While my yearly trips to Dallas are a somewhat recent occurrence, it was not my first time visiting the city. That cane in 2007 when I was in town for a professional conference and I had a number of days to ride around on the DART network and the local historic streetcar. Upon returning to Dallas I have so far traveled to Fort Worth via TRE and buzzed about the Union Station complex, but not really done any major DART trips until this year where I returned to one of my 2007 destinations, the KCS-DGNO crossing in Garland, TX as well as riding the new DART Orange Line extension to DFW Airport. Of course I did all the Union Station stuff as well so I'll probably break this up into two parts with part one being more DART and the second being more Union Station. You can find the full set of photos here ( mirror ).
After flying into Dallas Love Field (which is something one can do now), I caught a shuttle bus to the DART Green Line connection at Inwood. I arrived in time to catch LRV #141 heading outbound to New Carrolton before LRV #263 showed up heading inbound to Buckner.
As there is no through service from the Green/Orange trunk south/west of the city to Union Station on the Red/Blue trunk, one must transfer at West End. Here we see the second LRV, #247, on my Green Line consist.
The West End station is at least...well lit. Here two Red Line LRV's pass with LEC #233 and #242.
Some night action at Union Station with inbound a Blue Line LRV and TRE F59PH #133.
The next morning TRE F59PH #124 had replaced #122 at Dallas Union Station.
A Union Pacific rail crew was out doing some welding in DALLAS interlocking on the Dallas Sub.
Outbound Red Line LRV's #187 and #190 at Union Station.
From Union Station I caught Blue Line LRV #147 to Garland, which used to be the terminus of the line, but was then extended to Rowlett in 2012.
The Kanas City Southern's diamond crossing of the Dallas, Garland and Northeastern Railroad is leapfrogged by the DART Blue Line on an overhead bridge, seen here with LRV #147 returning from Rowlett.
The crossing area has changed quite a bit since 2007, mostly thanks to the DART bridge.
The diamond is of the flange riding variety as the DGNO line is only an industrial track.
The Blue Line to Garland was initially opened in 2002. Here we see LRV #227 on a section of direct fixation elevated track near White Rock.
Intending to continue on to the DFW Airport on the Orange Line, I alighted from Blue Line LRV #175 at Mockingbird where the the Blue and Red/Orange lines converge.
The Orange Line train to DFW arrived with LRV #173 in the lead. Mockingbird is located at the north end of a multi mile ling tunnel that gets the light rail trains out of downtown at high speed to where they can intersect with the dedicated surface rights of way in the suburban zone.
On the way to DFW, I caught DGNO GP38-2 #2147 on a parallel industrial track out by Love Field.
Waiting at the DFW Airport terminal were LRV's #118, #173, #128 and #186.
Access to DFW Terminal A is via this snazzy tunnel. The new TexRail line to Fort Worth is located across the toll road adjacent to Terminal B.
LRV #118 took me back to the West End station, where I decided to walk the short distance to Union Station.
Green Line LRV's #247 and #223 pass at the Houston St crossing.
I'll finish up Part 1 with the front half of LRVs #116 and #111 proceeding through the east leg of the West End wye track.
Next time I'll be back with the Union Station area photos.
No comments:
Post a Comment