Western Railroad Discussion > NoveMber AZ-venture, Day 5

Click here for Day 1 / Click here for Day 2 / Click here for Day 3 / Click here for Day 4

Day 5, November 5th, started off with a huge problem: I had no camera to shoot with. I had to make up my mind as quickly as possible, and after looking at Wal-Mart's return policy, I decided to haul @$$ to Flagstaff to get one. I wanted to be in Williams for when the Grand Canyon train was getting their daily train ready, but with how long it was going to take to drive there and back, that turned into an impossibility.

I arrived back into Williams after purchasing a D3400 kit, which unfortunately came with 2 lenses. I unloaded everything out of my hotel room back into the car, then departed for the station. I was pulling out of the parking lot when the train gave its 5-minute warning horn. I was literally setting the camera up while the train was starting to move (language, date/time, etc.). Thankfully, I had enough of an understanding that the shots actually came out.

Photo 1: GCRY 239 pulls across the main crossing in Williams. You wouldn't know it from looking at the picture, but the steamer here had been pulled out overnight (maybe that morning for all I know!) so they could retrieve the passenger cars that were behind it. It now had a couple ATSF cars behind it. :/

Photo 2: The locomotives throw a little smoke as they continue to pull from the station.

Photo 3: The train continues on just north of town.

I tried chasing north of town, but not having any time to look it up at the hotel led me to make a turn that led into someone's property, so I gave up.

Back to the BNSF I guess.
~wko

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I decided I would go to the crossing at Chalender and sit. That way I could figure stuff out with the camera and not have to go very far.

Photo 4: BNSF 8164 East passes the crossovers.

After a couple more trains passed, I headed back for Maine in hopes of a better shot of westbounds than I had in Day 3. Silly me!

Photo 5: BNSF 7870 West passes through. Once again, the mountain was under the cover of clouds. Next time I guess!

Photo 6: BNSF 3959 East makes its way by my location. They were slowing for a flashing yellow, with the next signal being yellow.

The signals went off after 3959 went by. Let's go east with it and see what's up.
~wko

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Photo 7: Due to the yellow signals, I was able to beat the train to where they curve under I-40 coming into Flagstaff, just east of the Arizona divide.

I decided to wait here for a westbound, since there was a nice curve and they were both going over and coming under bridges. However, I didn't like the lack of a headsup either direction, so I decided to head into town. Maybe sit by the depot again. I thought the amount of traffic and how slow we were going was a bit odd, then when I got to where the highway goes under the tracks, my fears were confirmed: BNSF 3959 East was stopped right there near downtown. Shortly after going under, I could hear several sets of sirens. As we slowly got closer to the power, I could see they were stopped right at the depot, and there were 3 police cars, 2 firetrucks, 2 ambulances, and a 3rd ambulance was arriving. 

Photo 8: Here's where the lead locomotive stopped. I ONLY post this photo because I would learn a few minutes later (after I actually got the appropriate channel entered into my scanner - DOH) that there were no fatalaties and no injuries. It was a group of 4 people taking photos on the tracks. In a quiet zone. I'll let you insert adjectives to describe them. Also, I took this shot no-look and enhanced it in Photoshop - it did not look this way out of the camera.

So I pulled up to a spot along Industrial Drive, as the dispatcher was starting to tell all trains it was okay to start moving, and that they were to blow their horns for a certain crossing whether the QZ equipment was working or not. This was unrelated to the incident.

Photo 9: The first train to pass me was BNSF 5382 West. How about that, my 2nd peach of the trip!

Despite the glares, the floodgates would open.
~wko

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Photo 10: BNSF 3959 accelerates through town, ready to get into the rural-ness just to the east of Flagstaff.

Photo 11: BNSF 6765 West splits some signals along the way through town.

Photo 12: I missed an eastbound manifest while getting gas (a gas stop I wouldn't have had to make if I didn't have to make the Wal-Mart run in the morning), but was able to pull off of HWY 66 to get BNSF 6763 West dropping into town.

The crews are all glaring at me, I'm getting away from the commotion!
~wko

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As I was pulling away from my spot at photo 12, an eastbound was coming up on me, so I decided to get it leaving town.

Photo 13: BNSF 8195 East leaves Flagstaff behind, seen here from the HWY 66 bridge. The toot-toot and open-window wave from the crew was refreshing!

I highballed to Winslow, where I decided I would eat and spend the majority of the rest of the day.

Photo 14: BNSF 4057 East approaches the yard, where they would go in and switch. Wait, BNSF 4057, didn't I see that during day 4? And with a CSX trailing?

Photo 15: It's BNSF 8195's turn to slow on its way into town. They would stop just east of the bridge to change crews.

I like this spot, let's sit!
~wko

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Photo 16: BNSF 5123 West departs Winslow while BNSF 8195 waits for a light. Their crew change is complete, and they'll get the light as soon as the WB clears.

Photo 17: BNSF 8755 West departs town, crossing through the crossovers. This train was the subject of this thread that day: click here

Photo 18: As the rear of the WB passes, the next EB pulls into town, glad to see their signal has changed once the autoracks cleared.

If you squint, you can see the next one in the distance! Let's hope for some sun!
~wko

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Two westbounds started pulling out of town at the same time, but the Belen-Barstow had to wait for a few of them to pass, not to mention for the eastbound to clear the block!

Photo 19: BNSF 7113 blasts out of town with a hot shot. The BNSF 682 5th out was a nice surprise!

Photo 20: BNSF 6788 was the next westbound to leave town. Note the BELBAR has dimmed their lights, since they know they're waiting awhile.

Photo 21: BNSF 8050 was the eastbound that could be seen in the distance, and pulled to a stop here shortly before photo 19. I just liked this view as the sun had popped out.

We've got sun, let's go trains!
~wko

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Photo 22: BNSF 7930 leads 5 GEs on a hot stack train out of Winslow. I waited for so long for sun, then it was so low the ties were casting shadows! AH! (I'll still take it, though)

Photo 23: BNSF 7424 West pulls the BELBAR out of the yard, with their lights dimmed for the meet with BNSF 8050 East. I was starting to leave when they started pulling, so I got the shot on this side for a change.

Photo 24: As the BELBAR accelerates out of town, we now have 3 visible eastbounds waiting to get into town. They would all get to start moving once the WB clears the crossovers.

I might as well try something sunset-related!
~wko

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BNSF 8050 started pulling immediately when the BELBAR cleared, and therefore I wasn't ready for it on old HWY 66, and botched my shot. I waited for the rear, where I saw they had 2 locomotives on the rear. I let them come to a stop, then started playing with the settings of this camera that I've still only had for about 8 hours.

Photo 25: BNSF 7114 chills on the rear of the stack train with the sunset in the background.

I would watch them depart and a westbound pull out, then I hopped on the interstate and made my way to Gallup. The day certainly didn't start the way I had hoped, and I was rather miffed about it, but I wasn't going to argue with the way it ended!

I'm sure I won't have the same problems I did between posting day 4 and 5, so I'm confident day 6 will be posted in the next couple days. Thanks for looking, hope you enjoyed!
~wko

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Judging by those shots, I think I'd keep the camera! :=)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/16 05:30 by SpeederDriver.

Very nice bunch of images!! But #25 is the "Money Shot"!! Well done!

Old Bob out in Lost Wages

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Wow, pictures like this with the camera right out of the box. A+
John

Awesome! I really like the shots at Winslow, especially shots #22 and #24.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/06/16 08:23 by SP8595.

GREAT stuff....!!  My favorite is Pic 22!!

Spectacular Kirk, thanks for taking the time to share these with us.
Tim Costello

Thanks for the kind words so far, everyone! For those wondering, I have passed the 14-day camera return policy at Wal Mart, so the camera's mine! Also, I have been super busy since returning, and therefore am yet to take the old camera in to see if it can be fixed, so I don't know about that. Something about working 2 jobs and now needing hours to pay off a new camera?
~wko