“After rain comes sunshine”, we say in Dutch. I’m guessing it’s a proverb that makes some sense in English too. By the time we got back to the car, the asphalt was dry enough to lie down and make a photo of the level crossing. This trains was the last one we photographed this day. Williams is located close to the Grand Canyon, so we … Continue reading Pause the show
And then you decide to go to the western United States to spend a few sunny days. Wrong! Last time we were in Williams, it was cloudy because of a forest fire. This time it as cloudy because it was raining. Ah well, the Kaibab National Forest is a great place to enjoy the rain. It’s very peacefull, except for a train every once and … Continue reading Enjoying the rain
Arid environments and forgetting your drinking water are a bad combination. It gets worse if you also forgot your food. We definitely had to get back to the car now that the sun was standing too high. The perfect time to give our body the necessary fuel. Hint: always bring enough water and food. In the afternoon we picked a spot at a place called … Continue reading What’s to find in Pica, Arizona?
We had seen many photos of Truxton Canyon, and wanted to try the spot as well. When subscribing in the logbook of the private property, we recognized a few names of fellow railfans that are active on sites like railpictures.net. Yes, we were probably on the right track to get to the spot! We left our non-all-terrain vehicle early on the bumpy road and hiked … Continue reading Frustration in Truxton Canyon
Between Needles and Kingman, both Interstate 40 and the BNSF transcontinental line run south and east of the Black Mountains. This mountain range stretches from Lake Mead in the North until the point that is shown here, at a place called Haviland, where a westbound container train runs along the southern part of the range. This zone is also called the Black Mesa. In the … Continue reading Black Mesa
The Dead Mountains provide a view over the Sacramanto Wash, and the wooden trestle over it. The river bed is completely dried up at this time of the year. The roads are treacherous here. That is, if you make a U-turn and get off the asphalt in the sand. We got stuck indeed. Fortunately, a friendly man, who happened to have a chain in his … Continue reading Lots of sand
The Needles Subdivision north of Needles was unknwon terrain to us. We had driven through the region twice, but never really explored it. Time to bring some change. Landscape-wise, it is a desert. The railroad line is surrounded by hills, allowing for good views. Here we see the Sacramento Mountains in the background, and a container train heading west in nothing but dry desert. The … Continue reading Desert view
Without knowing it, we chose a greatly located motel the night before. At the Best Western Colorado River Inn you wake up with the sound of train horns, and with a view on the railroad from the balcony. Half awake you can make you first photo of the day. The delicious breakfast at the Juicy River Cafe nextdoor gave us enough energy to last through … Continue reading Room with a view
We met the next train in Klondike, in front of a backdrop formed by the Bullion Mountains. The 3 engines are working hard pulling their load through the curves and up the hill. As is mostly the case, you need luck with train traffic. Despite the great weather and the beautiful locations, we didn’t get to see any more trains. When the sun was gone, … Continue reading Bullion Mountains
In Ludlow, we started following the National Old Trails Road, aka Route 66. Following this legendary road leads the slow traveller past long forgotten restaurants, motels and gas stations. It follows BNSF’s transcontinental railroad, or at least the parts of it that we explored in California and Arizona. This makes route 66 a must-see for every railfan. Along the road you discover great places, and … Continue reading National Old Trails Road
Railscapes 