Western Railroad Discussion > BM&LP this week

I arrived @ Page 1745. Temp at 102. Took asking at 5 motels to get 1 with 5 connected nights others have one to 3 together. Rates still under $100/night + taxes.

If anyone is out doing a chase I have a dark blue GMC Terrain with MT plates. PM me if you're coming this way. Mostly cloudy this afternoon with big blue patches.

Alan

The 0700 train was more tban 50% dumped when I went by. I have been trackside 4 hours with no sign of the mty train.

Temps today around 104 after 102 Sunday. Do they hold trains on extreme heat days account sun kink possibility? I may drive down to the load out to see if there is anyone to ask.

I have been trackside for 5 hours and driven the length of the line north to south and now about 1/2 way or so going home. Took a cross road from AZ 21 to find a substation, a section house and s power switch protected by signals marked OS. Grade crossing signals are cycling on and off.



Could not find any persons at the load out to check on trains.


I guess I am stuck here until dark. Temp 92.

Thanks for the reports

I saw the 0700 mty unloading at 0700 then drove to RR mp 20 and waited. Gave that up and took hwy 98 south to hwy 160 and east to the loadout. Poked around with lunch and killing time waiting for the train with no luck. West on hwy 160 to BIA 21 which is the Tonalea School Rd and poked around on some dirt branches until I found one with a road crossing which is the one I reported with the substation and section house. That is where the loads sneaked up on me after quite a delay. That train must have gotten by me while I was in a dark section of BIA 21. This branch comes off or back to BIA 21 right about mp10.

I headed north and could get glimpses of the train west of the road here and there. I never tried to run to find a crossing account the speeds the loads usually run. At the north end of 21 the road is miserably torn up and the flagger will send you right up behind a water truck so I thought I lost the loads for sure. Low and behold I could see the train profile and I was catching it.

I hurried up to the cut/underpass almost at the power plant for the train to arrive before the clouds arrived. They must have been doing 10 mph cresting the grade on the horizon. This may be why it took the 0700 train so long to get to the loadout in the morning.

Tomorrow will be a new adventure, at least I did not get skunked like I was expecting for awhile.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/19 08:12 by fbe.

Reviewing today's photos at the 2 action locations I note in both locations the pantographs are only up on the 1st, 3rd and 4th locomotives. The 2nd loco is just along for the ride it seems.

Tuesday events. It is a mostly sunny day with clouds to the east.
Today's train has 4 units with an NdeM leading, all pans are up. BMLP unit is second.

The train has not arrived at the plant by 0700 so I drove a couple of miles south and set up for a broadside with distant red cliffs. The train passed at 0720 with 50 cars by count.

I capture NEF RAW images and I did not bring a laptop to open the files so no sharing this time.

Unload complete 0820.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/16/19 08:22 by fbe.

Thanks for the narrative and information.As a side note I have been skunked several times recently by the  daylight train and not only always on Wednesdays.Bill Webb

Today times

Finish dumping 0820
Hwy 98 overpass. 0835
MP 42 section house 0940, I arrived 0920
Cow Ck 1000
Load out 1030
Begin loading 1100

Finish loading 1130
Depart loader 1150
Cow creek 1230
White Mesa 1250

Mp 20.8 1345


The 1400 mty came southward near mp 25 at 1610. I spent 1250 to 1600 driving trails looking for afternoon light. Roads and trails are an exaggeration for some places where the GMC AWD was the only reason I got out.

Wednesday is an off day for the train so I will do touristy stuff around the water.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 07/17/19 06:45 by fbe.

This is really good information; thanks for taking the time to post it in such detail. I will be in Page next Monday with similar intent, and this is incredibly helpful to me and I am sure others as well.

Jody

Jody, glad I can help. This place is so changed since I was last here. Keeping the train in sight after it starts to move on each end seems helpful. I want to stick with that from Thursday on.

I am trying to get the EOT numbers in my scanner but has been decades since I programmed anything so too many numbers bounce when I try to enter a single digit. I will try more tomorrow.