017 2:38:46 AM |
| Location: |
Ansonia, PA |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,Winter |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
262 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Now its in a park |
| Description: |
This tunnel was once on the Central RR of New Jersey line through the Lehigh Gorge. As a cost cutting move for the ever marginal CNJ, along with the LV, which also ran through the gorge and was in financially shaky condition, the two roads consolidated their trackage through the area, keeping the best parts of each line, in 1965. Now some of it is part of a state park, and is used as a trail. This view is from trackside on the Reading & Northern, the heir to a series of corporate changes that left them as owner of the route. Were look across the Lehigh River into the darkness of a CNJ tunnel. |
| Photo Date: |
6/15/2003 Upload Date: 3/7/2017 5:04:43 AM |
| Location: |
Glen Onoko, PA |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,Tunnel |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
197 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Doesnt look it |
| Description: |
But this track is still in use. The Lackawanna had a short branch from the Syracuse Branch at Cortland that went down to Cincinnatus, about 15 miles away. Most of it was abandoned in the 1940s, but a mile or so still exists in Cortland, and is used by the NYSW to serve the Suit Kote plant down toward Mc Graw. This bridge crosses the Tioghnioga River. GP 18 will be working her later this afternoon. |
| Photo Date: |
6/9/2005 Upload Date: 11/22/2017 5:27:02 AM |
| Location: |
Cortland, NY |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,Bridge |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
141 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
MILW remnants |
| Description: |
This is a view of the ex MILW line across South Dakota at Belvidere. The right of way is in place, but largely without tracks, to Rapid City. As I drove along SD 46, I would imagine a train of grain hoppers trundling along behind a pair of GP 30's, or an A-B-A set of F's, 10 MPH and taking all of eternity to reach Rapid City. |
| Photo Date: |
9/23/2011 Upload Date: 1/21/2012 1:02:54 AM |
| Location: |
Belvidere, SD |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
600 Comments: 2 |
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| Title: |
Not your typical railroad |
| Description: |
We went to the Very Large Array, part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory, on US 60 near Datil. It turns out they move the telescopes around the grounds on tracks. There was an SW type there, but I was not able to get a photo. This is one of the more unusual rail operations Ive ever encountered. |
| Photo Date: |
3/22/2015 Upload Date: 9/12/2018 6:10:37 AM |
| Location: |
Datil, NM |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
109 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
How they do it |
| Description: |
A view of the tracks used to move the radio telescopes around the Very Large Array. This is one of the diamonds. I'm not sure how they work, but Id love to be there when these are being operated. |
| Photo Date: |
3/22/2015 Upload Date: 10/17/2018 4:16:39 AM |
| Location: |
Datil, NM |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
111 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Interesting looking railroad |
| Description: |
A look down the track at the radio telescopes at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory. This one goes out far enough to cross US 60. The telescopes cover a wide area on the ground, to get the best triangulation for making observations. |
| Photo Date: |
3/22/2015 Upload Date: 10/17/2018 4:19:06 AM |
| Location: |
Datil, NM |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
88 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Long tangent |
| Description: |
The "main" used to access the radio telescopes. |
| Photo Date: |
3/22/2015 Upload Date: 10/17/2018 4:20:43 AM |
| Location: |
Datil, NM |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
96 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Seven Mile Bridge |
| Description: |
I was on a bus tour to Key West and was able to get this shot of the FEC viaduct near Marathon Key. |
| Photo Date: |
11/10/2015 Upload Date: 12/17/2015 4:33:12 AM |
| Location: |
Marathon, FL |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Bridge |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
220 Comments: 2 |
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| Title: |
Two trains a day |
| Description: |
In each direction. Were looking west along the right of way for the Midland Valley Sub from OK 9, where, according to my Nov 27 1966 MP timetable, there were two freights in each direction scheduled. The line is now but a memory. |
| Photo Date: |
9/9/2017 Upload Date: 2/8/2018 5:38:15 AM |
| Location: |
Keota, OK |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
95 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Not much left |
| Description: |
Just a trail of stone, largely weed grown by now. This is the right of way on the Midland Valley Sub near Robert Kerr Lake, looking west. The line would cross the lake on a bridge, then head for Muskogee and the Tulsa area. |
| Photo Date: |
9/9/2017 Upload Date: 2/8/2018 5:42:57 AM |
| Location: |
Keota, OK |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
98 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Looking to Panama |
| Description: |
A view of the Mopac looking east from OK 9. The line disappeared into the trees, came out briefly near a feed mill on the south side of town, then went back into cross country mode, heading for Panama OK and eventually Excelsior Ark. If there was a station at Keota, its long gone. I'm trying to picture a GP 18 and a dozen or so cars here. |
| Photo Date: |
9/9/2017 Upload Date: 2/8/2018 5:47:07 AM |
| Location: |
Keota, OK |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
114 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Into the woods |
| Description: |
The Midland Valley Subs remains go off into the trees westbound, as seen from a local road near Robert Kerr Lake. The line curves around to the west-its compass north here-crosses the lake, and heads for Muskogee, Tulsa, and Pawhuska before going into Kansas. |
| Photo Date: |
9/9/2017 Upload Date: 2/8/2018 5:51:00 AM |
| Location: |
Keota, OK |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
121 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
New life |
| Description: |
The Grand Rapids & Indiana was a Pennsy subidiary that ran from Richmond Ind up to Mackinac. Long ago abandoned, its now a trail in northern Michigan, and popular with snowmobilers. Here it is at Stanwood, seen from the M 20 crossing. |
| Photo Date: |
4/25/2019 Upload Date: 8/4/2019 5:47:56 AM |
| Location: |
Stanwood, MI |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
65 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Not ready to come out |
| Description: |
There is an empty coal train down at the Flint Creek plant getting ready to come out, but the derail is not yet lined for them. There will be a southbound grain train shortly, then the coal train will be on its way. |
| Photo Date: |
2/7/2020 Upload Date: 2/9/2020 4:57:14 AM |
| Location: |
Gentry, AR |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Signal,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
101 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Derail |
| Description: |
A closer look at the derail on the AEP Flint Creek spur. |
| Photo Date: |
2/7/2020 Upload Date: 2/9/2020 5:03:43 AM |
| Location: |
Gentry, AR |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Signal,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
58 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Ruby Jack Trail |
| Description: |
There have been many lines that became trails after they were abandoned. Once such is the Ruby Jack Trail in southwestern Missouri, which runs about 15 miles from the Kansas state line to Carthage MO, on the old Frisco Carthage Sub. This is the trail looking east from CR 270, just off MO 171 in Carl Jct. |
| Photo Date: |
3/12/2022 Upload Date: 3/18/2022 4:00:18 AM |
| Location: |
Carl Junction, MO |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
72 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Ruby Jack Trail looking west |
| Description: |
The thing that caught my eye, years ago, was the crossing of the Frisco and KCS here. For years, long after the track on the Frisco had been lifted, there was a home signal at the KCS. It was lit red-not that it mattered,since the track it governed was gone. In the distance at left, the relay case is for the MO 171 crossing protection, now unnecessary. |
| Photo Date: |
3/12/2022 Upload Date: 3/18/2022 4:13:38 AM |
| Location: |
Carl Junction, MO |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,Signal,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
44 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Ruby Jack Trail looking east from Ivy Rd |
| Description: |
A view of the trail from Ivy Rd, the crossing between MO 171 and CR 270. Were at MP 4; its 11 more miles to the end of the trail in Carthage. |
| Photo Date: |
3/12/2022 Upload Date: 3/18/2022 4:27:44 AM |
| Location: |
Carl Junction, MO |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
25 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Ruby Jack Trail MO 171 crossing |
| Description: |
Were looking west from Ivy Rd at MO 171 and beyond it, the KCS-note the sun glinting off the rails. The relay case at left is the box for the crossing protection that once existed here for the Frisco Carthage Sub where it crossed MO 171. Oddly, it is stenciled for the BNSF, though the tracks were removed here before the BNSF was created in the BN-ATSF merger. |
| Photo Date: |
3/12/2022 Upload Date: 3/18/2022 4:30:10 AM |
| Location: |
Carl Junction, MO |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,Signal,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
39 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Day is done |
| Description: |
A sunset look at the UPs Kansas Pacific line from KC to Denver as the light fades yields a view of two shiny rails leading off to distant mountains, with a now abandoned elevator standing watch. |
| Photo Date: |
8/31/2022 Upload Date: 9/18/2022 5:25:40 AM |
| Location: |
Strasburg, CO |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,RollingStock,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
33 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Land locked |
| Description: |
A pair of ex D&RGW box cars are stranded on the elevator siding at Strasburg, the siding switch having long ago been removed. |
| Photo Date: |
8/31/2022 Upload Date: 9/18/2022 5:27:14 AM |
| Location: |
Strasburg, CO |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Scenic,RollingStock,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
30 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
No loading today |
| Description: |
The elevator at Strasburg, flanked by a pair of ex D&RGW box cars, land locked on a disconnected siding, next to an abandoned elevator at sunset. There will be no grain going out today....or ever. |
| Photo Date: |
8/31/2022 Upload Date: 9/18/2022 5:29:01 AM |
| Location: |
Strasburg, CO |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
RollingStock,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
34 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Looking north |
| Description: |
My wife got me a Canon T8i for Christmas, and I wanted to go out and try it. Of course, no trains showed up, so I took some shots of empty tracks, just to see what came out-not that I expected anything unusual on a bright sunny day. Were looking north from Tahlequah St in Siloam Springs, at the home signals for CP North Siloam Springs, and the Cheri Whitlock overpass in the distance. The tracks take a dip here, which makes for an interesting shot of a southbound unit train. |
| Photo Date: |
1/4/2023 Upload Date: 1/11/2023 4:41:19 AM |
| Location: |
Siloam Springs, AR |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Winter,Signal,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
18 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Overhead view |
| Description: |
Ive taken this shot many times with trains in it. Here we are looking from the Ark 12 overpass in Gentry, at what was once the station area. At left is a team track, now used as a bad order set out track, or for MOW forces to load/unload equipment and supplies. The main is on the left, the controlled siding on the right. The overpass is just north of the south siding switch. |
| Photo Date: |
1/4/2023 Upload Date: 1/11/2023 5:01:03 AM |
| Location: |
Gentry, AR |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Winter,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
23 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
Ground level view |
| Description: |
The view from the crossing just south of Ark 12. Were looking at the southbound signals at CP South Gentry. The Ark 12 overpass is in the background |
| Photo Date: |
1/4/2023 Upload Date: 1/11/2023 5:13:41 AM |
| Location: |
Gentry, AR |
| Author: |
Tom Beckett |
| Categories: |
Bridge,Winter,Signal,Track |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
18 Comments: 1 |
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