Abilene Kansas Action 2020

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Started off with dark skies and threat of storms when I went on a ride to the BNSF yard, and found the following:

BNSF 1610 sits in the Abilene Ks yard leading the local 19, to go northward to Superior Ne. But what was behind it was what I was after:

BNSF 1648, still in her Santa Fe paint, with an old Santa Fe hopper coupled to it

Side view of BNSF 1648

shot of ATSF 315793
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Rode with my neighbor to Solomon Ks to get this UP westbound grain empty, which would pull onto the Kyle railroad, for loading out in NW Kansas on their line.

UP 5367 rounds the curve into town

5367 slows down to enter the siding that leads to the Kyle trackage

On the way home, found UP 5736 on the main a few miles east of town,DPU on an eastbound grain train

Moments later I got in position to get the head end as the outbound crew departed eastbound, UP 8662 was leading

And UP 6699 was 2nd

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I have a thing for unusual or quirky diesel numbers. I put UP 6699 into that category as it reads the same when you turn it upside down.
 
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Yet another cloudy day for what little traffic I get, rode with a friend to his storage unit ( the UP conveniently goes by it), to catch an eastbound grain train, that was led by UP 7646

UP 5627 shoved on the rear
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Later in the afternoon we set up to grab a westbound BNSF grain empty ,
led by BNSF 6927

A little Santa Fe was in the train, ATSF 312858

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Not many trains today, but with things slowed substantially due to the "Kung Fu Flu" I take what I can get!!

After taking an hour and 5 minutes to travel the 25 miles from the Salina Ks yard, UP 6299 finally rolls thru downtown Abilene leading eastbound grain buckets

UP 7617 was the DPU
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A short time later, BNSF 5050 rolls thru, leading it's westbound empty grain buckets

ATSF 312987 was a nice treat

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Day started off cool and cloudy for my first shots of the day featuring the local power in the Abilene Ks BNSF yard

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The skies cleared out in time to see BNSF 6122 lean into the curve just north of Enterprise Ks leading westbound grain empties

5/18/20

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As the sun was setting, BNSF 1449 & BNSF 3031, leading the M ABINEW work at building their train in the Abilene Ks yard
 

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Some morning catches from Abilene Ks

5/20/20
 

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3 afternoon grain trains from 3 pm - 4:45 pm. First 2 shot in Abilene Ks, last 1 in Solomon Ks
 

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A late evening surprise, was the LDG86 local with UP 9104 and UP 6306 pulling into Abilene Ks to do some work

5/20/20
 

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Started of a rainy Thursday here in Abilene , with BNSF 4268 leading westbound empty grain buckets bound for Salina Ks. Train would get on UP to get to Salina.
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Later in the day, UP 6946 comes through downtown Abilene with eastbound manifest MSITP

I shot some of the more interesting cars (to me) in the train
 

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I also find certain railcars to be quite interesting. Indeed, they are changing appearance through the decades, and a photographic record of them as we go along is important. I do like you're photos, and I'm glad you are including the railcars as well as the locomotive power.
 
NS 1184 rolls thru downtown Abilene Ks leading a short eastbound MSITP (Salina-Topeka) manifest

Barely visible under the rust and grafitti, was this old WP hopper
 

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I lived across the street from the WP's South Sacrament Yard in the late 70's-early 80's. Believe it or not, that old hopper was once light gray.
 
The only train that would roll thru Abilene Ks yesterday :

UP 5736 leads an eastbound grain train

UP 8196 second unit

UP 6699 as DPU

5/24/20
 

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