| Texas Trains Home
Recent Sightings
Favorite Pics
Railfanning Rosenberg
Railfanning Flatonia
Railfanning Eureka
Houston Detail (1)
Houston Detail (2)
Houston Detail (3)
Cool Links
|
|
Found it!
Eureka Junction is located west of downtown Houston north of Memorial Park and I-10. It is here that UP's Eureka Sub. to Hearne and Dallas splits off from the Terminal Sub, which turns into the Glidden Sub. to Rosenberg, Flatonia, and San Antonio. Tower 13 once controlled the layout, but no longer stands.
|
Eastbound
The eastbound traffic on the Terminal Sub. includes intermodals ILBEW, ILBNO, IAPAT, IOAHO, and ICIHO. The manifests are QWCEW, MWCEW, MLDEW, and ALDLI. UP also runs various rock trains through here daily. This MWCEW led by a GE C44-9W peeks around the curve eastbound on #2 Track. |
|
Clearance & Crews
Most eastbounds stop at Eureka waiting for an outbound crew or to wait for clearance to enter the Houston Complex. This is the last place trains can stop and be clear of crossings. Eureka is Milepost 366 on the Terminal Sub, about 6 miles from Englewood Yard. This GE C44-9W led AKCGP waits for a new crew on #2 Track. |
|
Meets
Since the Terminal Sub. is double track, meets are common. This EMD SD40-2T led INOLB meets an IAPAT on double track. There is a HBD Dectector at Eureka. Most trains roll through at 25mph. Tune your scanner to 160.665 to listen here. The Glidden Sub dispatcher actually controls this territory. It is useful to listen to the Terminal Dispatchers on 160.770, 160.365, and 160.995 as trains switch over at Chaney Jct, 3 miles east. |
|
Westbound
The westbound trains through Eureka include MHOWC, MHOSA, and QEWWC. The intermodals are IEWLB, IEWLBB, INOLB, IATLB, and IEWCI. There are also empty rock trains returning to central Texas quarries. Ocassionally auto trains ASPBV and AGPBV will show up here along with the Tex-Mex. This is an RGPBM led by an EMD SD40-2. |
|
Amtrak
Amtrak's Sunset Limited runs through Eureka. Westbound #1 is through on Sunday, Wednesday, and Friday nights around 11pm. (Don't try this- Eureka's not very safe at night) Eastbound #2 is usaully hours late but is scheduled to be by around 1030am Sunday, Tuesday and Friday. Pictured is the eastbound #2, and actually on time! There are about 25 trains daily through here on the Terminal Sub.
|
|
Eureka Sub.
The Eureka Sub. runs up to Navasota, Hearne, and Dallas. This is Track Warrant Territory and is utilized in UP's directional running system. Northbounds take the Eureka Sub while southbounds enter Houston off the "Toll Road". There are about 10 trains daily on the line. Trains include MHOFW, MHONP, MHOKC, rock trains, empty grain, empty coal, and many locals. The Eureka Sub. operates on 161.445. This SD50 led GLMCGV is southbound before the days of directional running. |
|
Yard & Switchers
The MKT used to run through Eureka between Smithville and Houston. The ex-MKT Eureka Yard is now relegated to a local and holding yard. Rock trains also run into this yard. The switchers and locals found around Eureka are YHS71, YHS52, YHS53, YHS55, LHS51, LHA71, and LHT46. These operate over both lines. Switching in Eureka Yard is commonly done on 160.470. This GE C36-7 leads an empty rock out of the yard. |
|
|
|
