Tower 17 guards the crossing of UP & BNSF in downtown Rosenberg.
Rosenberg is about 35 miles southwest of Houston, and sees about 65 trains daily between UP's Glidden Sub. which is part of the Sunset Route to California, and BNSF's Galveston Sub. to Temple. The two lines parallel each other through town, then cross at the Tower, which is a great place to take pictures or just watch the parade. |
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In Depth:
UP sends about 40 trains daily through Rosenberg, which include manifest, intermodal, and rock trains. Amtrak uses this line along with Tex-Mex trains to Mexico. BNSF provides about 20 trains daily which include coal, grain, potash, manifest, and vehicle trains. There is always something on the way in Rosenberg. Tower 17 is at milepost 36 on the UP and milepost 66.2 on BNSF. UP operates on 160.665 and BNSF uses 161.190. Tower 17 uses both of these channels.
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UP's Hot Intermodal Trains
A GE C40-8 leads the hot westbound intermodal train IEWCI past the tower in the late evening. UP trains roll by the tower at about 45mph. UP runs the IEWLB and IEWLBB by Rosenberg in the morning and IEWCI, INOLB, and IATLB come in the later hours. |
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The Eastbound Fleet
An EMD SD70M "Wing" leads an IAPAT out of UP's Rosenberg siding which is just west of the tower. UP's massive eastbound stacks include ILBEW, IAPAT, and ILBNO. Two short, but hot TOFC's also run through here, which are IOAHO and ICIHO. |
Amtrak's Sunset Limited
Amtrak's Sunset Limited runs through Rosenberg via UP's Glidden Sub. Westbound #1 runs Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday nights. Eastbound #2, shown here, is typically hours late, but is supposed to be by Rosenberg around 10am on Sunday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Amtrak is allowed 50mph past Tower 17. |
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BNSF's Manifests
A BN EMD SD40-2 leads BNSF manifest HALTLAR up to Tower 17. BNSF runs about 35mph across the interlocker. There are daily manifest trains running each way between Galveston & Temple, Galveston & Somerville, and Laredo & Alliance. |
Car Trains
UP occasionally runs auto trains symboled ASPBV and AGPBV through Rosenberg. BNSF regularly runs vehicle train VKCKPEA and sometimes a VPEAKCK. Shown here a GE B40-8W Warbonnet leads a VKCKPEA past Tower 17. |
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UP's Manifests
A GE C44-9W powers an MHOWC past the tower. UP runs MHOWC, QEWWC, and MHOSA midday westbound. Eastbounds include MWCEW, QWCEW, MLDEW, and a mixed ALDLI. |
Unit Trains
BNSF runs many unit trains on the Galveston Sub. These include grain, potash, rock, and coal trains, with much of this going to the Port of Galveston. A GE C44-9W with a famous number shuttles unit grain toward Galveston. |
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UP Rocks!
UP runs a good number of rock trains across the Glidden Sub. daily in both directions. Most of these come from Beckmann and Arenal, and are headed for various locations in southest Texas. Pictured is an RGNAO led by an EMD SD40-2. |
NAFTA Trains
The Tex-Mex, owned by KCS has trackage rights through Rosenberg on the Glidden Sub. These trains shuttle mostly grain and auto parts from Meridian, Mississippi to Laredo, Texas, where they cross into Mexico. A KCS EMD SD60 heads for the border with the MSHCPJ. |
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Tex-Mex
There is at least one Tex-Mex train daily each way. The eastbound is usually the AMXJAJ, and the westbound is AJAMXJ. They are usually by in the early morning or late afternoon. This is an AMEMXJ led by a TFM GE C40-8. |
UP Trackage Rights
UP utilizes trackage rights over the BNSF from Rosenberg to Sealy, where they join the ex-MKT Smithville Sub. Most of these trains are rock trains from Kerr, Ogden, and Dittlinger bound for many southeast Texas locations. An SP EMD GP60 leads the RDTDP onto the Glidden Sub after running the BNSF from Sealy. |
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BNSF Trackage Rights
BNSF has trackage rights over UP from T&NO Jct. in Houston to Rosenberg. This is a shorter route than their line out of Houston. Most of the BNSF manifest trains that originate in Houston use the UP to Rosenberg. These trains include MHOBAJ, MHOSVJ, MHOGAJ, which run midday, and MDYGAJ at night. This is an MHOGAJ slowing for the turnout onto the Galveston Sub. towards Temple. |
BNSF Coal
BNSF runs daily coal trains to the HL&P Power Plant at Smithers Lake about 15 miles from Rosenberg. These trains run with EMD SD70M's on the front and rear end as helpers. The Smithers Lake coal trains are symboled CJRMSLP/ESLPJRM and CCAMSLP/ESLPCAM. Until recently BNSF ran coal over the UP to Sulpher, Louisiana. Now BNSF runs these trains on their Conroe Sub. Here is an empty EMONJRM when it did run via Rosenberg. |
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