GP40 #220 leads the way on a westbound freight at Brookshire,Tx (35 miles west of Houston). An agent was still present in the town as evidenced by the order board above the last engine.

An E8 and E7 lead a 12 car commuter train to the end of the evening run at Joliet,Ill. The cars were built in the 20's.

The fireman on MP B23-7 #4606 prepares to grab orders at the Santa Fe station at Alvin,Tx. This train entered the Santa Fe at Algoa Jct (a few miles away) from the Missouri Pacific Kingsville Div... (more)

One of a number of SP RS-11 units that worked in the Houston area at that time.

SP #7243 is helping out on the eastbound Sunset Limited near East Bernard,Tx (about 50 miles west of Houston).

Shortly after leaving the Houston station, the eastbound Sunset Limited is between the SP Hardy St shops and Englewood Yard. Ex-CZ observation Silver Lookout adds class to the consist.

ex-NYC GP9 works at Collinwood along with an ex-PRR caboose under the highway bridge built in 1925.

The southbound Southern Crescent has just left the station in Laurel -- only 140 miles to New Orleans.

The porter on the westbound Sunset Limited waits for passengers to board ex-UP 10-6 Pacific View. Miss that steam!

I believe this was the only F unit painted blue by Conrail. Ex-NYC F7 #1648 is at the Collinwood Shops east of Cleveland.

It was a busy day on the west side of the EL yard/shops in Marion -- just a few weeks before Conrail.

An SP crew change on the eastbound Sunset Limited.

The southbound Southern Crescent is just north of Peachtree Station in Atlanta on its daily trip from New York. Every other day it would continue to New Orleans.

The Panama Limited consist headed straight to the wash racks after arrival. This is an ex-Seaboard Air Line tavern lounge observation car

This MKT work train had an interesting array of equipment -- including a heavyweight car, troop sleeper and an oversize load passing through Coupland ,Tx.

Another tough winter for Amtrak before HEP. The Amtrak coach yard is full of cars with steam heat - trying to stay thawed out before the next run.

#3136 crosses the SP Ft.Worth line at the abandoned Tower 94. This is on the Santa Fe Dallas-Cleburne line.

A couple of mostly clean units. Second engine is GP40 #4704

ex-passenger #335 leads a southbound freight out of the Santa Fe yard at Cleburne,Tx

Southbound -- about 60 miles north of Austin

At the Houston Belt & Terminal shops

A northbound UP excursion with #8444 south of Cheyenne

Southern #4501 (along with a couple of FP7) heads north along Lake Ponchatrain on an excursion to Hattiesburgh

E8 #205 (ex-B&O) and #311 (ex-PRR) are among the engines at the Amtrak shops in Chicago.

Four EL E8 head west out of the Marion yard. The second unit was #810 - one of the two E8 demonstrator units delivered in 1951.

One woman braves the "blizzard" conditions waiting for the southbound Lone Star. Amtrak was still using the Santa Fe schedule board for the Lone Star and InterAmerican.

A typical late 70's dining car setup for Amtrak. This is on an ex-Santa Fe diner on the Lone Star.

I guess South Station has changed a little bit since this shot.

Working the west side of the EL yard

I wish this engine had been saved. #2900 was the demonstrator unit for the RS-11 series (1956). It ran out its last days in Houston. Here it is at the downtown SP yard near the Amtrak station.

Two ex-SP F units work at the L&NW main shops and yard in Homer,La

E6 #630 is headed to the yard after delivering the evening commuter run. The Rock Island main -- rough!

Late in the evening, E7 #641 is ready to head to the yard after delivering the evening commuter run.

Eastbound between La Grange and Sealy - headed to Houston.

2 of the 3 GE U23B the Katy purchased in 1973

Northbound by the old coal tower at McAlester

As the moon tries to shine through the Houston smog,#106 sits quietly in the Katy yard. This engine was one of 28 delivered between 1950 and 1952. They replaced the last of the MKT steam power.

After a very successful trip to the 1990 NRHS convention in St.Louis, #819 heads home thru Illinois.

The westbound San Francisco Zephyr passes the UP yard as it departs Denver. The passengers are riding backwards to Cheyenne where the engines will be put back in front of the baggage cars for the ... (more)

The race is on -- outbound from Chicago Union Station

#78C was an FP7 - it had a steam boiler for use on the occasional passenger assignment in its early days. The other unit was F7 #72C.

KCS F units head west between Shreveport and Greenville near Sulphur Springs,Tx

Headed inbound to the station -- great trackwork!

On the Rock Island main - #435 works some cars out of the yard on the north side of Ft.Worth

Always something interesting at the now abandoned SP shops.

One of the SP C628 (in their last months) used to push cars over the hump at Englewood Yard.

Westbound into the yards

This is during the period that Amtrak wanted the railroads business cars painted in Amtrak colors if they wanted to use them on their trains. #1 was built in 1956 by Pullman Standard

#1052 works the yard along a deadline of mostly RS-3 during the last weeks of the EL. I wonder what the crew was going to do with the piece of plywood?

West of Cleveland on the ex-NYC

Waiting to do some local work on the Dallas-Houston line about 50 miles nw of Houston.

This southbound freight is headed into the siding on the Ft.Worth-Galveston line -- about 50 miles west of Houston.

Ex-UP E9 #414 races west with a very late Lake Shore Limited along ex-NYC trackage west of downtown Cleveland.

The northbound Southern Crescent probably somewhere in Alabama passing the "beautiful" kudzu.

Southbound out of the Santa Fe shop and yards. Cleburne is about 30 miles south of Ft.Worth.

Southbound between Temple and Cameron. Due to a power shortage, Santa Fe had put quite a few B units back into sevice - some still in passenger paint.

After leaving the station, the Lone Star heads north on the Santa Fe.

On the ATSF Ft.Worth-Galveston Southern Division - about 100 miles north of Houston. The Santa Fe line to Silsbee begins here.

Eastbound Sunset Ltd on the SP coming off the passenger main near the Hardy St. Shops. The SP line to Shreveport starts at the long gone tower.

Eastbound Sunset Ltd on the SP between Hardy St. Shops and Englewood Yard. Ex-CZ Silver Lookout is on the back.

The CN roundhouse at the Spadina Shops

A BN heater car is pulled out of the station. The station building in the background still exists but the track area is now the site of the Astros Minute Maid park.