Tower 13 Houston, Tx. Below is URL for map of Tower 13 area. Map of Tower 13 area, Houston, TX Put in new roll and should have those next week scanned on by Kodak instead of my Web TV scanner. Tower 13 does not stand nor do I know when it was destroyed. A UP employee showed me where he was told it stood. There are telegraph poles nearby as well as a power pole. An old call box sits on pole that I was told by dispatcher was what was used when towers were taken out. It controlled interlocker for MKT as Katy Eureka yard is just East of Tower location. Most track in yard torn up and the SP now the UP Eureka Sub. Originally the Houston Texas Central built this line at this location in 1860s. The Katy tracks that were controlled going into Eureka Yard were torn up all along I 10 Westward from Tower 13 location. A transition track goes from Eureka yard thru Tower 13 interlocker over to Houston Terminal Sub double track where now trains go out the Sunset, up the BNSF at Tower 17 and then catch the old Katy thru Smithville. The map I posted still shows Katy tracks going West. Of coarse the Eureka Sub goes to Navasota, joins the Navasota Sub to Hearne and on to Dallas. I don't know how much of this follows the old HTC that went to Dallas and then Red River City ? Ok. in 1870s anyway Tower 13 was where it left Houston . Tower 13 is a nice rail fan spot. To drive there off I 45, take I 10 West to Washington exit. Turn right towards Hempstead HWY. As you duck under RR overpass on Hempstead Hwy you will see Eureka Street. Turn right on Eureka and when you come to the tracks you are there. Tower 13 sign on Right.    BTW a little tip. When you are on Washington about to go right onto Hempstead HWY if you look ahead a little to the right you will see a bunch of TXDOT trucks parked. Work your way over there and at the end of that little dead end street by TXDOT is crew change point mentioned. Thats where the SOOs were and when they left the big double stack pulled up & stopped.

OLD TOWN SPRING Just North of Houston area there may not be a better place to watch railroad action than MP211 on the Palestine SUB of UP. This is where the Palestine Sub. heads North taking trains past my place 13 mile North on their way to North Little Rock AR. and Chicago. And the Navasota Sub. starts its trek NorthWest to Navasota and Hearne Tx. then o to Ft. Worth. There is a Wye that has what I call a small "Business Track" off it that I have seen the E9s, DD40X, and their business trains. (August 2000 DD40x with a SD90 barely fit on this track with business cars), the EC2, EC4 track evaluation cars use it and I believe it was Jan. 2000 "The Arden" UP business car was there for a Super Bowl Party. In fact a slow Sunday morning in Conroe sent me South to "The Wye" about 10:00AM in Nov. 99. When I arrived I could not believe the UP E9's were pulling out on the Navasota Sub. Anyway I was honored to ride on the UP employee Operation Lifesaver Special to Magnolia Tx. and back. What a thrill!! Take I 45 North of FM1960 and exit Spring Cypress. Go right to Old Town Spring. Where road forks bear left till you come to the tracks. When you stop at that stop sign and look to the left and don't be surprised if you see UP949,951, and 963. :) Map of Old Town Spring, TX

BELT JUNCTION WE caught the UP#3985 Challenger at Belt Junction in October 2001. Basicly Northeast quadrant of the place Hardy Toll Road and North Loop Interstat 610 intersect. Trains all day long!!! Map below!