Western Coal Part 3

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Colorado and Texas

There is another section in the library on D&RGW coal train symbols and a picture section of Colorado and Utah coal trains in the Gallery. This section deals with Colorado and Wyoming coal moving to power plants in Texas. For the BN and now BNSF the main corridor for coal moving to Texas is south from Bridgeport, NE through Denver, down the Joint Line, to Pueblo. Two unit coal trains (Tolk & Holcomb) head east to La Junta, but all the rest continue south on former BN (C&S, FW&D) trackage to Amarillo.

Colorado Kansas map

Coal train symbol NN050 at Tomah, COCoal train symbol CW196 at Palmer Lake

Halstead, TX empties at Lynn, COSan Antonio Public Service empties at Des Moines, NM

Coal trains meet at Grenville, NMCoal train symbol QQ051 at Amarillo, TX

Fort Worth also sees a lot of coal trains. UP trains coal trains coming down from Kansas City and BNSF coal trains coming down from Amarillo are all funneled through the interlocking plant at Tower 55 in downtown Fort Worth.

Texas Oklahoma map

Halstead, TX loaded coal train at Iowa Park, TXHouston Power and Light empties near Dick Worsham, TX

Coal train broken in two at Decatur, TXHelpers on Houston Power and Light coal train at Manhattan, TX

Houston Power and Light coal train at McGregor, TX

Texas Lignite Operations

Of the four grades of coal, lignite has the lowest heat value per pound. There are several large lignite mines in Texas. Most of these are right next to large power plants. Here are some pictures of a small operation on the KCS just east of Greenville.

Monticello power plant lignite train with F unitsTidewater Turn lignite train run around

Tidewater Turn lignite train at Monticello

Western Coal Part 2

Part 4