Our Best Trip Ever - Part 12 - Seligman, Stackers, Sunset

(Continued from: Our Best Trip Ever - Part 11 - On the Cut-Off)

Day 6 - Part 2

Onward to Seligman

Having had a great time exploring the “back country” of BNSF’s Seligman Subdivision, and truthfully a little dogged out from the rough roads, I was content to head towards Selgiman for the night. We had spent some time there on previous trips but we only used Seligman as a base for operations and we never really spent time photographing the area. I knew there were some nice spots with a lot of potential so we left Crookton and drove the few miles west to Seligman to get a spot for the night.

Seligman/Route 66 KOA
801 E Highway 66, Seligman, AZ 86337

Despite the fact that our Lance camper is fully equipped, it is nice to get the opportunity to use a full-size shower and our experience has been that the KOA Campgrounds, typically, have great facilities such as showers, a laundromat, a convenience store, propane, a dump station, and full hook-ups — and friendly staff.

Our campground of choice in Seligman is the Seligman/Route 66 KOA. It is right next to tracks on Route 66. The campground only has a somewhat marginal view of the trains as they pass by with no real photographic appeal. Nonetheless, you can keep an eye on traffic and race out to photograph a train if you see something worthy go by.

The proximity of the tracks, and the frequency of train traffic, has given cause to the campground to adopt the phrase “The Night of a Thousand Trains.” It is not a terrific spot for those of you who are light sleepers. For us, we love it.

Once we secured a site we headed into “town,” and I use that term loosely, to replenish some groceries and fuel. As we made our way along Route 66 I looked for a spot to set-up to catch the setting sun. I didn’t find a “killer” spot so once our errands were complete I decided to go back east to hill that overlooks Seligman itself. It turns out that this was a great spot. We stayed there for a few hours until the sun had set.

Here are a few of the photos that I took atop the hill:

BNSF 7645 East 1 - BNSF 7645 (GE ES44DC), BNSF 7896 (GE ES44DC), BNSF 7667 (GE ES44DC), and BNSF 7796 (GE ES44DC) are up front of this eastbound intermodal climbing the grade through Railroad Canyon having just left the crew change point of Seligman, Arizona with a new crew.
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

BNSF 7645 East 1 - BNSF 7645 (GE ES44DC), BNSF 7896 (GE ES44DC), BNSF 7667 (GE ES44DC), and BNSF 7796 (GE ES44DC) are up front of this eastbound intermodal climbing the grade through Railroad Canyon having just left the crew change point of Seligman, Arizona with a new crew.
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

The Climb Out 1
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

The Climb Out 2 - BNSF 7252 (GE ES44DC) is the “leader” on this eastbound intermodal train fighting the grade as it climbs out of Seligman, Arizona, with BNSF 6663 (GE ES44C4), BNSF 7303 (GE ES44DC), and BNSF 7672 (GE ES44DC) assisting in the effort.
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

The Climb Out 3
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

The Climb Out 3 - B&W
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

The Climb Out 4
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

Shimmering Rails
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

BNSF 4026 West
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

Seligman Sunset Stacker
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

Leaving the Sunshine and Seligman 1
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

Leaving the Sunshine and Seligman 2
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

Leaving the Sunshine and Seligman 3
[4/22/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

After the sun had set we headed back to the KOA and grabbed some dinner followed by a luxurious hot shower. It had been a fantastic day with BNSF’s Seligman Sub. Tomorrow would find us heading west along Route 66.

Martha's Sunset

Martha B. Ramirez

It is with a heavy heart that I write this entry regarding my beloved mother-in-law, Martha Ramirez. At 9:45 PM on Friday, October 8, 2010, Martha succumbed to the various ailments that had gripped her body but not her spirit.

Born in January 1924, Martha lived her 86+ years in love and warmth. She was always full of grace and tenderness for those around her.

She was born in the central valley of California and raised in Santa Paula, California but eventually settled, married, and raised a large family in Los Angeles, California.

Perhaps a lesson for us all, some of Martha’s favorite acivities were the simplest things in life - sitting on the porch and watching the sunset, going out to eat with her family, and long drives.

Martha has been a part of my life since 1993 and a daily part for the last ten years. One of my seldom mentioned favorite remembrances I will always have of Martha is how she would greet me when I came home from work. Tired and beat down by long hours at the office and tired from my commute, once I got home I would walk down the hall to change my clothes.  In the process I would pass Martha’s bedroom and I would see her there reading the bible or watching Rachel Ray on TV and I would say “Hi, Martha.”  Even though she was frail and struggling with a body that she was outliving, she would respond in the sweetest and most cheerful voice that I heard that day, “Hi JOE!” It made my day. I admired her spirit in trying times.

When I first learned that the prognoisis for Martha was not positive, I got home from the hosptial and passed by her bedroom - now empty except for her spirit which greeted me again. I walked out front to contemplate the heaviness of the news we had learned as the sun began to set. As I took in the sunset in the spot that Martha would often do, I thought “Martha, this sunset is for you.” I grabbed my camera and captured the moment in hopes of one day showing it to her again. I never got that chance. So here is your eternal sunset Martha that you and I shall forever share.

(Even though Martha has a large family, most of them live modestly and have very little means. If you are in a position to and are so inclined, you can contribute to help cover Martha’s expenses by donating any amount through the PayPal account linked to the donate button below. Her family and friends thank you very much for your generosity.) 

Sunset Over Metrolink’s San Gabriel Sub

It was the first day of fall, September 23, 2010. I had just completed my commute from Los Angeles Union Station to Upland, CA aboard Metrolink train #322 and as I walked to my car I was grabbed by the scene of the sun setting near the tracks.

I decided to see if I could grab a shot or two before i headed home so I walked up to the Euclid Avenue grade crossing and set-up my camera on my Gorillapod SLR-Zoom tripod and fired off the following shots:

Occupied Block at Sunset - A distant Metrolink train #326 is backlit by the setting sun on the first day of fall in 2010.
[9/23/2010 - San Gabriel Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry

Making Up Time - Metrolink train #326, a good ten minutes behind schedule, blows through the Euclid Avenue grade crossing in Upland, CA on the first dall of fall in 2010.
[9/23/2010 - San Gabriel Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry

Sunset Over the San Gabriel Subdivision
[9/23/2010 - San Gabriel Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry

Sunset Over the San Gabriel Subdivision
[9/23/2010 - San Gabriel Subdivision] © Copyright 2010 Joe Perry