Western Railroad Discussion > More Gila Sub Action (Arizona)

Unlike the day before where I started my Sunday on the east end of Gila Sub near Tucson, I found myself on the other side near Gila Bend on Monday morning.

Rail traffic seemed quiet after breakfast, so I headed east toward Shawmut. I saw diverging approach lit for an eastbound, so I guessed a meet there, and kept driving east to see if I could intercept the westbound. I then heard the eastbound on my scanner:

"UP 8069 East, diverging approach, Shawmut."

The transition from double track to single track at Estrella going west can create some traffic drama, and guessing the dispatcher's actions is part of the fun. Estrella is the next control point east of Shawmut.

I was about to pass the next control point, Mobile, when I saw headlights for a westbound. I turned around and drove ahead of the train, so I can identify UP 8069 and the westbound at Shawmut. The westbound happened to be a Z-train, with typical Armor Yellow power, so I didn't document it. UP 8069 was a 4x1 Herzog ballast train.

"UP 9013 East, all red, all stop, Bosque."

My scanner alerted me to the next eastbound behind the ballast train. I also heard the dispatcher talk to an "NS 9766" earlier, a pool power leader. From experience, I guessed that this was the hot westbound ZAILC. DS 42 warned the Z of the possibility of a signal dropping at MP 927 (near Toltec). Still some ways away, but I expected it to close in quickly.

Dispatcher's next move? Get the ballast train out of Shawmut. As I drove ahead to document it, I noticed more congestion, a westbound manifest parked at Estrella, and a westbound Long Beach bound stacker parked at Mobile, both on Main 2. I went to the first gated crossing 30 miles east of Gila Bend between Mobile and Enid to set up, to get good light.

First train in the video is the eastbound ballast train. DS 42 must have crossed him over to Main 2 at Enid, as the ZAILC showed up on Main 1 only a few minutes later, second train in the video.

I followed the ZAILC west for kicks, to find out what UP 9013 was - a 3x1x0 a stacker with SD70ACe, SD70AH-T4, KCS GEVO, and a mid-train UP GEVO DPU, still sitting at Bosque. I kept following the Z to Gila Bend, hoping to find a location, but I couldn't get ahead enough. However, I found another eastbound at Gila, a manifest with SD70AH-T4 leader UP 3080, with an ex-SP SD70M UP 3991 behind it.

That was going to be my "line up" for the day. I grabbed lunch and fueled up my rental SUV at Gila, then headed back east. Dispatcher decided to move the 2 westbounds at Estrella and Mobile next, as I watched them meet UP 9013 at Bosque as I finished my lunch. Once UP 9013 was on the move, I went back to the same crossing, third train in the video.

This is UP's "Speedway in Arizona" as RailfanAZ calls it. No problem fitting all 3 trains in their entirety in under 6 minutes.

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

cchan006 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is UP's "Speedway in Arizona" as RailfanAZ
> calls it. No problem fitting all 3 trains in their
> entirety in under 6 minutes.

Awesome stuff today Charles!   Yes, it is definitly a speedway down here in most areas.   I am hoping to have some stuff posted tomorrow.  :)

SouthWest RailCams
CA, NM, CO, TX, AZ
https://SouthWestRailCams.com

After UP 9013 zoomed by, I migrated east to get better light, and started scouting locations between Maricopa and Casa Grande in anticipation of UP 3080 East. I should have had enough time to drive around, as the manifest train should have a track speed of 50 mph or less, and it was at least 8 miles behind UP 9013... and I was right.

First location in the video is along Cowtown Rd., and I believe RailfanAZ might have used this location to get a good wider angle of trains for video. Even with wind noise, you can hear the "choppy exhaust note" of the SD70AH-T4 leader.

I was able to catch up to the train past Casa Grande near Arizola and got a brief pacing video of UP 3080 and UP 3991, second clip. That choppy exhaust is audible again.

The train was slow enough that I had a little fun near Picacho, where I tried to capture a meet with a stacker, third clip.

I went to the Red Rock Water Tank to finish up the chase, fourth clip, and I got a surprise meet with another westbound Z train there. Entire 2x1x0 manifest (symbol unknown) is shown, as well as the entire visible part of the westbound Z train, symbol also unknown.

That's it for this report.

You must be a registered subscriber to watch videos. Join Today!

Sweetness...way to do it Mr C!

Good stuff.

Good video, you had some good trains.  Nice to see those familiar place names from my own trips out there!

Andy