Western Railroad Discussion > CA and NV Whirlwind Tour Photos

During the last week of June, my wife had a conference to attend in Las Vegas, NV and opted to take me along - how sweet she is! Knowing her 2 days of the conference would be tied up inside, I gathered my info and film and readied for a HOT time in the desert for some BNSF Needles Sub and UP Cima Sub action. After arriving in Vegas on June 28 and doing some high altitude fanning with telephotos, we tooled around a bit and checked into Ceasars. With temps already climbing into the 100s, we opted for some swimming before dinner and then a stroll down the Strip. Railfanning on the ground was nil on Day 1, but no worries, as I had already anticipated a 4 or 5 am departure for the Needles Sub and a June 30 day on the UP after seeing that wildfire smoke was going to largely overspread the Las Vegas area on June 29. It seems a good choice in the end...

Day 1 would be spent on the BNSF Needles Sub with the Las Vegas valley being overspread by wild fire smoke...

What was hotter than the 110-degree temps on June 29 on BNSF's Needles Sub? Apparently this intermodal, which weaved around several trains that were stopped in both directions for its passage. I had originally gone towards Essex, California, with the intention of getting overhead shots. Soon was greeted by the arrival of this hot westbound TOFC led by newer ES44DC 7742 and three other GEs.

Kevin B.

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On Day 2 of my journey, I figured I would get up and go to the Vegas UP crew change location to see if anything was readying to go. As Vegas 'luck' would have it, the first encounter I had was with a westbound autorack train that had just gotten a new crew - motive power you ask? UP Olympic Torch Relay SD70M 2001, CN (IC) SD40-2 6140, and IC SD40-2 6063! Decided a westbound chase through the Mojave was in store. Would pick up other trains as I approached them or they approached this one. Headed straight out of town to Sloan, where managed some slide shots on the sweeping curves on the approach to the old tunnel site, then beat feet for Erie, NV. The wild fire smoke forecast for the previous day was still hanging around heavily and blocking out many scenic vistas. Grabbed this side view of the UP AGBML 26 rack train with the digital at Erie, NV.


Kevin B

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Continued southwesterly to find another location - there was a merchandise train
with four GEs in the siding at Sloan that this rack train overtook. Anyway, on
the way down I-15 with sights set on Nipton, CA, I passed an empty coal train
heading railroad eastbound. Kept going for Nipton and got there about 10
minutes before my chase train arrived. Grabbed some shots by the old freight
house located there and then headed out onto the Mojave Desert dirt roads that
pretty much parallel the UP.

Kevin B.

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As I was departing over old Rt. 66 back towards US 95, I passed another
barrage of trains that I mostly left go. I did go back after a few more though.
The first of which was encountered at Homer, CA - a westbound merchandise train
led by BNSF ES44DC 7701, C44-9W 4710, and C44-9W 5487 and trailed by DPUs
C44-9Ws 5429/5430.

Kevin B.

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And the DPUs...

Kevin B.

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I was able to catch this light engine move, consisting of eleven locos (a UP SD70M and MRL SD40 thrown in the mix) on the climb to Arrowhead Jct.

Kevin B.

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This eastbound was sort of the catch - away from the norm of C44-9W quartets, which yielded multiple slide images but only one digital. The eastbound was a merchandise train led by BNSF B40-8 8614, GP60 8708, GP60M 146, SD40-2 7803, SD40-2 8066, and SD40-2 7861.

Kevin B.

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And with a little pre-planning, my final digital image of the trip was from a 757 out of Chicago - Bensenville yard with multiple schemes of Soo Line and CPR visible in the engine terminal.

Kevin B.

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In your shot of the light engine move, the one second in from the right looks like a Dash 8 with the new logo. Am I seeing that correctly? I didn't think BNSF had any of the older power repainted into the new logo yet.

Rio Grande Fan
Denver, CO

Nice shots...Thanks for posting! -Steve in sunny 'Diego

The unit in question is actually an H1 B40-8 - just hard to see from this distance with the digital. Hopefully the slides will yield clearer results.

Kevin B.

RioGrandeFan Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> In your shot of the light engine move, the one
> second in from the right looks like a Dash 8 with
> the new logo. Am I seeing that correctly? I didn't
> think BNSF had any of the older power repainted
> into the new logo yet.
>
> Rio Grande Fan
> Denver, CO


Looks like a B40-8 in the H1 scheme to me. ; - )