Some photos of my railfanning around the East Bay 2014

Railroadforums.com is a free online Railroad Discussion Forum and Railroad Photo Gallery for railroaders, railfans, model railroaders and anyone else who is interested in railroads. We cover a wide variety of topics, including freight trains, passenger and commuter railroads, rail news and information, tourist railroads, railway museums and railroad history.

It's a challenge I should be better about meeting. I am so behind in dealing with my photos it's not even funny. But I'm glad people like looking at them besides me!

Anyhow, we finally are getting some rain, so that is the theme for the first few pics! I stay nice and cozy in the car, catching up on some reading, and wait for something to show up.

Out of the tunnel into the rain by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Railroading in the rain by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Soggy San Joaquin at Pinole by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Captial Corridor through the rain by lennycarl08, on Flickr


You can see the hills finally starting to change colors here in the seires. The train was going slow enough for me to get it from a few different locations

Heard before seen by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Double stack passing the farm by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Passing the empties at Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Leaving Fraklin Canyon by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Double stack crossing Hwy 4 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

More to follow as always
 
The track work on the Cal P is done and freight traffic is back to daylight hours again.

12604230505_7140fc142f_b.jpg
Port of Oakland Bound by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A teeny tiny UPS train holds at Collier
12604322083_bde763cae8_b.jpg
Sunday UPS passing the carbon plant spur by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I had some unusual company in the canyon while waiting for the train that day. I'm betting the lack of water is making the wildlife look farther and farther from their normal areas.
12579990605_cd0b80b23e_b.jpg
Coyote on the ridge-Franklin Canyon by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I just saw a picture of the San Francisco Chief taken from almost this exact spot some 40 plus years ago. The only major difference is the freeway bridge in the background, as back then Highway 4 was just a 2 lane road that is now the west bound part of the freeway
12604324413_f06119e601_b.jpg
BNSF 5049 at Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr

12667307855_10cd6e3367_b.jpg
The crossing at Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I was out and about in the northern part of the valley and caught the California Northern at work again
12626654175_87687eb982_b.jpg
CFNR 503 Maxwell bound by lennycarl08, on Flickr

12626652435_b7b5028745_b.jpg
Corning Flyer pulling into Maxwell by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Now using the magic compression of 600mm, look how small the same train looks in this shot.
12626776153_f0cb41fab7_b.jpg
Short Line at Work by lennycarl08, on Flickr

12626778753_62bdb80bbd_b.jpg
CFNR Southbound Flyer by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Got a nice long westbound double stack at Hercules
12667776104_a8eca43115_b.jpg
Double stack through the S turns at Hercules by lennycarl08, on Flickr

12667775014_b3352b78dd_b.jpg
It's a long one by lennycarl08, on Flickr

12667774944_180166e5c4_b.jpg
Feel the Rumble in Hercules by lennycarl08, on Flickr

For fun an old school film look that goes with the area knows as Cortina California
12735139014_1fe125c2bd_b.jpg
California Northern at Cortina by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And closing with a couple of rainy day shots, which might be the last of the year. It's supposed to get to 80 here this weekend.
12868169903_189a221b9e_b.jpg
UP on the Cal-P by lennycarl08, on Flickr

12869431804_7ee6032cc3_b.jpg
Rainy Day in Hercuels by lennycarl08, on Flickr
 
Next time be sure to take some water for your pet coyote. :D

I'm looking forward to more model railroad photos with your 600 zoom.
 
I was losing light fast as I waited for an eastbound I wanted to get, and instead had a steady parade of westbounds. I bought a scanner after this night.
12869004165_449b140812_b.jpg

12869007115_ed996e01ac_b.jpg

12869006105_84feb106b4_b.jpg

It was just about too dark to get the train I had seen hours earlier at Collier
12893299103_85d99dceea_b.jpg

12893631754_abb81de751_b.jpg

Nice clouds, and finally a bit of green in the hills
12893629544_13c8257e4f_b.jpg

UPS train at North Bay wating for the gate to open so it can back into the yard 12893630004_90f6ed206d_b.jpg

Seeing a lot of CP units lately, and they don't exactly look like their best units.
12940330224_8980083513_b.jpg

12940329644_b5e1767394_b.jpg

13001385585_3efb1f8731_b.jpg

I had a Kestrel for company at Christie for a while. He devoured a lizard while I waited for the next train to come by
[13024717683_bba8d27a21_b.jpg

Testing the new 500 out. Not a very practical train lens, but what the hey. This is 700mm using a 1.4TC on my 1DIV.
13075472684_2fe82e0f14_b.jpg


13075469134_e3cbdba02a_b.jpg

And last for today, for Bill, is a shot with the new Tamron 600 with the tilt shift effect thrown in for fun.
13278685644_9a21c4307b_b.jpg
 
I just ordered a bean bag for it so I can rest it on my car door or window. That baby is a beast! The image quality is well worth it though, especially for BIF. For trains, the much easier to wield Tamron is my long lens of choice, as the somewhat sluggish auto focus is not such a big deal. Still, if you use f4 on the five hundred, it should give some pretty awesome results.
 
The last Monday of winter proved to be a very nice day in the bay area, showing off the effects of our recent (but not drought ending) rains

13075471064_6bedfdd32b_b.jpg

13075278853_18c5c9f25d_b.jpg

I found a new spot just on the other side of Port Chicago (where there was a HUGE explosion in WW2 while loading munitions, vaporizing one ship and destroying another).
This place is great for both birds and trains, as it is right on a marshy area of Suisun Bay.
13075470084_04fa62fa79_b.jpg

I was able to beat the same UPS train from the canyon to the crossing and put the Tamron through its paces.
This lens continues to impress me for railroad photography.

13096937034_745579055d_b.jpg

13075161505_943b56cba5_b.jpg

Although the Sigma all in one zoom still works well
13075470184_661a4d2199_b.jpg

13075277783_b8fe3f13a3_b.jpg

I went out to the valley to see what was up, as I had the day off (I always take the day after "Spring Forward" off), and managed to get the same train leaving Escalon on its journey south.
13139744554_9a85bcb303_b.jpg

13096938054_5a9d740c13_b.jpg

Next I caught an empty coil car train heading back to the steel mill. This is just leaving the Stockton Intermodal yard.
13096762533_a616401c20_b.jpg

13096648445_5d3be528fa_b.jpg

Followed by the south bound San Joaquin pushing its way toward its next stop at Modesto
13096935694_0b1f755cd3_b.jpg
There was a UP local running on the BNSF tracks through the intermodal yard. This grass it totally fake and not "prototypical" for any model railroader worth his or her salt!

13139578993_9a65e326cf_b.jpg

13139744954_6bf59a9a6f_b.jpg

13096934424_418def53eb_b.jpg

On my way home, I detoured off Hwy 4 in the delta region and caught this vehicle train holding at the Holt siding, waiting for the inbound San Joaquin

13139461565_fbb2ee0bbe_b.jpg

Which dutifully appeared in a few minutes for me…

13139581663_e0cebb9061_b.jpg

Which allowed the vehicle train to proceed after it cleared the siding:

13139747264_f0b796b68d_b.jpg
And that was my "Daylight Savings" holiday chasing and shooting trains. After this re entered the bay area and afternoon traffic to slog my way back home. See you again:cool:
 
I always look forward to your spring photos, the green hills really compliment the subjects. The second photo is a perfect example. Thank you for sharing.
 
Thanks guys, that's always nice to hear! I've been spending some time taking pictures up at the Western Railway Museum near Suisun. The old Sacramento Northern RRR, that was electrified between Oakland and Chico. This is still close to what you would have seen 100 years ago.

13197797935_138e536621_b.jpgNext Stop - Gum Grove by lennycarl08, on Flickr
 
I meant to post this one along with the ye olde photo above. The Peninsula railway ran between Palo Alto, San Jose and Los Gatos back in the day. It was doing museum duty on my recent trip up that way in the beautiful Montezuma Hills or rural Solano County Ca.

13182282093_396cc199e1_b.jpgPeninsular Railway 52 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Back to more modern times, I found a retro looking Geep doing yard duty at Stockton
13232915123_51937b1471_b.jpgWorking Stockton Yard by lennycarl08, on Flickr

From the other side:
13233105744_d14081a618_b.jpgSouth Stockton by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A mixed freight was tied down outside of Escalon.
13232915443_00c2518dc1_b.jpgTied Down at Escalon by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I hadn't seen a Z train in a while. They always look better when the grass in green in the canyon (not that you can tell in the first shot!)
13278684624_19d428f04c_b.jpgBNSF 6594 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

13278488093_53d9b074e9_b.jpgZ Coming through by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Fun with focus on an outbound container train
13319305603_67ea9cb275_b.jpg20140319-AO6A7037 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

It was really odd light that morning
13298758464_933fa27846_b.jpgShort Train East Bound by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Back out near Port Chicago, I was birding and caught the San Joaquin on its way back from Bakersfield
13368257315_7474de4793_b.jpgAmtrak 713 at Bay Point by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And also a very obliging male Northern Harrier a.k.a. the "Gray Ghost" that was hunting along the abandoned tracks in the foreground
13394080754_a259961acf_b.jpgCircus cyaneus by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Lastly, I parked at the east end of tunnel 3 in Franklin Canyon (also known as Glen Frazer after a long gone depot) and caught an inbound vehicle train
13415817854_a331fbe8e1_b.jpgWest through Glen Frazer by lennycarl08, on Flickr

13457890303_0ae97a2f40_b.jpgSpring in Franklin Canyon by lennycarl08, on Flickr

13458136254_b6f45856d3_b.jpgBNSF 7880 at Glen Frazer by lennycarl08, on Flickr

13457774715_603dfa8e54_b.jpg7880 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I finally caught some UP freight traffic this past weekend. I will post some in the next batch if anyone is tired of the Orange and Black:rolleyes:
 
Outstanding set!! Thanks for sharing!!

Thank you very much!

Good shot of the gray ghost. They are hard to find as they are usually outnumbered 4:1 by the females.
Yes I know. I have been very lucky that there is a mating pair right by the area where I have been shooting lately. They both flew up and down the tracks hunting right in front of me for several hours last weekend, with the male practically posing for me! You can see a bunch more on my Flickr in the California Raptors set.

It's been a very productive spot, and after resisting for years, I finally have a scanner so I know if stuff is heading my way. Like Amtrak 712:

13479765954_35d2a1cb28_b.jpgNext Stop - Antioch by lennycarl08, on Flickr

or Amtrak 713
13368257315_7474de4793_b.jpgAmtrak 713 at Bay Point by lennycarl08, on Flickr
 
Caught some MOW work on a very lightly used UP section near Pittsburgh

13479405125_a085c396d9_b.jpg
MOW by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The squirrel seemed impressed
13479827834_7c88db1778_b.jpg
Squirrel on the tracks by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Sad to say our hills are already turning from what they looked like in this shot. 3 days of 90 degree weather in Franklin Canyon.
13500278623_03fa73a895_b.jpg
Springtime at Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr

13500182935_1d44560fd3_b.jpg
BNSF 7880 West at Christie by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I stopped my car and shot this out the window, as I couldn't make it to my normal spot in time. One of our few rainy days this year.
13500277593_5e6b51174d_b.jpg
UPS Train in the Rain by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Back out at Bay Point. The trains really fly along this part of the Stockton Sub. I like the big skies I get here although I think I should have cropped more of the left side out of this shot.
13528792145_7f12c69825_b.jpg
6940 Plus two powering out of Pittsburgh by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Heading away
13528879323_c51a11ab54_b.jpg
West toward Port Chicago by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Some east coast help on the extra UPS train
13551065715_4659c1fed0_b.jpg
East coast help on the UPS extra by lennycarl08, on Flickr

13551379024_430cc85b1e_b.jpg
Norfolk Southern in Pittsburgh California by lennycarl08, on Flickr

East bound vehicle train. Sundays they are usually empty. I've been enjoying my new scanner that I picked up for free with my Amazon points. Port Chicago is where the track warrants begin and end, so you can pick up a lot of chatter from here.
13551159613_cc32e7c7f3_b.jpg
East on the Stockton Sub by lennycarl08, on Flickr

13572657443_e2778fe730_b.jpg
GE ES44C4 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

13572973774_cc8edbf5ef_b.jpg
6634 Round the Bend by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Lastly just a bit more of Photoshop fun
13572598935_c6fbb061ec_b.jpg
Motive Power by lennycarl08, on Flickr
 




RailroadForums.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com

RailroadBookstore.com - An online railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used railroad books. Railroad pictorials, railroad history, steam locomotives, passenger trains, modern railroading. Hundreds of titles available, most at discount prices! We also have a video and children's book section.

ModelRailroadBookstore.com - An online model railroad bookstore featuring a curated selection of new and used books. Layout design, track plans, scenery and structure building, wiring, DCC, Tinplate, Toy Trains, Price Guides and more.

Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top