PLanning a bit of a excursion & wish to know the “hot” spots in those 2 states especially wherever the UPRR/BNSF mainlines cross or merge together. Thanks
Get you a Kansas Map, order from the KDOT website or at any Welcome Center. Pick your spot, anywhere from KC southwest, you’ll see more stuff in twelve hours than in most other places in a week Sit back and enjoy!
OK thanks for info. It is greatly appreciated. We will be going westward towards NM so SW sounds really good.
BNSF: Emporia,KS, there is a yd here worked 24/7. Down the line try Augusta.The lines split here heading towards the gulf, the other out to the panhandle onto Cal. UP: Topeka would be a good spot.
Thank U for the input.
Try ,Woodard area in the OK, panhandle…Curtis Hill area…Its double main now so there should be lots of BNSF there…I spent 2 days in the area several yrs ago before they double tracked it and it was Awesome ! Trains just about every few min.all day long, sixty MPH ! ! The scenery is great too…I got some great video there…Good luck…Danny
UP does not run thru here,or didnt at the time I was there…They may have trackage rights now tho…Danny
Try matfield green, 8 miles NORTH of cassoday, wich is south of emporia. Also try wichita, the train museum is nice. GPTM.US for directions.
OK thanks I was planning on going to Avard so I will also stop in Woodward as it will be on my way to eastern NM. Sounds to me from your descripition similar to what you see at Daggett. Only difference at Daggett is you also see UPRR
Thank I was planning on going to Emporia as that is the BNSF transcon line so I will look up also these 2 other places you mentioned
If you are heading to NM, then check out the UP Golden State route in the SW part of Kansas. Lots of stackers and Autorack, some freight mixed in. If you bring a scanner, you can listen in on 161.550 AAR 96 DS 72 Herington to just of Liberal, or 160.320 AAR 14, DS 11 west of Liberal to Vaughn NM, you can follow this route most of the way on U.S. Hwy 54. Also if get in the area, check out the Cimmaron Valley RR, based out of Satanta, they run to Dodge City on Sun, Tue, and Thur. They run ex-Rio Grande GP30’s #3004, 3014, 3020(in the shop for repair),3023, 3024, and ex C&O, CSX, SW 4227. We use BNSF road frequencies, so you can listen in on Channel 36 or Channel 55. Just stop into the office in Satanta and ask for Henry Hale, or call @ 620-649-3280, and he can help anybody out.
Good Hunting, Dru
Conductor, Cimmaron Valley RR
Yes I will be doing that. When in Colton CA I see stackers/rackers moving on or coming off the Sunset route. I also watch a webcam located in Ft. Madison IA & watch the UPRR transiting the BNSF transcon on there way or coming from Hutchinson KS. My intention is maybe a little west of KC then Topeka then up a bit on the UPRR Marysville sub then turn towards Emporia & the UPRR GSR. on my way to NM.
Thanks also for Henry Hale # which I will utlize if needed
spbed:
There are two spots that nobody has mentioned, that really are worthwhile. The 1st is Paola,Kansas. This is where the old Frisco and Mo. Pac. crossed - now the BNSF and the UP. The crossing is on the west side of town, and these lines both have a lot of coal traffic The 2nd is Claremore, Ok. It’s the same two lines that crossed in Paola, with one difference - UP is directional traffic through Oklahoma (for the most part) and most of UP’s traffic through Claremore is nortbound.
Have fun,
Paul
OK thank U for your assistance. I already located Claremore a little north & east of Tulsa. As I enjoy interlockings it sounds like a good place to spend a few hours. Paoli also sounds very interesting & I will check that out as well.
Oh wow Paoli is on my way from Bowie TX to Wagoner OK so I will for sure give it a shot.
SpBed,
If your planning on going to Marysville, KS make a trip over to Home, KS which is six miles east of Marysville on U.S. 36. Because UP runs their empty coal, autorack, stack and junk freights westbound from Hiawatha, KS to Upland were the line meets up with the mainline. I still believe the trains use track warrants to get across the line. (The Hiawatha line is single tracked.) Btw, if you didn’t know UP now bypasses Marysville just to the south of town. They built a new eight track yard and pulled up the old mainline through town and most of the old yard tracks. As for now, train crews are still reporting out of the old depot. Last time I’ve heard close to 80 trains a day come through on the Marysville Sub.
Mike
Yes I belong to the UPRR historical society & in there Streamliner magazine they had a article on the rearrangement @ Marysville with a map. When I was in Gibbon last year 26 of the trains I saw that day (daylite hours) were going onto or coming off the Kansas division so for sure it has to be active line. Thanks on the tip of Hiawatha I will take a look see on my trip.
I would second Claremore Oklahoma. The BNSF and UPRR cross there. BNSF is running 25+ trains a day and UPRR is close to 20. As someone else said, the UPRR is mostly NB directional through there. The SB line is just a ways up US Rte 66 in Vinita. The same BNSF line crosses the UPRR SB line there. There seems to be more traffic on the SB line. I can hear all of the following channels from my house. The last few days there seems to sever conjestion on both NB and SB lines. Lots of dog catch calls going out to get crews.
BNSF in Claremore (Cherokee Sub) is on 160.920. This line runs from Tulsa to Springfield
UPRR NB in Claremore (Coffeyville Sub) is on 161.220. This line runs from Van Buren Ark to Coffeyville KS.
BNSF in Vinita (Cherokee Sub) is on 160.920
UPRR SB in (Cherokee Sub also) Vinita is on 160.875 This line runs from Kansas City to North Texas.
Also, the BNSF Avard Sub runs from Tulsa to the TransCon in Western Ok. It is on 161.770. Lots of doublestacks headed to Memphis and Birmingham to intx with NS.
Hope that helps,
Mike in Tulsa
Yes it sures does. I appreciate your input & maybe we can connect during my visit. Thanks again