Western Railroad Discussion > Black Mesa & Lake Powell Afternoon Train (AZ)

Last-minute planning is never as good as it should be, and our last minute devised plan of driving back and forth from plant to mine and back to plant for each train already was begining to show its flaws as we got back to Page after chasing the very first train, the morning train (it's five miles farther than New York to Philadelphia and thats if you don't include the backtracking up to Cow Springs). Back in Page all we could do was crash out in the motel for a few hours. We awoke in an utter haze, but determined to chase the afternoon train. As we drove by the coal plant around 2PM we saw the headlights were already lit on the train. Not ready to risk the dirt roads yet, we took off again all the way down to Cow Springs to meet it (sort of like seeing a train in San Bernardino and driving to Los Angeles to get your first shot of it). We shot the eastbound train on the big curve in Cow Springs (this is a great spot for a westbound afternoon train, but we never did get that). With the light heavily against us from there, we just followed the train to the tipple and set up for our first shot of it going west. Once the train finished, the chase was on and we shot it in five locations total. Back at Cow Springs  for the birdge shot, we realized the light wasn't going to hold up so we took our last shot. As we then drove back again to Page, we decided going forward (we had two days left) we were going to shift our plans.

Image one is the afternoon mine train about to take curve at Cow Springs.

Image two is at least two hours later as the afternoon plant train slowly clears the end of the tipple.

Image three is a wider shot, with the tipple in view.
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/19 14:22 by erielackawanna.

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Images four and five are a bit west of the mine, one of the few places there was some room to shoot between the cat poles.

 

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Images six and seven are approaching the highway crossing in Shonto.

Image eight is now back in Cow Springs. While I like this shot, realizing later that this would cost me getting a train on the big curve, I think I made the wrong choice.

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/15/19 13:13 by erielackawanna.

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Great series, thank you
 

Don’t think I’ll get down there before they close, so thank you for posting such excellent photos of a unique operation.

Nathan

Posted from iPhone

Great shots!

the next railfan to go there should bring some soap and water and give that unit a face wash.

great images.  thanks for the effort made to post them.  i really like #6...........

66

Nice pics!!