December 2012 Around Kansas City

Freshly repainted CIT SD40-2 rebuild at Mid-America Car in Kansas City. This unit started life as an SP SD40.

Which of these two parts are from a locomotive soon to return to service? If you chose the modern safety cab over the E8 radiator hatch, you are mistaken. The safety cab is from a scrapped SD90, and the E8 hatch will go back on a classic covered wagon currently being overhauled here at Mid-America Car.

Passing KCS West Wye Tower at the east end of Joint Agency Yard is CP Train 271 with the sole remaining IMRL painted unit left on the CP Roster at the helm. I'd seen this engine a handful of times over the past few years and finally got it on the point under sun.

Ex-Rock Island hopper headed north in CP Train 271 at KCS West Wye Tower.

Easing up to the Argentine Fuel Pad is BNSF Train J CRALAJ 01A with the Oregon Talgo Train moving from the factory in Wisconsin towards the AAR Test Center near Pueblo, CO for evaluation and qualification, running down the BNSF Emporia Sub.

A pair of GEVOs take BNSF Train Q CHILAC6 02K up to the Argentine Fuel Pad past BNSF Train J CRALAJ 01A, the Oregon Talgo Train headed to the AAR Test Track in Colorado.

A pair of Heritage 2 Dash-9s move BNSF Train H KCKBAR3 022A towards California, just out of the gate at Holliday on the BNSF Emporia Sub.

A pair of Ex-BN Grinstein SD70MACs slug it out on BNSF Train U CMGEAP 47T headed past Holliday on the BNSF Emporia Sub. Fast Track.

A Grinstein heads up grain empty BNSF Train X PGZWIC9 01A on the BNSF Emporia Sub. at Holliday.

Passing Holliday on the BNSF Emporia Sub. is Oregon Talgo Train running from the factory in Wisconsin towards the AAR Test Center near Pueblo, CO for evaluation and qualification, running BNSF Train J CRALAJ 01A.

Buffer car on BNSF Train J CRALAJ 01A, used for braking since the Talgo Equipment is cutout.

With the 2nd unit now isolated, BNSF Train U CMGEAP 47T is in notch 8 climbing the hill at College Boulevard on the BNSF Emporia Sub. with a few thousand tons of ore.

A Grinstein SD70MAC leads BNSF Train X PGZWIC9 01A under College Boulevard in northern Olathe on the BNSF Emporia Sub.

Ottawa Local power from BNSF Train R KAN0031 02I heads back to BNSF Argentine Yard as a pair of light Santa Fe GP50s, seen here at College Boulevard on the BNSF Emporia Sub.

Oregon Talgo Train heads west as BNSF Train J CRALAJ 01A from Wisconsin towards the AAR Test Center near Pueblo, CO for evaluation and qualification, running down the BNSF Emporia Sub. Here the train is seen passing under College Boulevard.

It's 53 miles to Kansas City, but the light pollution is evident, even from here on a clear night. In an hour or so, the Fs will highball to KC. You might even notice a streak from the Geminid meteor shower, which has been going oQ the past few nights.

I'd say this was definitely the best looking object with wheels in Drexel toniht.

Typically KCS 1 leads the train, so I figured I'd show KCS 2 trailing. After all, you don't have an A-B-A set without the 2 and 3.

For the first time since 2007 and only the second time ever, the KCS Holiday Train makes a stop in Drexel, home of the Bobcats.

A long transfer from BNSF Murray Yard to KCS Knoche Yard heads through Lydia Street on the Coal Route.

A KCS SW1500 sits with a long string of CREX Dash-8s about to head towards Quality Rail in Madison, IL, and the CN.

These CREX Dash-8s will soon be moving to a new home on the CN. They are just outside Mid-America Car, and will move to Quality Rail in Madison, IL for more work via the KCS. They are obviously still in UP paint, and were all built for the CNW.

A weather beaten mug looks at the radiators of a sister awaiting new life on the CN.

A long string of CREX Dash-8s are about to head east towards via KCS to Quality Rail in Madison, IL, and a new home on the CN.

A long string of CREX Dash-8s are about to head east towards via KCS to Quality Rail in Madison, IL, and a new home on the CN.

Hints of its CNW heritage linger in the cab with the ATC and the CCS equipment still in place but inoperative. Looks like they never bothered to patch out the UP lettering while it was leased to the CSX.

EMDX GP38-2s coming off lease from the BNSF are congregating in KC on their way to Mid-America Car. That'll do, by the way.

Rudy and the rest of the KCS Holiday Express is swarmed by kids and families on the final evening of this year's Holiday Train. You can bet that after the unthinkable events that took place in Newtown, CT this past Friday, the parents in attendance were a little more thankful to have their kiddos to hold.

It's a good day when you can get 4 matching F-Units in the same shot. Closer to the camera we have the KCS Southern Belle's power, and in the distance we have the former KCS 4, which was one used in the same capacity on the business train, back when all 4 wore the Brunswick Green like the passenger cars. Today #34 lives at Kansas City Union Station on display. The 2012 Holiday Express will wrap up in a few hours, and the A-B-A set will blast south with the Belle back to Shreveport and leave their matching sister behind.

Old Gateway Western caboose sitting on the old intermodal ramp at KCS Knoche Yard.

Loads of non-turbo yard units congregate at UP Quindaro Yard in KCK.

Passing through a Track Bulletin Form B on the UP KC Metro Sub. at St. Louis Avenue is UP Train IDULB 18 passing men and equipment.

Yeah, its just a GEVO, but UP calls them C45ACCTEs. This one is shoving on the rear end of UP Train IDULB 18 at St. Louis Avenue on the UP KC Metro Sub.

The Bananas roll KCT Train 310 back into KCT Mill Street Yard with 6 cars from UP Armourdale Yard. In the distance is the closed Adams Street Tower and the Kemper Arena, in KCMO.

Getting underway past the Lake City Ammunition Plant is UP Train MKCAS 18 with a trio of CSX standard cabs in matching paint on the UP River Sub.

Passing over a drainage ditch on the UP River Sub. just west of Buckner is UP Train MKCAS 18 with a trio of standard cabbed CSX Locomotives.

A trio of CSX standard cabs rattle the small town of Levasy as they move UP Train MKCAS 18 towards St. Louis via the UP River Sub.

Passing my grandpa's place in a hurry is UP Train MNLAS 23 with a pair of EMD SD70s.

On a clear warm December morning, UP Train QNLINB 23 blasts north on the UP Hoxie Sub. between Poplar Bluff and Dexter.

Headed for a meet at Junland with the QTXAS 23 is UP Train MASNL 23, the only regular southbound train besides the local on this portion of the UP Hoxie Sub.

A yellow pair of GEs take UP Train QTXAS 23 up the UP Hoxie Sub. after a meet with the MASNL 23 at Junland.

Time for more paperwork and a quick lunch and it's back to work for KCT Train 217. This crew will tie up with about 10 hours in today, catching back up after the Christmas holiday.

One of the new Citirail GEVOs sit at Mid-America Car for semup. These aren't much to look at from the side, but they're neat from the front.

A pair of recently repainted CITX SD40s sit in the snow aˆ!at Mid-America Car.

This Ex-Alaska Railroad power car looks right at home in this weather. Note that the ICG Paducah Shop plate is still on this end of the engine. Sitting in Mid-America Car.

The only patched CNW AC4400CW with an unpatched nose sits at KCS Knoche Yard as a DPU on a coal load. Thanks to our friend in Chicagoland for this one. You know who you are.

Crossing over from Main Track 2 at Troost all the way over to 102, the Low Line is UP Train MTUKC 29, about to head into 100 yard at UP Neff Yard.

KCS 34 sits in Track 280 under a few inches of snow as UP Train AGBML 31 sneaks up to a red at Kansas City Union Station.

KCS 125th Anniversary car in the middle of UP Train AGBML 31 at Kansas City Union Station.

All but 1 of the KCT lettered diesels on the WATCO Roster are resting at KCT Mill Street Yard, and will do so until the 2nd day of 2013.