Favorite ATSF Railfanning Spot??

[JCater]

Where were/are your favorite ATSF railfanning locations?? For me it was around Albuquerque and Gallup NM, and in southern Colorado. Happy Railroading!!
John

[Maxwell Plant]

Same place I love watching the now BNSF, Ancona, IL. to Ft. Madison, IA. This includes Chillicothe, Edilstien, GALESBURG (A.K.A. Mecca) and Cameron, IL.!

[JCater]

Sounds great Brent!! Any pics of the pre-merger Santa Fe in your region would be more than welcome!! I never took any pics when I lived in NM, so they are sadly lacking :( Happy Railroading!!
John

[Fred]

Probably to no ones surprise, my favorite spot for shooting was/is Cajon, so many different angles-such beautiful scenery.

[fitz]

I don't do diesels, but my daughter and her family live in Kingman, AZ and the canyons around there look like great backdrops for the few remaining warbonnet red/silver units running through. ;)

[friscobob]

When I lived in Topeka in the 1980s, I'd go either south to Emporia to the Santa Fe depot, or east to Kansas City, KS to two spots: State Line Junction (caught a lot of UP, SP, CNW, BN and ATSF that way) or around Argentine Yard, near the engine house or the hump yard.

[Maxwell Plant]

If I had a scanner, I'd love to share some of my pre-merger pics, but I don't. I'll see if I can scan some at a friend's that MIGHT have a scanner. smile.gif

[bmalonef45]

I have been to a few places on the ATSF line and here are a couple of my favorites. I am from Kansas and SantaFe Jct. is a great place. The Flinthills around Matfield Green, and if you like to fish and railfan, you can't beat Eldorado Lake in southcentral KS. I grew up on that berm catching crappie and feeling the breeze from passing freights in the mid eighties. Flagstaff AZ. is a great place to railfan the transcon also. The depot is still great when the chief is coming and going lots of action with many passengers loading and unloading. Just get any hotel on old route 66 and watch the trains blow by.

Bryan

[E-8]

Good spots bfmalone ... how about just West of the train station in Newton, Kansas? One of my favorite places and plenty of interesting action!!!

[bmalonef45]

Newton is also good. I have spent many hours in that area. You are always guaranteed to at least see power at the engine service facility. I have a question, why now days is that service facility even used? I know that crews change there from argentine but there is really no heavy mainline traffic that uses the LaJunta sub anymore... about 4 trains a day not including the Chiefs. Just curious.

Bryan

[SSW9389]

Growing up in Illinois it was always Chillicothe and Edelstein Hill for me. Later living in Arizona a place called Cosnino, just East of Flagstaff was my office away from home. Now living in Kentucky I have been out to Argentine and Topeka several times in the past three years.

[JCater]

I just got back from a business trip to La Junta, Colorado. In its heyday it would have been fantastic for ATSF fanning, and it ain't too bad for current BNSF and AMTRAK now!! Happy Modeling!!
John

[geoangel]

No question! It's gotta be Cajon Pass!
Even though there is no more SP or ATSF.
(sorry,don't really care for the BNSF
pumpkins I see on the hill up there)
A lot of us know that ATSF is still alive,
in the form of unrepainted equipment and
most important in our models and in
our memories.

Sorry,comes from growing up at the bottom
of Cajon Pass.

[geoangel]

Another good spot is Colton Cal. (for me
anyway) What my sons and I call "Colton
crossing". Where the UP,BNSF,SCAX (Metrolink)
and the UP (former SP) mainlines all cross
each other at this one spot. A real busy
place to see alot of different trains.
smile.gif

[JCater]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by geoangel:
No question! It's gotta be Cajon Pass!
Even though there is no more SP or ATSF.
(sorry,don't really care for the BNSF
pumpkins I see on the hill up there)
A lot of us know that ATSF is still alive,
in the form of unrepainted equipment and
most important in our models and in
our memories.

Sorry,comes from growing up at the bottom
of Cajon Pass.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>


No doubt!! I see NO connection between the BNSF pumpkins and the ATSF. I see pumpkins in the Grand Junction yard and think, "well ATSF is at least still alive in SOME way." Long live the war bonnets, I say!! Happy Modeling!!
John

[watash]

Welcome to our family here at the TrainBoard Geoangle! Do you remember the AT&SF caboose that had the big black and white target on the cupola? I remember those were the only ones that had that feature that I know of. That was back in the 1930's and 40's so maybe my memory fails.

[JCater]

Oh!! Where are my manners!! Here we have a new addition, and I just dive into a discussion with out even saying welcome (thanks for catching that Watash!!!). So anyhow, WELCOME to the board Geoangel! I think you will find a lot of good information here, and lots of knowledgeable folk!. By the way Watash, I think you are right about the era of the caboose with the target on the cupola. Happy Modeling!!
John

[watash]

Thanks JCater, I think I have a model caboose with the targets somewhere. I wasn't sure about the AT&SF or SP though. We saw lots of those around Pueblo, Colo. and up through Raton Pass to Trinidad,Colo. Dad's favorite route to our camping spots. Dad used to start down Raton following the P.I.E. semi's. He said if the Pacific Interstate Express could make the curves at this speed so could we. Several times we would be beside the trains going down, and I could wave at the engine crew or the conductor, depending on which end of the train we caught up with. Those were thrilling days hearing those wildcat whistles echoing off the canyon walls! That was back before they took out all the curves and made the highway so far away from the tracks too.

[geoangel]

Thanks for making me feel welcome!
(watash and jcater)
Glad I found this forum.

As far as the targets on the ATSF cabooses,that was about 35 years before my time. But,not anything I couldn't
model though.



:D

[Telegrapher]

Welcome geoangel. Anything you want to know just ask Watash. He is a walking dictionary as far as train go. both models and real.

[geoangel]

Anybody out there? Been a while since the
last reply here.
I still check in here,but,I am worried that
nobody else does.Prove me wrong.



:D

[E-8]

We're here! Feel free to get a discussion started geo

[JCater]

Sorry Geo...been active in the MOW topic!! More than ready to continue this one though!! Happy Modeling!!
John

[JCater]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by watash:
Thanks JCater, I think I have a model caboose with the targets somewhere. I wasn't sure about the AT&SF or SP though. We saw lots of those around Pueblo, Colo. and up through Raton Pass to Trinidad,Colo. Dad's favorite route to our camping spots. Dad used to start down Raton following the P.I.E. semi's. He said if the Pacific Interstate Express could make the curves at this speed so could we. Several times we would be beside the trains going down, and I could wave at the engine crew or the conductor, depending on which end of the train we caught up with. Those were thrilling days hearing those wildcat whistles echoing off the canyon walls! That was back before they took out all the curves and made the highway so far away from the tracks too.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Now there is another GREAT place to railfan, or at least it used to be. Been quite a few years since I was in Raton/Trinidad area. I also used to like to hang out at the Pueblo station. Lots of ATSF and DRGW traffic moved through there, and since those are my two favorite roads, it was like a little slice of heaven here on earth!!

Another place that is still good is around Castle Rock, Colorado. It used to be that somewhere in that region there was an interchange between the SF and the BN. Prior to the merger it was not uncommon to see warbonnets mixed with BN green and DRGW black and aspen gold. Very cool. Happy Modeling!!
John

[QTRAIN]

I have visited (and worked) in the Cajon Pass many times and I can say that it's a pretty kewl spot for Santa Fe fanning, however, the TEHACHAPI LOOP/CALIENTE CURVE is by far THE BEST spot for Santa Fe (or SP)Railfanning, hands down :D!!! It's about a 1 1/2-2 hr drive north of Los Angeles, but the trip is WELL WORTH IT. The first time I traveled to there I was ASTONISHED :eek:! Both the Loop & the Curve are truly two of the most amazing engineering feats ever designed, and I've fanned there ever since. To me, Cajon is still great, but it takes a back seat to the LOOP ;). If you're ever in the So.Cal area, take time to visit the Tehachapi Loop & Caliente curve-- you'll see what I mean!! :D

JUST MY OPINION...LET THE QTRAINS ROLL..Q

[JCater]

Qtrain,
I don't get to the west coast very often, but next time I'm out that way maybe I can look you up and you can show me the ropes on the loop. Would love to see it! What about areas of Kansas or other parts of the ATSF line?? Anybody have more input? Happy Modeling!!
John

[dwight wedel]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by bmalonef45:
Newton is also good. I have spent many hours in that area. You are always guaranteed to at least see power at the engine service facility. I have a question, why now days is that service facility even used? I know that crews change there from argentine but there is really no heavy mainline traffic that uses the LaJunta sub anymore... about 4 trains a day not including the Chiefs. Just curious.

Bryan<hr></blockquote> I think it's because of all the locals that use Newton as an originating point. There were once rumors that the s fe was going to sell the La Junta sub.

[Alan]

Hello Dwight, welcome to Trainboard smile.gif

As a Brit, any place I see Santa Fe/BNSF trains is great :D But as I have only seen them in southern California, Tehachapi (especially Caliente) and Cajon Pass have to be very special smile.gif