Trainspotting?

[Anonymous]

Hey everyone.

Myself and my dad are planning on visting the United States next year and included with that plan is some trainspotting. We would be strictly confined to the Western part of the country and i was just wondering what tips any of you railroaders out there have. Since neither of us been there before can anyone recommend a few good places? Any other info would be great too like how to get there, what time of day, what to take, how often the trains run, etc

Some of the places we were thinking of are Tehachapi Loop, Cajon Pass, Feather River and Donner Pass. Are there any other less well known but equally spectacular places worth seeing? Im asking on here because i want to hear from real railfans that have really been to these places.

Thank you for your tips!

[JoeKoh]

Tyson
most of these places you mention require hiking boots.be prepared for some rugged country.
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

The weekends are much better because their are no MofW crews out on the track doing track work..........And one more thing,Don't forget the camera and the scanner radio.
BNSFrailfan.

[SALfan]

You can get a good look (although not a close-up one) at Tehachapi from your car. Binoculars would be nice to have for that, although not an absolute necessity. The local windmill farms are interesting, too.

[ericsp]

Watch out for snakes. And remember, summer up here is June through September. Tehachapi can get quite hot that time of year.

[MP57313]

Cajon Pass is now less accessible than before, as much of the route is fenced, but you can still check it out. Consider buying either DeLorme and/or Benchmark map books when you are out there. DeLorme covers the state in two books; Benchmark in one.

DeLorme book is more detailed, as it includes sidings, spurs, etc. The maps are based on topo maps. The Benchmark maps are more up-to-date regarding the highways you will need to travel. The rail lines are not drawn as detailed, but should be fine for the main lines you are looking for.

Each map book is around $20 or so.

[Anonymous]

How about LAUPT in Los Angeles or a trip to SanDiego down the Coast by Amtrak. You'll see a lot of trains and have an unbeatable ride and views. Easy on the feet too.

LC

[Anonymous]

thanks for all the tips [:)]

We were planning to be there most likely during the fall, so hopefully wont be too hot. Although down here where I live we're plenty used to the hot, and snakes and walking for that matter.

But anyway we were thinking of buying one the Amtrak rail passes as well as hiring a car so we will probably travel by train to San Diego, San Francisco, and up to Seattle. Other railroady places I forgot to mention was the Cascade Tunnel in WA. and Kicking Horse Pass in BC. Aside from the scenery are they good spotting places? Also the rail line that runs along the beach near San Diego, I cant think of the name right at the moment.

If watching trains during the weekend for example, how long is it between trains at places like Cajon and Tehachapi? I've heard at the moment UP is heavily congested on their runs into LA. We dont really want to sit around all day just for a few trains. I guess what we are really after is to see some big trains and watch some activity with helpers. Not so interested in spotting passenger trains though because there are more than enough of those to look at here. But LAUPT still sounds interesting.

Thanks for the info!

[Puckdropper]

If you get out to Colorado, and want to RIDE trains, let me suggest the train at Cripple Creek (steam, narrow gauge, only about $10 a person for a 45 minute trip. Well worth it!) Also, there's the cog railroad in Colorado Springs. (It's really in Manitou Springs, but they're right next to each other.) You'll want to bring a coat for that, as you go up to the top of Pike's Peak ("warm" is 40 degrees F). If it's raining, you may get to see what it looks like at 10,000 feet.

[espeefoamer]

There is also Beaumont Hill.This is east of Cajon along I-10.[:)]

[MP57313]

Both Cajon Pass and Tehachapi should have a steady stream of trains. Both UP and BNSF operate in both locations, so you'll have some variety.

South of Los Angeles, the Amtrak Pacific Surfliner runs along the beach in Oceanside, near Carlsbad, and Del Mar. There are several passenger trains every day, but only 1 or 2 daytime freights.

North of Los Angeles, the Coast Starlight and one Surfliner run along the coast from near Santa Barbara north for many miles. The route north of LA has fewer trains because it is less built up and there are some long stretches with no cities. The Coast line between LA and San Jose is scenic, but it does not have that many freight trains. I have never ridden it north of San Jose into Portland or Seattle, but others have spoken positively about it.

[Anonymous]

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