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Back in June of 2008, Union Pacific's (UP) Desoto carshop had an open house, so my dad and I headed down to DeSoto, Missouri, to take a tour of the facility. De Soto carshop The settlement of the De Soto area dates back to 1803, and the town of De Soto was later incorporated in 1869. The town's website says that the St. Louis & Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad (StLIM&S) came to the De Soto area in 1859 and built a depot for the town. However, Union Pacific's (UP) website states the railroad came to De Soto in 1857. Perhaps the two-year difference is due to when the railroad was first being built at De Soto and when it was completed. The first carshop was built by the StLIM&S Railway in 1865. Later the StLIM&S was merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad , which continued to expand and use the carshop. A tool chest at the UP carshop in Desoto, MO. Today, the carshop and De Soto Subdivision, which the carshop sits along, are part of UP, which merged wit

Amtrak trains on the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision

- November 01, 2021

The CSX Syracuse Terminal Subdivision The Syracuse Terminal Subdivision was formed from the western end of the CSX Mohawk Subdivision in January 2011. The Syracuse Terminal Subdivision starts at Control Point (CP) 263 (milepost QC 263.8) in Oneida, New York. It then goes west to CP296 (MP QC 296.8) at Airport Road, to the west of Solvay, New York. The Mohawk Subdivision now ends at the westbound absolute signals (WAS) of CP263, since CP263 is part of the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. On the western end, the STS meets the CSX Rochester Subdivision and ends at the westbound absolute signals. CP296 is part of the Rochester Subdivision. Both the Syracuse Terminal Subdivision and the Rochester Subdivision are controlled by CSX's NF dispatcher in Jacksonville, Florida. Auto 280/CP280 On October 2, 2021, I caught AMTK 711 leading train P063 at Auto 280/CP280 (MP QC 280.5), along the three-track segment of the subdivision. Auto 280/CP280 sits along Saintsville Road in Kirkville, New Yo

Boeing 737 fuselages on a BNSF train in the West Bottoms of KC.

- March 13, 2022

On Memorial Day Weekend in 2007, I was in Kansas City, Missouri, visiting friends. While visiting, one of my friends and I ventured out to the West Bottoms of Kansas City for a photography outing. There we happened upon a northbound BNSF train hauling newly built Boeing 737 fuselages. The Boeing 737 fuselages The fuselages on this train are B737 Next Generation (NG) models. The B737 NG was first produced in 1996. Boeing's 737 fuselages are built at Spirit AeroSystems' (SA) plant in Wichita, Kansas. According to SA's website, the company was founded when Boeing sold its Wichita plant to SA in 2005. SA then continued building fuselages at the plant for Boeing. After the fuselages are built by SA they take a train ride to Boeing's assembly plant at Renton, Washington. Looking south toward the 12th Street viaduc t, as the Boeing train rolls north through the West Bottoms. Route of the fuselages BNSF uses specially modified flatcars, like the ones seen in the photographs h

The "Green Bridge" over CP282 and the east side of DeWitt Yard

- May 04, 2022

The "Green Bridge" is a nickname for a pedestrian bridge in Minoa, New York. The bridge crosses over the eastern edge of CSX's DeWitt Yard and Syracuse Terminal Subdivision between North Main Street and South Main Street. There is no road crossing connecting the two streets, so the bridge allows pedestrians to cross safely over the tracks. It also gives railfans access to safely watch and photograph train movements on the eastern end of DeWitt Yard. The "Green Bridge" at CP282 Looking at the north access ramp, as an ex-Wisconsin Central boxcar on train Q626-06 begins to roll under the Green Bridge. The Green Bridge earned its nickname because it is painted green. Though these days, the green color is faded, and reddish-brown rust seems to be more prominent. The bridge crosses directly over the top of control point (CP) 282 of CSX's Syracuse Terminal Subdivision. The bridge is a popular railfan hangout, even though the bridge can make photography difficult.

Waiting at CP-320 for CSXT 1973 "Chessie System" at Savannah, NY.

- July 05, 2023

CSX's latest heritage unit , CSXT 1973, commemorating the Chessie System, made an appearance in Central New York (CNY) on July 4th. The locomotive was leading intermodal train I157-03. With the family in tow (and for some reason my wife deciding to come along with us) we headed to Savannah, New York, to see it. I003-04 rolls west under the cantilever signal bridge on the western edge of CP-320. Shortly after arriving at Control Point (CP) 320 of CSX's Rochester Subdivision in Savannah, NY., the first train to make an appearance was I003-04. I003 was making it's daily trek from South Kearny, NJ, to Bedford Park, IL. Bedford Park is a suburb of Chicago, IL. X363-03 rolls under the EAS cantilever signal bridge at CP-320. Amtrak's Empire Service train P281 was next, but I skipped photographing it. Then came X363-03, led by CSXT 3410 and CSXT 5350. X363 is an extra (X) M363 . X363 was running M363's normal route from CSX's Selkirk Yard in Selkirk, NY., to Avon