Sunset at Beevers

After exploring Abo Canyon a couple of years, I paused to watch the sun set just to the west. This spot, what the BNSF calls Beevers, lies between Belen and the mouth of the canyon; I believe that is Ladron Peak in the distance. This is along the Belen Cutoff, built by the ATSF in 1908.

Image by Richard Koenig, taken October 27th 2018.

Waiting for a Meet—Glorieta Pass

This is a westbound Amtrak Southwest Chief waiting to meet the eastbound atop Glorieta Pass. This is the original route of the ATSF through New Mexico.

I recently read that this meet usually happens one siding to the east, at Fox siding, but the eastbound train was running a bit late, which allowed the westbound to come on over to Glorieta for the meet.

Image by Richard Koenig; taken October 29th 2018.

Amtrak’s Southwest Chief—as seen from Wagon Mound

Walking up this relatively small mesa was more difficult than I had imagined it would be—due to rocky footing and my not being accustomed to the altitude of more than 6200 feet. In any case, I made it about two thirds to the top before I figured I should stop and set up for the westbound train.

Wagon Mound, the geological formation, is named for the shape of the covered wagons used by pioneers traversing the Santa Fe Trail, while the accompanying town was then named for the formation. The rail line one sees here, formerly the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway, was named (in part) for the destination of that pioneer trail, and was built through these parts in the first half of 1879.

Image by Richard Koenig; taken May 15th 2019.

Wolverine Service

This is eastbound Amtrak 352 accelerating out of Kalamazoo, Michigan; the sun is setting on a on an unseasonably warm day. The train has just left the downtown station, is seen passing boarded-up BO tower, and will soon cross the Kalamazoo River on its way to Detroit and ultimately Pontiac. The line here was once the Michigan Central, then NYC, Penn Central, Conrail, and Norfolk Southern before becoming a property of Amtrak.

Image by Richard Koenig; taken on January 5th 2019.

California Zephyr

Here we see a westbound California Zephyr in Byers Canyon, just west of Hot Sulphur Springs, Colorado. This scenic beauty can be found on the former Denver & Rio Grande Western as it follows the Colorado River.

Image by Richard Koenig; taken June 23rd 2018.

Inter-American

Amtrak’s southbound Inter-American speeds by the depot at Lexington, Illinois. The train is headed up by a rounded-nose E-unit, with a rounded-end observation bringing up the rear—how the visionary designers of the 1940s imagined how things should be.

This line belonged to the Illinois Central Gulf at the time of the photograph being made, but it was once Alton’s main line between Chicago and St. Louis, and the GM&O after that.

Two images by Richard Koenig; taken May 22nd 1977.