It's been awhile since I was able to do any shooting in the St.Louis area as the winter has been so gray thus far. I had to go downtown to enter some vacations into the computer. The sun was shinnig so I took along the camera bag. On the road just after 1100 HRS and headed for the highway. On the scanner I hear a westbound get a warrent to run from Wann,IL to Lenox, going to the A&S connection there. Should I turn around and head that way ? I decided to for go that move. Soon I hear GWWR4099 East get a warrent to run "WR" to Lenox and will get Lenox to Wann when the other guy clears at the A&S. Now I regret not turning around as the GWWR unit wears the new KCS grey scheme. Not to dejected though as the sun would be shinning 180 degrees around on the rear of the train. Passing Merchants Bridge on I-70, I spy a train on the east approach. Turn off and see it is stopped and has two ATSF units up front, a 600 and 900 series plus an EMD blue geep. On the scanner pick up that they are in emergency and air will not come back up. Also here the BN yardmaster call the empty Sikeston coal train (ESKSBTM?) and tell them that they will be the first train to go over the reconstucted TRRA highline. Now a delema, stay or head for the highline. With Conductor still walking train decied to head for highline and catch the first ( other than work train) move over the trestle. Sun angle is very bad, but an Oakway SD60 leads the emptys across as some of the constrution works take photos. I histle back to the Merchants bridge as the BNSF eastbound reports he's on the move. Just make it to the bottom of the west approach and shoot the clean locos in nice light. This is a detout out of Lindenwood that crossed the Mac Aurthur brige and travrsed much of the TRRA to reach the BN "K"line to West Quincy,MO. On to UP's Lesperance St yard to do the computer work. What is standing right next to the tower but a SP SD7 (or 9). Dead in transist to Metro East Industries for HELM leasing. The computer work done , now about 1400 HRS. Head back on I-70. I spy another BN train stopped on the Merchants bridge, and peel off at the exit ramp. The train is stopped on top of the switch for the west and south approach. It is led by a black and yellow former ATSF 9500 series GE and two BN SD-40's. A pair of TRRA SW-15's leads a transfer as they climb the south approach headed for Madison,IL yard with grain empties out of Bremen Ave. Get good shots ( I hope) of the BN train bracketed by the TRRA signals on the south approach. Decide to check out the BNSF yard in north St.Louis (ex CB&Q). hear the DS talking to a Galesburg-St Louis train asking if they set out 10 cars there. Spot the train down by the ADM elevator. Not in a good place to shoot, as the DS tells them they will move after an eastbound coal empty comes over the TRRA, Sun starting to get lower in the sky, A UP train climbs the south approach to the Merchants bridge in the distance. I know the BN eastbound has to be behind it some where. 1530 HRS, the BN5023 swings around the curve leading BNSF coal empties. An odd thing, the aluminum hoppers were in the 650000 series, the 650204 was a green BNSF along with a few others, while the BNSF 650276 was in brown as were most of the others. When the empty cleared the BNSF 732+756 pulled out off the yard and headed for the TRRA connection and Lindenwood yard.Fair sun, caught it again with the huge Cotton Belt freight house as a backdrop. Also shot a SD-7(9) number 6999 in black just north of the SSW freight house. It was dead and may be of Conrail heritage? Not bad,those were the first BNSF 700 series units I had shot on the point although I'd seen them many times in St Louis. Happy New Year , Dan -> SPORRS: Serious Photographers of Railroad Related Subjects -> Web Site: http://www.anet-stl.com/acphotog/sporrs
