After checking in at the Days Inn, Chris Parker and I drove to 24 hours At Saginaw 2018, where anyone was invited to watch trains for 24 Hours with us on Friday through Saturday, 7:00 pm to 7:00 pm over Memorial Day Weekend at the Saginaw Heritage Center (the depot) located at 301 South Saginaw Boulevard in Saginaw, Texas.
For over a decade, the North Texas Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has had the privilege of hosting a 24 hour railwatching event at the Saginaw Depot. 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.
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, nee Santa Fe 1859, built by American Car and Foundry in 1929.
Burlington Northern baggage-express car 1489, nee Great Northern.
Denver and Rio Grande Western Cargill box car 64147, built by Fruit Growers Express in 1974.
The display train.
Union Pacific 7339 North came through next.
Kansas City Southern 4693 South. 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 very good. That was followed by Steven Allen Goen who showed three programs: "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 returning to Saginaw and Day 2.
Some of the railfans.
Light power move with BNSF 4635.
BNSF 8386 South with Norfolk Southern C44-9W 9618 and DPU BNSF 8049.
BNSF GP50 3102, ex. BNSF 3202, nee Santa Fe 3489, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1985, and BNSF 3GS21B 1227, built by National Railway Equipment in 2007.
BNSF light power move 7362.
BNSF 9171 North with Canadian Pacific Railway AC4400CW 9654.
Amtrak Heartland Flyer 821 on its way to Fort Worth. I called "Let's Talk Trains" 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 for an excellent meal then returned to the station and heard a horn.
Kansas City Southern SD70ACe 4046 led Kansas City Southern AC4400CW 4639 and Canadian Pacific Railway AC4400CW 9546 out of Saginaw.
Kansas City Southern 4126 South with Kansas City Southern SD70ACe 3927.
Some more railfans. It was then time for the Great Locomotive Trivia Game. Skip 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, which the Milwaukee Road won, followed by Union Pacific and the Daylight engine. The evening programs commenced with Steve Grabman's "The Saginaw Trifecta - Railfanning the BNSF Wichita Falls and 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.
Kansas City Southern ES44AC 4693 and Kansas City Southern SD70ACe 4046 led a mixed freight.
Amtrak Heartland Flyer 822 passing through.
BNSF 4917 North.
BNSF 8479 South with Norfolk Southern SD60E 6953 was the last train counted this year. Back to programs, I showed my Friday Winterail Programs called "Trains In the Life of Chris Guenzler 2014, 2015 and 2016" then we played trivia for one little girl who has come every year since she was born and loved my programs. 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. Chris Parker and I drove back to the Days Inn for our final night in Texas.
| Part 2 of this travelogue |