Kansas City Southern De Mexico (KCSM) 4098 - EMD SD70ACe

Intermodal train tied down at the north end of the yard by an empty field.

Not the best lighting. The tracks come around a sweeping curve to the right, making for a mostly backlit photo, but it was worth a try from the drug store parking lot.

Its now pushing 1730, and the shadows are falling. A last look in daylight as the 261 rolls its 37 cars north, just south of Anderson.

The KCS crosses the Elk River here at Ginger Blue, a good shot most of the year, though in the winter the sun doesnt make it around to the west side of the bridge. Its 1700, and this side of the train is barely in the sun.

The road that comes out of Noel is Kings Highway, which crosses the tracks here at Butler Creek. Access from the south is via Bluff Dwellers Road, off MO 59, an easy turn off that takes you to a low water crossing and this shot,

After the disaster with the tractor, it took me til Sulphur Springs to catch up, getting this shot off the Ark 59 bridge.

Just like the day before, I heard the horn and took off. I wasnt able to catch the train in Siloam, but did get ahead to get the shot here on Main St in Gentry. My luck ran out about two minutes later, when I pulled out onto Ark 59. I made it up to CP North Gentry easily enough, then got bogged down in a back up behind a guy in a tractor who decided 1630 on a Monday was a good time to go out onto a busy two lane road with few passing zones, doing every bit of 20 MPH. When I caught up to him, I could still see the 261 train pulling away, and my chance of getting a shot at Decatur or Gravette going away quickly.

The crew of the southbound watches as the northbound passes, some of the southbound M 262 visible in this wider angle shot.

The crew of the southbound is on the ground to do a roll by of the 56 car empty grain train. It will hold here, I will go after the southbound down to Westville, getting a couple of shots before the clouds move in.

I had started out with a southbound that met an empty grain train at Siloam; now there was another meet in the mix, the same southbound meeting this empty grain train. I had heard them talking about the meet on the radio, and went south to see if I could intercept the northbound. I was able to get him just as he reached the crossing north of Westville,

The northbound grainer rolls into the sweeping curve at MP 237, just south of Watts, ready to take the siding for the waiting southbound.

The northbound passes a large tree as it makes its way along US 59 en route to the meet at Watts.

The northbound grain move approaches signal 238-0, showing approach, as it will take the siding there, to meet the southbound holding the main. Interestingly, the defect detector here an MP 238 still announces "KCS detector." The detector at Davidson Road, north of Siloam, MP 226.7, has announced CPKC for a couple of months.

The northbound grain train passes the Hudson Foods mill between Westville and Watts. Its now a Tyson facility

UP Brownsville Sub

UP Brownsville Sub

C`ming off the KCS connector

This was a KCSM Unit trailing on a coal train at the Catalpa Street Crossing in Springfield, MO.

BNSF and KCSM EMD's lead a loaded TVA coal train east

Built early 2007, first KCSM ACe I've caught.

BNSF and KCSM SD70ACe's lead a loaded coal train east

NS train 72Z (Memphis TN - Kingston TN) races east on a hot Thursday afternoon with a nice EMD duo on point