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This is the view from the Best Western Colorado River Inn in Needles. It's not a bad location to use as a base for your desert explorations. |
Needles to Cadiz
| Created 9 May 1999, Updated 7 Jaunary 2007 |
| West from Needles, the BNSF climbs out from its crossing of the Colorado River at Topock to a summit at Goffs. From there it is downhill to Essex and Cadiz. These pictures represent the best of trips to the area in 1996, 1997 1998 1999 and 2003 |
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This is the view from the Best Western Colorado River Inn in Needles. It's not a bad location to use as a base for your desert explorations. |
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At Ibis, the uphill track swings out to the East to gain elevation. |
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Arrowhead Junction is the place where Highway 95 to Las Vegas crosses the BNSF as well as a much photographed location |
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on the right, Santa Fe 867 climbs up the wash from Needles |
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| BNSF 5324 leads a westbound up out of Needles. In this sequence, we see the track splitting at IBIS. In the third picture, the helpers push up and around the big loop. |
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| In September 1999, Union Pacific was doing lots of work on their Los Angeles to El Paso line. As a result, priority trains were detoured over BNSF. This is an eastbound we caught at Goffs and followed into Needles. It appears that BNSF insisted on ample power. | ||
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| Goffs is, well, Goffs. My wife has pointed out that we will not ever live there. The rail action is great, but the amenities and entertainment opportunities are a bit sparse. | |||
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| While not as dramatic as the climb out of Needles, eastbound trains face a tough climb from Cadiz and Essex up to Goffs |
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This picture is from one of the few overpasses found between Barstow and Needles. It is just off the National Trails Highway (old route 66) |
| Cadiz | ||
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Just east of Cadiz |
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If you found some of these pictures entertaining and useful. Please use them if you like. Respectfully request that you credit "Chuck Donaldson" as the photographer.
