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| El Paso, TX - "Railfan Primer" |
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Located in the farthest reaches of west Texas along the Mexican border,
the city
of El Paso remains largely unexplored by most railroad enthusiasts. El
Paso is
home to Union Pacific lines extending in three directions (west toward
Tucson,
AZ; north toward Tucumcari, NM and Dalhart, TX; and east toward Sierra
Blanca,
where lines to San Antonio and Fort Worth diverge), a BNSF line
extending north
to Belen, NM, and a connection with Mexico. Amtrak's Sunset
Limited passes
through town three times weekly in each direction on the former Southern
Pacific
"Sunset Route" between Los Angeles and New Orleans.
For the railfan, El Paso offers numerous locations to observe and
photograph
rail operations, most notably in the downtown area and northwest of
downtown.
The region's dry, desert climate and rocky hillsides along the Rio
Grande
add extra photographic appeal. A few locations provide a view of both
the
BNSF and UP lines, with the city of
Ciudad Juarez, Mexico located across the Rio Grande as a backdrop.
And perhaps best of all are the UP's two massive
bridges
over the Rio Grande, at the point where the Rio Grande marks the
Texas-New Mexico
state line just north of the international border.
Click here to see a map of El Paso.
| Union Pacific in El Paso |
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UP's traffic through El Paso consists mostly of intermodal and mixed freight, with
lesser volumes of coal and grain. Most trains swap crews at or near the yard east
of downtown. The line from Tucumcari funnels traffic into the former SP "Sunset
Route" near the east end of the yard. With the traffic from two east-west lines
converging at El Paso, traffic volumes west of the city can be quite
busy. Fans can monitor railroad radio traffic on the following channels:
AAR 8 (160.230 MHZ) road channel - UP Lordsburg Sub
AAR 96 (161.550 MHz) road channel - El Paso terminal and UP Valentine Sub
AAR 14 (160.320 MHZ) - yard
AAR 20 (160.410 MHz) - yard
AAR 24 (160.470 MHz) - yard
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| BNSF in El Paso |
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BNSF's El Paso Subdivision heads due north from El Paso, passing through Las
Cruces, NM on its way to Belen. Traffic consists of a daily manifest freight
in each direction, approximately one grain train in each direction daily (loads
south, empties north), occasional auto rack trains, and frequent locals and switch
jobs. The El Paso Sub is unsignalled TWC (track warrant control), and it's fairly easy
to keep tabs on traffic simply by monitoring the radio. BNSF's small yard in El Paso
parallels the Rio Grande west of the downtown area. Most of the yard is not publicly
accessible, but a good view of the El Paso Freight House, at the bottom end of
the yard, is available from South Santa Fe Street.
If you're monitoring radio transmissions, you'll want to program the
following channels:
AAR 36 (160.650 MHz) - road - BNSF El Paso Sub
AAR 54 (160.920 MHz) - El Paso yard
NOTE: Timetable direction on this
line is east-west. Trains headed south toward El Paso are "westbounds" per
timetable direction; trains headed north, away from El Paso, are considered eastbounds.
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A few additional notes about railfanning in El Paso: due to the city's
proximity
to the international border, the railroad companies are highly vigilant
in protecting
their property from trespassers. Trespassing on railroad property to
watch trains
or take photos is strongly discouraged. Additionally, the US Border
Patrol maintains a very noticable
presence along the Rio Grande through the city, and their agents may
question you
if they see you taking photographs near locations where they are
stationed.
I have always felt relatively safe taking photographs in the city
itself, but
if you venture out west of town along the UP Lordsburg Sub between El
Paso and
Santa Teresa (Anapra, Lizard), PROCEED AT YOUR OWN RISK. These
locations are
reportedly very busy travel routes for illegal immigrants, and I've
heard and
read numerous reports of criminal activity taking place in these areas.
Enjoy your visit, but be very aware of your surroundings, and be
prepared to
leave a location on short notice if something doesn't seem or feel
"right"".
I am always interested in reading reports from others who live in El
Paso or have
visited there; if you have a story or photo you'd like to share, please
contact
me at:
Return to the Southwest Railfan - Home
Thanks to Ernie Leggett for providing information on El Paso radio frequencies.
Ernie lives in El Paso and some of his El Paso photos can be seen here:
http://eleggett.rrpicturearchives.net/
Unless otherwise credited, all text and photos on the Southwest Railfan
© 2000 - 2007 by Wes Carr. All rights reserved.
