As usual I caught DART in from Dallas Love Field with Super LRV #225 at the Love Field transfer station and a wrapped #192 at Pearl Arts District. Despite being in the South, Dallas has no fewer than 3 arts and entertainment districts.
Later arriving at Dallas Union Station I was in time to catch an eastbound BNSF manifest freight with C44-9W #4360 leading and ES44C4 #7125 behind.
This aligned with the arrival of an eastbound 3-car TRE train from Fort Worth with Bomber cab car #1004 leading and F59PH #124 on the rear. This train pulled in on track #3, next to F59PHI #569 which was already tied down on track #4.
Before I could leave for the streetcar, a westbound Union Pacific intermodal train featuring 5 road units up front including SD70ACe #8910, C44ACMs #6923 and #6542, ES44AC #2538 and AC4400 #6145.
SThe Dallas Streetcar is one of the several examples of "new urban streetcars" that popped up in the 2010's in cities as diverse as Seattle, Atlanta, Washington DC and Kansas City. The Dallas Streetcar makes use of the Brookville Liberty Modern Streetcar for rolling stock. Here we see Dallas Streercar #303 laying over at the Union Station terminal with the Reunion Center Whig Sphere in the background.
For the better part of a decade I have been enjoying the privilege of a yearly trip to the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area for arts event with friends and during that time I have been checking off parts of the DART/TRE/TexRail system that serves the region. By 2024 I had traveled all of the routes except one, the Green Line to Carrollton, TX and, by extension, the A-Train extension to Denton. Anyway, it seemed like an easy enough task to ride from downtown to Denton and back in a morning, but things didn't quite work out that way. You can find all the photos from this adventure here ( mirror ).
We begin at the Love Field station with LRV #130 heading outbound on an Orange routing.
Arriving downtown after dark I encountered McKinney Ave Trolley car #754 at Olive and San Jacinto. The McKinney Ave Transportation Authority is a heritage streetcar operation that connects DART with the McKinney Ave arts district.
The next day I tried to get up early to get out to Carrollton, and by extension Denton, before the arrival of the Texas Eagle. The first Green Line LRV that showed up, #216, was heading in the opposite direction to Buckner and although Carrollton-bound LRV #145 showed up ad wrapped windows I had no choice but to take it due to the 15 minute headways and my own time constraints.
Because of the window wraps I didn't get any outbound photos. Also, I forgot to mention that the Green Line doesn't make an A-Train connection at Carrollton, but the penultimate station, Trinity Mills. This creates another hole I'll need to fill in the DART network. Here we see the wrapped LRV #145 at Trinity Mills just before LRV #101 arrives from Carrollton.
Opened in 2011 , the Denton A-Train makes a cross-platform connection at Trinity Mills. The 21 mile line operates with 11 Stadler GTW 2/6 DMU's. Here GTW 2/6 #107 lays over at Trinity Mills.
Unfortunately with needing to meet a surprisingly on-time Texas Eagle and getting out of bed later than anticipated I did not have enough time to make the run to Denton as a round trip would take about 90 minutes including a prolonged layover at Denton. The deciding factor was ultimately bulkhead cabs providing minimal forward view and turning the ride into little more than a time sink.
Back in the 70's and 80's the powers that be in the Dallas area implemented a very forward looking policy of purchasing defunct or lightly used rail corridors for future transit conversion. Many of these were used by DART's light rail system, but others like A-Train and the new Silver Line are being used for FRA regulated services in conjunction with the local Denver, Garland and Northern short line freight operator. As such the Denton A-Train makes use of railroad type signals and signaling. Here we see #107 departing Trinity Mills just as the DART LRV train with #216 and the wrapped #145 return from Carrollton. #107 continues on past the DART Carrollton station, taking an Approach Diverging indication on the Milepost 107 intermediate signal there.
While reviewing potential railfan activities to do before my 2023 trip to Dallas, I noticed something something that appeared to be Amtrak equipment in a random neighborhood near the Texas State Fairgrounds. Situated within walking distance of the DART Green Line to Buckner, I immediately planned an in-person investigation as it would also check off one of the last parts of the DART system that I had yet to ride. This set of photos will cover both the eastern Green Line and the little known Dallas Terminal Railroad. An additional set of photos covering the McKinney Ave trolley will be forthcoming. You can see the full set of photos here ( mirror ).
Starting out at Dallas Union Station with TRE F59PH #122 and F59PHI #569.
Arriving in Dallas I noticed that the replacement of the DART LRV rollsigns with LED signs was accelerating, like with #191 and #133 seen at Pearl St. However #213 was still fitted with the analogue signs that do much better in photographs.
Here a northbound DART Blue Line train with LRV's #192 and #185 take the flashing arrow Approach Diverging indication on the 4N signal at the north end of the Pearl Arts District platform.
DART LRV #213 actually turned out to be my ride to Buckner station at the "timetable" southern end of the line. The station is named for disgraced Red Socks first baseman Bill Buckner who was forced to flee to Texas and found his own town after blowing the 1986 World Series. Seen here the operator has already rolled the signs to the new destination of North Carrollton.
Similarly roll signed LRV #208 would be leading the return trip northward.
Passing LRV #247 on the main line. DART can reach speeds as high as 65mph.
Managed to catch some Union Pacific intermodal action on the Mineola Sub with ES44AC #2522 and AC4400 #7247.
The Dallas Terminal Railroad yard was located between MLK and Fair Park, so I bid fairwell to #213 at the former to walk to the latter.
Also located between MLK and Fair Park was the Green Line's access to DART's south side yard and maintenance facility. The yard was originally built in the 90's to serve the original Blue and Red lines, but was strategically located to also serve the planned Green Line that would be completed in the 2010's. Both lines connect to the yard via long segments of non-revenue track.
When built, the non-rev Green Line track cut through the Dallas Terminal Railroad, necessitating the installation of a 2 by 2 diamond crossing at grade, complete with power operated derails on the DALT.
For all of its car culture and highway building sprees, the greater Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex has some pretty comprehensive rail transit. Not only does Dallas have the fairly expansive DART light rail system and a pair of streetcar routes, but there is also a traditional commuter line to Fort Worth and two DMU based rail lines that connect Denton to Dallas and Fort Worth to Grapevine/DFW Airport. The latter, known as TexRail, opened in 2019 and in the spring of 2022 I was given an opportunity to ride it. Other topics covered in this photo set ( mirror ) include some general DART and Dallas Union Station stuff as well as TRE and the Fort Worth Intermodal Transportation Center.
Arriving in from Love Field via a DART Orange Line train on LRV #163 seen here at the St. Paul St station. The city was much emptier than pre-COVID and like many other cities transit ridership had collapsed.
The next morning I headed to Union Station to catch the TRE commuter line to Fort Worth. F59PH #121 was hanging out with a typically short TRE consist.
I went to go get some breakfast a diner across the street and when I returned #121 had been replaced by #124 and an eastbound Union Pacific freight was passing through through with ES44AC #5515 leading and AC4400 #6457 behind.
Even in the spring of 2022, in Texas, COVID safety theatre was still a thing with a chain keeping people away from the cab car cab and thus preventing any photos being taken out the front or back.
Although the terminal for TRE and TexRail is at the more downtown Texas and Pacitic Station, I got off at the newer intermodal transportation center as there was simply more there to see and do. TexRail makes use of eight Stadler DMU trainsets with 4 coach sections and one central power unit. Although FRA "complaint", and thus able to run on the same tracks as TRE, TexRail trainsets make use of semi-high platforms and require a separate berthing area as can be seen with #108 here.
In 2020 I had managed to get in my annual trip to Dallas just before COVID shut everything down. I figured that 2021 would be a wash, but as luck would have it I was able to reschedule for later in the year and despite the heat I was able to make quite a bit of the opportunity by exploring the southern part of the DART Red and Blue lines. These were the first two lines to be constructed and had a number of interesting elements that would be altered in the later Green and Orange line construction. The photo gallery for all of this along with a good bit of freight action in the Union Station area can be viewed here ( mirror ).
I begin my journey at the Inwood station on the Green/Orange line where one connects to Dallas Love Field via shuttle bus. Ironically I would be connecting to a DFW bound train as that airport is directly served by DART.
As I would be staying at the Hyatt Regency Dallas I transferred to TRE at the Victory station to avoid having to make a transfer at the less hospitable West End station. At Victory, named due to the proximity of the downtown Dallas sports arena, DART and TRE run side-by-side allowing for a convenient across the platform transfer.
My TRE train had Bomber cab car #1004 leading and F50PHI #570, seen at Union Station next to F59PH #122.
The next morning I passed by TRE F59PHI #569 to catch DART Westmoreland Bound LRV #153.
The Westmoreland Station was undergoing a bit of a rebuild so I was only able to get photos from the departure/arrival end. Here is DART LRV #110 at the opposite end of my train.
To transfer to the Blue Line I got off at 8th and Corinth, just south of the Trinity River.
A northbound Blue Line train to Rowlett at 8th and Corinth.
The University of North Texas (UNT) station was part of a two stop extension past the original Blue Line terminus at Ledbetter. Opened in 2016, the extension used cab signals instead of a modified Line of Sight system used on the 1996 portion.
DART LRV #103 on a DFW Orange Line routing at West End.
Northbound Orange Line train at the Northwest Jct just south of the West End station.
BNSF ES44C4 #8184 and ET44 #3961 waiting to enter the Up Dallas Sub at TRE Jct just west of Union Station.
DART LRV #182 on a Westmoreland routing sits next to TRE cab car #1008 at Union Station.
A little bit later a Union Pacific intermodal train appeared from the other direction with SD70ACe #8814 leading and AC4400 #6671 behind.
Ahead of the departure of eastbound Texas Eagle Train #22, I ventured out to REUNION interlocking where some UP MoW equipment was sitting.
DART LRV #128 passing the repurposed Dallas Union Station TOWER 107.
The train was being led by Amtrak P42DC #69. The Texas Eagle can get away with just a single diesel engine as its route is largely flat and the consist fairly short.
In the opposite direction I caught a UP manifest freight with AC4400 #6460 and ES44AC #5438 rounding the curve at JFK Jct with DART LRV #258 on a Red Line assignment making an appearance.
This time Train 22 was being led by Amtrak P42DC #63.
For some reason the westbound track #2 signal at DALLAS interlocking was displaying an Approach Restricting indication for a Diverging Clear signal at JFK JCT.
Walking over to JFK JCT I was in time to catch a westbound UP welded rail train pulled by ES44AC #8201 pass under the eastbound cantilever signal for DALLAS interlocking with an Advance Approach signal flashing eastbound on track #1. An old Hydra-Cushion box car was acting as a buffer/tool car on the rear end.
And just as we have reached the end of the rail train we have reached the end of my trip. Tune in next time as we had back to Philly for some urban exploration.
