Our Best Trip Ever - Part 13 - West Out of Seligman

(Continued from: Our Best Trip Ever - Part 12 - Seligman, Stackers, Sunset)

Day 7 - Part 1

The Road Less Traveled  

After a nice and chilled evening at the Seligman/Route 66 KOA, we packed up the next morning and “prepared the cabin for departure.” After dumping our waste water and filling our propane tanks we headed out westbound on Route 66 through Seligman, Arizona. At this point we didn’t have any particular destination in mind. Rather, we knew the route we wanted to travel though. We wanted to stay on Route 66, which follows the BNSF’s Seligman Subdivision, as it meanders through some of the most beautiful scenery in northern Arizona. Interstate 40 takes a more direct and southernly route from Seligman directly to Kingman, Arizona. We were taking the road less traveled.

The track of our seventh day on the Seligman Sub. The black camera icons indicate the locations that I shot.Upon leaving Seligman proper we saw an eastbound train climbing the grade out of Audley. We had also passed a nice deck bridge still emblazoned with the old “Santa Fe” logo on it. Once I saw that the second unit in the stack train consist was a former Santa Fe warbonnet locomotive I made the decision to turn around and get in position for a shot of the train as it crossed the deck bridge.

Santa Fe Surprise at Seligman - Just west of Seligman, Arizona, an eastbound intermodal crosses a deck-girder bridge with the lovable “Santa Fe” logo. The second unit in the four-unit lash-up, consisting of BNSF 4736 (GE DASH 9-44CW), BNSF 934 (GE DASH 9-44CW), 4001 (GE DASH 9-44CW), and 4118 (GE DASH 9-44CW), is also sporting the same old logo.
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

Once you pass Chino Point, the land opens up and before you is Aubrey Valley, with the Aubrey Cliffs along the northern edge of the valley. It is a really neat view and I always love to shoot in this area so we turned off of Route 66 and set-up to catch an eastbound we saw on the monitor at a location known as Audley, Arizona.

BNSF 5530 East - BNSF 5530 (GE DASH 9-44CW), BNSF 8721 (EMD), BNSF 8720 (EMD), BNSF 4836 (GE DASH 9-44CW), and another unidentified GE DASH 9-44CW bring this manifest train around a bend near Audley, Arizona, just west of Seligman, Arizona.
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

We repositioned ourselves so we could shoot the curve head-on. While I shot an eastbound, Deb took this shot of me “getting the shot:”

Getting the Shot
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Debra Parra, ChasingSteel.com.While I liked the shots that I took when I was photographed above, I really love Deb’s shot of the same train. Her shot accentuates the grade and is well composed, for a “rookie:” ;-)

BNSF 7917 East - BNSF 7917 (GE ES44DC), BNSF 7664 (GE ES44DC), BNSF 7647 (GE ES44DC), and BNSF 4432 (GE DASH 9-44CW) provide the power for this eastbound stack train at Audley, Arizona, nearing the crew change point at Seligman, Arizona.
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Debra Parra, ChasingSteel.com.

We took a lull in the traffic as an opportunity to continue west some more. One of the more recognizable landmarks of the Seligman Subdivision are the water tanks located at Pica, Arizona. Monolithically they rise from the valley floor and can be seen for many miles from Route 66. We decided to stop there and catch some for a bit.

CP West Pica
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

BNSF 7839 East 1 - BNSF 7839 (GE ES44DC), BNSF 6664 (GE ES44C4), BNSF 7617 (GE ES44DC), and an unidentified GE DASH 9-44CW hold the point on this eastbound stack train negotiating the s-curves west of CP West Pica at Pica, Arizona.
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

BNSF 7839 East 2 - BNSF 7839 (GE ES44DC), BNSF 6664 (GE ES44C4), BNSF 7617 (GE ES44DC), and an unidentified GE DASH 9-44CW hold the point on this eastbound stack train approaching CP West Pica at Pica, Arizona.
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

Meet at CP West Pica - B&W
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.

Meet at CP West Pica
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.UPS at Pica
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com.CP West Pica 2 - B&W
[4/23/2011 - Seligman Subdivision] © Copyright 2011, Joe Perry, ChasingSteel.com. After we spent sufficient time at Pica we headed west, once again, on Route 66 as we worked our way towards Peach Springs, Arizona. Our next photo stop would be at Yampai, Arizona, which begins our next post.