1 A Railfan Guide to the Texas Panhandle For the Santa Fe Railway Historical and Modeling Society 26th Annual Convention Amarillo, Texas • July 20 - 23, 2006 Compiled by Keel Middleton, Jeff Ford and Jay Miller

In addition to the Tour bus listing of Ross Street. DeBruce Grain is the Fort Worth & Denver Depot that is being handed out, these loca- former Continental Grain that is lo- The FW&D depot is in use by the tions are of interest to railfans at- cated off the Boise City sub West leg BNSF and sits under the Pierce tending the Amarillo convention. of wye and the ex Rock Island Lib- Street overpass. It serves as the Amarillo is a snapshot of the BNSF eral line. The large grain elevators North Yard (ex BN) yard office and merger with the former ATSF Trans- are located between NE Third Street crew change point and houses the con main line with all the intermodal and Amarillo Blvd (old Route 66). Terminal staff. This depot was also trains that it runs crossing the for- DeBruce has two Geeps for elevator built about 1910. It was original- mer BN line that became a primary power that they use to load and un- ly constructed with a red tile roof coal line. The crossing of the two was load cars. The Union Pacific brings complete with an ornate tower. It at East Tower where also the Santa most of the grain in to the elevator received a flat roof when the Pierce Fe had the secondary Boise City Sub and their power can bee seen on the Street overpass was built over it. join the Transcon. Since the merger, old Power Plant spur. There are ac- FW&D Roundhouse the Boise City and the BN north of tually two large grain elevators here The old roundhouse is still stand- Amarillo have become a directional that are both owned by DeBruce ing as a storage building east of the running pair of railroads between Grain, one was Continental and the ATSF/BN crossing on Philadelphia Amarillo and Pueblo. This part of other was Producers. Located next Street at SE 3rd. It is not much to the railroad handles coal, grain and to this, is the ATSF Grand Street see, but still exists none the less. Team track, a cement plant and a manifest traffic with the ATSF Boi- Rock Island Engine House se City sub being the southbound scrap yard, all still served by BNSF and the UP. For those listening in to Located in the former Rock Island track and the BN Dalhart sub being yard that is now part of BNSF North the northbound track. Southeast of the BNSF or UP, you will hear the crews talking about coming out on yard, this metal two stall building is Amarillo on the former BN, it has still standing and used as a Mainte- gained much traffic since the merger the West leg of the wye or out of Zone 9, or possibly even 901 track. nance of Way shed. This is north and with intermodal traffic running west east of the FW&D depot. of Fort Worth to the west coast. Us- Amarillo Stock Yards ing the former Rock Island mainline The Amarillo Stock Yards is located Rock Island Main line in Amarillo and the Million Dollar very near the elevators east of town. The Rock Island main Memphis to Connection and a new connection es- It is located between the former Tucumcari main line passed through tablished at West Tower, these inter- FW&D and Rock Island lines and Amarillo on an almost East to West modal trains now pass through Am- also had a spur off the Santa Fe that alignment. The BN took over a few arillo without changing crews. Those now serves a scrap yard. Of course miles of the line from east of town crews run from Clovis to Childress the stock yards no longer ships cat- near the Progress Rail Car shops to and are trains that were moved from tle by rail but is still in the original 15 miles west of Amarillo at Bush- the Slaton and Sweetwater subs. location and there is a feed elevator land to serve an elevator and helium The former ATSF line that was located off the Rock Island tracks plant. The two story depot used to heavily loaded with intermodal traf- (north of the stock yard). The Amaril- sit near Polk Street crossing but was fic with a healthy mix of automobiles lo Livestock Auction has a good café torn down after the BN took over the and manifest traffic, now is getting inside of it that is open during lunch line. The Rock Island crossed over a healthy load of grain traffic. Much and breakfast. The auction, estab- the BN just west of the depots on a of that terminates in the Texas Pan- lished in 1940, remains the largest grade separation. This overpass is handle for feedlots. Kansas City and livestock auction in the world. still in service near 3rd & Hughes Fort Worth are the only other places Streets. The Rock Island has a Santa Fe Depot bridge over 6th street that still has on the BNSF that have a similar Located on East 3rd and Grant traffic mix that Amarillo does. It is the Rock Island Logo on it. West of streets is the original 1910 ATSF 6th street the Rock Island is aban- not unusual for the BNSF to run 100 depot. It is now an upscale antique doned and is a walking trail. trains per day through Amarillo, so shop and auction gallery. The REA there are plenty of trains for the rail- Express building sits directly south Amarillo & North fan to see. of the depot. The old freight house Rocla Tie Plant tracks located south of the depot The Rocla plant is located near NE Amarillo Proper were recently torn up when the third 24th street on the former ATSF Boi- Zone 9 main track was added between West se City sub. Rocla ships out many Zone 9 is the area located north of Tower and Washington. Best place to NE 3rd street, south of Amarillo photograph the depot is at the corner concrete ties via rail. They ship for Blvd, west of Grand Street and East of E. 4th and Garfield of a morning. both BNSF, and UP. Most of the ties 2

This map shows the railroads of the Texas Panhandle prior to the big mergers. Most of the old Rock Island has been abandoned but much of the others remain. for the current 2nd main track ex- two power plants here, one is gas Canadian River Bridge pansion on the Panhandle Sub have fired and one is coal fired. This was Heading north out of Amarillo on US come from the Rocla plant in Ama- the Southwestern Public Service 287, you will encounter an unusual rillo. Rocla was also the location of a Power plant for many years. overpass 14 miles north of Amarillo. wooden tie recycling center that took Asarco The old highway which is the north- in the used ties and shipped them The Asarco Smelter is a shell of its bound lanes goes under the tracks back out to various power plants for former self after a recent Asarco while the new highway which is a fuel source. strike that shut the plant down for a the southbound lanes goes over the Xcel Energy Harrington Plant while. Asarco ships out boxcar loads tracks. The old ATSF bridge that Northeast of Amarillo is the Asarco of copper and gondola loads of cop- goes over the northbound lanes has Spur off of the Boise City sub just per ingots. The plant used to get in an ATSF logo on the bridge. At MP north of NE 24th street. The 5 mile several flat car loads of copper ingots 19, the ATSF crosses the Canadian spur leads to both the Asarco Smelt- from New Mexico for smelting into River on one of the largest bridges er and the Harrington Power plant. refined copper. Asarco had their own on the system. The only way to get The power plant receives approxi- SW900 that I believe is still there. to it is by driving a sand road up mately one trainload of Powder Riv- The Rock Island also served this the roadbed of the river where four er Basin Coal per day. (Since we had plant at one time from the east side wheelers often run. A good morning no idea what time the train would be of the plant. ATSF served the smelt- photo, however, can be made of a here and the distance from Amarillo, er from the west side. The Rock Is- train crossing the river bridge from this was not on the tour). Seeing the land track was part of the Liberal to the highway. Just to the south of the dumping trestle is a long way from Amarillo line that was abandoned bridge is an access road that enters a public road and the speed on the when Lake Meredith was formed open range where a gate is near the spur is 10 MPH. There are actually near Fritch, TX. highway on the southbound side. 3

Marsh & Exell Stratford collection of equipment has been do- Near MP 27 the ATSF again crosses Stratford is the crossing with the nated to the Amarillo Railroad Mu- the highway by going over it near former Rock Island Golden State seum that is located along US60 east Marsh. Just to the south of this bridge Route. It is also the interchange with of town at TSTC. is an access road that goes east back the UP now. The UP was granted Warning: Pantex is a high security along the tracks for a short distance. trackage rights over the ATSF from area partolled by armed guards who The unused ATSF Marsh cattle pens Pueblo to Stratford then got back on take their jobs (rightfully) extremely are here plus there is a good view of the Golden State route and ran to seriously. Do not attempt to enter the the Boise City Sub trains from here. Dalhart where they exercised more plant grounds. A public road runs Remember that the trains normally trackage rights to Amarillo and Fort around most of the plant but photog- only run towards Amarillo from La Worth on the BN. BNSF runs a local raphy is at your own risk. Play it safe Junta on the Boise City sub. from Amarillo to Dalhart over the and just “look.” BN side, then uses the UP trackage Panhandle & the Panhandle Exell is at MP 35 and just south of rights they have to reach Stratford Northern Railway Exell, the ATSF again crosses the where the train goes back to Amaril- The City of Panhandle was the West highway on an overpass. Exell was lo over the ATSF side. This is part of end of the Santa Fe at one time and the location of the large helium the directional running that BNSF the location where the Santa Fe ran plant built during WW II that pro- is using here. Stratford also has a a short branch line south to Wash- duced many cars of revenue for the nicely restored ATSF depot moved burn to connect to the FW&D and ATSF. The plant is no longer in op- east of the crossing of the BNSF and then run on trackage rights to Ama- eration. An old GE 65 ton switcher UP that is a museum. along with a few of the helium cars rillo over them. remain on site. The equipment is be- Amarillo & East The PNR is the former ATSF Borg- hind a fence. TSTC er Branch that runs 20 miles north Dumas & Machovec Texas State Technical College is lo- from Panhandle to Borger which Dumas is the location that ATSF cated east of Amarillo along US 60 had the longest ATSF wooden depot still has a wooden depot on site. The about 9 miles east of downtown Am- on the system and at one time also railroad is not using it now and it arillo and south of the ATSF tracks. generated the most revenue of any is derelict, but still next to the rail- The current Amarillo Railroad Mu- station on the Santa Fe. Omnitrax road. A road switcher is based at Du- seum is located here along with a owned PNR now runs this line and mas. North of Dumas is Machovec couple of industries. This used to be switches the many petroleum plants and the Machovec spur. This long the location of the Amarillo Air Base. in Borger. PNR normally runs the spur connects to the Texas North- Many of the Air base warehouses road train at night from Borger to western Railway and BNSF inter- were recently torn down. A BNSF Panhandle to meet the BNSF local changes with them here. This was yard job switches out here bringing from Pampa to Amarillo. On rare oc- the meeting point at one time for in lumber and chemicals, usually at casions, the PNR will make the con- many coal trains until in the late night while going to the Tyson Meat nection in the daylight, with Sunday 1980s, BNSF had a serious wreck Packing plant. being the best chance for this to hap- with a switch not lined destroying Tyson Meats pen. If the PNR arrives in the day- several locomotives. Usually the About 10 miles east of Amarillo is light, it will usually be in the evening. empty train backed out on the spur Tyson Meats located north of the On real rare occasions, the PNR will to clear the loaded trains. At Macho- ATSF tracks and US 60. It was an be at Panhandle during the early vec, the ATSF built a short section of Iowa Beef Packing Plant (IBP) for morning. Phillips Petroleum is the Non block - Double track that was a many years but in 2005 became Ty- largest shipper in Borger, but there prime meeting place for trains when son Meats. The BNSF yard job nor- are some Carbon Blacks plants that the ATSF ran trains both directions mally switches the plant at night. ship many cars as well. The PNR on the Boise City Sub. uses a GP39-2, GP35, GP38-2 and a Pantex Plant Etter & Cactus GP40-2W for road power. Other pow- Located about 15 miles east of Ama- er is stored at Borger for yard jobs. Etter is the ATSF name for this sta- rillo, this atomic weapons plant and tion that produces many loads of PNR used to store many locomotives the trains that used to run in and for Omnitrax that were mostly out revenue for the BNSF. Etter is an- out of there are the subject of the other interchange point with the of service. Not sure if they are still Bob Roth clinic. At one time, the there or not. TXNW. Etter also has a large eleva- Rock Island also served the plant tor that ships unit grain trains. Et- from the northwest; of course the White Deer ter used to be the crossing with the tracks are long gone from there now. White Deer is the former Junction of Rock Island line from Spearman to A few years ago, Pantex decided to the Skellytown spur. This spur was Dalhart. ATSF had trackage rights quit shipping by rail and do it all abandoned in the late 1960s but the on the Rock from Spearman to Et- by truck. BNSF still has a wye that roadbed can still be seen at the west ter. The Santa Fe engine house still connects the plant from a long spur edge of town. The ATSF served sev- stands. BNSF also delivers a unit to the main line at the station of St. eral refineries in Skellytown. grain train to the TXNW at Etter Francis. Pantex has several of the Celanese to take to Sherin and spot with the atomic transport cars still on the Celanese is the large chemical plant BNSF power. Cactus is the town lo- property along with at least two en- south of US 60 and the ATSF tracks cated adjacent to Etter and was a gines and a couple of passenger cars between White Deer and Pampa lo- POW camp during WWII. it used for guard cars. Most of this cated at the ATSF station of Kings- 4 5

VHF Radio Channels BN North (Dalhart Sub) Ch. 70 161.160 BN East (Red River Valley Sub) Ch. 66 161.100 North Yard Lead Job Ch. 25 160.485 UP yard operations Ch. 96 161.550 Alternate channel for industry jobs Ch. 22 160.440 South Yard Taxi Channel Ch. 32 160.590 South Yard Car Department Ch. 94 161.520 Plainview Sub Ch. 30 160.560 Boise City Sub Ch. 72 161.190 Canadian to Amarillo Ch. 36 160.650 Amarillo to East Clovis Ch. 55 160.935 Amarillo Yard Ch. 84 161.370 Amarillo BN yard Ch. 46 160.800 Amarillo both sides on BN Ch. 66 161.100 Amarillo Roundhouse Ch. 51 160.875

During the daylight on weekdays, Channel 36 is used from Ama- rillo to Haney instead of Channel 55.

2 Meter Amateur Repeaters 146.66 (pl 88.5) W5WX West (Pahandle Amateur Radio Club) 146.94 (pl 88.5) W5WX North (Pahandle Amateur Radio Club) 444.20 (pl 88.5) Caprock Intertie (N5LTZ, open, linked up through Oklahoma Panhandle) 146.74 (pl 88.5) SW Lynx (N5ZLU, open, linked statewide)

AM Broadcast and National Weather Service 710 KGNC-AM 24 hr. news and weather (10,000 watts) 162.55 National Weather Service Amarillo 6 mill. The west side of this plant has C&OW, to reach Halliburton. Except the WTAMU horse barn can be in- a coal loop that gets coal trains from for a small portion of the spur, it is cluded in the shot. Canyon also has Colorado. In the early 1970s, the out of service. a depot that belongs to the city still D&RGW started running unit coal Miami on site that is a County seat style de- trains from west of Denver to this Miami hosts the former ATSF de- pot only instead of brick, it is stucco. plant. This of course has evolved pot along US 60 now as a museum. At the west edge of town, the Plain- into using SP power and now UP Miami is also a very scenic spot to view sub joins the Hereford Sub. The power. The Celanese plant has some watch BNSF trains from. Incidental- Plainview sub doesn’t have too much really unusual 6 axle tank cars that ly, Miami is the only town in Roberts traffic on it, but it can be very inter- serve this plant. Many times the County. About 5 miles west of Mi- esting. Just south of Canyon on the cars can be seen next to US 60 where ami is a very scenic overlook of the Plainview sub is a couple of scenic the Celanese switcher sets them for railroad. Trains can be seen leaving spot where trains will climb out of the BNSF. ATSF used to switch this Miami and passing the crossovers at the Palo Duro Creek Valley. Stay on plant with a yard job out of Pampa Codman before they disappear into US 60 all the way to Clovis to paral- until the late 1980s when it was con- the Red Deer Creek Valley behind lel the ATSF main line. tracted out. A pair of SW1500s reside the cliffs. Umbarger along the FM road on the east side of Umbarger is a small German settle- the plant. Canadian and the River Bridges Canadian no longer has the County ment west of Canyon that has an Cabot & Irish Pipe Seat depot that it once had or the elevator. Not too scenic, but east of The Cabot Corporation is a carbon Harvey House. It does still have a Umbarger is a long hill that takes blacks plant west of Pampa and modern ATSF brick depot used by most train quite a pull to get out of north of the tracks and US 60. Cabot MofW forces. The biggest draw for the Palo Duro Creek Valley at Can- gets tank car loads of oil in on the Canadian is that it has two large yon. Train can be seen for several west side of the plant and ships out bridges for the BNSF to cross the miles coming up this hill. Carbon blacks from the east side. Canadian River on the east side of Hereford The BNSF Pampa Switcher takes town. US 60 also crosses the river At Hereford the brick county seat care of switching this plant. West of just to the south of the two bridges. depot is used by the BNSF for a road Cabot is the National Oil Well Sup- There is an old wagon bridge that switcher and MofW forces. There ply that at one time was Irish Pipe. is between the highway and the was a former Ford Motor Company This plant gets in a few loads of railroad that is now been converted switcher at the elevator I am not scrap metal each year to make oil- into a walk bridge. It is a nice scenic sure if it is still there or at the grain field pipe. walk over the river watching trains loop on the east edge of town. Pampa go by. Canadian was once a crew The Hereford Sub has several loop Pampa hosts the current ATSF de- change point on the Santa Fe. It was tracks for elevators to hold feed for pot that is used as a crew base for eliminated as a crew change in 1956 the feed lots. They are located at the local road switcher stationed when it became one of the first run- Hereford, Summerfield and Friona. at Pampa and for the MofW forces throughs on the ATSF. Crew began The Summerfield loop gets two- dif stationed here. Pampa was an inter- running form Amarillo to Waynoka ferent kinds of grain trains, regular change with the FW&D west of the in September 1956. Canadian was corn trains and a ground corn both ATSF depot at one time. The FW&D eliminated as a division point in for cattle feed. There are many feed was abandoned into Pampa in the 1961. lots in the Texas Panhandle. Over early 1960s. The FW&D depot still Amarillo West 50% of the beef for the United States sits along the south side of US 60. is raised and fed in the Texas Pan- Another ATSF wooden depot exists Canyon - Palo Duro Creek Bridge handle. in Pampa south of US 60 on Hobart and the Plainview district. street (TX Highway 70). It is now a Follow Washington Street south of Friona & Parmerton duplex apartment. At one time this I-27. The highway crosses over the Friona has a nicely restored wooden depot was a section foreman’s house double-track main. Proceed south ATSF depot in the park north of the moved to Pampa in the late 1890s on Washington to Hollywood Road tracks. It was moved from Friona from west of Pratt, KS. It became the (Loop 335), turn right and cross over and restored about 15 or so years section foreman’s house in 1907 and the tracks. Proceed west on Holly- ago. Parmerton just west of Friona, became an antique store by the late wood Road and rejoin I-27. has an Excel Beef Packing plant that still ships via rail. 1960s. It was moved to this present Canyon is 15 miles south of Ama- location at that same time. Pampa rillo on the Transcon (can also be Bovina was the junction with the ATSF reached by using I-27 directly from Bovina is the location of some large branch line to Clinton, OK that was Amarillo). On the north side of Can- elevators and the locations of the built in the 1920s by the Clinton & yon, the tracks pass on the east side cover shot of the Joe McMillan book Oklahoma Western. Much of the of the West Texas A&M University “Warbonnets & Bluebonnets”. That C&OW yards was torn up about 15 Football Stadium and across a high is a shot of a westbound leaving Bo- years ago, but part of it is still in fill then across Palo Duro Creek on a vina. It is also the birthplace of Joe’s service to serve as a storage yard high bridge. This is one of the more lovely wife Nikki! for Celanese, Cabot and Panhandle. scenic spots around Amarillo and Farwell & Texico A four mile spur of the C&OW still photos can be made in either morn- This is the town that is situated on exists to the east of Pampa of the ing or afternoon. The afternoon shots the Texas & New Mexico state line. are probably more desired because For the Santa Fe, the freight facili- 7

Major roads in the Panhandle. Not all secondary roads are shown so get a good highway map as a backup or you might wind up in someone’s pasture! ties were in Farwell, Texas while Plainview Sub- Plainview the passenger station was in Texico, Canyon south Some interesting things can be New Mexico. At Farwell is a wye found in Plainview. The ATSF brick track that connects with the Slaton Tulia County Seat depot is located here sub. The tracks make an “S” curve Tulia has a large grain complex at where the tracks make a bend and through town, but other than that it the west edge of town. The Tulia de- go from north - south alignment to is not much to see. The Bovina depot pot also sits along the tracks at the a brief east - west alignment. Plain- is located west of Texico on the north west edge of town. In a small park view has a road switcher that works side of US 60 as a private residence at the southeast edge of town, the here. North of Plainview is DeBruce and has been modified some, but Happy, TX depot can be found. Just Grain that has a grain loading loop is still recognizable to ATSF depot south of Tulia, there is a small dip in along with three locomotives. A red fans. The coal trains that go to Mill, the landscape that makes for a nice Indiana Railroad SD20, a yellow TX on the Slaton Sub east of Texico scenic shot of trains coming north to- Alco S2 and a former CRIP SW1 still use the wye at Farwell to turn and wards Tulia. in CRIP paint. East of town off of head east. They typically run every the Floydada district wye is Scoular day to the Tolk Generating station. Grain that also has a grain loop. 8 Railfanning the old FW&D long siding here named “Tascosa.” FW&D became the Colorado and The Fort Worth and Denver main The original site of this storied wild- Southern for the remainder of its line from its namesake cities bisects west town is across the Canadian trip to Denver. The remains of an old the Panhandle at nearly a 45-degree River and is the location of Cal Far- engine house are visible. angle. From Childress in the south- ley’s Boys Ranch. The highway continues to Clayton east to Texline in the northwest, this Turn right on US-385 toward Chan- and on through some gorgeous but stretch of the modern BNSF now ning. The highway crosses over the virtually empty country to Raton carries a lot of coal traffic. BNSF and then the Canadian River. (watch for antelope). The railroad Following the railroad up to Dallas- While the highway runs almost due parallels the highway to Des Moines Ft. Worth is easy as it parallels US- north, the railroad continues west where it disappears from view. One 287 all the way. Very few artifacts for several miles before crossing the can follow it as far as Folsom, NM on exist but the depots at Wichita Falls river upstream. You will not see the state road 325. and Quanah (Depot Restaurant east railroad again until you reach Chan- In 1925, the Santa Fe began a line side of town is good) are worth a ning. From Channing to Dalhart you from Boise City to Clayton with the look. KCM&O depot at Chillicothe will parallel the railroad. idea of an alternative route (the is still standing south of US-287. At As you drive toward Dalhart, note “Colmor Cut-Off”) to the mainline Amarillo, exit I-40/US-287 at SE 3rd how the land has again flattened avoiding Raton Pass. At Clayton, street and follow it into town. out. Many enormous wheat and the Santa Fe obtained trackage North of Amarillo, locate the Cal Far- grain fields, a band of oil wells and rights over the C&S to Mount Dora ley Road (Ranch Road 1061) off of W. thousands of head of beef cattle il- where they got on their own line Amarillo Blvd (old Route 66) and 9th lustrate why this is truly, the Golden across northern New Mexico. Origi- Street (near the Medical Center). Spread. The old FW&D never capi- nally surveyed to Colmor, NM, the This winding ranch road will take talized on this line but the BNSF line made it only to Farley before it you through the “Canadian Breaks” has upgraded the track, installed a was abandoned around 1943. Sharp- where some of the richest natural form of CTC and now runs a goodly eyed railfans will see the grade just gas fields in the world are located. number of trains. to the south of the highway north of This is cattle and ranch country and At Dalhart, the BNSF crosses the old Mount Dora. the scenery can be beautiful... a big Rock Island “Golden State Route” at The Santa Fe depot at Clayton still change from the Llano Estacado grade. This is a crew change point exists at its original location (as a south of Amarillo. You won’t pick for the UP on the “Cotton Rock.” private residence) off of Santa Fe av- up the railroad for 15 miles or so Continue north on US-87 toward enue on the west side of town. as it is winding its way through the Texline. Just past the town, you At Raton, of course, one picks up the “Breaks” on your right. The highway cross into New Mexico. Right on the Santa Fe mainline over the pass. parallels the railroad just before you border is a station on the railroad Most of the action is, however, on the reach US-385. The railroad has a named “Sixela.” At this point, the old C&S/FW&D north of Trinidad.