11/28/2011 Update

In the wake of the BNSF and UP/SP mergers, and the trackage rights that accompanied them, the Houston rail scene has gone through transition. Below is a brief description of what a railfan should expect. For the sake of clarity, the lines leaving Houston will be referred to by the numbers assigned on the attached maps.

My number map will help you find your way with this guide. Numbers begin at the northwest corner and continue clockwise.

With recent mergers, Control Points are replacing other designated location names.

For modelers, I have included some information on Houston Model Railroad shops.

Finally, some railfans enjoy spending 24 hours on a given line to see what the traffic actually is. Well, here are some for your enjoyment (amazement?)

Track #1 is the Joint Texas Division formerly operated by the CRIP and FW&D, now solely by BNSF. Chartered as the Trinity & Brazos Valley in 1902, it fell into receivership during the WW1 time period. This was the longest receivership for a Texas RR, lasting until 1930, when the Burlington (FW&D) and Rock Island RR's got joint custody. It proceeds north through Tomball, Teague, Corsicana, to a connection with the UP at Waxahachie and on to Fort Worth. With the BNSF merger, this line has seen increased traffic since it is a shorter route to Fort Worth than the ATSF through Temple. Train chasing will be difficult, as no highway closely parallels this line, but Texas 249 will keep you in close proximity north of Tomball for about 15 miles. Detailed maps will keep you close by for most of the trip to Teague.

BNSF has a large SIT yard at Teague capable of holding 600 cars. Which compensates for a lack of capacity in Houston.

BNSF’s Casey yard is located inside Beltway 8 near 249. The yard is parallel to the main between Fallbrook and West Rd. with an 18 track SIT yard running east and west between Houston-Rosslyn Rd. and the main line, just north of West Rd. Casey has a capacity of 800 cars. The only railfan vantage is at the Fallbrook crossing. Casey serves primarily as a gathering yard for traffic for north side industries and as a SIT yard to serve those industries. If you like gray covered hoppers, you'll love Casey. Daily, a turn will operate from Casey to New South yard with traffic destined for Memphis, New Orleans, and elsewhere and return with traffic for the North Harris County and Southern Montgomery County area. Track #1 sees about 10-12 trains a day.

Track #2 is former MP. From Belt Jct. it runs down the middle of the Hardy Toll Road with two main tracks to Spring. Chartered as the Houston & Great Northern in 1871, it became the International & Great Northern in 1873. The branch from Spring toward Navasota was constructed in 1901. The MOPAC gained control in 1925, and operated the RR's under their own names until 1956.

UP has a 44 track (1640 car) SIT yard at Spring (Lloyd Yard) and they also have 2 facilities for unloading autoracks just below FM 1960, one that is easily visible from the toll road and another (Toyota) just across old Hardy Rd. from the first one. Cypresswood Drive crosses the Lloyd Yard (exit marked on US 45) and has room for pedestrians. Old Hardy Road parallels the tracks on the west side. From FM 1960 to Loop 610 the railroad runs down the middle of the toll road. The double track has frequent crossovers and it is not unusual to find trains parked on each other's blocks waiting to enter Houston. Just north of Loop 610 is the busy Belt Jct.

Just north of Lloyd Yard, the track splits with one line going north to Conroe, Trinity, Crockett and Palestine (Palestine Sub.). It is used primarily for northbound traffic toward Arkansas as track #3 below is primarily southbound. Traffic on the Palestine line averages 10 northbound and 3 southbound trains a day.

The western leg goes to Navasota, north to Bryan on the former SP, then to Valley Jct., just west of Hearne, where it crosses the Palestine to San Antonio line on its way to Waco (Ft. Worth Sub.). Hearne has become a busy interchange as new connections between the former SP and UP have streamlined operations as has a new connector at Navasota. Navasota sub sees mainly southbound trains of all types.

Track #3 is the former SP line, known as the "Rabbit," to Lufkin and Shreveport. Chartered as the Houston, East & West Texas in 1875, it started out as one of the "broad gauge" (5' 6") lines in Texas. It became part of the Southern Pacific interests in 1899, and absorbed into the T&NO in 1934.

Traffic has increased since the UP merger, and BNSF now has trackage rights on this line to the north. UP uses the #2 line from Texarkana, Marshall, and Palestine as a primarily northbound track and the #3 Rabbit as a primarily southbound line. US 59 generally parallels #3 north to Lufkin, TX. BNSF has trackage rights on this line to Memphis. Average traffic includes 2-3 northbound and 12 southbound UP trains plus 2 southbound BNSF trains per day.

Track #4 is the UP main to Beaumont and New Orleans. It continues northeast to a bridge across Lake Houston and then swings east to Beaumont. Chartered as the Beaumont, Sour Lake, & Western in 1903, it was completed to Houston in 1908. Benjamin Franklin Yoakum, chairman of the Frisco RR, acquired this line and completed it as part of his Gulf Coast Line from New Orleans to Brownsville. This Gulf Coast Line would have been a Frisco RR property, but the receivership in 1913 put a stop to it. Missouri Pacific gained control of Gulf Coast Lines in 1925, but operated them under their own names until the consolidation in 1956.

There is no easy chasing in the immediate Houston area. Traffic is primarily eastbound. The Settegast Yards are a major UP center handling 1000 cars a day with engine servicing and intermodal handling. North Wayside Drive parallels the yard on the east while Kirkpatrick is on the west side. Loop 610 crosses the south end of Settegast between Kirkpatrick Jct. and Twr. 87. An average of 10 eastbound trains use track #4 each day. All local UP engine shop work is handled at Settegast and the intermodal yard is on the west side of the yard.

Track #5 is the Sunset line of the UP/SP from Beaumont and New Orleans. This was the original line chartered as the Texas & New Orleans Railroad, Texas Division, in December 1859. The 106-mile line from Houston to Orange had been in operation 3 months when the Civil War erupted. It became part of the SP holdings in 1881. The T&NO name was used as SP's consolidated company for Texas and Louisiana in 1934.

Since it parallels Track #4 overall, #4 is used for eastbound while #5 sees primarily westbound traffic. #5 is easy to railfan as US 90 parallels the line. Expect to see 1-2 eastbound and 12-15 westbound trains each day on #5. BNSF and KCS also run direction trains utilizing trackage rights on tracks #4 and #5. In addition, BNSF has a yard at Dayton.

The Englewood Yard is a major hump yard classifying 1100-1900 cars a day and is easy to photograph. The UP line and N. Wayside Drive go under the hump; Loop 610 goes over the east end. Liberty Road parallels it on the north. On the western end, the Lockwood and Waco bridges offer nice views. The yard between Lockwood and Waco is the intermodal facility. Two connectors have been built where the former SP and UP tracks cross at Liberty Rd. and N. Wayside Drive to allow access to Settegast yard.

The former SP engine servicing facility was further west at Hardy Street and Lyons Ave. The engine racks, roundhouse and turntable are gone as of this date and EPA work is going on at the site. Some of the back buildings remain.

Probably the busiest spot in town is at Twr. 26, just east of Hardy St., as nearly everything in town crosses at that location. The tower is now gone, and the tracks relocated somewhat. It is a depressed neighborhood, so be watchful. However, I was approached by a somewhat frightening individual at that location who asked, "Have any of dem new Dash-8s passt today. I reads Trains too, you know."

East of Houston at Dayton, UP has a small yard plus a line that turns south to Mont Belview. The Dayton plastics SIT yard on the Baytown branch holds 3000 cars and the BNSF Coastal Materials Company yard just east of it can handle 600 cars but these are nearly impossible to railfan. Plans have been announced to double the size to 6000 cars and add packaging facilities.

The Port of Houston is the 4th largest port in the United States. For that reason, much of the Houston rail traffic is centered around the port.

Track #6 is the UP to Baytown to serve the major chemical complexes there. An average of 12-14 trains a day use this line which parallels Market St. east of Loop 610.

Tracks #7 are operated by the Port Terminal Railway Association. They continue east along the ship channel and service the many industries and docks along the way. Their excellent website contains a track plan, detailed descriptions, and a photographic tour, including aerial views of their yards.

The PTRA operates rail services on tracks owned by the Port of Houston. Railfans will want to see the MK-1500 engines of which PTRA leases 23. There are other MK-1500s in Houston, as the Houston Belt and Terminal owned some and divided them between the UP and BNSF (5) at the end of 1997. PTRA handled 10,000 cars a week in 1998 from UP and BNSF to ship channel customers.

PTA’s largest yard is North Yard and its engine facilities are located in the middle of that yard out of legal reach to railfans. The Manchester Yard and North Yard are major staging areas for deliveries to the port. North Wayside drive runs west of the North yard and give easy access to photographers. Photos of all of these are available on the PTRA website.

Manchester Yard lies under the southern approach to the 610 bridge over the ship channel.

Track #8 is the UP/SP line to LaPorte and Strang Yard (800 car capacity). Until recently, SP also had a line that paralleled Texas 146 from LaPorte to Galveston, but that line has been cut with the removal of the Clear Creek bridge at Kemah. Track #8 has moderate traffic and serves the ship channel. It is double track from Deer Park Jct. through Strang to the Barbours Cut container base. Texas 225 generally parallels the line.

The PTRA also runs along the southern side of the ship channel to Barbours Cut in LaPorte (container base). A novice will have difficulty telling which line is which.

Track #9 is the GH&H line from Houston to Galveston. Since the Galveston, Houston & Henderson was jointly owned by the MKT and MP, it is now the UP line. Traffic is light with 3 southbound and 3 northbound trains a day. This is the route UP uses to get their grain trains to Galveston. Texas 3 closely parallels the line.

Track #10 is the former ATSF main into Houston. The ATSF main from Galveston to Temple bypassed Houston, but this line comes north from Alvin. The Gulf Colorado & Santa Fe (GC&SF chartered in 1873) constructed this line into Houston and operated under the GC&SF name until 1965. Their small yard (capacity 400 cars) and intermodal complex is just south of Hobby Airport and can be seen from Mykawa Road which parallels the track from Pearland to T&NO Jct. With the division of HB&T, BNSF gained control of New South Yard and South Yard (capacity 1000 cars). You can easily railfan these yards from the south end at Griggs Rd, the middle at Old Spanish Trail, or along the west side at the newly realigned Calhoun St.

An interesting directional point concerning the ATSF. Trains destined for Temple are eastbound, while trains headed to Galveston are westbound. Confusing! Trains going south on track 10, but destined for Los Angeles, are eastbound trains until they get to Temple at which time they become westbound. So both eastbound and westbound ATSF trains go south on #10.

Minimal engine servicing is done at New South Yard. The former HB&T Milby St. roundhouse (Scott and McKinney, just north of I-45) is used much less that in ATSF days. A car rebuilder frequently has old passenger cars there, and an ATSF HiLevel car has been there a while. You will also find BNSF trains on track #12 using rights from their main at Rosenberg to T&NO Jct. The connector to New South Yard has recently been rebuilt.

UP trains to Brownsville and the Rio Grande Valley use tracks #10 and #12 as a one way system. Trains from the valley go to Algoa, near Alvin and use trackage rights headed north on the ATSF through south Yard. Trains going to the Valley go west on the Sunset (Glidden Sub.) to Flatonia where they turn south on the Port LaVaca Branch to Victoria and then south to Brownsville.

BNSF has trackage rights on the UP from Argola to Corpus Christi and the valley and run both northbound and sound bound trains on these rails.

Expect to see an average of 20 northbound and 10 southbound trains on #10 along Mykawa Drive each day.

Track #11 was abandoned south of Arcola many years ago, and was is very poor shape until recently. It was chartered as the Houston Tap & Brazoria in 1856, became Houston & Great Northern in 1871, and then International & Great Northern in 1873. Missouri Pacific gained control of the I-GN in 1925, but operated the road under that name until 1956.

Houston Lighting and Power has constructed a $23 million 9 mile line from Arcola to the Smithers’ Lake Power Plant across the Brazos River to give BNSF some competition with coal traffic. The BNSF handles most of the coal to Smithers' Lake but this line keeps the threat of competition real.

Track #12 is the very busy former SP Sunset line to Sugar Land and is the oldest stretch of track in Texas (1853). The original line from Harrisburg to Richmond established this right-of-way. It began as Buffalo Bayou, Brazos, & Colorado (1853 - 1870), became Galveston, Harrisburg, & San Antonio (1870 - 1925), and then Texas & New Orleans (1925 - 1955) before taking the name of the parent company Southern Pacific (1955 - 1995). The incoming UP traffic will go to West Jct., Eureka and Chaney Jct. The track from West Jct. to Chaney Jct. is a double track with frequent crossovers. Trains are often staged on the west belt, the portion between West Jct. and Eureka Jct. UP has dropped plans to double the line from West Jct. to Sugar Land because of objections from the city of Stafford. The highway department plans on rebuilding the parallel 90A into a semi-freeway and neighbors are demanding a sound wall between the tracks and their homes. There is also commuter rail discussion involving this right-of-way.

Traffic on this line in addition to the UP will include Amtrak which runs three trains east in daylight and three west in the dark each week. The BNSF runs trains from Rosenberg to T&NO Jct. UP also serves several industries in Sugar Land and they have a small yard there. The Sugar Land train has been originating in Settegast and moving through South Yard. The Sugar Mill in Sugar Land closed at the beginning of 2003, reducing the traffic to Sugar Land.

The Tex-Mex/KCS won trackage rights from Beaumont to Robstown in the UP/SP merger and also can be seen through this area. Currently they run 1-2 trains a day each way with a variety of NAFTA power. Trains enter on #4 and proceed generally to North Yard where the switching is done, then continue through Twr. 86, Twr. 85, South Yard, T&NO Jct., West Jct., and west to Flatonia where then turn south. Northbounds take the same route in reverse. Their power can frequently be seen at North Yard. TexMex has purchased the abandoned right-of-way from Rosenberg to Victoria and has totally rebuilt it to the highest standards. They have an intermodal yard at Kendleton and also unload automobiles there.

BNSF also has rights to Rosenberg on Track #12 where it joins its own tracks toward Temple. UP has rights over BNSF from Rosenberg to Sealy to the connect with the former MKT to Smithville. BNSF trains can also use this line to the hill country.

Track #12 parallels US 90A (South Main St.) from West Jct. to Eagle Lake. Between West Jct. and T&NO Jct., the line parallels Holmes Road. East of there, Griggs Road parallels the line to Harrisburg, although this is the least traveled part of the line. The double main through Bellaire Jct. runs parallel to and inside Loop 610. West of West Jct, you can expect to see 20-25 eastbound and 15-20 westbound UP trains, 2 westbound TexMex trains, and 2-3 eastbound and 2-3 westbound BNSF trains a day, easily the busiest single track in or out of Houston with 50 trains daily. The double track portion which funs north-south from West Jct. to Eureka sees about 35 trains per day. If you go to Tower 17 in Rosenberg (now closed) you will see 60-65 trains a day at the diamond.

Track #13 is now removed. It was a second SP line, the Bellaire Line, to Eagle Lake, and for a while SP ran westbounds on this line and eastbounds on track #12. A few years ago, track #13 was sold to Houston Metro along with right of way east of Bellaire Jct. The West Park Toll road now occupies the land to past Grand Parkway Hwy. 99.

Track #14 was the MKT line to Smithville, Taylor, and San Antonio. The highway department has purchasing the right-of-way to expand the parallel I-10 Katy Freeway. The track has now been completely removed except for part of Eureka Yard. The former MKT Eureka yard is located just north of I-10 inside Loop 610. T. C. Jester Blvd. goes over the yard. A large aggregate dealer occupies the space. Many tracks have been removed and a connector has been built at Tower 13. UP trains which would have used this track now to out the Sunset main to Tower 17 in Rosenberg, then up the BNSF to Sealy where they move back to the MKT line to Smithville. In the UP one way system between Houston and Ft. Worth, the former Katy line is primarily northbound and the traffic down Track 15 is primarily southbound. Rails remain from Sealy to Katy with a good bit of aggregate traffic.

Track #15 is the former SP to Hempstead, Navasota, Bryan, Hearne, Corsicana, and Dallas. It is now the UP Eureka Sub. It was originally the Houston and Texas Central RR. Highway 290 parallels the track to Hempstead and Highway 6 parallels it north of there. The Eureka sub sees mainly northbound manifest freights (3 or 4) and a probably a rock train both ways per day. There is also a daily switching job which can frequently be seen between Eureka and Beltway 8 along Old Hempstead Highway.

Track #16 is the MetroRail commuter rail which runs from the Reliant Park (Astrodome) through the Texas Medical Center to downtown, roughly following Main and Fannin Streets. The car barns and test track are located near Stella on the map, that is at the south end of Fannin Street behind Astroworld, just south of Loop 610. Operation began January 1, 2004. $1 will buy you a 3 hour pass to ride anywhere the trains run. However, park and ride lots along the way charge for parking, so you may want to park on a street near a station to avoid the extra charges. Substantial expansion is under construction.

Houston was served by two switching railroads: The Houston Belt and Terminal and the Port Terminal Railroad Association. Generally, the PTRA served the port and the HB&T served non-port customers. PTRA is not a railroad as such, but an association of railroads which switch the port. It does operate under its own logo with its own Special Agents. Their map is on the web. The HB&T still exists as a corporate entity, 50% UP and 50% BNSF, but the two railroads divided up the operation in November, 1997, and the motive power split between the two.

UP and BNSF has created a joint dispatching center in Spring to relieve congestion. This appears to be a pattern that is being recreated in other metropolitan areas.

Amtrak has a station downtown under I-45 near the main Post Office. If you are lucky, the cars of Creative Charter will be parked across the platform. The main Post Office sits on land which was the site of the SP station. Amtrak hosts the eastbound Sunset Limited on Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday scheduled to arrive from San Antonio at 4:40 a.m. The westbound Sunset comes through on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9:50 p.m.

Numerous industries around the ship channel area have their own locomotives, many first generation locos.

The tracks have now been removed from Union Station. A new baseball stadium is on that site with the station structure being incorporated into the design. An SP 2-10-2 982 graces the site.

If I just had one day to railfan Houston, I would want to drive around Settegast, Englewood, and North Yards. If I was to park somewhere to watch the parade, I would select Twr. 26 first, Belt Jct. second, and T&NO Jct. third.

The Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has a museum on Mesa Road not far from Settegast and Englewood yards. Their collection includes ATSF 2350 Alco S-2 switcher, built 1945, ATSF Verde Valley Pullman, built 1942, ATSF 1344 Super Chief lounge car, built 1950, ATSF 1890 End-door express car, built 1928, and ATSF 3401 Baggage-Railway Post Office car, built 1938. Also of interest to Santa Fe fans is MHAX 1237 Helium car, built 1955. They are open Saturday and Sunday afternoons during the warmer half of the year. They have offered to be open on the Tuesday morning before the convention if informed in advance.

If I wanted main line action away from the city I would travel west to Tower 17 in Rosenberg where the Sunset Line (#12) crosses the BNSF and the KCS splits off for Victoria. About 60-65 trains a day will pass the tower. The tower was closed in February, 2004, and has been moved to the Rosenberg Railroad Museum, but the action is plentiful there.

Of the rail lines listed, most run on flat or gently rolling terrain surrounded by farms or water. If you like hills and trees, tracks #1-3 are for you, with #3 having the greatest grades south of Lufkin.

Around Houston

For Santa Fe fans, we must include the Texas State Railroad which runs from Rusk to Palestine, TX. This is 190 miles from Houston and 135 miles from Temple. Steamer 500 is down for repair, but is ATSF 4-6-2 1316. They also concession cars #60 which is ATSF 2608 Fast Mail rider car, #61 which is ATSF 2638 combine, and ATSF 1511 Cafe Observation.

Going south of Houston, there is a railway museum in Galveston located in the former ATSF station at the head of the Strand. You can explore the museum while the spouse takes in the shops on the Strand. You can also ride the street car around town and enjoy the sights. Hurricane Ike destroyed much of the collection, but there are still items of interest including an TK-J tank. Before leaving, drive down dock row and look for Galveston Wharves engines. On your way back to Houston, get off at Texas City to see the Texas City Terminal Railway with its distinctively painted MP15DC locos.

As you railfan in Houston, be safe. As in most major cities, the yard areas are not the most attractive neighborhoods. Because of theft and vandalism, you will find city, industry, and railroad police are very active. However, in 22 years of railfanning Houston I have not had a single bad experience.

To keep up with Houston frequencies, click here.

Your comments, suggestions, and corrections are invited.

Happy railfanning.

© J. Stephen Sandifer