It's so cool how the desert is so flat and you can see a train from miles away. I can't believe how well you can film and the amazing places you do it. Keep it up man you're killing it!!!
Thanks so much. I really like the long shots and the area was indeed very welcoming. The next part is even more telling in this regard. Still working on it...
Another great video my friend!!! Glad you were able to brace the heat lol. It's also cool to see UP train flying past, exhilarating for sure! Can't wait for your next video!
I remember visiting Gila Bend years ago on a coach journey from San Diego to Phoenix. A teenage girl in the party I was with who was wearing very tight little shorts got off the coach and sat down on a white plastic seat in the outside seating area of a cafe. Before any of us had the chance to inform her of her folly, at the very most two seconds later she leapt up, screamed and starting running around like it was one of those cartoon sequences where her arse catches fire.
Thanks for taking the heat for us rail fans. I deeply appreciate your work. I thought the inter models were interesting fun to watch. We're there any mini wind storms to dodge? I watch this while having breakfast this morning. I love your work many thanks
Wow. Just the way I remember Arizona. Unbelievably hot weather and fast trains. I like the UP permitment speed sign in the last clip. 79 for Passenger 65 for Freight Be safe. CSX#237377
It got even hotter after I left, but it was surely enough anyway lol. I liked it, though, and there were plenty of trains with friendly crews, which made this day great fun. I also liked the efficiency and speed of the trains.
The funny part in this video was about the work crew replacing total axles of intermodal railcars involved in the derailment on 5/30 in Piedra, AZ. Damaged in the deming.
Awesome, thanks. They do have GE Tier 4 ET44AHs in the 2700 series! The leaders of the trains that meet at the end of the video, #2750 and #2751, are Tier 4s.
Thanks. Lol, that's funny. If you have winter in SoFla, we have ice age in north GA :) Sunscreen yes, sunglasses yes but not used (I can't film with sunglasses).
If you ever come to the Dallas area for one of these, I can help you with some of the symbols. This same line runs through Grand Prairie, which is where I usually go, and I'm very familiar with that line. So if you ever come out here and you need help with the symbols, I'm very good with them. And that westbound with the NS units was ZAILC
Thanks for your offer. It's difficult to identify UP trains in the field for someone who is used to trains crews mentioning their symbols when calling signals (like CSX and NS do).
It is but I have a friend who goes to the Dallas Sub almost daily since he lives in Arlington and he is very good with those symbols, and I get them from him so I used to suck with the Dallas Sub symbols, and I'm not all that good with BNSF, but I know most of the Dallas Sub like the back of my hand so if you ever come to the area, just let me know and I can help you out with that.
Honestly, I don't remember. I had the scanner in railroad service scan mode, which means it scanned all AAR channels. I was just too lazy to program the scanner as I didn't expect to get much information anyways (which turned out to be right).
There are various reasons for using distributed power. In hilly terrain, pushers are necessary even on rather short trains, whereas in flat lands DPUs make it possible to run longer and heavier trains. But it's true, the number of trains with DPUs is larger on the western routes through the mountains than near the seaboard in the east..
Well, I think there are 11 trains in this video; it would have become too long (and boring) to show all cars. The typical train lengths should be discernible from the different perspectives of the sequences, though. Trains on the Sunset Route that I saw weren't overly long, typically 100 cars or less, which is perfectly plausible given the difficult terrain to the east and west.
Sunset Route trains from what I have seen in videos of other railfans tend to cap out at 140 cars as the maximum train length (although I found one this year that was 151 cars). From what I have been told by other railfans is that trains aren't all that long due to siding constraints east and north of El Paso. Long trains of 10,000 feet need long sidings and apparently all the routes in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas don't have that. Terrain shouldn't play a role as nothing on the Sunset Route compares to the Spiral Tunnels on CP in BC as trains of upwards of 200 cars travel through there. I disagree with you on showing the entire train perspective as being boring, especially if it is notable in length. I would have watched, especially for the mixed freights, and I am certain a lot of other railfans would agree with me. However, it is your video.
UP is very efficient in running clusters of trains east- or westbound at a time. This means, they would be able to run trains longer than the length of sidings, even more so as a large section of the line is double-tracked. I wonder about the "entire train" point that you emphasize. I typically deliberately pick vantage points that allow for long shots. So, several trains in the video are actually visible in their complete length (one could even count the cars if one really likes to do it).
I agree. I saw one of those monster grain trains, actually with 4+3+2 engines, on the BNSF Southern Transcon two days before I went south to the Sunset Route (the video is on my channel in the Transcon playlist). BNSF is running these very long trains on the Southern Transcon, but this line is completely double-tracked.
That grain was only 110 cars right? BNSF does not run long grain trains, as everyone seems to say they do because every BNSF grain train is around 110 cars. The video link I provided you was of a UP grain train that was 220 cars, which is humongous. CN runs loaded grain trains that exceed 200 cars between Edmonton and Prince Rupert/Vancouver. That BNSF train may had that interesting configuration, but its length was average as I believe, although I would like you to confirm.
What are the two songs playing at the very beginning called? I would appreciate it so much if someone can give me the name of those two songs in the beginning please and thank you
Please check my Train Music Videos playlist (on the channel's main page in the Specials section). You'll find all information there. All music is from TH-cam's Audio Library.
Just my observation, but as it seems you were standing outside in the elements of the Arizona Desert's, 'dry' heat of 110-F. Isn't that just fun, and remembering, the key words here are 'DRY HEAT'. Also, unless my observations elude me, but all of the UP power shown in your video, from these Arizona main lines, appear to be so much fresher, than in other places, you've videoed in the last six months, or so. I'm not meaning fresher because a new and substantial rebuilt upgrade to AC, or just a new paint job, but rather power equipment, brand spanking new, or no more then 3 years old. Did it seem the same way too you?
Well, it was fun to be exposed to the "elements", but only if one consumes enough water (which I did). The "fresh look" might also have to do with the sun, as most of the units are not particularly new, but probably well-maintained. The extreme conditions in Arizona certainly require some special consideration and I had the impression that BNSF in the north and UP in the south do a very good job in keeping up efficient operations.
WHERE DO EMPTY COAL HOPPERS GO TO AND WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS LEFT ON ABANDONED OLD RUSTY TRAIN TRACKS AND HOW DO MANAGE TO PULL THEM OF OF THE RUSTY TRACKS
That's right, if they are not needed, they are stored on "rusty tracks", but once there is more demand again, they get hooked up by engines that bring them to the coal mines, where they get filled. Then on to the power plants!
![[5B][4k] UP Trains in the Cactus Desert, Union Pacific Sunset Route, AZ, 06/04/2017 ©mbmars01](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Z6h4BmsqZMY/mqdefault.jpg)
![[5B][4k] UP Trains in the Cactus Desert, Union Pacific Sunset Route, AZ, 06/04/2017 ©mbmars01](/img/tr.png)
![[5D][4k] That's Why It Is Called the Sunset Route, UP Gila Subdivision, 06/04/2017 ©mbmars01](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cz2fBe7wP9I/mqdefault.jpg)
![[4p] Crossing the State Line, Railfanning Calhoun Falls, SC - Statham, GA, 04/10/2017 ©mbmars01](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/HFRfwziiO2A/mqdefault.jpg)
![[77][4k] Trains on Cajon Summit, BNSF Cajon and UP Mojave Subs, CA 07/01/2019](/img/n.gif)
It's so cool how the desert is so flat and you can see a train from miles away. I can't believe how well you can film and the amazing places you do it. Keep it up man you're killing it!!!
Thanks so much. I really like the long shots and the area was indeed very welcoming. The next part is even more telling in this regard. Still working on it...
I could not take the heat any more like when I was younger. Excellent video as usual. Stay hydrated.
It's challenging to railfan in this heat, but manageable. Thank you very much!
I’m delighted to see that some of the old-school SP lives on. I visited in 2005 and 2010 and knew things would change.
I would have loved to see some SP livery, but UP looks good as well.
Another great video, love your photography skills, keep them coming dude. Stay safe and cover up in that heat.
Thank you! This was back in early June, I've long since returned to GA, but it's hot here, too.
I love these desert videos, good work.
Thank you! I have some more footage from Arizona. I hope I can get the videos produced soon.
awesome power and lashup's. sweet catches.
Yep, it was cool and hot at the same time ;)
Another great video my friend!!! Glad you were able to brace the heat lol. It's also cool to see UP train flying past, exhilarating for sure! Can't wait for your next video!
Thank you very much! I'm already working on the next one, which has a lot of cacti in it lol.
mbmars01 No problem! Haha, can't wait for it! lol
Those desert trains are really moving!
They sure do! It was great fun watching them in this particular environment.
Wow this was sweet! had placed this video in my UP folder and forgot to watch till now. :)
Haha, I can't believe it ;)
Keep it up amazing quality and editing to put together another amazing video
Thanks, will try!
good video, and those engineers sure were cool today! u got a bunch of horn salutes
Thanks! Oh yeah, I think the engineers were either happy or sorry or both to see a human being out there in the heat lol.
Another nice outing. Cheers!
+J. Lewis Great, thanks!
enjoying the mix up of content, UP CSX NS BNSF. it's really great to see
Lol, don't forget my CN stuff! I'm happy you like it :)
+mbmars01 haven't seen any CN yet, I'll have a look. And it's great to watch
Cool video,i like to see them running fast sometimes! thanks for braving the heat!😉
Yeah, they certainly do go fast in this section. Lol, I did what I could.
Cool video, nice catches!
Thanks!
Nice veiws and Nice
place and good speed trainz.!!!
It's an interesting line with nice spots and trains with cool crews. I thoroughly enjoyed that day despite the heat.
I remember visiting Gila Bend years ago on a coach journey from San Diego to Phoenix. A teenage girl in the party I was with who was wearing very tight little shorts got off the coach and sat down on a white plastic seat in the outside seating area of a cafe. Before any of us had the chance to inform her of her folly, at the very most two seconds later she leapt up, screamed and starting running around like it was one of those cartoon sequences where her arse catches fire.
Poor girl.
Thanks for taking the heat for us rail fans. I deeply appreciate your work. I thought the inter models were interesting fun to watch. We're there any mini wind storms to dodge? I watch this while having breakfast this morning. I love your work many thanks
Lol, thank you, my pleasure. No dust devils this time, but in the next video you'll get to see cacti instead, which offer a remarkable sight as well.
excellent video. the only trains we get here are Norfolk Southern. it's upsetting cause that's the only train I here and ever see.
also. thanks for risking your life to go to the oven. arizona. and record a video for us fans. next time. bring an umbrella.
Lol, thanks for caring. It was quite nice and there was no way of actual suffering. One immediately begins to value water supplies, though.
Switch frogs can be a railroad's best friend - and also worst enemy. Witness the cleanup at the switch near Piedra after the derailment at 5:48.
Ah, I didn't know they had a derailment there, but was wondering why they changed the wheels on those well cars.
Hello my name is Wyatt I love your shows yesterday there was a train stopped for 3 hours so I went to Colbert instead and saw one
Thanks! Cool, glad you got to see one.
Wow. Just the way I remember Arizona. Unbelievably hot weather and fast trains.
I like the UP permitment speed sign in the last clip.
79 for Passenger
65 for Freight
Be safe. CSX#237377
It got even hotter after I left, but it was surely enough anyway lol. I liked it, though, and there were plenty of trains with friendly crews, which made this day great fun. I also liked the efficiency and speed of the trains.
Thanks for the video shot in the crushing heat -more coming?
Absolutely! Just stay tuned...
It was a perfect video so good I had to like and subscribe
Cool, thank you very much.
on the westbound train rear dpu 6367 was an ex southern pacific was it the same number as up
The funny part in this video was about the work crew replacing total axles of intermodal railcars involved in the derailment on 5/30 in Piedra, AZ. Damaged in the deming.
Those trains was booking, 60+mph it seemed, good stuff as normal.
Yep, they can do it down there. Excellent track. Thanks!
Nice video!
Cool, thanks!
As we left colbert the train was moving out of hull siding
Very professional! Great catches, especially that SP DPU.
May I ask, what camera do you use to film?
Many thanks. For this video I used a Panasonic WXF991 camcorder.
Cool video as always, love the meet at the end. I wonder why UP doesn't have Tier IVs in the 2700s series
Awesome, thanks. They do have GE Tier 4 ET44AHs in the 2700 series! The leaders of the trains that meet at the end of the video, #2750 and #2751, are Tier 4s.
Nice video. The heat in AZ makes sofla look like winter. Took along your sunscreen and shades??
Thanks. Lol, that's funny. If you have winter in SoFla, we have ice age in north GA :) Sunscreen yes, sunglasses yes but not used (I can't film with sunglasses).
On your video the train bell was going
Wow! EB UP 2750 passed WB UP 2751 @ 17:30
hey mbmars see you on up heritage southern pacific sunset route.are you going to tehachapi pass.
Hey, this footage is from June. I'm not in Arizona anymore.
If you ever come to the Dallas area for one of these, I can help you with some of the symbols. This same line runs through Grand Prairie, which is where I usually go, and I'm very familiar with that line. So if you ever come out here and you need help with the symbols, I'm very good with them. And that westbound with the NS units was ZAILC
Thanks for your offer. It's difficult to identify UP trains in the field for someone who is used to trains crews mentioning their symbols when calling signals (like CSX and NS do).
It is but I have a friend who goes to the Dallas Sub almost daily since he lives in Arlington and he is very good with those symbols, and I get them from him so I used to suck with the Dallas Sub symbols, and I'm not all that good with BNSF, but I know most of the Dallas Sub like the back of my hand so if you ever come to the area, just let me know and I can help you out with that.
Very good. Thanks!
Cool train
i live in the area and i was wondering what channel you were listen to so you could hear the trains? was it 161.860, 161.550, or something else?
Honestly, I don't remember. I had the scanner in railroad service scan mode, which means it scanned all AAR channels. I was just too lazy to program the scanner as I didn't expect to get much information anyways (which turned out to be right).
Awesome job! I know I'm not the only one to ask this question, but what camera do you use? Thanks and keep up the great work!
Thanks! I use the Panasonic camcorder WXF991 most of the time.
Thank you! One of the best quality videos I have ever watched!
That's nice you like it.
a lot of mid and rear DPU rigs out west vs east. Is that due to the terrain or ?
There are various reasons for using distributed power. In hilly terrain, pushers are necessary even on rather short trains, whereas in flat lands DPUs make it possible to run longer and heavier trains. But it's true, the number of trains with DPUs is larger on the western routes through the mountains than near the seaboard in the east..
On your video the bell scene was 8:58 minutes
Oh okay.
nice video
Glad you like it!
I wish your videos here showed the entire train. What is the longest train you have ever seen on the Sunset Route in terms of cars?
Well, I think there are 11 trains in this video; it would have become too long (and boring) to show all cars. The typical train lengths should be discernible from the different perspectives of the sequences, though. Trains on the Sunset Route that I saw weren't overly long, typically 100 cars or less, which is perfectly plausible given the difficult terrain to the east and west.
Sunset Route trains from what I have seen in videos of other railfans tend to cap out at 140 cars as the maximum train length (although I found one this year that was 151 cars). From what I have been told by other railfans is that trains aren't all that long due to siding constraints east and north of El Paso. Long trains of 10,000 feet need long sidings and apparently all the routes in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas don't have that. Terrain shouldn't play a role as nothing on the Sunset Route compares to the Spiral Tunnels on CP in BC as trains of upwards of 200 cars travel through there.
I disagree with you on showing the entire train perspective as being boring, especially if it is notable in length. I would have watched, especially for the mixed freights, and I am certain a lot of other railfans would agree with me. However, it is your video.
UP is very efficient in running clusters of trains east- or westbound at a time. This means, they would be able to run trains longer than the length of sidings, even more so as a large section of the line is double-tracked. I wonder about the "entire train" point that you emphasize. I typically deliberately pick vantage points that allow for long shots. So, several trains in the video are actually visible in their complete length (one could even count the cars if one really likes to do it).
I agree. I saw one of those monster grain trains, actually with 4+3+2 engines, on the BNSF Southern Transcon two days before I went south to the Sunset Route (the video is on my channel in the Transcon playlist). BNSF is running these very long trains on the Southern Transcon, but this line is completely double-tracked.
That grain was only 110 cars right? BNSF does not run long grain trains, as everyone seems to say they do because every BNSF grain train is around 110 cars. The video link I provided you was of a UP grain train that was 220 cars, which is humongous. CN runs loaded grain trains that exceed 200 cars between Edmonton and Prince Rupert/Vancouver. That BNSF train may had that interesting configuration, but its length was average as I believe, although I would like you to confirm.
What are the two songs playing at the very beginning called? I would appreciate it so much if someone can give me the name of those two songs in the beginning please and thank you
Please check my Train Music Videos playlist (on the channel's main page in the Specials section). You'll find all information there. All music is from TH-cam's Audio Library.
I like train videos on TH-cam 👍
Cool!
do you take railfanning trips often
No, unfortunately not, at least not long-distance. I just don't have the time.
Take that back 09:59 not 08:58
which service unit is this area at
Not sure what you mean. This is Union Pacific's Gila Subdivision of the Sunset Route.
Epic video !! New subscriber here.
Great, welcome to this channel!
Just my observation, but as it seems you were standing outside in the elements of the Arizona Desert's, 'dry' heat of 110-F. Isn't that just fun, and remembering, the key words here are 'DRY HEAT'. Also, unless my observations elude me, but all of the UP power shown in your video, from these Arizona main lines, appear to be so much fresher, than in other places, you've videoed in the last six months, or so. I'm not meaning fresher because a new and substantial rebuilt upgrade to AC, or just a new paint job, but rather power equipment, brand spanking new, or no more then 3 years old. Did it seem the same way too you?
Well, it was fun to be exposed to the "elements", but only if one consumes enough water (which I did). The "fresh look" might also have to do with the sun, as most of the units are not particularly new, but probably well-maintained. The extreme conditions in Arizona certainly require some special consideration and I had the impression that BNSF in the north and UP in the south do a very good job in keeping up efficient operations.
One train had the bell going on that up loco
Nice!
love the 4k. i'm doing 4k also. they are so much better quality PS send some of the heat to pa lol
I agree. Lol, is it that bad in summer up north that you beg for heat? Just kidding ;)
yes dry heat without humidity
WHERE DO EMPTY COAL HOPPERS GO TO AND WHY ARE THEY ALWAYS LEFT ON ABANDONED OLD RUSTY TRAIN TRACKS AND HOW DO MANAGE TO PULL THEM OF OF THE RUSTY TRACKS
That's right, if they are not needed, they are stored on "rusty tracks", but once there is more demand again, they get hooked up by engines that bring them to the coal mines, where they get filled. Then on to the power plants!
Great entertainment.
Cool, thanks :)
Hello
On up 7285
👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍💥
Lol :)
Very Nice Video.....Way Too Hot...WOW!! Thanks and Take Care.
Thank you, glad you like it! Yep, the day was very hot.
Union pacific