Farmrail / Grainbelt Railroads

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Farmrail at Snyder, OK Farmrail / Grainbelt Railroads Farmrail 8272 at Snyder, OK

Farmrail & Grainbelt Railroads

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Oklahoma granger shortline Farmrail is actually two distinct systems -- Farmrail and Grainbelt -- operating under the Farmrail identity. Trackage is owned by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and Farmrail is the designated operator, running the railroad under a long-term lease agreement.

Farmrail's portion (reporting marks: "FMRC") consists of:

. . 1) an east-west line (ex-Rock Island, originally part of the Rock's Memphis-Tucumcari main line) between Weatherford and Erick, OK.

. . 2) A north-south line (ex-ATSF, originally KCM&O) extending from near Thomas (north of Clinton) through Clinton and Altus to Elmer, near the Red River.

The Grainbelt portion (GNBC) of the Farmrail system consists of a former SLSF (Frisco) branch extending south from Enid through Clinton and Snyder to Frederick, OK.

As one might expect from a shortline located in western Oklahoma's wheat-growing region, Farmrail's primary traffic commodity is grain, and the railroad is busiest during harvest time, delivering loaded grain trains to -- and receiving empties from -- BNSF at Snyder and Enid. Late May and early June seem to be an exceptionally busy time on Farmrail. An inquiry at the railroad's Clinton headquarters will usually yield information on what trains are operating at a given time. On my most recent trip to Farmrail (August 2000), the ex-KCM&O line south of Altus appeared to be used mainly for car storage. In June 2000, dozens of cars were stored on the ex-KCM&O line north of Clinton as well.

In addition to being the location of Farmrail headquarters, the town of Clinton, OK is also home to Farmrail's locomotive service facilities. Located on the south side of Farmrail's offices is a one-stall shop building. A handful of locomotives are usually present at or near the facility. Farmrail and Grainbelt share a common motive power fleet consisting mostly of ex-Illinois Central GP10s. Except for a pair of ex-IC units that still wear a coat of Illinois Central black, Farmrail's locomotives are painted in a brown-and-cream paint scheme, with orange lettering. On the side of their short hoods, each locomotive carries the name of one of Oklahoma's Indian Nations. The locomotives belonging to Grainbelt are sublettered "GNBC", but still carry "Farmrail" lettering on the long hood.

Please click on any of the following pictures to see a larger image:

	This sign outside Farmrail's Clinton, Oklahoma offices reveals the heritage of some of Farmrail's trackage: note that the name of the street is "Frisco". Photographed June 20, 2000.
	Typical of Farmrail's motive power fleet is GP10 8272, named Sac-Fox, photographed at Snyder, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000.
	Locomotives occupy the service tracks in front of Farmrail's locomotive shop building in Clinton, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000.
	Locomotives occupy the service tracks in front of Farmrail's locomotive shop building in Clinton, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000.
	Having recently been the victim of a collision, Farmrail GP10 8254 occupies one of the service tracks at Farmrail's Clinton, Oklahoma shops on June 20, 2000.
	On June 20, 2000, Farmrail GP10 8253 arrives at Snyder, Oklahoma with over 100 loads of grain to interchange to the BNSF.
	Farmrail GP10 8253 arrives at Snyder, Oklahoma with over 100 loads of grain for BNSF on June 20, 2000.
	Four Farmrail geeps shove a grain train to their main line south of the BNSF crossing at Snyder, OK. This will keep the cars out of Farmrail's yard and off the BNSF Chickasha Sub main line until BNSF can pick them up. Photographed June 20, 2000.
	Farmrail GP10 8253 shoves grain loads to the Farmrail main south of the BNSF crossing on June 20, 2000.
	Ex-Illinois Central GP10 8126 leads a northbound local into Snyder, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000.
	Two Farmrail crews have just finished working for the day at Snyder, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000.
	Three geeps lead a northbound Farmrail local through Bessie, south of Clinton, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000.
	Photographed from parallel US Highway 183, three Farmrail geeps head north with a local between Bessie and Clinton, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000.
	Having just spotted the last of their cars at an industry south of Clinton, a Farmrail crew runs north with three light engines on June 20, 2000.
	On June 20, 2000, FRMC 8252 arrives at Clinton on the Grainbelt line with a southbound grain train.
	Representing Farmrail's colorful fleet of hoppers are these three cars, photographed at Clinton, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000. It's tough to see it in this photo, but below the Farmrail logo on each car is the name of a Farmrail employee, with the slogan " I care! "
	This Farmrail caboose -- presumably the only one on the railroad -- was photographed near Farmrail's headquarters in Clinton, Oklahoma on June 20, 2000.