mer is a luxuriant green due to its plen- tiful rainfall. Like most of the South, most of the rain comes in the summer, but rain can fall any time of the year. This is another reason track inspectors keep a sharp eye on the right of way in and around Big Sandy: heavy rain leads to “mud-pumping,” especially in the little town’s many rail crossings, and mud can quickly destroy the effec- tiveness of the track structure in drain- ing water and holding the rails firmly in place. In fall, many of the trees turn orange, yellow, or red, and although not as spectacular as autumn in the Northeast, they provide a beautiful backdrop for railroad photographs.
The Big Show in Big Sandy
On one occasion while waiting along the Corsicana Sub just south of town, I got a good taste of just how heavy east Texas rain can be, summer or not. It was mid-November, and as my son and I waited for the train, rain started to fall. As the train approached, the inten-
RIGHT: With huge trees bracketing the right of way, a westbound UP intermodal train drops downgrade from Big Sandy toward Hawkins on the Mineola Sub on November 10, 2008. BELOW: UP 7875 West departs Big Sandy coming off the ex-Cotton Belt and heading for Dallas on the ex-T&P on November 14, 2011. The close track in the foreground is the Corsi- cana Sub main line.
46 OCTOBER 2013 •
RAILFAN.COM
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