The morning clouds are finally breaking up, as a dirty UP 4267 has the ISCLB in tow, ascending the grade to Boulter Summit. In the background are the Oquirrh Mountains.

Obediently trailing the train, the EOT on the ISCLB leaves a string of rubies as its train rolls through the night.

About an hour after sunrise, 4 SD70Ms lug the ISCLB upgrade into Afton Canyon. Due to a track curfew, this was the only westbound to run in daylight.

Westbound intermodal symbol ISCLB passes over the natural crossover at Frost.

UP's Salt Lake City to Long Beach intermodal drops down off the Palmdale Cutoff at Pepper Street as a eastbound rounds the curve on main 1 to the left.

This westbound stacker is lead by 5 units, including a rare for this subdivision a BNSF SD70MAC

Westbound stacker, climbing the grade out of Las Vegas...with Red Rock Canyon providing the backdrop. The fifth unit back was CP 9571, a rare visitor from the North.

Caught this westbound stacker at MP 304, just north of Jean Nevada. Seen here is the trailing DPU pushing this relatively short stacker past the Gold Strike Casino. Happy Cinco de Mayo.

Westbound passing Sloan Mountain, used for local aggregate for many years.

This is a Long Beach, California bound intermodal train, passing through the "S" curve at Jean Nevada

This is a westbound stacker, heading for the port of Long Beach, California.

This westbound intermodal is less then 200 axles in length, powered by 2 SD70M's. It was captured crossing over the old Los Angeles Highway. Canon 40D Sigma DC 17-70MM

While deserts are considered lifeless places, during the spring, the Mojave greens up nicely, with even the scrubby Yucca plants getting into the act. UP 7634 rolls above such a plant between Chas... (more)

I'm sure the engineer feels akin to a skiier at the top of a slope. From here, it's a 2.2% downgrade all the way to Kelso nearly 16 or so miles away.

I normally try to have more stuff to look at in my photos than just the train, but have to admit that UP 4411 and ISCLB look pretty good all by themselves as they approach Valley in the evening li... (more)