Western Railroad Discussion > Summer 2017; Seligman Sub

As I settle back in Flagstaff, it's a reminder that school is approaching (going into my senior year at NAU) and my summer railfanning has ended. Though monsoon season will still going for a while, and the trains will be rolling, school and work will be restricting the amount of time I can go out for some summer-storm light. Anyways, here are some photos from my summer break.

1-May 24th; With the western sky lighting up as the sun begins to dip below the horizon, the sound of five 4,400 horsepower locomotives can be heard charging hard in the distance. Battling the steep and long grade out of Kingman, Ariz., a high priority intermodal train from San Bernardino, Calif. to Willow Springs, Ill. races through the high desert of northern Arizona. With over a mile of FedEx cargo, the five General Electric locomotives have no problem of keep up to track speed, 70 MPH, as they hustle towards Crozier Canyon and continue their night-time journey over the Arizona Divide.

2- May 29th; Look down from the top of Crozier Canyon, four GE locomotives negotiate the tight curves along the canyon walls as they hustle a mile of high priority intermodal cargo for San Bernardino.

3- June 3rd; Slowly grinding up the western slope of the Arizona Divide, along BNSF's Seligman Subdivision, four GE locomotives labor as they pull a heavy Los Angeles, CA to Memphis, TN intermodal train. With the sun dipping below the horizon, it'll be night fall by the time this train reaches the 7,335' high summit as they pass through Williams Jct., where the line to Phoenix splits off from the Transcon.

---

---

---

4- June 20th; The sun nears the horizon as a heavy Z LACATG7 rumbles up a slight grade at Audley; just west of Seligman.
5- June 20th; As the last rays of summer solstice sun shine on the steel rails of the BNSF Transcon in Seligman, Ariz., the high priority Z LACWSP9 Z-train races into the small Route 66 town. In the background, the tail end of another stack train can be seen round the curve at the top of the background.
6- June 20th; As the crew of a loaded auto train waits for their signal at East Valentine, the rumble of the eastbound Z-train that overtook them can be heard rumbling up Crozier Canyon as the Milky Way stretches over the night sky.

---

---

---

7- July 12th; Running 15 hours late, Amtrak's westbound Southwest Chief limps down towards Kingman, Ariz., with a CitiRail GEVO leading.
8- July 16th; The Z ALTNBY7 intermodal train races down towards Walapai with a monsoon storm fast approaching. In the background, dust can be seen being kicked around as winds were being reported at 60 MPH. High wind warnings were being issued to train between Needles and Yampai.
9- July 16th; Three General Electric locomotives grind up the grade out of Kingman, Ariz. with over 100 empty grain cars. After an eventful evening of monsoon storms, a bright rainbow appeared, leading to pot of gold, I mean, Dash-9 on the point.

---

---

---

10-July 17th; Part of a double rainbow appear over Crozier Canyon as a westbound autorack train for San Bernardino, Calif. rounds the Valentine curve, out of the canyon.
11- JUly 17th; As a monsoonal rain storm hydrates the brush-covered landscape of Hackberry, Ariz., an eastbound manifest races through the S-curve before entering Crozier Canyon. The rains have begun to fall harder on the hillside in the background, resulting in the strong contrast between each mountain.
12- Aug. 8th; With Cherokee Point standing tall in the background, a colorful consist leads the Chicago to Stockton Q train as it rounds the bend out of Truxton, and into Crozier Canyon.

Thanks for looking guys! Now we wait for winter...

---

---

---

Very Nice Series David!

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

Man, those are awesome! But if I had to vote, I'd vote #4 for IOTD.

-Tom

zchcsse Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Man, those are awesome! But if I had to vote, I'd
> vote #4 for IOTD.
>
> -Tom

If #4 isn't an IOTD, then I dont know what is. Great series!

Great set! It's nice to see some non traditional angles that us outsiders aren't able to get during all to brief trips to the area.

Andy

David, your talent is superb. I can't isolate one of these pictures as an IOTD. Will just have to vote a GIOTD (group images) of the day. You are one of a select group on TO. When you complete your final year at NAU please continue sending images to TO. Don't abandon us!

OUTSTANDING bunch!
JB

S-L-A-M D-U-N-K!!!

Brian Black
Castle Rock, CO

awesome pics

Congratulations on your senior year. Hope graduation finds a continued future in photography. You have a wonderful artistic talent. Thank for posting these David!

Posted from iPhone

GREAT stuff..!! Thanks for posting these.

Wow, they are all stellar images.
John

Love 'em all, but especially #2 and #6- it's cosmic!

mapboy

Probably see you more now that school is back in. Great shots,
Ray

Posted from Android

I know I'm late to the party, but I must say that these are all phenomenal shots!!! Although I've been traveling and away from the computer for a while and just now catching up on TO, I just had to pass along my (tardy) kudos! Outstanding collection!