The year is 1974, the location is a spur track ten miles west of Odessa, Texas. In the heart of the Permian Basin oil fields. But some cattle is still run on the surrounding ranch land, mainly as a tax write-off to help offset the profits from oil and gas well royalties. We catch a Texas & Pacific train led by a MoPac GP-18, after running around its train on a siding along the mainline, shoving to the end of the spur. A crewman rides the point.
Four loads for Drill-Tex, one of the many small oil field support companies in the area, are separated from the three cars for Fat Cow Cattle Feed Supplements.
The four loads are shoved down the Drill-Tex track.
The four loads are spotted and the engine comes out with the caboose.
The out bound cars, two loads being shipped by Fat Cow and a covered hopper unloaded at Fat Cow, make up the train headed back to Odessa. More industries will be switched along the way.
Rails West 