Pour a hot cup of tea, settle into a rocking chair, and wait for it: a horn in the distance, a headlight across the field, and then a long line of freight rolling past the hay bales under a big Texas sky. Out here, train watching is the evening show.
At a glance
- The line
- Union Pacific's Midlothian Subdivision, across the field from our porch
- How many
- About 8 through trains a day, day and night, per federal crossing records
- Schedule
- None published. Listen for the horn
- Best seat
- A rocking chair on the covered porch, with something hot to drink
- From Dallas
- About 35 minutes south
Train watching from the porch
Tea and trains
The covered porch
Make a pot of tea in the full kitchen, take the rocking chairs, and watch the fields. When a train comes, the whole length of it stretches across the horizon.
Steel at sunset
Facing the farmland
The best show is a train rolling past the hay bales while the sky turns pink and gold. Bring the camera; you'll want this one.
Count the cars
From the yard
Make it a game: everyone guesses how many cars, and you count together until the last one rolls past.
Headlights under the stars
The porch, after dark
On clear nights a headlight sweeps across the dark fields under a sky full of stars. Our stargazing guide covers what's overhead.
Watch from the porch and yard. The fields are working farmland, and the tracks are railroad property, so both are off limits.
Meet the line: Union Pacific's Midlothian Subdivision
- Who runs it: Union Pacific, on a former Southern Pacific main line. It runs east toward Garrett, near Ennis, and west through downtown Waxahachie and Midlothian toward Fort Worth. BNSF trains share the track through town.
- How fast: the timetable allows up to 60 mph out in the country by us, and 40 mph through downtown Waxahachie.
- How busy: the railroad reports roughly four through trains in daylight and four at night on this stretch, all on a single main track.
- Since 1879: this stretch traces back to the Waxahachie Tap Railroad. Chartered in 1875 with $13,600 in Waxahachie city bonds, it finished 13 miles of track between Waxahachie and Garrett in 1879. It became the Central Texas and Northwestern in 1881 and joined the Houston and Texas Central in 1901, a road later folded into the Southern Pacific. Union Pacific took over when it merged with the Southern Pacific in 1996.
What to look for
- Union Pacific's yellow and gray locomotives up front, sometimes with a unit from another railroad mixed in.
- The car mix: tank cars, covered hoppers, boxcars, and flatcars. Every train is different.
- Distributed power: on long trains, watch for extra locomotives in the middle or at the rear.
How to know a train is coming
- Listen for the horn. At road crossings, engineers sound two long blasts, one short, and one long, starting about 15 to 20 seconds before the crossing. When you hear it, look up.
- Watch for the headlight, especially at dusk. You'll often see it before you hear the train.
- Bring a scanner. Railfans listen to railroad radio for crews calling signals. RadioReference.com lists Union Pacific frequencies by area.
- Be patient. There's no public schedule or live tracker for freight trains. That's half the fun.
Train photo tips from the porch
| Shot | How |
|---|---|
| Freeze it | 1/1000 second or faster, continuous autofocus, burst mode. Trains here can run up to 60 mph. |
| The big compression | A long lens (200 to 600mm) across the field stacks the train, the hay bales, and the horizon into one frame. |
| The pan | 1/30 to 1/60 second, follow the locomotive smoothly, and keep shooting through the pass. The cars blur, the engine stays sharp. |
| The wedge | Catch the locomotive at a three-quarter angle as it approaches, nose and side both in frame. |
| Golden glint | In the last hour before sunset, low side light makes the locomotives glow. Our golden hour table has times by month. |
| Night trails | Tripod, 10 to 30 seconds, low ISO. The headlight and ditch lights paint a streak across the dark fields. |
| Video | Start rolling at the first horn. 4K at 60 fps gives you slow motion, and keep the audio: the horn and the steel are the soundtrack. |
| Phone | Use the 2x or 3x lens, burst or slo-mo, and lock focus on the track ahead before the train arrives. |
Frame it like a local: put hay bales, a fence line, or spring wildflowers in the foreground and let the train cross the middle of the frame. More shot ideas are in our photo and film guide, and drone pilots should read the drone guide before flying near a railroad.
More places to watch trains
Railyard Park and the Katy depot
455 S. College St., Waxahachie
A creekside park beside the restored 1908 Katy railroad depot, with a bright red caboose to stand next to. Great with little kids.
Ennis Railroad & Cultural Heritage Museum
105 NE Main St., Ennis
Ennis is a true railroad town, named for railroad official Cornelius Ennis. The museum fills the old Van Noy railroad building, with an original caboose outside and a platform where visitors watch trains go by. Rated 4.7 stars; Tuesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday 1 to 4.
Tower 55
Fort Worth, near downtown
Once the busiest rail junction in Texas, where Union Pacific and BNSF main lines cross. The tower building came down in 2022, but the trains still roll. Watch from public property only.
TrainTopia, Museum of the American Railroad
8004 Dallas Pkwy., #400, Frisco
A big G-scale model railroad indoors, plus guided outdoor tours of real locomotives. The museum's collection includes Union Pacific's Big Boy 4018 steam engine and a DDA40X diesel; ask what's on display when you visit. Rated 4.5 stars; Wednesday to Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sunday 1 to 5.
Train rides near Dallas
Grapevine Vintage Railroad
707 S. Main St., Grapevine
Century-old restored coaches on the Cotton Belt Route from Grapevine to the Fort Worth Stockyards, plus a 90-minute Bear Creek Short Line and a 45-minute Trinity River trip from the Stockyards. Check GVRR.com for this season's dates.
Santa's North Pole Express
Grapevine Vintage Railroad
The railroad's own Christmas train, about 45 minutes on board plus a North Pole visit back at the station. Tickets went on sale October 1, 2026; benches for two run $90 to $100 depending on the day.
Texas State Railroad
789 Park Rd. 70, Palestine
Longer excursions through the East Texas piney woods between Palestine and Rusk. Rated 4.6 stars.
The Polar Express Train Ride
Texas State Railroad, Palestine depot
About an hour round trip, with coach seats from about $40 for adults and $20 for kids, plus a $3 preservation fee. Book early.
For holiday trips, pair a train ride with the lights in our holidays guide.
Stay safe, stay off the tracks
- Tracks are private property. Operation Lifesaver says railroad tracks, trestles, yards, and rights-of-way are private, and walking or shooting on them is trespassing.
- Trains can't stop to avoid people, and they overhang the rails by at least three feet.
- Your eyes lie. An optical illusion makes it hard to judge a train's distance and speed.
- No track is abandoned until you know for sure it is. Assume a train can come at any time, from either direction.
Questions we get
Can you see trains from The Waxahachie Tiny Home?
Yes. Union Pacific freight trains roll along the far side of the field across the farm-to-market road, in full view of our covered porch. Federal crossing records list about eight through trains a day on this stretch.
What railroad runs through Waxahachie?
Union Pacific's Midlothian Subdivision, a former Southern Pacific main line that runs east toward Garrett, near Ennis, and west through Midlothian toward Fort Worth. BNSF trains share the track through downtown.
Is there a train schedule?
Not for freight. Railroads don't publish freight schedules, and trains run day and night. Keep your ears open for the horn, or bring a scanner.
Do trains run at night?
Yes. About half of the trains on this line run at night, so light sleepers may hear a horn in the distance.
Where can I watch trains near Dallas?
Our porch, for a quiet country view. For more action, the old Tower 55 junction in Fort Worth sees Union Pacific and BNSF main lines cross, and the Ennis railroad museum has a platform beside an active line.
What are the best train rides near Dallas?
The Grapevine Vintage Railroad, about an hour away, runs vintage coaches from Grapevine to the Fort Worth Stockyards. The Texas State Railroad in Palestine, about 2 hours 15 minutes away, runs longer excursions through the East Texas piney woods.
Is there a Polar Express train ride near Dallas?
Yes. The Texas State Railroad runs The Polar Express Train Ride from its Palestine depot, November 14 to December 27, 2026. Closer to home, the Grapevine Vintage Railroad runs its own Santa's North Pole Express, November 27 to December 30, 2026.
What camera settings work best for trains?
To freeze a moving train, shoot at 1/1000 second or faster. For a motion-blur pan, try 1/30 to 1/60 second and follow the locomotive. A long lens across the field makes the train look huge against the farmland.
Is it legal to photograph trains?
Yes, from public property or private land where you're welcome, like our porch and yard. Railroad tracks and rights-of-way are private property, so never walk or shoot on the tracks.
What does a train horn pattern mean?
At a road crossing, engineers sound two long blasts, one short, and one long, starting about 15 to 20 seconds before the crossing. Hear it, grab your camera.
About this guide
Written by the hosts of The Waxahachie Tiny Home, a family-run rental on farmland just outside Waxahachie. We checked the details on this page against official sources and update it as things change. Hours, prices, and dates move around, so confirm before you go.
Last updated October 3, 2026
