Watch Amarillo’s Last Coal Train Ride For the Final Time As Power Plant Begins Shut Down

It's easy to forget that Amarillo, Texas got its start as a railroad town.

And it's even easier to forget that we still are a railroad town. That's why this video caught my eye while I was scrolling through YouTube not long ago.

"One of the Last Ever Amarillo Coal Trains with an MRL SD70ACe!!!!" by user Oinkey Coen Trains! was uploaded in early May. It's beautiful, high-quality footage of one of the all-too familiar trains that I see thread through downtown Amarillo on a regular basis.

The description reads as follows: "Nice late catch, E-AMHBTM9-01A, headed for storage as the Harrington Power Plant starts shutting down operations."

As someone who knows precious little about trains, or (admittedly) power plants in the area, this caught me off guard.

I was easily able to locate a press release on the Xcel website dated November 2020 that outlined a plan that would unfold over the coming five years.

"Xcel Energy plans to convert its coal-fueled Harrington Generating Station northeast of Amarillo to a natural gas fuel system by Jan. 1, 2025, a practical and lower cost option for helping the area attain higher federal clean air standards."

The Harrington Power Plant is located northeast of Amarillo. Owned and operated by Xcel, the plant is comprised of three coal-fired units that became operational in 1976, 1978, and 1980.

According to the Center for Land Use Interpretation, "Most of the coal burned by the plant comes from Wyoming's Powder River Basin, while at least a portion of its water supply consists of recycled wastewater from Amarillo."

Also noted is that the Harrington power plant is said to have been the first modern coal-fired plant built in the region.

As the global supply of coal continues to dwindle, it only makes sense to change to more sustainable methods of generating power.

And if there is no more need for coal, then there is no need for any of the majestic coal-powered freight trains, like the one seen in Oinkey Coen's video.