A lengthy ARZC train of mostly empty cars trundles west through the parched landscape of the southern Mojave Desert, heading for its late afternoon interchange with the BNSF at Cadiz.
The early morning interchange at South Siding involves about half of the Arizona Eastern's fleet of four-axle DASH-8s on this particular October morning. The 'road train' for Lordsburg will soon d... (more)
All three sets of power are visible on a westbound loaded grain train as the leading DASH-9s head through the lava cut near the top of Ash Hill.
A lonely, flared-radiator SD70M stands guard over a gondola loaded with ties; waiting for a maintenance gang to arrive at this remote outpost on the edge of the Sonoran desert.
In the afternoon heat, an empty ore train meanders back to the mine at Ray for another load of copper ore.
A short Cadiz local turns south near Klondike with a colourful mix of four-axle power, plus a green and white Arizona and California unit in transit back to its home road.
It's the next to last day of a two week rail-fanning trip to the desert southwest and luck is on our side, as an afternoon westbound heads through Rice between Parker and Cadiz on the remote Arizo... (more)
Shortly after sunrise at South Siding, five Arizona Eastern B40-8s notch up and get a heavy southbound road train on the move.
After a long afternoon of waiting, the Trona Railway finally quells the increasing level of frustration - and just in the nick of time! With only a minute or two to go before sundown, a headlight ... (more)
It seems like most of the trackage between Ludlow and Ash Hill is occupied by intermodal trains as two eastbounds and one westbound can be seen snaking their way across the Mojave Desert.
With its Southern Pacific lettering still faintly visible, a Trona Railway SD40T-2 leads a pair of ex-Union Pacific SD40-2s as they switch cars between Argus and West End, just south of Trona.
Three of the Trona Railway's ageing and faded SD40-2 variants busy themselves switching the sidings between Argus and West End.
Arizona Eastern DASH 8-40B #4006 returns to Claypool yard after switching the copper smelter on the hill overlooking the town.
Coming through! Heading away from the setting sun, a BNSF stack train powers-up as it leaves Ludlow and races towards Ash Hill and points east.
A stack train heads past the Mohawk Mountains on a warm October evening and demonstrates how the 'Sunset Route' gained its famously apt moniker.
