The Sugar Land Skyline is Changing

The increased pace of demolition at the old Imperial Sugar mill here in Sugar Land has motivated me to get out and capture some views before the Sugar Land “skyline” changes forever.

Pretty much everything will be demolished save the “char house”, the iconic red brick building. The interior of the char house will be converted into loft apartments.  I guess this is what happens when progress is defined as developers making money…

This past Wednesday morning, I heard one eastbound and 2 westbounds were waiting for a welder to clear up at Harlem. I headed out just before the welder’s track & time expired, hoping for a quick trifecta.

First up was a KCS manifest with 2 KCSM Belles leading a KCS SD70MAC.

KCSM 4720 East crossing Oyster Creek, just east of CP SA025, on October 6, 2010

A BNSF empty grain train arrived about 15 minutes later. I was glad to see a warbonnet on the point, albeit with an orange cab door and A/C unit.

An empty grain train, BNSF 784 West, crossing Oyster Creek in Sugar Land, TX on Oct. 6, 2010

These first two shots are taken from the same location, just from different sides of Oyster Creek.

Right on the grain train’s block was an MEWSA train, UP 4097 West. This shot is about 1/2 mile west of Oyster Creek.

UP 4057 West at the east switch of Sugar Land, CP SA025, on Oct. 6, 2010

Trifecta Mission Accomplished.