For our first wedding anniversary we toured central Texas, including (of course) the Austin & Texas Central Railroad. My ever-so-patient wife not only indulges my railroad hobby, but she actually enjoys it herself... a little bit.

The ATC usually runs steam. But their former Southern Pacific (TNO) MK-5 #786 is being rebuilt. I believe she'll be back on home rails some time in 2009.

*The first picture here is the line east of Austin heading towards Giddings. Most of it has been abandoned/rail-banked for quite some time. At one point the line ran past Giddings through to Brenham and Hempstead on it's way to Houston. Portions of it can still be seen in Brenham, including the (now) branch line to the Blue Bell ice-cream factory. The LAST SP (TNO) wig-wag signal in Texas was on this short branch. When I find my pictures I'll post them. It has since been moved to either the Houston Railroad Museum or the Rosenberg Railroad Museum... I think. If you know for sure please drop me a line: EMail