I actually stopped at Barstow in 1999 on my way from LA to Vegas. It's a shame I was travelling by coach otherwise I would have spent some time there. We did stop at a eatery that was a dining car and near the rail line. I didnt take any pictures though. Does anybody know the diner I went too? Great pic
Paul, you may be talking about the McDonalds, that everyone seems to stop at on the way either to Vegas or from Vegas. It runs right along the BNSF tracks. It has a few older passenger cars for dining areas for their patrons.
Well, heck I don't really know then, sorry about that...hmmm , I have been in Barstow a few times over the years...sorry I can't recall that place.
I wish we had spent more time at Barstow when we were over there. We saw the locomotive depot area and used binoculars to identify a LOT of locomotives! Had a meal at an eatery on the main street, then headed for Cajon and San Bernardino. Wish we had gone down to the trackside and took photographs That shot of the RSD15 and slug is great. What do they use for switching there now?
My oldest brother worked in the yard, recently retired from the tower. I spent the summer there in 76', watching trains and learning what it is to really sweat. I wish I would have been able to apreciate what I was seeing in the yard, but at the time I was 13 and the hormones were kicking in, I had other things on my mind. His son (my nephew), now drives engines in the yard. Must be time to go back for a visit. I recall the diner you mentioned, but I have no clue to it's name.
Speaking of the RSD15, wasn't one of these "preserved?" Where did it end up? As well as the rest of the collection the AT&SF once had? Boxcab E50
I remember that diner too, and don't remember it's name either! Was it just called "the Diner"? That's a cool shot Mike! Where's the best place to watch the switching action at Barstow?
Pete, there are plenty of places to view action at Barstow, many of the roads are public that border the facility, so it is easy to just pick a spot, depending on the time of day. The spot I shot the gator at was a public road (more of a frontage type though), that I just parked along and watched the action.
When we were there we parked off ther main street and walked across some waste ground to get closer to the locomotive depot, but were not really close enough for decent pictures. If we had gone further down the street, would we have come to the station area? Could find no good places to get close to the tracks, but unfortunately did not have time to explore fully. We were on what must have been the south side of the facility, I think.
Alan, next time you're in the area, let me know - just not in high summer!! A friend and I wandered around the BNSF yard (don't ask!) and I've spent many hours scouting the good places to railfan... all before I got meself a good camera These days they use sets consisting of mostly SD39's with slugs that (from the trucks) appear to be built from SD40-2's and SD40/45's. I was told they use the 12-axle setup for traction, with a big T. The slug has all its traciton motors, and both units are powered from the single diesel. Speeds rarely go above 10-15 mph, which makes the single diesel sufficient. Here are two pictures of such a combo on my modeling drawing board, at (where else?) Barstow from the internet...
I haven't seen SD39s in a long time (or at least the ones I shot at Argentine Yard in 1986). Good shots, William!
Thanks, Friscobob - wish I could take the credit, but all I did was benefit from some other fine photographers who were kind enough to share them with us on the internet.
Earlier in this thread, someone asked about a "preserved" RSD-15. The tourist passenger train of ASTA in central Texas that's in the Austin area has an ex AT&SF 'Gator. It's painted in the old SP Black Widow livery, and it pulls passenger trains every weekend between Cedar Park and Burnet Texas, a distance of about 27.4 miles. They also have another Gator, but it's currently stored and unserviceable.
