Steaming Through Arizona

Santa Fe 3751, Miramar, Cal., 2008

I'm writing from the restored El Trovatore Motel in Kingman, Arizona (watch for a post soon!), en route to meeting Santa Fe no. 3751 in Williams and covering her westbound trip to Los Angeles. Click here for the full schedule. This is the big 4-8-4's first big road trip outside California in nearly 10 years -- she powered a similar odyssey to Williams in August 2002. Since then she's handled excursions to San Diego, San Bernardino and around the Los Angeles basin. On Friday she'll take her train down the BNSF line towards Phoenix and turn west to Parker via the Arizona and California Railway (a former Santa Fe route). After staying the night in Parker, she'll cross back into California and rejoin BNSF rails for the return trip to LA. 

Appropriately enough, Amtrak No. 66 is one of the two helper diesels assigned to the train. You can bet I'm looking for a good Route 66 photo op! To celebrate 3751's return to her old stomping grounds, here are a few photos of the 1927 Baldwin during recent travels.

 Steaming past an old packing house in Upland, Cal., on the old Pasadena line, May 2010.

In September 2008, 3751 leads a private car owners' excursion through Torrey Pines Park near Del Mar, Cal. at dusk.

No matter where she goes, 3751 always draws a crowd. San Bernardino, Cal., May 2010.

Changing of the Guard

Twilight at East Oro Grande, Cal., in June 2010: the headlights of an eastbound BNSF train illuminate old Santa Fe signals and their replacements. (click to enlarge)

 Over the past several years I've made a habit of photographing the signals I grew up with as they're retired in favor of modern replacements that resemble silver erector sets. When I was a teenager, photographer Dave Busse pointed out that when he was on vacation he could easily identify any railroad he encountered based on the unique signals that guarded the line. That won't be the case for much longer. Just like the classic semaphores succumbed to progress, so too are veteran searchlights and cantilevers coming down in favor of high-tech but largely lookalike masts and towers. A few California lines still make use of these aging classics, but the population is dwindling. On my recent trip to the Salton Sea, we encountered a scene in transition along the old Santa Fe (now BNSF) mainlines at East Oro Grande, east of Victorville and beside Route 66. We spent much of the "blue hour" shooting BNSF and UP freights as they blasted by the doomed target signals. The shot above was part of a favorite sequence, and a nice farewell to the old guard.

They're Here

I'm happy to say that Route 66 Railway has arrived.

Ten advance copies reached Los Angeles on October 2, and LARHF overnighted a copy to Lawrence Manor, arriving Oct. 4. The big shipment arrived at the Port of LA last weekend, not a moment too soon. This Friday, we'll drive down to the LARHF offices to make a major pick-up. On Sunday, we'll have the first signing party in Redlands, debuting the book to family, friends and members of the community. LARHF has updated their website and orders are now being taken at the online store, HERE.

It's hard to describe the feelings of the last few weeks . . . "surreal" is a commonly heard word these days. What matters most, of course, is that Tien Wah Press did a fantastic job. The books look beautiful, as good as I'd hoped. So far, our lone copy has racked up some serious "show-off" mileage!

For those who live in or near Central California, you're invited to a signing reception on Friday evening, November 7 at the National Steinbeck Center in Oldtown Salinas. I couldn't think of a better setting for a book with a chapter titled "The Ghost of Tom Joad." See http://www.66rails.com/ for details.

Oh, and to those who have read this at the 66rails blog . . . sorry for the double post, but it's big news! :-)

A sample page spread, from the opening of the New Mexico chapter.