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Port Terminal Railroad Association (PTRA)

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Not exactly a short line per se, but not exactly a Class One either, Houston's Port Terminal Railroad Association (PTRA) is included on Southwest Shorts because it's one of those obscure, relatively unknown operations that not many people outside the great state of Texas are aware of.

Formed in 1924, the PTRA is an association of all the railroads serving the Houston area, existing for the purpose of providing impartial switching services for its members. Today's PTRA maintains 154 miles of track, which include 46 miles of main line trackage in the Houston Ship Channel area east of downtown Houston. The PTRA employs a workforce of over 300 people, and handles around 500,000 cars annually.

One of the more unique aspects of the PTRA is its locomotive roster, which consists of 24 MK1500D locomotives delivered in 1996. The locomotives resemble a conventional, modern, MP-type switching locomotive, but have a low short hood in front of the cab. These locomotives were the first new diesel-electric switcher-type locomotives produced in several years.

PTRA's operations can be easily viewed from public property in the Houston Ship Channel area. North Yard is probably the most accessible, with its trackage running north to south along the east side of Wayside Dr. south of I-10. This is the PTRA's largest yard, and also is the location of its shops and locomotive maintenance facilities.

Following is a selection of photographs I took during a visit to Houston May 19 and 20, 2000. As you might be able to tell from the images, the weather was typical for Houston -- maddeningly inconsistent, alternating about every five minutes between sunny, hazy bright, and overcast...all at 95 degrees and 90 percent humidity.

Enjoy the shots -- for more information on the PTRA, check out their official website at http://www.ptra.com. It's an excellent site, providing maps, information, and a selection of overhead photographs of PTRA yards in the Houston area.

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

	PTRA's logo pretty much sums up the purpose of the Port Terminal Railroad Association: to serve as a vital link for the Houston area railroads with refineries, chemical plants, and the Port of Houston.
	PTRA's locomotive roster consists of 24 MK1500D locomotives like the # 9603, photographed at PTRA's North Yard in Houston on May 19, 2000. Note that the locomotive has no lettering or even reporting marks, save for the engine number and the small lettering in the PTRA 75th anniversary logo on the side.
	When I visited Houston in May 2000, most of PTRA's MK1500D locomotives sported a white logo like this one, commemorating the 75th anniversary of PTRA's service, which occurred in 1999.
	PTRA 9611 and another pair of MK1500s occupy the ready tracks at PTRA's North Yard in Houston on May 19, 2000.
	PTRA MK1500Ds 9604 and 9608 are ready for action at PTRA's North Yard in Houston on May 19, 2000. That's the North Yard tower in the background to the left of the photo.
	With the PTRA North Yard Tower in the background, PTRA MK1500D 9613 and MK2000C demonstrator MPEX 6201 await calls to action on May 19, 2000.
	Six-axle MK2000C demonstrator MPEX 6201 was at PTRA's North Yard in Houston on May 19, 2000.
	PTRA MK1500D 9628 leads a transfer job out of UP's Settegast Yard toward PTRA's North Yard on May 20, 2000.
	PTRA MK1500D 9613 powers a PTRA yard job in the Port of Houston east of PTRA's North Yard on May 20, 2000. Note the gate with stop signs protecting the PTRA line from moves on the industrial track in the foreground.
	PTRA MK1500D 9613 powers a PTRA yard job in the Port of Houston east of PTRA's North Yard on May 20, 2000.
	PTRA MK1500D 9603 works the south end of PTRA's North Yard in Houston on May 20, 2000.

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All images on Wes Carr's Southwest Shorts © 2000 by Wes Carr. All rights reserved.
Wes Carr claims no affiliation with the PTRA or any other shortline or terminal railroad.