Rail fanning in Texas

I have never had much luck right in Austin, although the Austin & Northwestern close by has an Alco RSD-15 with the 16-cylinder 251 diesel engine intact and capable of producing respectable smoke.  They have a telephone.  

 

The big problem in Austin is that it is a collection of medium to light density Union Pacific (former MoPac and Katy) lines and was on an Espee branch -- not exactly on a par with Chicago for train-watching.  It's pretty hard to find the railroads, identify what you are looking at, and figure which one might possibly have a train.

 

In central Texas the two busy main lines are BNSF's former ATSF line from Fort Worth to Houston and UP's Ex-Cotton Belt and Espee/T&NO Line from Texarkana to El Paso via San Antonio.  That said, if you really do want to watch some trains, I would suggest two places not in Austin, but within a reasonable drive, and not way, way out in the country:

 

• Temple, Texas, about 75 miles from Austin.  The old Katy crosses the old ATSF.  BNSF has three routes in and out of town.  Train watching is easy downtown right next to the depot, including an overhead street bridge with no fence and a sidewalk on each side.  Amtrak comes up from San Antonio and Austin on the old Katy and uses a connecting track to get onto the old Santa Fe and head for Fort Worth.  This, and the corresponding Amtrak train in the other direction, both pass through in daylight.  BNSF has a lot of movements past the depot and also has a large main line fuel and inspection facility south of town with another street bridge at that location.  Both the former Santa Fe and Katy depots exist and there is a museum at the ATSF depot.
• Caldwell, Texas, about 80 miles from Austin is a busy spot where BNSF crosses the former Espee main line.  There's no diamond.  UP is in a cut and BNSF is on a bridge, but there are photographic possibilities, and certainly numerous trains to watch.

If you are not from the South, realize that you will most likely be an item of curiosity if you go out to photograph trains.  To be perfectly honest, if you want to take good train photos in central Texas, your best bet is to scout out a good location, get comfortable, listen to your scanner and wait.  You can take a few good quality photos, but there is not enough traffic to allow moving around a lot and getting lots of good photos in one day.

 

Here's hoping you have good luck in this pursuit.

Thanks Number 90. I'm trying to find somewhere to talks my little boys so its looking like temple might be the way to go.

Yes.  Temple is good for both kids and Dad.

 

Also, if Amtrak is on-time, you could take the train to Temple, watch trains for a few hours, and return to Austin by train.

David,

 

You can also head east to Hearne, on Hwy 71.  This is where Northbound UP trains coming north out of Austin on the Mopac line cross over southbound trains on the Katy (I think it is the Katy).  The Hearne Depot was also restored recently. 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks C&O, I will look into there also.

Hearne has a reasonable amount of traffic.  The line which crossed the Mop there was the SP/T&NO.  Not far from Hearne is Valley Jct., one of those significant crossings that is in the middle of nowhere.  Two ex-Mop lines cross there.

 

Hearne is very Southern.