An SD70ACe leads and SP 187 trails along with another GE on UP Train MHNTU 30 entering the siding at East Inman on the UP Herington Sub. Both ends of this siding are protected by signals installed by the original owner of the line, the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.
The infrastructure in the immediate area hasn't changed all that much since the Rock Island days. Both ends of this siding are hand throw spring switches, and are protected by a US&S TP-5 tri-lights and N-2 color light dwarfs, some of the last CRI&P signals in use on the Union Pacific.
The conductor has lined his train into the hole for 3 eastbounds and will line behind when the rear end clears and we'll offer him a ride to the head end. A modest guy, he declined at first, remarking about the nice weather, but I was able to convince him that when it's 105 in a couple months he'd have wished he took a ride. It doesn't take much to persuade Big O into saving himself a 7,000 foot walk, just ask me.
This is part of the former Rock Island "Golden State Route", which was owned for 16 years by the St. Louis Southwestern Railway, an SP Subsidiary, better known as the Cotton Belt. Another common name for this line was the "Cotton Rock", a corollary of the subsequent ownership after the CRI&P.
SP 187 undoubtedly traversed this line for its original owner when their name was on the deed to the property.
Locomotives: UP 8409, SP 187, UP 5593
4-30-15
Inman, KS
