Some photos of my railfanning around the East Bay 2014

[Bill Anderson]

Are the coal trains something new? I have never seen you post photos of them before this. I love the next to last shot of the commuter train rounding the bend with the water in the background.

 

[CGW101c]

Great Stuff. Quite a variety. I like your curvey track and the large hills in the backround. I think the engineers and conductors are going to have to shave a little closer, if you keep shooting those telephotos into the cab. Thanks. TZ

 

[papio]

Wow, some great shots there! Thanks for sharing

 

[Itsed65]

Are the coal trains something new? I have never seen you post photos of them before this. I love the next to last shot of the commuter train rounding the bend with the water in the background.

They have been coming out here for a couple of years, but the traffic has picked way up in the last few months. They are running about every other day now. They set out the long train, and the Richmond Pacific break them up into smaller sets to unload at the port, then they start setting out the empites for the return trip.

Great Stuff. Quite a variety. I like your curvey track and the large hills in the backround. I think the engineers and conductors are going to have to shave a little closer, if you keep shooting those telephotos into the cab. Thanks. TZ

Haha! Thanks. Actually that was only 400mm, I could get closer ;-p

Wow, some great shots there! Thanks for sharing

Thanks! It's been a good couple of months for some interesting traffic out here.

 

[Itsed65]

Well I had a day off and headed up to the Feather River Canyon last week and pretty much got skunked, with only one train the whole time I was up there. I guess that just means I have to go back soon

Back to the stuff from my own neighborhood…

Intermodal making it way through Rodeo on the way to the Port of Oakland after passing an east bound corridor train. These aren't bad for being shot through a chain link fence.

Passing at the refinery by lennycarl08, on Flickr


UP 5498 West at Rodeo by lennycarl08, on Flickr

This will look better if you click on the full sized version. A vehicle train (empty) leaving Port Chicago.

Empty autoracks going out for more by lennycarl08, on Flickr


5191 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Always busy at the Port of Richmond

68 at the Port by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The Sunday local working the Franklin Canyon carbon plant spur

Summer Sunday in Franklin Canyon by lennycarl08, on Flickr

An east bound UPS train heading toward tunnel #3.

BNSF 8039 East by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Heading back to Utah for more coal

UP 6946 East at Rodeo by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Late afternoon at Lone Tree Point by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Empty and heading east by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The track between the vehicle loading facility and the main BNSF yard in Richmond runs right down the street leading into Point Richmond.


Into the yard by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Last one for this post, a pair of classics.

423 and a caboose by lennycarl08, on Flickr

 

[Itsed65]

Always interesting to catch some guest help on the Stockton Sub, here just west of tunnel three in Franklin Canyon

7587 Passing the Farm by lennycarl08, on Flickr


CSX Power in Franklin Canyon by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 7587 West with CSX help by lennycarl08, on Flickr

It's often a race to see if I can beat the afternoon Z train to my favorite spot at Christie in the canyon after work. I didn't make it this day, and grabbed a quick shot at the Collier siding as it sped by on the main track.

Z Train West at Collier by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The eastbound UPS trains don't have the same priority, as evidenced by the two versus four or five engines that the Z trains get

BNSF 7900 East at Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BSNF 7900 Close-up by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I was cooling off by the bay at Crockett and caught an eastbound empty coal drag running under the C&H Sugar plant. This is a great area for watching, but in the afternoon you are shooting straight into the sun and it can be tough. I actually prefer being here on overcast days for east bound trains

Empty unit train passing C&H by lennycarl08, on Flickr


UP 8671 East at Crockett by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Speaking of overcast, we often don't get any on summer afternoons, but the southern monsoons have helped this year. This is also normally a tough afternoon shot.

Powering toward the tunnel by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I will end with a couple of shots I grabbed on the Yosemite Highway out near Escalon California. This is a local UP running on the old Tidewater Southern, heading toward Manteca. The locals run a few times a week and serve a lot of the fruit and nut packing hoses in that area of the central valley. This is a very slow running operation.

UP 1450 leaving Escalon by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Crawling along SR 120 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I went back to the FRC last weekend, and got a couple of trains, so I will combine both trips and do a separate post once I get all the shots processed.

 

[jkinzel]

Can't wait for the next installment. Did the quake cause any problems for the railroads that you are aware of, other than the usual delays for inspection?

 

[Itsed65]

Thanks! No damage; they cancelled a few Capital Corridors while they inspected the track, and I don't think it even slowed the BNSF down at all, as their mainline is a bit further south of where the epicenter ran.

 

[Itsed65]

The San Joaquin is at full speed as it blasts through the delta town of Knightsen

Blasting Through Knightsen by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A westbound grainer heading out of Riverbank on a typical sweltering central valley summer afternoon

BNSF 7062 approaching Escalon by lennycarl08, on Flickr


7062 Around the Bend by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 7062 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

This one beat me to the crossing, so I could only get a glimpse of all the different paint

Big Power by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Z train hauling butt out of Stockton intermodal yard

Highball by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Riverbank yard

Riverbank Yard by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A colorful trio of a consist leaving Stockton

BNSF 8229 West at Stockton by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Back in Franklin Canyon I heard a lot of noise heading my way…

7185 at East Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr

7185 leading 7 other engines heading east

Ocho Locos by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 7185 East by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The other view

8 From Behind by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And finally a CREX heading an empty baretable going east

CREX 1403 East by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A CREX and a CP I might add

CREX and CP at Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Out at Port Chicago

CREX 1403 East leaving Port Chicago by lennycarl08, on Flickr


CREX rounding the bend by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I've been mainly shooting wildlife for the last few weeks, but I may go chase trains this weekend, so stay tuned for more as always!

 

[Bill Anderson]

I've been mainly shooting wildlife for the last few weeks, but I may go chase trains this weekend, so stay tuned for more as always!

Do both!

 

[Itsed65]

Do both!

I always try, but some of my more favorite wildlife areas are far away from the tracks (think Pt Reyes or Bodega Bay). Coming soon though I will be heading to the Central Valley bird sanctuaries along the California Northern and Modesto Traction right of ways, which is good for both.

 

[Itsed65]

Another of the never ending vehicle trains


Vehicle train in Franklin Canyon by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 7624 West by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A good shot of the conductor's hands on the UPS extra!

Look Ma -No hands by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A short intermodal speeding across the delta near Port Chicago

4819 West at Bay Point by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The UP owns the tracks in the foreground, now a branch line.

Profile of a right of way by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Same train on the other side of tunnel 3 in Franklin Canyon. There used to be a station here on the Santa Fe known as Glen Frazer

4819 East of Tunnel 3 by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF4819 West by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Out in the central valley, I caught a cool mixed consist, but was on the wrong side of the tracks to get any really good side shots.

Out of Stockton by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 4947 East by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 4947 East at Carolton Rd by lennycarl08, on Flickr


A Menagerie of Motive Power by lennycarl08, on Flickr

On my way back home, I caught this eastbound empty oil train holding near Brentwood for an inbound Amtrak San Joaquin. LOTS more oil trains on both roads feeding the local refineries lately.

970 In the Turn by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Bakken Bound by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I will end this post with a smoky P42 heading the Capital Corridor out of Port Costa

Amtrak 137 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

 

[Trainfanne54]

Awesome shots Itsed65.

 

[Itsed65]

An inbound coal train slowed to a stop at Point Pinole. Just about a mile in front of this shot to the left, they are building a new BNSF-UP interchange track. My guess is so that BNSF can avoid tying up traffic for miles with their container trains from the Port of Oakland when they use the current track that snakes through Richmond on the way to the yard there. By bypassing the yard they will avoid all the slow track that winds through an industrial area near the port of Richmond. I don't know what UP gets out of the deal, except maybe BNSF container trains not tying up their (and Amtrak's) main as much.


Incoming Coal by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Shortly after, the empty outbound made an appearance, clearing room on the Richmond Pacific's interchange track to drop off the loaded train on.

Empty Meets Full by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Passing

Union Pacific passing Point Pinole by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A westbound empty barteable passes under Interstate 80 at Crockett with some CSX help. This was odd, as there is a constant parade of eastbound empty trains.

4345 at Crockett by lennycarl08, on Flickr


4345 Coming through by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A closer look at 4345

UP 4345 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Another outbound empty vehicle train at Christie

4903 Passing By by lennycarl08, on Flickr

An old warhorse working Stockton Intermodal yard

Warhorse working Stockton Intrermodal by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A very short vehicle train with single unit power on each end

UP 7529 West at Crockett by lennycarl08, on Flickr


New cars going west by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The end

Along for the ride by lennycarl08, on Flickr

 

[Bill Anderson]

Almost November and no green in the Golden State.

 

[Itsed65]

Almost November and no green in the Golden State.

Not a bit. I was out at the wildlife refuges this past weekend, and there should be thousands of birds there by now, and they are empty and dry.

I'm not going to have much to shoot with my new 7d2 when it arrives later this week.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Not a bit. I was out at the wildlife refuges this past weekend, and there should be thousands of birds there by now, and they are empty and dry.

I'm not going to have much to shoot with my new 7d2 when it arrives later this week.

You are getting a 7DII?

I am seriously thinking about getting one as well. It appears to have most of the features of the 1DX that I like at 1/4 the price. I am going to wait until I see the presentation by a Canon rep at Kenmore Camera's annual photo expo in two weeks.

 

[CGW101c]

I am thinking of upgrading to a full frame in the spring. I will be interested to see how the 7DII works. I like the way the Canon images look.

 

[Itsed65]

You are getting a 7DII?

I am seriously thinking about getting one as well. It appears to have most of the features of the 1DX that I like at 1/4 the price. I am going to wait until I see the presentation by a Canon rep at Kenmore Camera's annual photo expo in two weeks.

Yeah, I pre-ordered from Lookin Glass Photo here in Berkeley. Should be here this weekend, so if I get it in time, I will take it out to Pt. Reyes this weekend in search of raptors, and give you my take. It has the same menu for AF as the 5D3, so I hope there won't be a steep learning curve. The extra reach never hurts for shooting trains either, which is why a lot of my RR shots are still done with my 7D, even though the files are much easier to work with from the 5D2 or 3.

 

[Bill Anderson]

I am thinking of upgrading to a full frame in the spring. I will be interested to see how the 7DII works. I like the way the Canon images look.

The 7DII has a crop frame sensor, which gives extra reach when photographing wildlife.

If you want a full frame Canon for photographing primarily trains and scenery, check out the 5DII. With lots of people upgrading to the 5DIII and beyond, there are plenty of used 5DII's on the market as well as new ones that dealers want to get rid of to make space for the newer models.