Out & About – Oct. 27, 2011

The downtown video job I was on this past Thursday ended early enough to where I could make a drive-by of the far west end of UP’s Englewood Yard.

I made it as far as the Waco Street overpass, MP 359.3 of the Terminal sub, where I encountered the QEWWC (Quality Englewood – West Colton). It was conducting its air test in preparation for departure. (You might recall a post from March 11, 2010 where I have a 1989 shot from this same location.)

UP 8552 prepares to depart Englewood Yard with a QEWWC train on Oct. 27, 2011.

As I was taking the above photo, I could hear an eastbound approach. I couldn’t see what it was because the overpass blocked my view. I only had to wait a moment before BC Rail (British Columbia Railway) GE 4646 popped into view with a light engine move into Englewood.

I’ve never seen BCRail power in Houston, or anywhere in the U.S. for that matter. The closest was some retired BCRail ALCO’s that were en route to Mexico in the mid 1990’s. I guess you really can see anything, anywhere, these days.

Since no other shots were available of the wayward Canadian locomotive, I moved west to the Bringhurst Avenue grade crossing to await the  departure of the QEWWC.

Within 5 minutes, the QEWWC got highballed by the car department and started pulling west. Unfortunately, it traveled less than a mile before stopping short of Bringhurst Ave. account traffic at Tower 26.

I swapped lenses, putting the 70-200 in order to get these shots of the 8552 as it waited signal indication to proceed.

Note the Waco Street overpass is in the background of the next shot, illustrating just how little the 8552  moved after departing Englewood.

The train hasn’t moved in the 4 previous views, but I was able to achieve the different perspectives by adjusting my location slightly and using the full range of  the 70-200 lens.

As the QEWWC wasn’t going anywhere soon, I headed home via South Main Street.

As I arrived at the South Post Oak grade crossing, I saw UP 7317, a MEWEY (Manifest Englewood – East Yard train getting re-crewed at Heacker.

As this train wasn’t moving soon either, I packed it in and headed home.