After checking in at the Days Inn, Chris Parker and I stopped at a gas station to get Coca-Cola and then drove over to Saginaw to the event.
24 hours of Saginaw 2018Come watch trains for 24 Hours with us on Friday through Saturday, 7:00pm to 7:00pm over Memorial Day Weekend at the Saginaw Heritage Center (the depot) 301 S. Saginaw Blvd in Saginaw, Texas.
For over a decade, the North Texas Chapter, NRHS has had the privilege of hosting a 24 hour railwatching event at the Saginaw Depot over Memorial Day weekend starting on Friday evening and ending Saturday evening for a full 24 hours. In past years we have had approximately 100 or more railfans attend this event to watch trains day and night. In addition to watching trains, we schedule programs to entertain guests including slide shows, speakers, clinics, videos and railroad trivia.
We parked our rental car then met several people and I passed out my business card to each. We made a photo line for the passing of the next Amtrak train through Saginaw.
Amtrak Heartland Flyer 822.
The Southern Pacific station built by the Texas Central in the 1870s which is from Kosse, Texas.
Santa Fe caboose 999116, originally Santa Fe 1859, built by American Car and Foundry in 1929.
Burlington Northern, originally Great Northern baggage-express car 1489.
Denver and Rio Grande Western Cargill box car 64147 built in 1974 by Fruit Growers Express.
The display train at Saginaw.
Union Pacific 7339 north came through next.
KCS 4693 South was our next train. We then had a brief Operation Lifesaver talk.
BNSF 6710 came through before the evening programs began. Our first show was by Hayley Enoch, a Trains Magazine correspondent, called "Rail Travel Experience" and it was a very good show. Next up was Steven Allen Goen showing three presentations: "A Day at the Snyder Depot", "Frisco Finest Hour" and "The Cisco Northwestern Railroad". It was then my turn and I showed my Friday Winterail Programs called "Trains in the Life of Chris Guenzler 2017, 2013 and 2012". Once complete, we left to get a good night's sleep at the Days Inn.
Day 2 of 24 Hours At Saginaw 5/26/2018 We arose and went across US 287 to McDonald's for hot cakes and sausage then finished riding the DART system by taking the train to DFW Airport before we returned to Saginaw and the Day 2 of 24 Hours At Saginaw. We went out made a photo line and waited for our next train to arrive.
The railfans at the 24 Hours At Saginaw.
Light power move with BNSF 4635.
BNSF 8386 South with Norfolk Southern C44-9W 9618 and DPU BNSF 8049.
BNSF Saginaw switchers 1227 and 3102.
BNSF light power move 7362.
BNSF 9171 North with Canadian Pacific Railway AC4400CW 9654.
Amtrak Heartland Flyer 821 heading to Fort Worth. I called the Let's Talk Train show which Skip Waters hosted.
Union Pacific 6907 West came through next. Chris Parker and I crossed US 287 and walked to the Texas B-B-Q and had excellent barbecue chicken for our dinner about 2 PM. We then went back to the station where we heard a horn and went to get pictures.
KCS SD70ACe 4046 led KCS AC4400CW 4639 and Canadian Pacific Railway AC4400CW 9546 out of Saginaw.
KCS SD70ACe 4126 South and KCS SD70ACe 3927 ran by us next.
Some more railfans at 24 Hours At Saginaw. It was now time for the Great Locomotive Trivia Game. Skip Waters moved the train from the roundhouse to the Texas and Pacific station and I was a judge while Sam Metzger hosted and asked the questions.
Scenes from the Great Locomotive Trivia Game. Winners were first place the Milwaukee Road, followed by Union Pacific in second Place and the Daylight engine took third Place. Then it was time for programs so Steve Grabman showed his "The Saginaw Trifecta - Railfanning the BNSF Wichita Falls & Fort Worth Sub" which was excellent and Winterail quality. After that it was more time for trains.
A Union Pacific hi-rail came through the crossing.
KCS ES44AC 4693 and SD70ACe KCS 4046 was next.
Amtrak Heartland Flyer 822 passing through Saginaw.
BNSF 4917 North was the last train counted this year.
BNSF 8479 South with Norfolk Southern SD60E 6953. I then showed my Friday Winterail Programs called "Trains In the Life of Chris Guenzler 2014, 2015 and 2016". We played trivia for one little girl who has come to every year since she was born and loved my programs, so her father and I coached her the right answers so she would win her door prize, and Skip gave her two items to take home. With that, there had been 58 trains in 24 Hours At Saginaw. I said goodbye to Skip and thanked him having me present this year. Chris Parker and I drove back to the Days Inn for our final night in Texas. 24 Hours At Saginaw was an excellent railfan event to attend and I highly recommend it to anyone interested in trains.
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