Route 66 Beacons in the News

The classic 66 Motel in Needles: will she beckon travelers again?

Two landmark Route 66 motels are in the news: the El Trovatore in Kingman, Arizona, which has not only reopened but restored its neon tower, and the 66 Motel in Needles, California, which is the subject of an intense fundraising effort to save its classic sign.

Relighting the 66 Motel: There's a reason why most tourists drive to Laughlin instead of Needles, but the Route 66 town will always be my first choice. Between 100 BNSF trains a day, the nearby Colorado River, a Harvey House hotel and a parade of vintage motels and diners, Needles has plenty to interest the Route 66 traveler. Now preservationist Ed Klein is raising money to restore the classic 66 Motel sign in Needles, Calif. I last photographed the sign in 2004 while working on my Route 66 Railway book (back then I was still shooting film!). For as much as it's been immortalized in books, documentaries and artwork, this is the first serious restoration effort I can recall. Ed's goal is to raise $3,600 by 11:59 p.m. PT on Wednesday, April 18; about 35 hours remain as of this posting. Click HERE to see a 90-second video on the restoration and donate online. (Donors get cool Route 66 perks!)

Can you imagine this lit up at dusk?

A Southwest Beacon Returns: I've lost count of how many times I passed the hillside El Trovatore motel and prayed that a savior would one day restore its midcentury glory. Thanks to Monica and Sam Frisher, that prayer has finally been answered. The soaring red and green neon tower was relit in early April and 20 rooms have been refurbished in classic Hollywood themes. A ton of work remains, but the Frishers have already overcome huge odds by saving this Kingman gem. I can't wait to visit and capture that marvelous tower at dusk . . . hopefully there's a way to frame the motel with a passing train in the cut below. For more info, visit their website at http://eltrovatoremotel.com/. You can read a great article on the motel restoration by clicking HERE. Also, author Jim Hinckley has photos of the restored tower -- click HERE to see them.

A big "thank you" to these preservation heroes who are keeping the Route 66 mystique alive!

Paddock Bowl Neon

Before I post yet another series of Monterey Bay sunset photos -- see the last two posts -- let's do something different. Above is a marvelous neon sign found near Concord, California in the East Bay area. I was driving home from Martinez in April 2010 and spotted this bowling alley next to Interstate 680. The ball "rolls" into the pins thanks to a cool lighting sequence. Love those colors! (click to enlarge)

El's Favorite Photos from 2008

Southern Pacific 4-6-2 2472 crosses State Route 84 in Niles Canyon, Cal., on August 31, 2008. (click to enlarge)

Honestly, I've been meaning to do this for over a month. The original plan was to do it January 1. Now I'm just happy to get it done in January! Last year I posted a "Rogue's Gallery" of my favorite photos from 2007, so I thought it would be interesting to see what images topped the list for 2008. Dave Styffe did a top 10 post last December that features some outstanding photos; unlike me, he had the presence of mind to do it before the year ended!

2008 was a watershed year, to say the least, with the completion and release of Route 66 Railway. Ironically, between the book launch events and private sales, I had less time to get out and do much shooting during the final 3 months of the year. So I went through the digital files with a little uncertainty, wondering if there would be enough good material to fill 10 slots.

To my surprise, I ended up with 16. Don't panic -- I'm not including them all! I edited the list down to 11, mostly railroad-related stuff. I may post a follow-up later on (hmm, with my track record that should appear around Memorial Day). :-)

One trend that was immediately obvious was that I'd shot far more steam than usual this past year, more than the past several years combined. Between Santa Fe #3751's LA-San Diego trips, Southern Pacific #2472's Niles Canyon excursions, and the Sierra Railroad's Winterail fantrip with McCloud River #18, it was an amazing year for California steam fans. The SP 2472 images benefit from the all-access pass I enjoyed while working on a Classic Trains article about the Niles Canyon Railway (shameless plug: it's arriving now in the Spring 2009 issue).

But these aren't limited to steam, as you'll see below. With that said, let's get on with the show (click to enlarge):

Former Santa Fe 4-8-4 #3751 steams along the LA River on June 1, bound for San Diego.

Like a scene out of Spielberg's Close Encounters, an eastbound BNSF freight rolls through the ruins of Tunnel 2 in Cajon Pass on March 1. At right is the new third mainline that triggered the daylighting of the Cajon tunnels. This image was one of two that helped score a bronze award by the Center for Rail Photography & Art.

The next morning, tunnel 1 resembles a toy tunnel as the heavens aligned and a Warbonnet helper was positioned perfectly for the morning sunlight.

My favorite neon catch of the year -- Twohey's, Alhambra, Cal., October 24.

Santa Fe survivor: dusk in Hobart Yard, Los Angeles, September 20.

Alco PA engine door, Nickel Plate 190, Portland, Oregon.

A Centennial is always going to make the cut . . .
UP 6936 leads a northbound special up the Coast Line at Harlem, Cal.

In a surreal morning on the Niles Canyon Railway, SP 2472 backs past
the Oakland business car at NCRY's Brightside yard.

Errol Ohlman fires the 2472 up the Niles Canyon grade . . .
my first serious cab ride aboard steam.

It wouldn't be complete without one quirky roadside shot: Highway 138, Littlerock, Cal.

Morning steam, Sierra Railroad, Oakdale, Cal.

Hope you enjoyed them! I'll do my best to keep the blog machine rolling in 2009.

Signs of Salinas

For a city of nearly 150,000, it's common to hear the people who live in Salinas describe it as a "small town." This sleepy city, our home for the past six and half years, has clung to that small town feeling . . . especially in the revived Oldtown Salinas district, where much of the architecture dates to the childhood of favorite son John Steinbeck. Back in Southern California's "Inland Empire," greedy city councils are selling off the character of our former hometowns as fast as developers can slap bills into their palms. So it's nice to see that some California towns aren't being entirely paved over, or filled with soulless strip malls and lookalike chains. To be fair, Salinas has mowed down plenty of its own historic places--but plenty of individual character remains, if you know where to look.

The restored Fox Theater has reclaimed its role as the jewel of Oldtown Salinas, especially at night, when its grand neon sign beckons . . . and Charlie Daniels is playing.

Still standing along North Main Street is the Wagon Wheel, a relic of the days before endless chains of Motel 6 and Holiday Inns.

Travelers' Hotel, Oldtown Salinas . . . a cool sign, but don't ask about the AAA rating.

Sun and swirling clouds frame a packing house that continues to remind travelers on Highway 68 of the valley's role as the "Salad Bowl of America."

Roy's Drive-In closed its doors a few years ago when its owner retired. Today the building endures as a Mexican seafood place, complete with a redesigned neon sign.

Animated pins and a neon Martini . . . who's up for a bowl?