Western Railroad Discussion > Back to School...

Well, it's that time of the year! I have moved back up to Flagstaff, Ariz. to start my second year at Northern Arizona University. Once I was all settled in and said hi to a few people, I decided to do some late evening foaming. I went to CP McPhetridge where the first photo I would take of the school year would be of a westbound Z-train over taken the Belen to Phoenix manifest. After a few other trains, I started to drive back to the dorm when I noticed this HUGE moon rising behind me. I pulled off and set up for a shot. Luckily, the Winslow to Phoenix Z-train approached shortly after I was all set up. The next morning, I got back out for some early morning shots. I spend majority of my time at Cosnino. I wanted to shoot this curve now because in a few weeks, the sun would have moved to far south for this shot. I learned that last year..

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Later on this morning, I parked myself on top of one of the small knolls around Darling. I got word of a westbound manifest with an NS SD70M-2 leading, so I figured this would be a good place to wait for it. While waiting, I caught an eastbound manifest descending the eastern slope of the divide with a former Indiana Railroad SD60 trailing. Then, the NS unit came and I chased it up the hill to Flagstaff. Storm clouds had formed in the background from the time I got to Darling to when I got to Flagstaff. After getting a quick lunch, I ran back down to Darling after seeing an eastbound empty oil train pass me in Flagstaff with an ACe leader. Nice to catch to two EMD leader on the Seligman Subdivision on the same day.

I hope you all enjoyed my first days back to school.

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Some great photos there, nice compositions! I look forward to seeing more of your efforts. === === = === JLH

That third one shows that is helps to not only be good, but lucky.  Don't forget to study.

Paul Birkholz
Sheridan, WY

Outstanding bunch! What great timing on three.
JB

Outstanding series David, thanks for sharing.  The second and third shots are excellent!  Welcome back to school.  Do they have a railroad photography major at NAU?

Kent in CArmel Valley

Great series! Looking forward to more from this school year

PQM

The third one was lucky! Also great composition on the second shot with the rising moon

Thanks for the great shots all around! I miss chasing trains in the Flagstaff area.

Larry

You've taken more pics on your first day back, than I did all through college!
And they're better than anything I've ever taken.
Great stuff! Thanks for sharing!

Very nice, David!   I was on that oil empty pictured at Darling. 

That's the first ACe I've ridden in a LONG time.  I prefer my GEVOs!  ;)

-Tom

Whoa, those aare some real nice pictures. Congratulations on IOTD.
John

Great photos. Congratulations on IOTD.

Ronda Thomas

GREAT stuff....!! I REALLY like the last one!!

I concur.  Don't let the IOTD shot, great as is it, overshadow the rest.  They're all fanstatic, I love railfanning that part of the country.

Thornton Melon: Bring us a pitcher of beer every seven minutes until somebody passes out. And then bring one every ten minutes.
That's the "Back to School" Rodney Dangerfield version I remember... Lol!   Yours, however, seems much more productive.
Keep up the good work, sir!

Beautiful!

Posted from Android

Very nice photos..Hope you've signed up for all night classes so you can continue with these gems!! 

Photo 3 could easily have been IOTC too.  The whole set represents really good work in the field and post processing.

Thanks for posting these,
Marty Bernard

Wonderful photos of a very scenic area with great rail action! That shot with the moon is spectacular! Good luck in school, and don't forget about the Saturday evening programs up at the Lowell Observatory. During the winter when the skies are clear and a full moon is up, they let you look through the telescopes at the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, etc. (A great place to visit that is just up the hill from downtown Flagstaff...)

Best wishes,

ShastaDaylight