Hi there,
A friend and myself are travelling from Australia in February 2005 to photograph trains, mainly in the states I mentioned.
Along with the obvious spots like Abo Canyon, Curtis Hill, Powder River, North Platte, I would really appreciate any tips on other good locations… also some indication of train frequency (if away from the Transcon) would be helpful.
We have an SUV organised so off the highways is fine!
Thanks for any help or tips you have.
Routing?, Preliminary itinerary? - There are just a few holes in-between the states you are listing. You are apparently looking at the BNSF Transcon and the UP Transcon. In between those you have the Powder River funnels heading south an east, the KP/UP relief line for the UP Transcon, The Cotton-Rock Tucumcari Transcon, The BNSF Northern Route Transcon and a slug of interesting, quick side trips. Where da heck are ya going bubba? And just in time to get stuck in a WY/NE blizzard! (prime time up there for the white stuff)…Say hello to “Carhenge” at Alliance!, make sure your SUV doesn’t look like that in a snowdrift!
Just travel along I-80 all through Wyoming into Nebraska it pretty much follows the UP mainline. I am usually down by the tracks at least for a few minutes and i always seen to catch a train here in downtown Rock Springs.
If I were you, I would see whatever points of interest nown in OK and NM and then travel north thru kansas into Nebraska, and then follow I-80 thru NE, to Cheyenne where they keep the 3985 Challenger and the 844 Northern(you have to call the shop first if you want to visit). then maybe detour noth on I-25 up towards the Powder River. And then maybe head back down to Casper (you’d be backtracking on I-25) and then take the scenic route to Rawlins(no RR along the Hwy. but it does have landmarks like Independance Rock and Devils gate) as there are no real good spots along the interstate between Cheyenne and Rawlins(unless somone else has a spot that i don’t know about) and then possibly go east a bit to sinclair where you might be able to find a spot or two. But keep heading west and find spots along the way. through Rock Springs and Green River and I would keep heading west to Utah and go through Echo Canyon to the I-80/I-84 junction and that l-84 to Ogden which puts you almost at Promentory Point. Ogden Unionstation is also closeby.
Some tips :
If you have any questions about traveling in wyoming or anything email me at miniwyo@gmail.com
What is your arrival and departure city. And how many days do you have?
tom
What is your arrival and departure city. And how many days do you have?
tom
As mentioned earlier, just follow I-80 through Wyoming and Nebraska. In Nebraska, anywhere between North Platte and Gibbon Junction is probably your best place to watch.
Get off of I-80 in Nebraska and follow Hwy. 30 across the whole state. The tracks are always within a couple hundred feet (60 meters) of the road and you will have a front row seat. But it is a two-lane road so road conditions/weather can be an issue in February. But the shoulders are wide so there is plenty of room to pull off to the side.
Have fun!!!
John
As previously mentioned weather in Wyoming and Nebraska can be outright BRUTAL in February. If you really plan to be here during that time expect temps MAY be in the -30F range for some of that time. Oklahoma can be just as bad. High winds and drifting snow can be a problem in all the areas you have mentioned.
For the Powder River Basin, Gillette, Wyoming, Alliance, Nebraska, Crawdord, Nebraska and Douglas, Wyoming make pretty good bases to operate from. I agree that US 30 is the preferred route through Wyoming to get UP action. Sherman Hill is not as open as it used to be but Cheyenne is worth a night’s stay.
The SUV is a terrific idea and get the rental agency to supply tire chains to fit it. Buy or bring winter clothing, winter parkas, gloves, boots, sweaters, long underwear, stocking caps and such. A couple of low cost sleeping bags incase you do slip off the road and have to wait until daylight or the next day for rescue would be recommended as well as a small box with some food supplies for travel in WY and NE. A few cans of soup, crackers, canned meats, candy bars, bottled water, a couple of candles with matches, flash light and highway flares. See the large stores like Sears or JCPenneys for the clothing at reasonable prices so you can leave them at a homeless shelter if you do not want to take them back with you. Sears will have sleeping bags. No need for a state of the art alpine bag here just something to keep frostbite at bay. The survival supplies can come from any convenient grocery stores. Most railroad compatable scanners have the weather frequencies installed or they can be programmed in.
Let us know more about your itinerary as you fill it in and you will get more suggestions. A route plan would be helpful to us. Typing the town name and state into a Google search will get you information about motels and many on this list can give specifics as well. Have fun and take lots of good photos.
Now that we have scared the Aussies half to death, wait till some of us visit their backyard…[:D]
(1)At Cheyenne, WY (The C&S Bridge over the UP Transcon at the west end of town near Little America)
(2) Palmer Lake, CO en-route from WY to NM (My favorite[tup][tup][tup] 20-30 trains a day all forced onto one main track going south UP & BNSF)
(3) Sherman Hill, Dalies, Belen (Albuquerque is on the Northern Route, not the BNSF Transcon!), Apache Canyon north of Lamy
(4) If they hit Crawford Hill, They had best also visit Chadron. Have a feeling they won’t go north of the UP transcon. (Or see Scottsbluff/Gering (not “Close Encounters” Fans), Marysville KS, Grant, NE (NKCR), O’Neil NE, Norfolk, NE, Phillipsburg, KS, Fillmore NE, McCook NE , Raton Pass and so on…Ditto for the likes of the Escalante Western at Grants, NM, NOKL at Woodward, OK )…They might see OL&B near Mookie in Lincoln if they are out or Willy2’s Brandon RR in Omaha (Stockyards)
(5) While wobbling along US-30, be alert for locomotives in the Grain elevators including SW-1’s, NW-2’s, SW-7’s, CF7’s, S-1’s, BRC GP-9’s, recycled SD40’s and a bazillion shuttlewagons)
(*) Have them hit the nearest Cabellas (Sidney, Kearney or N Kansas City and hit the bargain cave)…or just layer-up with Polartech fleece.
Be aware that the BNSF Transcon in Western OK often does not parallell the highways nd a DeLorme Gazetteer or similar would be a good investment in the states of New Mexico and Oklahoma for following the backroads
Thanks all for your info & suggestions… I will Email some of you personally to ask for more details.
Just to fill you all in a bit more… I am a Locomotive Driver (Engineer, in your part of the world!) and have travelled to the USA about 6 times in the past 3 years… taking pictures of trains all the way.
Last winter trip was to Donner Pass & Williams Loop in Feb 04… love the snow because it is the complete opposite of the dry dusty conditions here and makes for great pictures.
Flying Sydney to Honolulu then to Amarillo Texas (via Dallas) doing the southern portion, then flying to Denver and doing Colorado, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska
then Denver - Lax - Sydney.
Once again thanks to everyone who has provided info … feel free to Email
echidna717@hotmail.com
OK- We have a down-under hogger on the loose! When he hits Denver, he’s landing east of town almost on top of the UP’s Kansas Pacific Line (Their transcon coal train relief valve to points east)…You can’t abduct Kozzie and M636 and stuff them in your luggage out of Sydney?
After being cooped-up in airplanes for hours on end (and then the RJ from DFW to Amarillo in a really small jet), he’s gonna wind up in the “great empty”. On the east side of Amarillo, he will be going directly over Amarillo Yard (ATSF, US-287 & I-40) with the yard tower right up against the eastbound lanes. If you get caught in a snow/ice storm down there, be VERY careful because those get wicked. He’s gonna fly over the part I know best, AMO-DNV, but he will see some the fastest freight railroading in the country.
[banghead][banghead][banghead]
To Mudchicken and all who have responded,
Interested in Glorietta Pass and Apache Canyon… just curious as to the train frequency at the present time??? I know Amtrak goes over there and I have a Timetable (not that it is much use with them!!!)
Palmer Lake has been added to our list… Thanks for that!
What about Moffat Tunnel… Some guys from here spent 6 hours there last month and saw nothing… is that normal???
Any spots on the UP between Vaughn NM and El Paso you can recommend?
Also interested in the bridge over the Cimmaron River on the UP near Liberal KS… have been told it makes for a good pic?
Sherman Hill, Powder river (about Gillette will be as far north as we will get) and the UP triple track thru Nebraska are all programmed.
All responses are read and welcome…Email if you wish, I don’t mind.
Glorietta Pass/ Apache Canyon right now running hot & cold, 4-6 trains per day (max) including Amtrak 3&4 right now. As construction along the southern tier of the transcon cranks-up between Belen & Newton, the “ATSF Northern Route” picks up a few more trains (usually not double stacks because of older steel truss bridges, not the tunnel)…Apache Canyon is tough to get access to, Ribera Loop would be easier to access and fill your view finder.
The Rock Island Bridge (Farrington’s Folly) over Cimmarron River is an impressive structure , as in BIG, with almost no trees (especially this time of year, but avoid it if bad weather is imminent)
No trains in 6 hours at Moffat Tunnel is a little odd, right now coal coming from Paonia/Hotchkiss/Grand Junction/Craig is causing the tunnels to be run near capacity, roughly 1 train per hour with trains waiting. My firm has a possible job between Vasquez and Fraser west of the tunnel, saw plenty of activity there on a trip recently including trains waiting on the tunnel ventilation system. You may see the ski train here in Denver or up there if you hit it right.
Vaughn to El Paso (SP Cotton Rock Transcon, south of the ATSF Transcon), would look at the arch at Vaughn, Carrizoso , Alamagordo, (side trip to Cloudcroft? huge SP timber trestle on an s-curve, rail service no more), Oro Grande…pretty sparse country.
[banghead][banghead][banghead]
http://www.carhenge.com/ if you don’t know carhenge
If our friend the flightless bird travels AQ to DN, he wouldn’t have to be cooped-up in an regional jet from Amarillo to Denver and have to deal with “Bagdad on the Prairie” (DIA)[swg][swg][swg]
I’ve a feeling that it’s too much territory in too little time![;)] …and most American railfans, much less the Aussies know about the Boise City Sub and even fewer could get to the Harbord Hill, Gilpin hill, Frick or the Plum Creek bridge between Las Animas Junction and Springfield. If it gets wet or snowy down in there, forget driving through that. Same could be said for Trinidad to Amarillo in places.
[banghead][banghead][banghead]
While in Cheyenne you can visit the Historic downtown that has been on fire recently (mudchicken may have heard of this) It burned for About 20 hours beofre fianlly getting under control. Supposedly destroying the building where Tom Horn confessed to murder.
Here are the stories telling about it.
http://www.kgwn.tv/news/headlines/1170772.html
http://www.kgwn.tv/news/headlines/1307756.html
http://www.kgwn.tv/news/headlines/1309476.html
http://www.kgwn.tv/news/headlines/1309676.html
http://www.kgwn.tv/news/headlines/1310331.html
http://www.kgwn.tv/news/headlines/1312471.html
Sad…was front page news down here. Hope Cheyenne can salvage the exteriors on the block.
I agree with Mark about the area west of Laramie. You owe it to yourself to stay a night in the Virginian Hotel at Bosler Jct west of Laramie and take a bath in the 6’ long, deep claw foot tub there. It was likely a favorite of cowhands for generations. The old stone roundhouse walls at Wamsutter, WY might still be standing. There is the back road to Riview and Peru just west of Green River, WY for nice afternoon shots of westbounds pulling the grade leaving town.
There is really no need to go as far north as Gillette unless you want to see the mines north of the old Q line to Laurel or follow the line from Gillette to Edgmont on your way to Crawford and Alliance. Douglas, WY will give you access and full facilities.
The Altamont Press series of railfan timetables will provide invaluable information including track maps, detector locations, station names and train symbols in a compact and readable format. It may be too late to order them but they should be available in any large hobby shop along your route. I agree with Mark about the joint line south of Denver. It was nice in spots 30 years ago now it is just urban railfanning. South of Pueblo it is far more open.
Something i noticed last nite while me and my friends were out for a drive(something we do sometimes after drinking coffee till all hours of the night) . We Went out to Point of Rocks and we followed the old service road back. I noticed that this road provides good watching and possible pacing action. And at some points the rail;s are no more than about 20 feet away from the road.
The information just keeps getting better… I have my official BNSF & UP maps spread out all over the floor making heaps of notes on them.
The rental SUV’s are in for a workout!!!
At the moment the southern portion of the route looks something like this:-
Amarillo - follow BNSF to Kiowa - then across to Liberal, UP to Vaughn & south towards El Paso, BNSF north to Belen & Raton, back to Amarillo with a combination of BNSF routes.
Still working on the Northern portion.
Once again thanks to all for your responses, keep 'em coming!
If the weather in the north looks to be horendous, an alternative would be to fly from Amarillo to Salt Lake City and work the Utah Ry eastbound following either the UP Rio Grande line or the Overland Route to the east. That might not be possible given the limited selection of airline flights out of Armadillo, uh, Amarillo, TX. Time spent in UT would work against time in the Powder River Basin but would keep you a couple of hundred miles south for those days.
Alan