I am heading west for my annual trip to Arizona soon and would like to know some good spots (or better yet an online railfan guide) for the Northern Arizona area, particularly around Flagstaff.
I purchased the Altamont Railfan Timetable and now have the cold hard facts, such as CP’s, detectors, crossovers, frequencies, etc. Now, where are the great spots?
Also, has anyone had a problem with taking a scanner on a flight? Any suggestions, or does it go right thru security?
ed
Don’t know how to do links, but go to http://www.trainweb.org/brettrw/maps/desertguide.html.
It has very good info on the BNSF mainline and its viewing areas.
I’d suggest going to the big old depot in Winslow but that’s around a half hour to 45 minute drive east of Flagstaff. Unless it’s changed in the 8 years or so since I’ve been there it was a really nice place to have a seat and view the action. Winslow is a crew change point, an Amtrak stop and there is a small(?) yard there, so I doubt you’ll be seeing anything at speed.
I used to live out thataway. My old stompin grounds were about 50 miles straight south of Holbrook.
You’ll have to let me know how it goes, maybe snap a few pictures.
Have a nice trip and go Cubs!
MP173,
Flagstaff is a great place to watch. The doube track main can get real busy. Not sure what you have in mind for fannin, as a few hours, or day spot, or camping. Either way out of Flagstaff to the east or to the west, I-40 follows along the tracks for quite awhile. if you are looking for a day spot, there are plenty, heck, you can find spots right in town.
Not sure if you have been to Flagstaff before but it will be cold. This weekend I betcha it will be snowing. They just got 16"-20" of snow this past weekend. if ya need any moe info, just fire away. I spent a few years at college up there and have been goign up there to camp, party[:D], ski, railfan for years.
We try to go there every sping break for a day, so I am somewhat familiar with the town. It did snow last week…I will check weather next week to see what the local conditions are.
I saw a website last night that had a great shot of what I am looking for. The location was Winona. The San Francisco peaks were in the snow capped background. It would make an excellent early morning location for eastbounds.
My son (age11) will go for a little railfanning, but I cant make it more than a few hours…got to keep him happy! As I have stated before, my favorite spot there to eat is the Crown Railroad Cafe on the east side of town.
That whole area is really neat, with the massive amounts of sunshine, high elevation, ponderosa pines (gotta love the smell), the university, the observatories (another hobby of mine is astronomy) and the natural show of Arizona.
One of these years, I will go up there for an entire week, but after a winter in Indiana, it is time for the warmth down in the valley.
go cubs…but with Prior and Wood hurt, this may be a long year.
Anyone have advise about scanners?
Also, what about the Phoenix and Mesa areas for trains?
ed
My experience with Phoenix is about six years old, but there is some fine train watching to be done. Be very careful with the BNSF transfer yard just to the west of the intersections of McDowell Road and Grand Avenue. That’s gang territory… not really easy to take photos there.
As long as you are in the Flagstaff area, why not drive a short distance west to Williams and catch the Grand Canyon railroad?
I agree that Winslow is a super place to watch trains. I also used to watch the SP (now UP) transcon down at Picacho Peak, between Phoenix and Tucson.
Erik
Ed, The scanner should not be a problem but I would check it in your luggage to avoid any chance of hassles. I have carried guns in my checked luggage.
Couldnt tell ya much about the west side and BNSF operations but I sure do know alot about the east in Mesa with UP. I live about 1 mile from the UP Mesa Office. Over there, they keep 2 GP’s for local work for the day and night shift. (At the moment its a 40 and a 60) They are right off a road called Baseline between Country Club and Mesa drive. Easy to approach. I am not to sure about day time operations as I am usually at work, but in the evening, I have a pretty good idea. That’s where my son and I usually go. About 4-6 big trains come in each day and the local starts working about 7ish depending on avability of the main. More around 730 is when they cut loose.
They do a daily pick-up down in Gilbert, then head north up to around Broadway to small yard where they do some switching. Nice thing is, you more or less stand right next to the tracks while they work, great spot. Crews for the most part, have been very freindly. I always try and wave to freindly so they dont think I am weed weasel. if your kid is with you, your golden.
I just got some scanner ferq’s for the UP aroud here to help alittle. I haventhad much chance to try them though. if you are coming down for a week, feel free to conact me, otherwsie might be good chance we could bump into each other around tracks. Anythign else you ned to know, just fireaway.
The best place to catch BNSF on the west side of town is in El Mirage and Surprise. Grand Ave. actually follows the mainline right out of town. Grand Ave. actually turns into U.S. 93 which goes north up to Wickenburg and follows BNSF. If you make it to Wickenburg you might luck out and catch the Arizona and California Railroad picking up and dropping off cars for BNSF. Unfortunately, they’re pretty unpredictible when they run.
There’s also a local on BNSF which runs out to Litchfield Park taking tank cars of fertilizer out to the fertilizer plants for farmers in the westside of the valley. I’ve caught the local running on Sunday afternoons and it’s single ex-SF GP35 and an ex-SF wide vision caboose on the rear.
U.P. runs a local out to Tolleson and Goodyear during the week also. The best part is it’s a daytime operation and there are several good areas where you can pull off the road and shoot pics.
Let me know if you make it out to railfan on the west side of the valley.
Have fun,
Mike
I visited Flagstaff about a dozen years ago. we stayed in the Holiday Inn on the east side of the city. ask for a room on the fourth or the fifth floor in the rear (north side) of the building. From that room you can see and photograph the action on the BNSF. A good location for photographing trains is the Cosnino Road grade crossing which is a few miles east of te center of the city. It is especially good in the morning with a signal bridge over the tracks to the east of the grade crossing and the San Francisco Peak in the background.
About carrying your scanner on a plane. You should carry it in your carry-on luggage rather than in your checked luggage to avoid damage in case the luggage is mishandled roughly or the flight is turbulent. I have carried my scanner in my carry-on luggage many times whenever I have flown without a problem; however, you cannot use it in flight.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
My plans are to leave teh scanner at home. Just one more thing to carry around. Hopefully the weather will cooperate when we head up north and give me a couple hours of nice sunny weather. I appreciate the info on the Cosnino Road crossing.
Regarding Phoenix area…I will probably hang out pool side rather than venture into any unknown areas, particularly with an 11 year old.
ed
One more thing…has anyone made a side trip to the Meteor Crater? Is it worth the trip?
ed
I was in Flagstaff on holiday last September, and found it a great place for watching trains…Try the station. it is a very friendly little station with a crossing at the end of the platform. It also has a great little friendly shop, and the trains fairly roar through there as they try to get speed up for the hill out of Flagstaff.
Winslow is also a great place for watching trains also and it is also quite busy…just depends what is running that day. The road from Flagstaff to Winslow also follows the RR for a bit of the way and we saw several trains.
Winslow is also famous for the “Eagles” song with the words “Standing on the corner in Winslow Arizona” and it has a great museum and statue standin on the corner, By the way it is also a very friendly little town.
I also think Winslow has an hotel that overlooks the railway…If I can remember the name of it I will post it…unless someone beats me to it.
I have been there. Still have some chunks of meteorite in a jar somewhere. It was interesting but I don’t think it was worth the $$$ they charge just to see a hole in the ground though, especially if you take the whole family.
I’m gonna have to second that.
“it’s a girl my lord in a flatbed Ford
slowin down to take a look at me”
One of the best all time lines in rock history.
Think I will pass on the Meteor Crater.
A few years ago we went to the Walnut Creek cliff dwellings…that was worth the price of admission.
ed
Just a couple more questions…I really appreciate all the help out there.
Typically what kind of speed do the westbounds make? I knw that varies based on tonnage/hp, but it appears there is a pretty significant grade for miles heading into and thru Flagstaff.
Second, do the BNSF trains call out signals? I am trying to decide whether or not to take my scanner.
ed
“Don’t forget Winona…”
Recall the line from Bobby Troup’s “Route 66” song.
It’s an I-40 exit east of Flagstaff; stand on the bridge over the BNSF main line just north of the Winona gas station/general store/post office and you’ll be llooking at a place called Darling on the railroad…one of the most famous ATSF photo locations of all time. Eastbounds here in AM light are great; see what Santa Fe company photographers have been shooting here since the 1930s.
Go west of Flagstaff to the Parks Road exit; head south a few hundred yards and you’ll come to a place called Maine on the railroad. Easy place to park and observe the parade of trains. On a recent visit I asked a signal maintainer for a lineup here, and he responded witgh the line “…you wouldn’t have enough paper to write it on…” We then saw 7 westbounds in quick succession.
Flagstaff depot’s a fine place to watch trains with an 11-year-old; ditto the lawn of the La Posada Hotel at Winslow.
Go to a little pub called “Altitudes”. It is located on Beaver St., and it is very cozy and located right next to the grade crossing. And whenever a train goes by they have “train shots”, which I believe are $2. I don’t take shots, so Im not sure. They also have fresh squeezed margaritas.
It will be much warmer to watch trains in there…it’s snowing outside now.
I think there’s somewhat of a speed limit through Flagstaff, 50 mph maybe. I could be wrong. I don’t ever remember seeing anything moving through town with the hammer dropped.