MY PHOTO GALLERY OF TRAINS
RAILROADS OF
THE WEST PAGE 9
(left) BNSF 740 (9-44CW) pulls an eastbound train
past milepost 112 at Emporia, Ks. The second unit is a BN
7500 SD40-2B, there only three different ones and were
rebuilt cabless because they were involved in wrecks. BNSF
739,740, and 745 was the first locomotives to be painted in the
new "Heritage 2" scheme. June 1998 (middle) A new
BNSF grain train runs through Emporia once in a while such as
this one out east of Emporia. The grain cars are brand new.
June 1998 (right) Santa Fe locomotive 2940 rests next to the yard
office at Emporia with the depot as its backdrop. The depot
was once a main attraction at Emporia, with passengers getting on
and off the passenger trains such as the "Super
Chief". Amtrak's Southwest Chief doesn't even stop
here at all anymore. The depot also played a role for
employees doing crew changes on through freight trains, but that
was halted in the late 1980s when the terminal was removed and
train crews went straight from KC to Wellington, Arkansas City,
or Newton or same for crews going the other way. The
Railway Express Agency or REA had the little building to the west
side of the depot. The railroad uses that building for work
trucks and there's an office in there for a head signal
maintainer. June 1998 Photos by Eric
Burris.
Two miles east of Emporia a set of crossing gates play a role in nighttime train photography. Using a 100 speed print film and about 30 second long exposures with a flash, I was able to get some interesting effects. June 1998 Photos by Eric Burris.
At milepost 142 or so just (direction) north of the Matfield Green siding BNSF 123 comes around the S curve at Pioneer Bluff and the rear of the train has something in store for the railfan and camera. Two BN passenger cars tag along for the ride, probably with company officials checking out their railway. Santa Fe 117 west leads a stack train around the sweeping curve at milepost 147.4 on the Emporia Subdivision. June 1998 Photos by Eric Burris
BNSF 3185 west accellerates up to speed as it passes the Emporia depot pulling a string of Roadrailers that is Texasbound. 3185 is a GP50. A storm that passed by leaves a dark sky for a backdrop after the sun comes out just in time for the train. Santa Fe 5207 west thunders past milepost 147.4 a few miles west of the town of Matfield Green. Three SD40-2s and a GP60M lead this stack train westbound. This location is great for westbounds in the afternoon. The big hill makes radio transmission easy to pick up and the visibility is superb. June 1998 Photos by Eric Burris
BNSF 1085 west passes through the Kansas Flinthills at milepost 147 on the BNSF Emporia Subdivision in June 1998. This is a wonderful spot to photograph trains in the late evening. The "S curve" requires late summer evenings for the best lighting. Photos by Eric Burris
