RoadTrip2002

Road Trip 2002!

What with flying being so much of a hassle these days, and also wanting to get photos in various scattered parts of the western part of the country, it was decided that 2002's railfan trip was going to be a Road Trip! From here in the Phoenix area we went up through Monument Valley, Utah and then to Soldier Summit for a day. Then it was on to Montana and the MRL, Rarus and Montana Western. After a few days in MRL land, we headed to Golden, BC for several days of Canadian Pacific. Then over to the Vernon, BC area for the Kelowna Pacific Alco's, and a few more days in the Vancouver/Squamish area for some BCR photos before highballing down I-5 to LA and I-10 back here to Phoenix. It was quite a trip and I got to see parts of the country and railroads I had never seen before!

Would you like prints of most any of these slides? Go to Desert-Rails.com for details!

	It is about 8am Saturday morning, but the morning crush of crazed shoppers has yet to appear. But the peace and quiet of the area was very enjoyable. The sun was not as bright as it should have been account some forest fires in the area. Monument Valley, UT., June 29, 2002.
	Later on in the early afternoon we just got to the loadout at Wildcat when this train showed up with a string of empties for loading here. This was my first shot of the MK5000's. Wildcat, Utah, June 29, 2002.
	After waiting for a few hours, the train from Wildcat is finally on its way west, shown here entering the main line at Martin Jct. around 3 in the afternoon. June 29, 2002.
	And the set of helpers was a rather interesting set of units, as you can see here. Martin Jct., Jun 29, 2002.
	This view is from the highway bridge just east of Colton. June 29, 2002.
	This trip he would cut off his helpers at Colton (instead of Soldier Summit, which I think is usual), and here the train is just getting underway after leaving the helpers behind. June 29, 2002.
	At Soldier Summit there was an eastbound UP coal empty waiting for the Utah train and his helpers to get out of the way. Here the westbound Utah train is just cresting the summit and now has a long downhill run ahead of him. June 29, 2002.
	Down the aforementioned hill is the Gilluly Loop, and here the train makes a nice turn into the sun right at the highway overpass. June 29, 2002.
	Next up was the Rarus Western/Montana Western operation based in Butte, Montana. Here a nice clean Geep is starting to make up the morning's train to the Garrison interchange with the BNSF. July 1, 2002 at Butte.
	and here is a shot of their caboose. Butte, Montana, July 1, 2002.
	Back out at Silver Bow we caught this empty "dirty dirt" train returning to Butte for another load. July 1, 2002.
	Here the northbound train is ready to head north towards the MRL interchange at Garrison. July 1, 2002.
	The train is just starting into the curve at the Garrison yard. July 1, 2002.
	And a couple of hours later the train headed back toward Butte. It was nice to see and hear the old 567's in Run 8! July 1, 2002.
	We then drove on into Missoula for the night, and we got some night photos from a public sidewalk right by the lokie shop. July 1, 2002.
	Next morning we got the Paradise Local headed west near Plains. July 2, 2002.
	Of course, the semaphores were a main objective, and here is a BNSF westbound at a set of blades west of Spring Gulch. July 2, 2002.
	This work train is headed away from us, which is why the semaphore blades are as they are! July 2, 2002.
	That evening we got this flashbulb shot of the work train's engine at Spring Gulch. Flash lighting by John Sharp. July 2, 2002.
	The following day we followed this BNSF westbound from St. Regis and got this shot near some track gangs, not too far west of Toole. July 3, 2002.
	At Paradise the "Gas Local" has already arrived and is waiting for the BNSF train to get headed out of town westward, and then they will follow westbound as well. July 3, 2002.
	Here is the Paradise Local's power lit up with 11 M5B flashbulbs on Kodachrome 64 at f 5.6. July 3, 2002.
	July 4th was mainly a travel day (I did get a couple of shots of the stuffed and mounted GN NW3 at Whitefish), and July 5 started out cloudy and dull. Here is a grain train just arriving at Field, BC. Kodachrome 200. July 5, 2002.
	Just up the hill from Field at Cathedral siding I got this train on Kodachrome 200 as well. July 5, 2002.
	And one of the trip's highlights was the CPR's luxury passenger train. Shown here at Morant's Curve, not too far from Lake Louise. July 5, 2002.
	Again I am using Kodachrome 200 for this photo at Cathedral just as the train enters a short tunnel. July 5, 2002.
	Once the train turned south at Golden, the weather began to clear, and here we actually got some sun on the train! Parsons, BC on July 5, 2002.
	The Passenger Extra is just getting going again after taking the hole at Spillimacheen for a northbound freight. July 5, 2002.
	At Windermere this northbound coal train is just leaving town after clearing the southbound Passenger Extra. July 5, 2002.
	And this is the train's trailing unit. July 5, 2002.
	A different sort of scale test car eh! Windermere, BC on July 5, 2002.

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