Speaking of unit coal trains

 

Modeling the AT&SF - D&RGW Joint Line through Colorado Springs from Milepost 70 to Milepost 80 circa 1978-1979

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Post 9: Speaking of unit coal trains

 

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Southbound BN train 62, a PSCX loads with Locotrol mid-train remote helpers,

is about to duck under Fillmore Street in Colorado Springs. 

These cars were built by Darby, but PSC also had cars built by Thrall.
Robert Harmen, 1975

 

As I wrote last time, in the late 1970s unit coal trains were a key feature of the Joint Line, including BN trains originating in the Powder River coal field headed south to Texas, along with Rio Grande trains originating on the Craig Branch.

Here's a list of unit trains that could be seen at various times on the Joint Line in my 1978-1979 era and into the early 1980s. You can see why the Powder River coal traffic was often described as a "flood," and this is just on one route!

The trains that I will be modeling are in bold.

 

BN

 

FPPX —     Fayette Power Project, La Grange, TX

08/09        dark green Pullman or Evans-SIECO gons with yellow rotary end; run through MKT SD40-2s

                    Athearn has done their very similar Thrall in FPPX

 

PSCX —    Public Service Co. of Colorado, Comanche Plant, Pueblo, CO

62/63         Darby or Thrall gons with red rotary end; Athearn has done the Thralls

 

 

RTPX —    Southwest Public Service, Tolk Station, Muleshoe, TX

                    Wheelabrator Coal Services ACF bathtub gons with white rotary end; ATSF pool power; Atlas has done them

 

SATX —    Public Service Board of San Antonio, Elmendorf, TX

92/93        Thrall gons with red rotary end; run through SP GE units; Athearn has done them

 

 

SDEX —    Southwest Public Service, Harrington Station, Amarillo, TX

02/03        Swindell-Dressler Ortner and Pullman rapid discharge hoppers; Athearn has done the Ortners

 

 

UFIX —    Houston Power & Light, Smithers Lake, TX

50/51         Utility Fuels Inc. Berwick or ACF bathtub gons with orange rotary end; Athearn has done the Berwicks, Atlas has done the ACFs

  

Southbound BN train 50, a UFIX loads bound for HP&L, 

crossing Monument Creek in the Springs.
Larry Green, 1979

 

BN Coal —  Bethlehem and Pullman 4000 cuft triple hoppers with white rotary end; Walthers has done the Beths, 

                     Tangent has done the Pullmans

 

BN Ore —   taconite train from Iron Range to CF&I, Pueblo, CO

                     BN and predecessor ore hoppers

 

Southbound BN train of Iron Range taconite headed for CF&I in Pueblo

 runs past the Springs yard

Robert Harmen, 1977

 

D&RGW

 

C&IM —   Illinois Power, Federal, IL

711/712      Mix of D&RGW and MP Bethehem quad hoppers; occasional run through MP SD40-2s to Denver; ExactRail has done the quads

  

CCTX —    Central Power & Light, Coleto Creek, TX

707/708    unique FMC bathtub gons with light blue rotary end

 

CELX —    Celanese Corp. co-gen plant, Kings Mill, TX

725/726    ex-SSIX Richmond Tank Car rapid discharge hoppers, later mixed with C&W, IPSX, MIDX and ex-NASX Ortners

 

CSUX —   City of Colorado Springs Dept. of Public Utilities, Nixon Plant, Fountain, CO

709/710    Ortner rapid discharge hoppers with billboard yellow CSDPU; Athearn has done them in original CSDPU and the later CSDU

 

 

UP Ore —  iron ore train from Cedar City, UT to CF&I, Pueblo, CO

774/775     mix of UP ore gons and hoppers

 

Southbound D&RGW train 774 handled iron ore off the UP headed for CF&I in Pueblo

 

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