Passenger Trains > SouthWest Chief #3 and #4 Needles

Sometimes people do foolish things like this morning leaving Laughlin Nevada, at 12:20 in the morning, I decide by looking at my watch that hey I might just catch the Chief arriving in Needles especially since on this board, Amtrak seems to be always late by hours.
So changing directions I head down Arizona 93 to Needles, arriving at Needles just at 12:54 am, as I near the station I notice a eastbound stack and a westbound locmotive that I can't make out what it is by the set up of lights, As I near it's Southwest Chief #3, a few minutes behind schedule. As soon as I bail out of my truck with camera and tripod, the horn blows, the bells rings and off it goes to on it's trip to Los Angeles. Feeling a tad foolish, I decided after checking with BNSF dispatch who were kind enough to let me know that #4 was running a half hour behind but was the third engine in. So I snapped off a few of the approaching Z trains and waited along with about 20 people for #4 to makes it's appearance. Not paying attention and wanting close up shots of the Z's i was out of position for #4 which approached the station and kept on going another six car lengths.

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Well out of position I took a few anyway of #3 arriving at 1:28 am at Needles. The second shot is the conductor preparing to let passengers off, 17 by actual count.

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And here they all come to waiting friends and family at 1:30 in the morning, to party along the river or off to Laughlin or for one back to work here in Needles.

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With passengers gones, the few smokers back on board, the horn toots the conductor jumps aboard and off to the next stop they go.
My first time of catching this set of trains sorry for the poor photos I'll do better next time, either at Needles or Kingman. Ken

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Photos aren't poor at all, when was the last time a station stop at Needles was shared on this board? Thanks for the shots!

Yes, thanks so much, I enjoyed sharing your experience and feel like I have been there too, now!

Nice shots, Ken. The BNSF employees there have always been friendly to railfans. (Incidentaly, Renzenberger just took over the van service for BNSF crews). I guess Amtrak still has the van that runs to Vegas each night?
rrChuck -Las Vegas/Laughlin

I spoke to the Renzenberger driver young kid with a portable radio waiting to start BNSF conducter school in the near future. Didn't see any other transportation. Every one getting off this train had rides and most were going to the river or Laughlin.

The Amtrak Thruway Motorcoach connection van no longer runs from Needles, CA to Laughlin, NV and Las Vegas, NV. That thruway service is now operated and ticketed through the Kingman, AZ train station. The change was made when April's system timetable was released.

Ken:

These are nice photos. No need to apologize.

For those of us not from this area, can you tell us more about what goes on at the river. And which river are you talking about?

Dave

The Colorado River is just under a mile north of the station, further north is Bullhead City and Laughlin Nevada, with Davis Dam and Lake Mojave just a few miles further on, which has boating etc to the east 12 miles or so the Transcon crosses the Colorado River, people use the bridge (Topock the lower half) as a high dive into the river. With the last days of summer for many there's a park and camp ground on the California side across from Topock bridge many of the people getting off were going there. Those that couldn't leave earlier from Los Angels or San Berdoo took the train to Needles, I was informed that the previous two nights the train had larger groups of people getting off for the river.

Nice, and I agree, cool pics of an area most fans don't venture out to see. Hopefully that kid is kind to railfans too and I wish him luck on working for BNSF in the future!