Railroad Photography Questions In Texas

[RudyRockvilleMD]

My wife and I will visit San Antonio and Dallas, TX during late September and early October so I have some questions about the railfanning opportunities in and near those cities. We will have rental cars in both San
Antonio and Dallas/Fort Worth so we will fly between Dallas/ Forth Worth and San Antonio rather than drive.

1. We will take day trips from San Antonio to Austin and to Johnson City, (LBJ Ranch), are there any places for photographing trains in either Austin or Johnson City, or on the way to either city?

2. I will have some free time between sightseeing in San Antonio so I want to photograph the Pearl Brewing Company’s steeple cab electric locomotives if they are still in use.
Where is the Pearl Brewery located in San Antonio?
Does the Pearl Brewing Company still use “steeple cab” electric
locomotives to switch freight cars in brewery? If so, how many do
they own?

Are there any special times of the day when the electric
locomotives switch the freight cars around the
brewery?

Do the tracks run where there is public access?

Are the electric locomotives kept in an area where they may be
easily photographed when they are not in use?

Is the area around the Pearl Brewing company safe during the day?

I also want to photograph trains around the former Towers 105 - 112 complex on the south side of San Antonio.
Is that area safe during the daytime hours?

A Trains Hot Spots article about San Antonio suggests the
Guadalupe Street overpass over the former MP tracks as a good
photo vantage point. Are there other photo vantage points available
in that area without trespassing on railroad or other private property?

3. I will have some free time in the Dallas/Fort Worth area so I was thinking of running up to Denison to photograph trains crossing the Red River Bridge.
How accessible is the railroad bridge over the Red River without
having to trespass?

I was also thinking of photographing the trains of the Trinity Railroad Express, and here I am open to suggestions of interesting photo locations.
When do they run their RDC’s?
Do DART or the Trinity Railroad Express permit photographing
trains from their station platforms without a permit?

4. What is the Fort Worth & Western’s typical operating pattern?

The last time I was in Fort Worth was in 1985, and I took the time to photograph trains in the vicinity ofTower 55. While you were trespassing on railroad property you could get away with it there if you were careful, and acted in a safe manner. I understand today photographing trains in the vicinity of Tower 55 is no longerpossible because ramps between the I 30 - I 35 W interchanges block the views, you are on railroad property, and the area around the tower has deteriorated.

Rudy

[Anonymous]

Rudy--

I'll try to answer some of your questions. Someone like Ed may also want to jump in as there is a lot of info to share.....

SAT/DFW. Both have photogenic station sites--DAL at Union Station downtown, where you can see ATK, TRE, Dart Light Rail, and all the through freight (UP, BNSF, DGNO) in one spot. Take the sidewalk up on the Houston St. Viaduct just south of the station, if it's still there. SAT Sunset Station is on the UP E-W main, and it sees a lot of traffic. Or go (carefully--it's not a good area in the daytime, and NEVER EVER go at night!) to the New Braunfels Ave bridge over East Yard, or to the big curve at the west end of the yard by IH35. Lots of other places as well. The ex-SP roughly parallels IH35 east of town, and the ex-MP parallels US281 north of town, and they run parallel on the SW side of town by Kelly USA (old Kelly AFB).

1. Austin. The UP runs right up the middle of Loop 1 north of downtown. The Colorado Bridge is visible from W 1st Street and from the Amtrak Station behind the YMCA. One place a lot of people have gone is the McNeil store off McNeil Road at the UP, where it crosses the Austin Terminal (ex-SP Llano branch). Also consider Round Rock where IH35 crosses the UP, plus if you go near dusk you can catch a bat colony under the bridge that is almost as big as the better-known one under the Congress Ave. Bridge downtown. Between SAT and AUS, UP roughly parallels IH35 and can be seen in New Braunfels (at the old MP station downtown, for example, that also has a model RR layout and small museum) and in San Marcos downtown. Sorry, no RR ever went to Johnson City (but go on to Stonewall for the bumper crop of peaches this year and to Fredericksburg for shopping and the Nimitz museum, and to a bunch of pretty good wineries in the area, if you are so inclined). There is an old tunnel in a small state park SE of Fredericksburg around Grape Creek that has an impressive bat colony living in it.

2. Pearl Brewery and TX Traction. Sorry, you're too late. The tracks have been paved over and the brewery (on the north side of downtown) has been closed and is partially demolished. Not entirely sure where the motors went.

3. The Red River bridge is visible and has a parallel highway immediately east. The old Katy depot is a museum--check it out. South SAT is about as safe as any other downtown area near the RR away from Sunset Station, i.e., be careful, and don't go after dark. TRE runs both the RDCs and the bilevels out of DAL Union Station. I have heard nothing regarding requirements for photography from the platforms--maybe someone else knows.

4. No idea re: FTWW operations.

Hope this helps, and hope you enjoy your trip. Make sure you get some BBQ and Mexican Food while you're here. Be glad to suggest places, and I know Ed has posted some, too. Running out of time for now. May try to add info later.[:D][C):-)][#welcome]