SchizoTitan

Hanging at trackside in Maricopa, I caught a stack train in slow motion; well, it seemed like it! SD70AH #8900, SD70M #5128 and C44AC #7106 are creeping westbound compared to track speed with a seemingly endless string of containers. Spicing things up a bit, an eastbound comes along with a bit of foreign power--C45ACCTE #7363, SD70ACe #8336, SD70M #4635 and Norfolk Southern SD70M-2 #2671 are picking up speed as they pull another long intermodal--enjoy!

Serves me right!! Chose a Monday to spend time trackside, and this is all I got; oh, well, here are SD40-2 #1637 and GP50 (GP40X) #3032-note the flared radiators-doing some not-so-heavy lifting today. Please enjoy this trifle!

Here again we see the exchange manifest, this time rolling for Mobest Yard in Phoenix. We see the other side of GP39-3R 2663, C44-9W 699 and GP50 (GP40X) 3032. For their history, please see my previous video. The engineer gives us a friendly pull of the horn as he approaches. Enjoy!

The exchange from the Arizona & California rolls into downtown Peoria, preparing to pick up some more cars. Some cool history up front, as we find GP39-3R 2663, fading Warbonnet C44-9W 699, and GP50 3032. 2663 began life as Santa Fe GP-35 1411 in 1965, and has been at various times in its history ATSF 3411, 2911 and BNSF 2611 before being rebuilt to its present appearance. In contrast, 699 has always been as shown since 1994, with only a BNSF patch applied on the cab. Finally, 3032 is more properly known as a GP40X, the GP-50 flared radiator testbed for EMD back in 1978. It started out as ATSF 3802, and remained a Bluebonnet until recently. Enjoy, like and subscribe!!

Here we have a slow stack train approaching the Big Boy crowd at Gila Bend, Arizona as if to say, "Excuse me, please move, pretty please?" I like the other way better. If you're at trackside, stay off the tracks, pay attention, and always expect a train! C44ACCTE #5745 and C45ACCTE #7720 do the honors here.

A Herzog ballast consist zips through Gila Bend, Arizona, horns blasting away at the crowd waiting on 4014. This video and the next provide an interesting contrast in driving styles, as the engineer here is telling the crowd, "Get out of my way! Comin' through!!" C45ACCTE #8000 leads, with sister C45ACCTE #5488, and C44ACs #6838 and 6407 (former SP AC4400 #361); DPUs SD70M #4645 and C45ACCTE #7508 bring up the rear.

I'm sure many will find something to criticize about this vid, but we're here for the trains, right? As I've mentioned before, I catch what I can while working, and here is a mid-morning outbound "Z" accelerating through the 91st Avenue crossing, and I happened to have the gates stop me first in line waiting to turn. So, too close, through a dirty windshield, into the sun with a ticking turn signal, we've got ES44DC 7546 leading ES44C4 4291, C44-9W 5065 and ES44C4 8071. Thanks for watching!

Hello, everyone! Here we go! A longer than usual H-PHXBEL passes the East Beardsley switch and the GE power is working hard up the grade. Here we see C44-9W 5182 leading, along with ES44ACs 5844 and 6199 keeping a steady 45mph out of the valley. I hope you all enjoy!

Hello, all! Z-WSPPHX9-20 arrives in the Valley of the Sun, sporting all DC power on point. If you're playing locomotive poker, you've got a great hand--four of a kind! You see C44-9Ws 4880, 4393,1123 and 4943 with ES44DC 7278 sandwiched in, about to pass under the 67th Ave bridge. Enjoy!

Hello, Subscribers and Non-Subscribers alike! I know that slideshows aren't for everyone, but here's a little slice of what railfanning from over 40 years ago was like. Only one of the railroads shown here still exists, and you don't see a lot of the locomotives, either. This was mainline railroading in the 70s and 80s!, and I'm happy to say I was lucky enough to be behind the camera for all of these photographs. From the Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal to Deming, New Mexico, to Sandpoint, Idaho and many points in between, I enjoyed watching all of this--I hope many of you will enjoy this piece of the past just as much. Thanks for watching!

In between all the "Q;s and Z's", we see an "M" dragging mostly empty autoracks from Phoenix to Belen, NM. Doing the honors today is an eclectic mix of GE power: ES44C4 4257 leads in H3 livery, followed by C44-9W 5456 in H2, with another ES44C4, 4248 in H3, and finally C44-9W 1086 in H1. Enjoy the close up view!

Hello, again! The Buckeye Local has just finished switching out in its namesake, so I had an opportunity to chase it into Avondale by the Agua Fria River bridge. Along the way, someone decides to get some fresh air (at around the 1:30 mark) the Titanic way. Having fun on the Job!! Veteran ex-CNW SD40N 1579 is again doing the honors. Thanks for watching!

In the 10th largest metropolitan area in the U.S., there are still places that feel like the middle of nowhere. For instance, the Perryville Road crossing of the Union Pacific's Phoenix Subdivision could easily pass for the spot that inspired a Dwight Yoakim song. Fortunately it's easier to find than that--here is the Buckeye turn, having just stopped to switch cars at what once was the old Tupperware plant, accelerating west. A lone SD40N, #1579, breaks the quiet as she reminds us she was once primary mainline motive power for the Chicago and Northwestern (as SD40-2 #6818). Please enjoy!

A great little cowboy town in central Arizona, Wickenburg is also a nice place to spot trains. One quarter mile north of the old Santa Fe Depot, we have a trio of 70s vintage EMD locomotives--namely SD40-2s. BNSF #1617, 1968 & 1919 are bringing a load of empties up the Peavine, horn echoing in the clean Fall air. Oh, the nostalgia!!

A pair of former Santa Fe SD40-2s make quick work through town in Sun City. #1618 and #1637 do the honors. Blink and you'll miss it!!

Captured this video of a morning eastbound through Maricopa just west of the old SP water tank. C45ACCTE #7351 and SD70M #5039 on the point, SD70ACe #8473 the DPU.

A sight I never thought I'd see: A fully restored, working Big Boy, that hasn't run in revenue service since I was 2 years old! Here we see the iconic locomotive enter Gila Bend, Arizona and stop for its scheduled checkup. Enjoy the lovely whistle!

It's cool, blustery and humid after an active Monsoon night, perfect for a little railfanning in the desert! The Buckeye Local and its (lately) usual SD40N #1579 are caught crossing Estrella Parkway with a short consist. Sorry for the wind noise, but please enjoy!

Hello, again, Everyone! Caught a unit oil train at lunch today, complete with DPUs--we've got ES44AC 5946 leading, followed by ES44DC 7684 and C44-9W 5083; At the rear, a pair of ES44C4s: 6538 & 7042, looking nice and fresh. Please enjoy!

Submitted for your approval (I know that's a cliche), the Buckeye local heading west at the Rainbow Rd. crossing. Our old friend, SD40N 1579 brings mostly grain cars along the old pre-1996 Amtrak route. Short and sweet, please enjoy!

Hello, Everyone! It has been a while since my last video, but I have been busy with that "19" thing and pneumonia. So, hale and hearty again, I submit the venerable SD40N 1579 (again) working the Buckeye Turn. Enjoy!

The Buckeye Turn does a slow roll through the industrial area of Tolleson, and with a rare sight: A pair of GP60s, 1035 and 1051 on point. As can be heard, apologies for the wind noise, and as always, thanks for watching!

Hello, Everyone! Vintage EMD power is always interesting (to me, at least) because of the history you can find. Here, our lead unit started life thousands of miles away as Baltimore and Ohio GP40 #3692; CSX renumbered and rebuilt it as GP40-3 #6508; they sold it to Southern Pacific, who rebuilt it as GP40M-2 #7114, and now it shines in UP's Armour Yellow as #1484. Behind it is is the former C&NW SD40-2, UP SD40N #1579. It's nice to see 'em still kickin" after 50 years! Enjoy!

On the outskirts of the Valley of the Sun, 17,600 horses are hustling the morning intermodal up the mild grade of the "Peavine". ES44DC #7273 leads, followed by a pair of ES44C4s, #8176 and 6531, and ES44DC #7260 is the matched bookend. Since the nearby 163rd Ave crossing is another detestable "quiet zone", no horn action on this day. Please enjoy!

Almost to Mobest Yard, we find an overpowered freight. Seriously, 22,000 horses for this short manifest? Methinks they dropped some cars off on the way into the Valley. Autoracks in El Mirage, perhaps? Anyway, we've got C44-9W 4732 leading, followed by ES44C4 8261, ET44C4 3922, ES44C4 6615 and finally, ES44AC 6320, drifting under the 67th Ave. overpass. Enjoy the quiet, as it sounds like they're all idling.