This is either one of our forum member’s idea of a perfect train, (minus about 23 cars) or Tex Mex is keeping their option on trackage rights through Houston open…
Wait, I know, its intermodal under open access!
Hi Ed,
Once again a remarkable picture!
However, when did you take this picture? If it was New Years day or the day after Christmas it could be all the traffic that there was. And how many times does Tex Mex / KCS run through Houston anyway? It could be a special move for a customer, cars that missed a connection etc.
Anyway, keep watching out for those special trains for us!
greetings,
Marc Immeker
I don’t recognize the location. You mention Houston. Is this just south of the city coming up from Galveston?
Shot that about an hour ago…
I know the conductor, his Dad is a engineer where I work, and he used to be a switchman for us…
TexMex runs this train once a week so they can claim they are using the route for intermodel as well as general freight.
They run quite a few regular freights through Houston, and a couple of stacker, and just use the few trailer cars to keep the option open and hold the regular slot in the dispatching set up.
One of those use it or lose it things.
So how does that work?
Do they hold traffic for up to a week and just run their weekly train on a schedule, or is it run via another route on (some) other days of the week?
Sounds too me like good railroading.
Ed
nice picture as always.
stay safe
Joe
Is that Eureka “junction”? (??)
Great picture!
Data, and Antigates,
This is Eureak yard, just about 100 feet away from Tower 13, in the northwest corner of Houston.
Eureka was a old MKT yard, this was the end point for the line that ran down IH10.
The tracks in the photo are former SP tracks, Eureka is to the left, downtown Houston is about a mile behind the train.
Tower 13 was a real tower, and interlocker between the Katy and the SP.
It is still a crew change point for the UP and the TexMex.
I was standing about a foot away from the diamond when I took this.
The TexMex runs most of its intermodel in/out the UPs Lufkin subdivision, but still wants to keep it trackage rights on the Glidden sub towards San Antonio, which is where these tracks end up, so once a week or so they drag a short train out there, then tag the cars onto the next TexMex train from San Antonio to Forth Worth.
This way, UP cant say they are not running intermodel on the route and force them to give up the rights to do so, which were part of the UP/SP merger.
They are usually empty trailers or a few well cars with containers that have little or no priority.
They hit upwards of 70 mph outside the city of Houston headed towards San Antonio.
Where did you get this mis-information?
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TheTexMex which ran between Laredo and Corpus Christi is no more. It was absorbed into the KCS two years ago.
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The KCS connects with the former TexMex by way of trackage rights over the UP from Beaumont through Houston to Robstown. At Laredo it becomes the KCSdeM (the former TFM which like the old TexMex is now a part of the KCS System). This route is called the NAFTA Railway by the KCS.
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The KCS doesn’t run any trains to San Antonio. It doesn’t have trackage rights into San Antonio over the UP or any other railroad.
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Any traffic destined for Ft. Worth from Mexico or points on the former TexMex is run up the KCS mainline to Shreveport and from there over it’s Greenville Sub to Alliance, TX. There are not, and never were, any TexMex trains from San Antonio to Ft. Worth.
Mark
Does the Texas Mexican still exist on paper as a division of KCS ?
I believe Flatonia the nearest KCS gets to San Antonio, until they can rebuild the Victoria-Rosenberg line.
I though the TexMex stopped at Flatonia also…KCS fan, the info came from the conductor of the train, we were chatting while they swapped crews, you got a beef with that, take it up with them.
There is a chance I didnt get it all correct, but you really need to unwad your shorts some.
The use-it-or-lose-it option mentioned here reminds me of a similar situation in the Chicago area. Monon and C&O had made competing offers to purchase the South Shore Line, the ICC awarded South Shore to C&O in 1964 and granted trackage rights to Monon over South Shore between Michigan City and the Illinois-Indiana state line. Monon made one run in August 1964 to demonstrate these new rights and that was the end of it. I’m not sure what became of the trackage rights after various mergers, abandonments and subsequent sale of South Shore by C&O.
Ed I didn’t mean to offend you and apologize for my poor choice of words. I certainly could and should of been more tactful. Like everyone else I don’t always get it right either.
Dale, the former TexMex is now the Laredo Sub of the KCS Texas Division which consists of the mainline south of Shreveport to Lake Charles, Beaumont, Port Arthur and Laredo.
To the best of my knowledge the Tex Mex trackage did not extend to Flatonia. KCS trains operate by trackage rights over the UP from Beaumont through Houston, Rosenberg, Flatonia, and Victoria to Robstown. From Robstown they run over the former TexMex to Laredo and from Laredo south into Mexico over the KCSdeM.
Mark