Tri-State Chase on Kansas City Southern

Kansas City Southern; Ginger Blue, Mo.; June 16, 2014

On the same day we chased the Amtrak display train behind Alcos on the Arkansas & Missouri (June 16, 2014), brother Bruce and I headed over to the Kansas City Southern for the afternoon looking for a southbound train to chase. Trains were fairly plentiful, but the hard part about the KCS proved to be finding trains with KCS power -- Union Pacific and BNSF power was predominant. We waited at the grain elevator in Anderson, Mo., looking for a southbound, but the first one had Union Pacific power. The second one had BNSF power, but we chased it south to the bridge over Indian Creek near Ginger Blue.

BNSF Railway (on KCS); Ginger Blue, Mo.; June 16, 2014

Kansas City Southern; Anderson, Mo.; June 14, 2014

The third time was a charm, however, as a southbound appeared with one of KCS's "Retro Belle" (a modified paint scheme used on the old KCS Southern Belle passenger train) SD70ACe units on the point and a second one halfway back in the train as a helper. Of course, the clean one was back in the train; the lead unit was a tad dirty.

The chase started at the elevator in Anderson (right). From there it was a quick drive south (except for the speed trap town of Lanagan) to the turn-off at Ginger Blue, then winding down the hill to Indian Creek at the Eagles Nest Campground. Timing was fortuitous here, as a group of kayakers were just making their way under the bridge as the train crossed (top photo of the post).

We then crossed the state line into Arkansas, setting up for a shot just south of the border at a concrete deck bridge on the outskirts of Sulphur Springs. The sun was starting to swing around, as it was getting late in the day, but it turned out to be a pretty good shot.

Kansas City Southern; Sulphur Springs, Ark.; June 16, 2014

The warm afternoon sun was back on the nose of lead locomotive No. 4037 as it made its way slowly through Gravette. It took so long to get here that we briefly thought we might have missed the train and it was long gone. After several anxious moments it appeared, however.

Kansas City Southern; Gravette, Ark.; June 16, 2014

Northbound rail traffic started to interfere, and while we were waiting at the former KCS F-unit on display in Decatur, Ark., a northbound showed up. By the time it met our train north of town and No. 4037 worked its way south, the shadows were really beginning to creep in.

Kansas City Southern; Decatur, Ark.; June 16, 2014

Getting ahead of the train once more, our next shot was off the overhead bridge at Gentry. While the low sun was making shooting difficult in tight quarters (like at Decatur), it was making for some really sweet light when you had open space to work with and weren't fighting shadows.

Kansas City Southern; Gentry, Ark.; June 16, 2014

We crossed another state line, putting us in Oklahoma as we chased. The shadows were definitely in play as we paused at the large feed mill in Watts. The train crawled through here and came to a stop in the small yard just south of the mill. That should do it for our day.

Kansas City Southern; Watts, Okla.; June 16, 2014

Or so we thought. As we consulted maps to see what the best way was to Van Buren, Ark., so we could grab a motel for the night, the train started moving again. The first few miles to Van Buren stayed with the tracks, so we ducked in at Westville where we found wide open spaces. This allowed for a pan shot of the mid-train helper to finish off a three-state chase.

Kansas City Southern; Westville, Okla.; June 16, 2014

More photos from this day can be found here.

An Evening At Commerce

Amtrak; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

On my recent trip to California I spent three days in the Los Angeles area before heading up the Central Valley to Stockton. On my last day in L.A. (March 6, 2014) I decided to sit somewhere to watch trains until rush hour quieted down (which it really doesn't do in the L.A. area). At the suggestion of Charles Freericks, I headed to the Metrolink station at Commerce, which sees frequent Amtrak trains in addition to Metrolink. As an added bonus, BNSF Railway has a diesel maintenance facility just across the main line, and light engine moves are frequent into the facility. The evening started off with a southbound Pacific Surfliner for Amtrak arriving (above).

The BNSF power moves I saw all came from the west, rolled through the station area and entered the engine facility through the east switches. A light power move is almost at the end of its day as a hi-rail maintenance truck heads west on the main line.

BNSF Railway; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

Despite the fact that the city is to the west, the eastbound platform was surprisingly busy in the evening. A few vans from local businesses dropped off passengers before this Metrolink train arrived.

Metrolink; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

Not far behind that train was another Metrolink train. A bicycle is last on the eastbound train as a BNSF freight approaches from behind.

Metrolink; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

That following train turns out to be an eastbound double-stack train.

BNSF Railway; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

The Amtrak Pacific Surfliners and Metrolink trains all have locomotives on the east end and cab cars on the west end. In the afternoon, the locomotives are all backlit. However, the Metrolink trains have the most photogenic cab cars in the U.S., with noses that give it a bit of a locomotive-like look as they approach. We see a westbound Metrolink train rolling through. The Commerce station only has one platform, so all trains making a stop use the near track.

Metrolink; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

With a break in the action we have a few minutes to drive west past the freight cars sitting in the yard so we can look back into the BNSF engine facility.

BNSF Railway; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

Here comes a westbound (northbound from San Diego) Pacific Surfliner and instead of the usual cab car leading, this one has one of Amtrak's converted F40 diesels. These converted diesels have lost their prime movers, and the extra space inside is used for baggage -- there are baggage doors added to the side. This combination of cab car and baggage car has led to these being referred to as "cabbages."

Amtrak; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

Meanwhile, the power for this train is actually from a diesel pushing on the east end. Today, the diesel is a special one -- Amtrak No. 42 painted to honor U.S. military veterans.

Amtrak; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

The sun is just about gone as the next Metrolink eastbound approaches. A green signal on the middle track indicates we might squeeze in one more westbound before we depart.

Metrolink; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

The sun has, indeed, gone down as that westbound approaches. We squeeze off one shot of a BNSF stack train before heading off to the streets of Bakersfield for the night. Once again, thanks to Charles Freericks for suggesting heading to Commerce. More shots from Commerce (and earlier in the day) can be found here.

BNSF Railway; Commerce, Calif.; March 6, 2014

Looking Down In L.A.

Metrolink; Mission Tower, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 6, 2014

The Los Angeles area is sprawling and difficult to get through. Freeways are perpetually clogged, and even getting ten miles can take an hour or more. What can a visiting photographer do to see a lot of trains in interesting locations? Well, you don't have to go far from the very heart of the city to make the most of a visit to L.A. You simply need to follow the concrete ravine of the Los Angeles River.

The Los Angeles River has several bridges crossing it, and all provide a view of Union Pacific, Amtrak and Metrolink heavy rail action. One has a Metro Rail light rail line on it, and two span the only above-ground section of the Metro Rail subway. Starting from north to south, we begin our tour at Cesar Chavez Avenue. The west end of this bridge is right at Los Angeles Union Station (formerly Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal). All Amtrak and Metrolink trains head north out of LAUPT to Mission Tower. Some continue north, but others make a horseshoe and come right under Cesar Chavez Avenue. As an added bonus, the Metrolink trains and Amtrak Surfliners that use cab cars all have locomotives on the proper (geographic south) end of the train as they pass here (above). Mission Tower, which is pretty inaccessible, makes a nice backdrop for photos.

Union Pacific has an intermodal terminal on the east side of the Los Angeles River here, so freights are not uncommon (although most will diverge to the east before passing under the bridge). Still, you'll find both Metrolink and UP trains under the east end of the bridge.

Union Pacific; Cesar Chavez Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 4, 2014

The 101 freeway is the next bridge south (no pedestrian access), followed by perhaps the most interesting bridge over the river (at least photographically), First Street. The west end of the bridge goes over the Metro Rail subway tracks, the only place the subway is above ground. This is the throat to the yard, so action is usually plentiful right after the morning rush hour and right before the evening rush. Alas, on the day I was there, the wash rack located almost under the bridge was being dismantled and the yard throat was closed most of the day. Trust me, though, it can be busy here. You still have the Metrolink/Amtrak line directly adjacent to the subway tracks.

Metro Rail; First Street, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 6, 2014

Perhaps the coolest thing about the First Street bridge is the Gold Line light rail line that runs across it. In the morning, there are spectacular views available of Metro Rail trains leaving the city with the skyline as a backdrop. Auto traffic heading out of town in the morning is sparse, so light rail vehicles are seldom blocked by other traffic. It really is a nice diversion between all the heavy rail action down below. Light rail stations are at either end of the bridge, so if you are in town without a car there is still easy access.

Metro Rail; First Street, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 5, 2014

On the east side of the Los Angeles River is a small team track. Union Pacific local power lays up here and can be seen frequently. Once again, Metrolink and the occasional UP freight will pass beneath the east end of the bridge as well.

Union Pacific; First Street, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 6, 2014

Next bridge south is Fourth Street. The big attraction here is the Metro Rail subway shop -- the bridge spans the yard just south of the shop building. Weekends sees the yard chock full of subway cars. Alas, I was only there on weekdays when only empty tracks can be seen, so we'll bypass this bridge.

Next is Sixth Street Bridge, a Los Angeles icon. Built in 1932, the Sixth Street Bridge (or Sixth Street Viaduct) was the precursor to the famous California freeways and the Interstate highway system. Alas, the bridge was built from concrete mixed onsite, and the concrete has a high alkali content; Sixth Street Bridge is crumbling from within. Despite being listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the bridge's two arches and all the concrete must come down, as rehabilitation is not an option. You don't want to shoot from Sixth Street bridge for two reasons; first, it is by far the longest of the bridges over the Los Angeles River, and it would take quite awhile to walk to a place where you can shoot trains. And second, you want this bridge in your photos. So let's move on....

Metrolink; Seventh Street, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 5, 2014

Next bridge south is Seventh Street, and this is where you want to shoot from -- especially this year before the Sixth Street Bridge is torn down. We still have the same cast of characters, with Amtrak and Metrolink on the west side, Metrolink and UP on the east side.

Amtrak; Seventh Street, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 5, 2014

Next bridge south is the I-10 Freeway (we're in California, so we have to say "the" in front of freeway names and numbers), and once again there is (obviously) no pedestrian access. That brings us to Olympic Avenue. The west end of this bridge is directly over Amtrak's Eighth Street maintenance facility where the Surfliners, Coast Starlight, Southwest Chief and Sunset Limited call home (in fact, all the bridges from Seventh Street north to Cesar Chavez see deadhead moves of the long-distance Amtrak trains to LAUPT).

Amtrak; Olympic Avenue, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 4, 2014

The next two bridges south provide a good look at the busy freight lines to the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, and are located just outside the city limits in Vernon. First is Washington Avenue, which parallels a concrete deck bridge used by Union Pacific trains. I did not get a chance to shoot here, as the shot is fairly non-descript. The next bridge south is 26th Street and it parallels two different railroads on two different levels. At street level is BNSF Railway heading from the Hobart Tower area (off to your right) to the ports (off to your left via the Alameda Corridor trench). Above BNSF is the passenger flyover used by Amtrak and Metrolink. The shot below shows the two bridges as seen from Harbor Junction. The Amtrak train is crossing the Los Angeles River, as does the through truss bridge on BNSF; both of these are very shootable from 26th Street. Two of the city's surviving towers are in this area, as well. Redondo Tower is almost impossible to shoot, but is located just north of Washington Avenue on the west side of the river. Hobart Tower is very easy to shoot and following 26th Street east will take you right to it.

Amtrak; Harbor Junction, Vernon, Calif.; March 5, 2014

While we're in the area, let's check out one more bridge that is not over the Los Angeles River. Take 26th Street west; it does a bit of a curve as it crosses Santa Fe Avenue and puts you on 25th Street. At the grade crossing is Union Pacific's J Yard, and just beyond that is a bridge over the Alameda Corridor trench. A good shot can be had here (there is one spot you can shoot through the fence) with a Sears warehouse off in the distance.

BNSF Railway; Alameda Corridor, Vernon, Calif.; March 6, 2014

As mentioned above, just off to the right of this shot is Union Pacific's J Yard, so we'll take a quick peek in there.

Union Pacific; J Yard, Vernon, Calif.; March 4, 2014

And since we're in the area, let's head back east on 25th Street, go across Santa Fe Avenue which puts us on 26th Street, and we'll follow it until we see Hobart Tower. While this post may make it seem like I really know my way around Los Angeles, the truth is I visited all these places (except Hobart Tower) for the first time in March 2014. I owe a huge thank you to Charles Freericks who gave me a primer on how to get around Los Angeles. I can't wait for my next visit there.

BNSF Railway; Hobart Tower, Los Angeles, Calif.; March 5, 2014

Random Ramblings - To Wedge Or Not To Wedge

Burlington Northern & Santa Fe; Prewitt, New Mexico; September 30, 1999

In 1999 I was in New Mexico following the former Santa Fe transcontinental main line across the desert (at the time of the trip it was known as the Burlington Northern & Santa Fe, and since has become simply BNSF Railway). I was with a group of friends, and it soon became apparent that we had different shooting goals. They wanted to wait by the tracks and shoot every train that came by in the standard three-quarter wedge shot, then move when there was a break in the action. The problem is, the Santa Fe is one hopping railroad, and breaks in the action are few and far between. Meanwhile, we were in the heart of The Mother Road country, along historic Route 66, and I wanted to pull back from the tracks a bit and get some iconic Route 66 imagery into the scene. It became readily apparent that sticking with them was going to result in getting a dozen trains in the exact same location from the exact same wedgie angle. But they are friends, so I decided to hang with them.

Finally there was a break in the action and we decided to move. I was in my own car and pulled away first, looking for a new angle. Their driver was slower, and soon some cars separated us. Finally, I saw a shot I wanted and pulled off the interstate -- but they missed me turning! In this time before cell phones I had no way to get ahold of them, and a futile attempt to get back on the interstate to catch them didn't work (okay, maybe I didn't try all that hard). But suddenly I was alone and free to make my own decisions. I set up at the Tomahawk Bar in Prewitt for a shot (something none of the rest would have even considered) and captured several more away-from-the-tracks angles along Route 66. I didn't catch up with the gang again until we hit our reserved motel later that evening. 

They caught about 30 trains during the day from about three locations. I caught far fewer, but quantity isn't the name of the game. On this day, I was in a non-wedge zone.

To Missouri By Train

BNSF Railway; La Plata, Mo.; October 20, 2012

Last month I was invited to be a speaker at a travel writing and photography workshop sponsored by the American Passenger Rail Heritage Foundation and held at the Depot Inn & Suites in La Plata, Mo. As part of the deal, I was offered an Amtrak trip from New York to La Plata with sleeping accommodations each way. I opted to go out via the Lake Shore Limited from New York to Chicago and return via the Capitol Limited from Chicago to Washington, D.C. (and a Northeast Corridor train from D.C. back to New York). Travel between Chicago and La Plata would be on the Southwest Chief. Because of the train travel, this trip would be unique for me -- I wouldn't have a car, so every photo location had to be accessible via train and foot.

On Thursday, October 18, I got a ride from home to Dover, N.J., to begin my train travel via New Jersey Transit's Morris & Essex line to Penn Station in New York. I had sent most of my clothes out to Missouri ahead of me to keep what I was carrying to a minimum so I could do exploring between trains at various stops. My exploring started right in Penn Station where I found a remnant of old Pennsylvania Station (demolished in 1964) -- a door frame from the old station still remained in the Long Island Rail Road section of the new station. The doorway was located right next to a police kiosk, and I quickly explained to the officer on duty what I was doing -- shooting a doorway is not illegal, but might look a bit strange. "Knock yourself out," the officer laughed. "It's all good."

Train time found me settling into a roomette in a Viewliner sleeper. I had a room on the west side of the train for great views of the Hudson River at sunset and enjoyed dinner in the diner in the final glimmer of light. The train paused at the Albany-Rensselaer station for just under an hour as the Boston section of the Lake Shore Limited was added to the train for the trip to Boston, which gave me some time to explore the station there.

Train time at Albany-Rensselaer, N.Y.; October 18, 2012

After departure the attendant made up my bed, and I was delighted to find that the bed was even with the window sill; no awkward propping up was necessary to watch the lights of the towns out the window as sleep approached. Morning was somewhere in Indiana.

CTA; Chicago, Ill.

Arrival in Chicago was in mid-morning and I had about five hours before getting on the Southwest Chief. I had seen photos of a pretty neat junction on the Chicago Transit Authority in the Loop that was shootable from a parking deck, and I made my way to the intersection of Canal and Wells and found the parking deck. Sure enough, it looked down on a crossing with interchange tracks in three of the four quadrants of the crossing. Trains were frequent and I tried a variety of angles. With so many geometric lines in the photo, it was a bit difficult to figure out which lines to make parallel to the edges of the photo (and the looking-down angle didn't help matters). The photo at right is heavily cropped and rotated, as I didn't like the looks of the lines in the original. The horizontal photo below is pretty much the way it was shot -- the horizontals were a little easier to frame up.

After getting several trains at the Loop, I headed out onto CTA on the Blue Line towards O'Hare Airport. The 2200-series cars are making their last stand on this line before being replaced by newer cars, and while none are used on the front or back of train sets (they are always sandwiched mid-train, making photos difficult) I did make sure to ride a few of the cars. It was cloudy, but I made a few stops for photos, some with the skyline in the background. The line ducked back underground for a couple of stations (the Belmont Station being particularly nice), but when the tracks went above ground again west of Belmont they were in the median of an interstate highway. Not caring for the noise, I turned back to downtown Chicago and explored Union Station before it was time to board the Chief.

Chicago Transit Authority; Chicago, Ill.; October 19, 2012

Chicago Transit Authority; Chicago, Ill.; October 19, 2012

I had a Superliner roomette on the Chief, but since I'd be detraining at about 9:00 p.m. the bed wasn't required. I enjoyed dinner in the dining car before retiring to my roomette until arrival at La Plata. Once there, a shuttle van met me at the station and took me to the Depot Inn & Suites.

On Saturday I enjoyed a railroadiana sale at the Silver Rails Event Center in La Plata, then enjoyed some train watching from the railroad overlook in town. The main line below is former Santa Fe, while the overlook is built on an embankment where the Wabash once crossed the Santa Fe on a bridge. I watched several trains go by (somewhere around ten in an hour -- see the photo at the top of the blog), then did the short hoof back to the Inn. The next few days (Sunday-Tuesday) had the seminars in the morning and usually a short afternoon activity including visits to the Silver Rails Art Gallery and the headquarters of Train Party which, as the name implies, stocks everything you could possibly want for your next train-themed event. Bob and Amy Cox were gracious hosts at both locations. Bob is also the caretaker of La Plata's Amtrak station, and he provided a historical tour of the facility.

The weather had deteriorated from Saturday, so I spent most afternoons at the Inn. I did get back to the overlook on Tuesday night to shoot the Southwest Chief making its evening stop at the La Plata depot.

Amtrak; La Plata, Mo.; October 23, 2012

La Plata is a typical midwest heartland town with the one-story row of businesses flanking a main street and the town square, along with a grain elevator. The highway has long bypassed downtown, so it has a feeling that time stopped a few decades ago. I quickly became attached to the town. All too soon, though, it was time to board Amtrak and head back east. Once again I was in a Superliner roomette for the ride back to Chicago.

CTA; Chicago, Ill.

During the week I had some time to evaluate my photos from the CTA junction that I had shot on Friday and decided I would go back there during my Windy City layover and try again if it was cloudy -- there would be too many contrasty shadows to deal with between the buildings if the sun was out. Well, the sun was out, so Plan B was to ride the Blue Line back out to get some of those skyline shots I had seen on Friday.

Western Avenue was my first stop, which showed the Sears Tower (I don't care what it's officially called now -- it will always be the Sears Tower) quite nicely. Next up was California, which also presented a nice scene from the end of the platform. My time was growing short to get back to Union Station but I still wanted one more shot at California. I moved myself to the middle of the platform near the steps -- if I saw an inbound train coming I could hustle down the stairs, cross under the tracks and get up to the inbound side. The shot I wanted was actually better from mid-platform that what it was at the end of the platform, so this maneuver was actually beneficial. Another outbound train showed up first, then I hustled over to the inbound side and rode back into downtown. I walked down the platform at Union Station alongside the Capitol Limited, and was soon in a Superliner roomette for the eastbound trip. My last dinner in the diner was held shortly after departure.

Chicago Transit Authority; Chicago, Ill.; October 24, 2012

I quickly discovered I like the Viewliner roomette I had going west more than I like the Superliner roomettes. They aren't laid out quite as nice, and the bed is below the window level by a few inches, requiring bending pillows to keep your eyes at a level to see out while lying down. A pleasant overnight ride was had, and I was enjoying breakfast as the train descended Sand Patch Grade in western Pennsylvania on the former Baltimore & Ohio. Since the miles east of Cumberland, Md., featured numerous tunnels and river crossings, I decided to enjoy the ride to Harpers Ferry from the Sightseer Lounge where I had unobstructed views out both sides of the train.

Arriving in Washington, I had over two hours between trains. I spent some time photographing Union Station (the original concourse is under reconstruction and the ill-conceived 1976 addition that now houses a mall is just dark and dreary). The Metrorail system features some nice stations nearby, so I headed down there for some quick riding and photography.

Metrorail; Washington, D.C.; October 25, 2012

As I was finishing up my shooting, I was going for one more shot from the platform at Gallery Place of a train heading back to Union Station. Just as I was ready to shoot, someone stepped out in front of me with a cell phone to take a picture of the train. The headlights put a rim light around the man, and you can see the train in his cell phone -- I wound up with a much better picture than I could have imagined!

Metrorail; Washington, D.C.; October 25, 2012

The line was long to board the Northeast Corridor train that would take me to New York, but I was near the front and easily found a window seat. The train was pretty crowded by the time we left Baltimore. At New York's Penn Station I had time for a fast food dinner, then boarded a New Jersey Transit train to Mount Olive. My ride was waiting there, ending my Missouri adventure.

Thanks to fellow presenters Henry Kisor and Carl Morrison for their hospitality in La Plata. Thanks also to Steve Grande for the train tickets and the lodging at the Depot Inn & Suites. And thanks to the staff at the Inn, Bob and Amy Cox, and the people of La Plata for a memorable stay.