The passage of time has treated what were once the two primary methods of traversing the southern United States very differently. The railroad, affectionately known as the Transcon, has never been better, with its pristine double track right of way hosting an average of 60-80 trains every day between Los Angeles and Chicago. Route 66, on the other hand, saw its heyday pass more than forty years ago with the construction of nearby Interstate 40. Here, a westbound intermodal train marches past one of the many crumbling Route 66 relics in this part of the desert southwest.
