Nostalgia & History > Needles Sub Curvature and Optimal Desert Lighting

As you Needles Sub hounds know, there are many special places that combine curvature and optimal lighting. All have specific "best times", meaning you place yourself there in the hopes that a westbound will come your way.

My three favorites are:

The horseshoe curve at Klondike. This spot is worth getting up for a "sunrise sequence". The more you get towards the summer solstice (just past on June 21st), the sunrise starts further north around the curve, so you can work your way back around the curve (going south). (In this particular shot, we see some (rare for the desert) Lenticular clouds - it was THE most bizarre "weather" I've ever experienced out there. Started with fast moving, low hanging clouds - COMPLETELY overcast, cold, and windy. It broke up VERY fast; this shot was right in between).

The next is the elevated horseshoe curve at Siberia, just downgrade from the aforementioned curve. Great place to work a variety of lenses, and really special at the end of a day. With the train on an embankment, you can shoot at or below track level, and get great results. The "background" is best brought in with a strong "tele", though.

Last but not least, is the relatively sharp (AND super-elevated) curve at Klinefelter (about 15 miles west of Needles). Another fine place to shoot late in day (for either direction really, but better for westbounds). The trees there make for a nice backdrop.

Shooting around Ludlow is great too, but not as good, IMHO, as these spots.

Thanks for stopping by!

Bob

ATSF100WEST......Out

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Awesome Bob!!

As usual, you're making me sorry that I'm stuck in MN with 90-degree heat and 70-degree dewpoints. YUK!!! I need a CA / AZ / NM fix....BAD.

SLH

Absolutely spectacular stuff on awesome piece of railroad!!! Thanks for posting them!

I'm really not a big Santa Fe fan per se but I just love your photos. They are absolutely beautiful.

JDE - grew up around the AT&SF too

Excellent work Bob!

I really like the sky in the first shot. Great work.

qnyla Wrote:
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> I really like the sky in the first shot. Great
> work.


I was gonna say de same ting boss. Beautiful sky, some stormy-storm light drama fo yo mama Bob!