Hearne, TX- Seven UP Rail Lines Meeting in the Valley! (ft FOUR Special Units!)

A day trip to Hearne, TX in October 2023 featuring KLWX 8520, KCSM 4548, UP 6379, and IC 2721! Enjoy!

Hearne, TX is a very busy junction town in the Brazos Valley, where UP trains to and from Arkansas, DFW, San Antonio, Houston, and beyond recrew and get carefully routed through the track layout consisting of 7 UP subdivisions (although I only caught action on 6 of them). Due to the heavy train traffic in the valley, UP built a brand new yard just south of Hearne, Brazos Yard (not to be confused with Hearne Yard which is in town). There is not a single spot where you can catch all the action in Hearne because of the routing of the trains over the 7 lines.

The ENNIS Sub (paralleling TX 6 and TX 14 north of Hearne) is directional SB (railroad WB) and carries SB trains from DFW and Arkansas. The sub ends at Hearne Yard.

The AUSTIN and HEARNE Subs (paralleling US 79) are directional NB and carry traffic from San Antonio and to Arkansas. The subs start/end at the Hearne diamond.

The NAVASOTA Sub (paralleling FM 50 to Mumford, nothing to Bryan, and TX 6 S of Bryan) carries traffic to and from Houston. It begins/ends at Valley Junction.

The GIDDINGS Sub (paralleling FM 50 and TX 21 SW of Hearne) is directional SB and carries traffic to San Antonio. It is also the main way SB's get to the Navasota and Brazos Yard from the Ennis Sub. If they can't do that, they take the Austin Sub to Valley JCT and go south from there. It begins at Hearne Yard. The Navasota and Giddings Subs run together past Brazos Yard.

The BRYAN Sub (paralleling TX 6 S of Hearne) is the lesser used alternative for SB's to Houston. It also begins at Hearne Yard. It is the only line I didn't catch any action on.

The FORT WORTH Sub (paralleling FM 1644 and TX 6 N of Valley JCT) is directional NB and carries traffic to DFW, although the occasional SB runs on it instead of the Ennis.

TIMESTAMPS
0:05 NB Manifest on the Hearne Sub
2:47 SB Manifest on the Ennis at Seger
5:03 ZEGYC on the Austin
5:41 ZEGYC getting on the Hearne at the diamond
9:16 MFWHO pulling into Hearne Yard with KLWX 8520!
11:56 Empty coal NB on the Fort Worth Sub
13:05 Tied down train at Muse Rd on the Giddings
13:10 ZYCEG turning from the Austin to the Navasota at Valley JCT with a FXE Zebra
19:31 MOW crew getting out of the way
21:03 MLDDI rounding Valley JCT with a KCSM Gray Ghost Leader!
27:13 MFWHO with 8520 passing Brazos Yard on the Giddings/Navasota concurrency
28:03 KLWX 8520 MEETING UP 6379 from across the cotton fields!
28:14 MFWHO at Mumford on the Navasota
30:24 NB Manifest at Muse Rd on the Navasota
31:37 SB Manifest at Muse Rd on the Giddings
34:16 MFWEWB at Muse Rd on the Giddings
37:10 CGSNR getting on the Fort Worth at Valley JCT with UP 6379!
39:36 Another empty coal waiting on the Fort Worth
39:43 Empty grain waiting on the Austin at Valley JCT
39:50 SB Loaded grain near Valley JCT on the Austin
42:18 UEC7TG at Calvert on the Ennis with IC 2721 leading with a P3 horn!

Thanks for Watching!
Music- Grieg's Piano Concerto

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