A late westbound "California Zephyr" hugs the coastline of the San Pablo Bay near Hercules, CA.

Better Late than Never
Running nearly 8 hours behind Amtrak 5 zips through Keenesburg curve west of Keenesburg, CO on the High Plains Route.

Snow and a soft sunset through the storm
Snowy evening light fill the canyons among the snow fly.

Fall Cold Air along South Boulder Creek

Amtrak's California Zephyr speeds westbound through Chillicothe, Iowa as it passes by BNSF empty coal train E CLOBKM0 38A, sitting on the lead to the Ottumwa Generating Station. Once Amtrak was pa... (more)

Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr curves through 100-foot Tunnel 38 just east of Azure, Colorado, as it follows the Colorado River through craggy Gore Canyon on September 15, 2021.

Our Beagle Minturn (yes, he is named after the town at the foot of Rio Grande’s steep crossing of Tennessee Pass) intently watches Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr rumbling through Little ... (more)

Amtrak train number 5 the "California Zephyr" parallels the Truckee River as it negotiates the curve in Union Mills, CA. Due to the wildfires only 50 miles away from Truckee, there is a ... (more)

Red Glint off Roggen Elevator
Trackspeed and late, California Zephyr is slamming the frogs at 80 plus moments after sunrise.

The Westbound California Zephyr is seen at the American River Canyon in Casa Loma, CA on the way down the “The Hill” from Donner Summit.

The Westbound California Zephyr is seen coming down from Donner Summit at Norden. The air is thick with smoke from the ongoing wildfires in the Pacific Northwest.

Zephyrs meet
After crossing Donner Pass, Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr has just exited Tunnel 18 and is meeting the eastbound CZ, train 6, at Newcastle, California, on March 8, ... (more)

Below the imposing escarpment of Dodge’s Bluff, Amtrak’s westbound California Zephyr traces the Colorado River in spectacular Ruby Canyon just east of Utaline, Colorado, on June 23, 2021.

Into the Light

On one of those days when blue skies were littered with large clouds, one of those clouds shadowed Gore Canyon on the Rio Grande’s Moffat line. As Amtrak’s Ca... (more)

Panning For Gold
Working with my prime f1.4 50mm I follow the California Zephyr as it’s blasting into Denver from Chicago at the very first light of a cold winter morning alo... (more)