A trip to the freight yard in the late 1970s, part III

In the last post, I indicated I’d share a few more freight car shots and more locomotives at work in yards in part III.

ATSF and SP boxcars, November 1977, photographer and location unknown. –©photo C. E. Hunt Collection

What an iconic ATSF car above.  Those catches made the trip to the freight worth it alone!

GN and CB&Q boxcar, November 1977, photographer and location unknown. –©photo C. E. Hunt Collection

Catching a Great Northern and Burlington car together?   Didn’t get much better than that!

SL-SF #00172, photographer and location unknown. –©photo C. E. Hunt Collection

Another of my personal favorites, the Frisco.

Houston, Belt and Terminal working Mykawa Yard, Houston, Texas, November 1978–©photo by C. E. Hunt

However, the engines working the yards were very appealing as well.  There was something about watching a SW-1500 or even a SW-7 chugging back and forth showing their hard work with a reverberation and grey plume from time to time…

I loved these little work horses!

HB&T #54 coming onto Griggs Road, Houston, Texas, November 1978–©photo by C. E. Hunt

Moving back and forth to assemble trains.  It really made freight yards a “living” thing.

SP #2300 at Settegast Yard, Houston, Texas November 1978–©photo by C. E. Hunt

Rock Island GP #4543 at Settegast Yard, Houston, Texas, May 1980–©photo by C. E. Hunt

A bonus of growing up in Houston in the late 1970s.  I got to witness the closing days of the Rock!

Rock Island GP #4458 at Settegast Yard, May 1980–©photo by C. E. Hunt

ATSF locomotive possibly at Settegast Yard, November 1978.  (I have no clue what type of locomotive it was.  Rebuild? Help me solve this mystery) –©photo by C. E. Hunt

These were the days!  This concludes this series.  I hope you enjoyed this journey into the excitement of “old school” freights yards as much as I did.

Note:  If you enjoyed this series, please check out my sales efforts on eBay (click here).  I am continuing to sell my “non-1981” appropriate or excess items to pay for this site. (slides, scanner, etc.).  I way overbought for the size of my Rails West layout. Please share my Rails West site and my eBay site with a friend.  Thanks! 

By the way, I am working on another structure, Hernandez Distributing.  More to come on that.

A trip to the freight yard in the late 1970s, part II

Here is part II to my series on the excitement freight yards used to generate for me.  (Click here to see part I.)  I loved seeing road names from all over the country–sometimes, paint schemes from lines that had disappeared 20 years before.

In addition to all the  different road names, you might see some cool loads on flats cars or gondolas.

CB&Q flat Nov 1977 Photographer and location unknown. –©photo C. E. Hunt Collection

ICG flat with tires February 1980, Houston, TX –©photo by C. E. Hunt

The thing I liked the best were seeing cars from all my favorites, such as the Burlington, Great Northern, Northern Pacific, Rio Grande and Milwaukee Road…

CB&Q boxcar, November 1977, photographer and location unknown. –©photo C. E. Hunt Collection

GN 138489, La Crosse WI 1988, photo by Donald C. Stewart–©photo C. E. Hunt Collection (OK, it’s a little after the late 1970s but a great shot nonetheless!)

GN 37612, October 1978, Photographer and location unknown, –©photo C. E. Hunt Collection

NP 5583, 1977, photographer location unknown.–©photo C. E. Hunt Collection

MILW 4178, Oct 1978 by Roger Bee, location unknown. –©photo C. E. Hunt Collection

I also enjoyed watching locomotives, often small switch engines labor back and forth to get cars on the right track.

SP #2300 at Settegast Yard November 1978–©photo by C. E. Hunt

A few more freight car shots and more locomotives at work in yards in part III.