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La Plata Railfan Guide East of La Plata Part 4



by Chris Guenzler

Now we will take you east to spots I have found to photograph. Leaving the Depot Inn & Suites cross US Highway 63 and go left on Lantern Road {Dirt} then make a right on Cambridge Road going across the BNSF mainline and parking at Santa Fe Lake. This lake use to be used as a water source for the Santa Fe steam engines of the past.





A frozen Santa Fe Lake and a normal Santa Fe Lake with Steve Grande and Matt Metzler in this picture.





Amtrak Southwest Chief running on time and heading for Chicago at the Cambridge Road grade crossing.





The BNSF 5239 East at the Cambridge Lane grade crossing.





The BNSF 4143 West at the Cambridge Lane grade crossing.





Union Pacific 7668 East at Cambridge Lane grade crossing.





Union Pacific 1996 West at Cambridge Lane grade crossing.





BNSF 7556 West at Cambridge Lane. Recross the tracks but make the right on Mockingbird Lane {Dirt} and then a right on Archer Road park before the tracks.





Crossbuck with a warning bell at Archer Road is a rare piece of rail equipment and a must photograph if you come here.







Amtrak's Southwest Chief came through La Plata on Track 2.







The BNSF 7874 East at the Archer Road grade crossing.







The BNSF 5311 East at Archer Road. From here go back west of Archer Road then right on Mockingbird Lane then right on Route E {paved}. To get here from La Plata on paved roads take US Highway 63 north and go east on Route E to get here.





The BNSF 5420 East from the State Highway E Bridge.





An on time eastbound Amtrak Southwest Chief heading to Chicago.





The KCS 4014 East had been racing the Amtrak but lost the race by the time it got to me.





The BNSF 7558 West from the State Highway E Bridge.





The BNSF 7301 West at Route E bridge. From here go east and take a left down Banner Road {Dirt} and park before the tracks.







The BNSF 7805 West with DPU's on the rear end at Banner Road.





The Amtrak Southwest Chief had the private car Northern Sky on the rear end at Banner Road.





BNSF 7278 West at Banner Road.







The BNSF 7599 East at Banner Road.





The Union Pacific 8130 at Banner Road.





BNSF 7541 East at Banner Road. From here continue down Banner Road up the hill then take a right on Titan Road {Dirt} taking this to the old bridge but park on the north side of it pointing out.





The old bridge just west of Gibbs.





This eastbound BNSF piggyback at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





The BNSF 7676 East at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





The BNSF 7256 West at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





The Southwest Chief heads to Chicago at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





The BNSF 5089 East with NS 8798 as the trailing unit at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





The BNSF 7417 West at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





The BNSF 4772 West at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





The BNSF 7900 West at the old bridge west of Gibbs.







BNSF 7450 West at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





BNSF 7405 East at the old bridge west of Gibbs.





The BNSF 7507 East at the old bridge west of Gibbs. Return to Banner road go north to State Highway F {Paved}. Take a right on State Highway V into Gibbs take a right on Pine Street {Dirt} and then a left on Century Lane cross the tracks and park.







The Union Pacific 7787 West at Century Lane grade crossing in Gibbs.





I went on top of a pile of ballast for my pictures of the BNSF 4596 East at Century Lane grade crossing in Gibbs. Go back to Missouri Highway V and cross the bridge over the BNSF mainline and park safely. Watch out for traffic.





BNSF 1029 West at Gibbs from below the Missouri Highway V bridge.





The BNSF 5091 West at Gibbs from the Missouri Highway V bridge.





The BNSF 4042 East from the Missouri Highway V bridge. From here go north on Missouri Highway V and then turn onto Cranberry Lane {Dirt} and park before the bridge. Warning this road gets chewed up by buggies and tractors so be careful and never try to drive east of the bridge.







The BNSF 1040 West at the Cranberry Lane Bridge.







The BNSF 7562 West at the old bridge east of Gibbs on Cranberry Lane. Return to Route V taking that north to Missouri Highway 6 east and take a right at Clemson Lane {Dirt} and take this road to the BNSF grade crossing and park.







BNSF 5271 West at Clemson Lane.







The BNSF 4608 East at Clemson Lane.





The BNSF 7860 West at Clemson Lane.





The BNSF 7863 East at Clemson Lane.





The BNSF 7588 west at Clemson Lane. Return to Missouri Highway 6 and park just before the bridge over the BNSF mainline. Watch out for traffic on this bridge.





BNSF 5451 West at the Missouri Highway 6 Bridge.







The Union Pacific 7667 West meets the BNSF 4178 East at the MO Highway 6 Bridge. From here go east on Missouri Highway 6 and at Hurdland take Route J to Route Z and take it to the BNSF crossing.







The BNSF 7841 West at Hurdland. Return down Route Z then go north on Route J to the BNSF grade crossing and park safely off the road.





BNSF 6795 West at Route J grade crossing.







BNSF 7233 West at the Route J grade crossing. Take Route J north to Missouri Highway 11 east to Route P. Take this road to the bridge over the BNSF mainline and park to the right after the bridge. Watch out for traffic here.







BNSF 4812 West at the Route P Bridge.





The BNSF 7270 West at the Route P bridge.





BNSF 6693 West at the Route P Bridge.







Union Pacific 7385 East at the Route P Bridge. From here go east on Route P and then take a right on Road 119 go north and park before the bridge.





The Road 119 old bridge.









Union Pacific 8130 West with KCS 4699 at the Road 119 old bridge.







The BNSF 7821 West at the Road 119 old bridge.





The BNSF 7247 West at the Road 119 old bridge.







The Union Pacific 6025 West at the Road 119 old bridge.







BNSF 7594 East at the Road 119 old bridge. Go back south to Route P go north back to Missouri Highway 11 take this east to Missouri Highway 15 south to the bridge over the BNSF mainline and park. Watch out for traffic.







The BNSF 5332 West at West Baring.







The Union Pacific 7800 West at West Baring.





The BNSF 5003 East at West Baring.





The Southwest Chief at West Baring from the MO Highway 15 bridge. From here we back tracked north to Route K and at the Baring grade crossing .





BNSF 4699 West at the Baring grade crossing.





At Baring we caught the DPU on a BNSF gondola train at the grade crossing. From here go east on Route K to Route M which we took to Underpass Road to County Line Road to Road 49 to the old bridge there.







The BNSF 4033 East at the Road 49 old bridge west of Rutledge.







The BNSF 7297 West at the Road 49 old bridge west of Rutledge.





The BNSF 6724 East at the Road 49 old bridge west of Rutledge.







The BNSF 7331 West at the Road 49 old bridge west of Rutledge. Return to Route M and park on the west side of the BNSF grade crossing. From here take Route M through Rutledge and a right on Route A. Park beyond the BNSF bridge but beware of the traffic on the road here.





BNSF 5218 East at Rutledge at the grade crossing.





The Union Pacific 7683 East at Rutledge grade crossing with DPU 7772.







The BNSF 5218 West from the Route A bridge just east of Rutledge.





The BNSF 4392 East came under the Route A Bridge.



BNSF 7230 West at the Route A bridge outside Rutledge. The next part will be east of this location.



Click here for Part 5 of this story