The Early Bird... - a photo on Flickriver

The Early Bird...

            ...typically gets the worm.  On this day though, despite an early start, this photographer got partially side lit, partially backlit scraps.

Despite a late night shooting time exposures in Williams, I was up and out of the hotel before dawn and was bouncing down the ranch roads north of Ash Fork when the sun made its first appearance over the tall mesas to the east.  My goal was to spend the morning crossing another name off of my list of Seligman Sub locations that I had missed on my previous trip; Eagle Nest.

Eagle Nest, Arizona is one of three control points on the 'Crookton Cutoff' line change that the Santa Fe opened in 1960.  The cutoff is typified by wide, sweeping curves through deep cuttings, or over high fills.  Eagle Nest has these in spades, with the added appeal of red lava rock, and flagstone.  Photo angles are virtually unlimited, provided you are willing to take a walk, hike, or drive to gain elevation above the line.

One this day, one angle in particular was my goal.  The shot that trumps the rest is a view of a westbound, through the 's' curve between MP 408 and 410.  'Over the shoulder' lighting would occur around 14:30 that day, but a dramatic backlit shot was possible not long after dawn.  The prior year I had reached East Eagle Nest not long before dusk, and promptly got my rental stuck, then up on three wheels.  This experience left me gunshy about the direct route to the vantage point.  With a year to think, and overthink my options, I made the mistake of taking a 'creative' route along some range roads which appeared in better condition than the BNSF access road; at least on a map, and in satellite imagery.  My alternate route cost me about an hours time, traversing much rougher roads and trails than I would have if I had just gone the direct route.  

As a result I missed two of the three westbounds that had passed through Flagstaff earlier, before a long work block held up traffic for several hours.  As what would turn out to be the only westbound that I would see that morning approached, I heard the roar of locomotives escaping the deep cutting beside me.  An eastbound stack train charged up the grade, and onto the scene just as the westbound's headlights appeared.  I ended up capturing a neat scene, despite the less than ideal lighting due to my late arrival.

Taken in: United States / Arizona / Crookton (show map)

Taken on: April 7, 2025

Tags:

BNSF

Eagle Nest

Crookton Cutoff

Arizona Divide

Doublestack

Intermodal

BNSF 5964 « less

Sets appears in: • BNSF Seligman Subdivision

Groups appears in: • North American Railfanning • BNSF - Burlington Northern Santa Fe more » • Railway Photographers • Steel Rails Across North America. • Trainspottingmaps.com • Railfan Atlas • Rail Pictures North America • Railroads of Arizona « less

Camera: Nikon D850, f/8.0, 1/800 sec, 240mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Nikon D850
Lens:	50.0-500.0 mm f/4.5-6.3
Aperture:	f/8.0
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/800)
Focal Length:	240mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	-2/3 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CC 2015 (Windows)
Show full info

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