Ok so I parked for the night. This a good place for train watching. Mostly stack trains. But the clue is a chess peice is in name of this town.
Fitz right route wrong state. I have to use sign posts and one was about trees that become rocks. Can't give to much away Another pic from my stop.
Ok on the storage shed I was in AZ, I was hoping for around Holbrook I keep seeing signs for the Petrified National Forrest. Hence the trees to rocks. My apologies if I confused us. It was something that caught my eye off the interstate. Hope this clears it up. The picture boxcab highlighted was from Kingman but earlier in the day. The auto correct on my cel drives me up the wall
[FONT="]Hey Guys just now discovered this thread looking for something else. I like it and sorry it took me so long to find it. Went through the photos and I recognized some which made it even more fun. Thanks Rick for coming up with the idea.[/FONT]
Well it wasn't taken from Pepper Ave. Let's see there is a cement mountain near by to the east of this shot, that's been nick named "Concretia," on a different thread. However, this doesn't look right to me as I don't recognize the tower in the yard. Freeway is in the right place for Hwy. #10. To be where I think it is... this would be Riverside Ave. Best guess, Colton...former SP yard. Engine facilities are over to the left of the picture. So, is that it Jim? Johnny, this has been a source of real fun and enviable time spent enjoying Jim's pictures. Sad to say the computer I had at the time took a dump and I lost my library. Good news is all if not most of the pictures are here and still good. Thanks for tuning in and that goes for everyone. Good to have Jim back on line.
Where the Mojave and the Mohave meet? Where tapioca pudding doesn't last very long. Where the fishing and water comes and goes. Where the Southern Pacific and the Atlantic & Pacific Railroads once met. Does that help? Grin!
Rick, I thought it was Topock at the river crossing, but there is no visible water under the bridge. I'm betting somewhere east of Topock, before Kingman.
I'm giving to Johnny B. Here's the full pic of bridge with water. Crossing the Colorado into California. It was two pics.
Fritz, Look in the upper right hand corner of the original picture and there is a distinct spot of blue. The Colorado River moves back and forth under this bridge. You got it right. It is the Topock bridge just outside of Needles, Ca. See this website for some interesting information: http://www.topock66.com/about/discover-topock/route66/ At one time small steam ships, similar to those that plied the Mississippi River, managed to navigate the Colorado River. Thought by some that the high spot in the original bridge was to allow them to operate through that spot. However, further investigation suggests that the steamer ships were long gone by the time the new Topock bridge was built. Here the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad a subsidiary of the AT&SF met the Southern Pacific Railroad. SP saw the AT&SF making it's moves to come west. They saw the A&P and considered it a threat not wanting them in California. SP was the first railroad to build from Mojave, Ca., through Barstow and out to Needles, Ca. To block access by either the A&P or the Santa Fe. Eventually Santa Fe made a trade off for track which AT&SF built into Mexico, (not New Mexico). The trade off was made and AT&SF had tracks to Mojave, Ca., terminating there. The SP wasn't very hospitable and it would be years before a court settlement would allow AT&SF onto the SP over Tehachapi. SP seeing they weren't' going to win this battle, eventually extended the olive branch and invited AT&SF onto their tracks. Originally, AT&SF looked seriously at building their own tracks over Tehachapi. Starting construction north out of Mojave, Ca. At that time Mojave was a town bracketed by two railroads. SP, where it is today and the second street behind the Main Street is where Santa Fe terminated. Today behind Denny's is the remnants of the old Santa Fe Ticket station. Rumor had it back then that there would of been two Tehachapi loops. The second one just north east of the present one. Rumor also, had it Santa Fe would cross over the SP somewhere near route 223, moving down the pass to Arvin and across to Taft, Ca. Thus giving the Santa Fe a firm foothold in the San Joaquin Valley, Ca. This route would have taken the Santa Fe through the bread basket of Bakersfield and it's oil fields. Interesting maneuvering on behalf of both railroads. We now return our regularly scheduled program back to our reporter in the field Jim157. He's covered my area of expertise so it's back to our sponsors, the players and Jim. Take it away Jim. Thought you might like to know.
Wow Rick, that is really interesting. I'll have to check that out the next time I'm in the area. Thanks for the education.
One more example of what you are used to seeing with regard to the Topoc Bridge: http://www.carrtracks.com/aztc565sf4649.htm Ok, and while we are waiting. Does anyone know the name of the branch line that went up north, from a point east of Kingman to within a mile, two, three or dozen... of the Hoover Dam or was that Boulder Dam, at the time? The ROW or track was known to parallel Arizona Route #93. Do you know what the trains delivered and to what type of batching plant? Sorry, we haven't worked out a prize program...yet! And we don't have any door prizes! Correction to previous post it's Fitz not Fritz. Sheeeeez, must have been an old brain fart. Shoot that could get a guy tossed off this board.
Thanks for the links, Rick. When I lived down there, used to drive I15 to Barstow to I40 to Kingman to visit our daughter and her family, so I am familiar with the Topock bridge. Never did get a shot of a train on it. I can't answer your question on the spur to the dam, but I'll bet you and Jim know where this is.
