Here a new KCS Photo Web Site http://www.alaskaroofs.com/ar/kcs.html Just click on David Hawkins for photos
Nie shots- all around the Wylie-Plano area. The overhead shots at Plano appear to be shot from the DART rail line crossing over the KCS on a bridge. Interestingly enough, the line (which is ex-Cotton Belt, BTW) passes close by the Wells Fargo building in Plano, which is also home of KHYI-FM (95.3, The Range, home of Texas country music- no slick NashVegas pop crap). Once in a while, whenever a KCS freight rolls by the building blowing its whistle for the crossings, the DJ will open a door so we can hear the train roll by.
Yeah those are some good looking pics. I just moved to Wylie recently and totally forgot that it's KCS country until I started hearing those horns. I love trains but there's times when those diesel horns can get down right nasty when they're blasting for about three minutes straight, and sounding like it's in your back yard. To make things even more interesting, the BNSF goes through Wylie also on the old SP line. So now I got double the pleasure (and more diesel horns). There's been a few times coming down hwy544, me and a BNSF dash-9 will be going neck to neck. Of course he don't stop for no traffic lights like I do. Thomas
Friscobob, My wife works in the PFS Web building next door and has an fifth floor view of that intersection also. She is always ribbing me about seeing trains go by.
So THAT'S how the nickname "Wide-Awake Wylie" started..... I'm three blocks from the BNSF tracks here in Sherman, and the horns from the locals & rock trains can get kinda loud at times. However, with all the grade crossings, I much prefer the sound of horns to the sound of crunching metal when some fool runs the crossing.
