Some photos of my railfanning around the East Bay 2015

[Bill Anderson]

Love your new pursuit vehicle. I doubt any train can outrun it as long as there is no snow on the road.

 

[Itsed65]

Thanks Bill. It was fun racing ahead of 70MPH freights in the desert, but yeah, I wouldn't take it anywhere near the snow. Big power, wide tires and rear wheel drive make for too much drama for me these days

American Muscle by itsed65, on Flickr

 

[Abilene Ks Railfan]

Sweet pursuit vehicle!!!

 

[mkstarks]

FYI, major work window coming up for us here in the FRC starting over the next two weeks or so and supposedly lasting a month. BNSF trains will be rerouted over the Valley sub due to the work and everything. Just a heads up so you don't waste too much time/gas coming all the way up here.

 

[Itsed65]

Thanks for the info! I will stick to Donner in that case.

 

[Itsed65]

Looked like the old days in Franklin Canyon, with two old Santa Fe Geeps leading a local back to Richmond yard.

Sante Fe Lives! by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Sante Fe Remembered by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The net says they are GP39-2s

EMD Classic by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Sunday UPS

Sunday UPS by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Shorty by lennycarl08, on Flickr

The Sunday UPS train is always tiny, like six cars or so, and here it proceeds slowly by the carbon plant local as it allows an eastbound vehicle train to take the siding at Collier…

Proceed Slowly West by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Which was crawling eastward with some UP help in the middle of the consist

Proceed Slowly East by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I got ahead of the vehicle train out at Bay Point, where it will start its trip across the delta on the way to Stockton and the central valley

Approaching Pittsburgh (California) by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Turning the Corner by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 4332 East by lennycarl08, on Flickr

I took another trip to Reno and had some pretty good luck chasing train into the desert. I will post those soon.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Due to the extreme drought in California, many reservoir levels are way down. Have you tried photographing old road beds exposed by the low water levels? The old SP line along the Sacramento River behind Shasta Dam and the old WP line along the Feather River behind the Oroville Dam come to mind.

 

[Itsed65]

Due to the extreme drought in California, many reservoir levels are way down. Have you tried photographing old road beds exposed by the low water levels? The old SP line along the Sacramento River behind Shasta Dam and the old WP line along the Feather River behind the Oroville Dam come to mind.

I haven't Bill, but that's an interesting idea. I don't get that far north very often, but if I do, I will definitely keep that in mind.

 

[Itsed65]

Nice!

Mine is an RT Plus with the super track pack.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Nice!

Mine is an RT Plus with the super track pack.

Just the ticket (literally and figuratively) for chasing the UP across Nevada.

 

[Drewster]

Nice!

Mine is an RT Plus with the super track pack.

Awesome man! Congrats, those HEMI's sure are a rush aren't they?

 

[Itsed65]

Awesome man! Congrats, those HEMI's sure are a rush aren't they?

Indeed they are

 

[Itsed65]

The Hemi is also very effective at running up and down Hwy 70 in the Feather River Canyon!

Thanks to another forum member, I got word that an Amtrak special would be making the run a few weeks ago. Like all Amtrak, it was a few hours late, but that actually worked in my favor


P42s on the Power by lennycarl08, on Flickr

But not in the westbound BNSF crews' that had to wait forever for it

Close to the Edge by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Holding in FRC by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Canyon Convergence by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Waiting by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Climbing the Canyon Wall by lennycarl08, on Flickr


AMTK 132 at Rock Creek by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Running the FRC by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Train Ride Along the River by lennycarl08, on Flickr

After Rock Creek damn, it was a race to the serpentines

AMTK 132 by lennycarl08, on Flickr


AMTK 132 Near 12 Mile Bar by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Zephyr Cars Back Home by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Amtrak Special in FRC by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And finally at Twain. Others chased it to Keddie, but I can't hop the fence and scramble up the hill to shoot the trestle, so I leave that to others

Amtrak at Twain by lennycarl08, on Flickr

On the way back down the canyon, I spotted an eastbound BNSF freight, so another chase was on!

7185 East at Rock Creek by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Motive Power along the River by lennycarl08, on Flickr


The Other Pass by lennycarl08, on Flickr

My "Model Railroader" cover shot!

Above Mill Creek by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 7185 East Climbing by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 7185 Entering Tunnel by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Round the Bend and On the Throttle by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Mountain Railroading by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And that was it. Time to roll up the windows, turn on the AC and ventilated seats, turn up the stereo and blast back down the canyon and toward home.

 

[Bill Anderson]

That Amtrak special should be called the Oroville Zephyr. I like the MR cover shot.

 

[Damon Hill]

That is one oddly crooked tunnel. Awesome scenery!

 

[Itsed65]

That is one oddly crooked tunnel. Awesome scenery!

Yeah, what do they always say in model railroading? "Never put a tunnel on a curve, it's not prototypical!"

 

[brad_in_omaha]

More great photos there! Nice Work!

 

[Itsed65]

It's been a while, but its been a busy summer for me.

Rolling by the fishing pier on the Carquinez strait


Westbound at Eckley Pier by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Freight along the Bay by lennycarl08, on Flickr

And right after I snapped this train, this flew overhead. A bigger bird that I am used to shooting

Fortress 2 by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Some work at the North Bay yard, which is the UPS facility

Dropping Off by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Back'er In by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Two of a kind, but still different

Waiting... by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Back in Franklin Canyon


Sunday Z Train by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 7659 West by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Powering Through Chrisite by lennycarl08, on Flickr


5130 Makes Itself Heard by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Making an Appearance by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Auto Rack East by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Along Christie Road by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Way up high
High Above by lennycarl08, on Flickr



High Above Martinez by lennycarl08, on F

 

[Bill Anderson]

Great shot of the old bomber. A buddy of mine is into aviation photography, especially old planes. He says the goal is to shoot at slow enough speed to blur the propeller spin while keeping the plane in focus. You did an excellent job at that.


Love the back to back Warbonnet GP 60's. I remember seeing them leading freights into Chicago when they were brand new back in the late 80's or early 90's.

 

[Itsed65]

A large rumble is heard…

BNSF 975 East by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Six GE's roll into sight

Six Pack by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BNSF 975 East Monochorme by lennycarl08, on Flickr

A few days later in the same spot a short outbound UPS train rolled by. Picture looks a bit distorted due to the distance and heat of the day.

UPS heading East by lennycarl08, on Flickr


UPS Train in Black and White by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Outbound by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Working the Richmond yard

The End of the Line. by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Running light to grab a train (notice the FRED on the front coupler)

Running Light through Bay Point by lennycarl08, on Flickr


7088 East by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Delta Cruise by lennycarl08, on Flickr

This is not a mistake from the paintshop. Apparantly they have to wait to retire or renumber a different unit to call it "BNSF" 200, so for now, the BN lives!

"BN" 200 by lennycarl08, on Flickr


BN Rides Again by lennycarl08, on Flickr

Trespasser on the UP

Hmmm by lennycarl08, on Flickr

An Amtrak local dragging some new Siemens ASC-64s from the Sacramento factory to the Oakland yard, where they will hitch a ride eastward on the Zephyr.

Siemens ACS-64 Delivery by lennycarl08, on Flickr


Made in California by lennycarl08, on Flickr