Re: Arizona and California Railroad-It's a good one to visit.
Author: BOB2
Date: 04-08-2017 - 18:27
Phoenix-Barstow traffic during ATSF via Cadiz connection via the Needles Barstow main. The line crosses Colorado River, along Arizona's famous "Redneck Riviera", at Parker, 30 mins or so south of Lake Havasu and about the same of so north on 95 from I-10 across from Blythe. Operations are visible on main street, across from a great jerky shop, where engines are tied up. Unfortunately, from my trips and inquiries, it seems that most the trains are apparently night jobs, so I've never observed or been able to photograph any daylight ops. Others on here probably have better knowledge of the current schedules.
On the CA side there are often lots of stored cars on desert sidings, and even on the old wye at Rice, where the branch to Blythe-Ripley went off. Miles of parallel desert road on Ca side from Parker out past Rice, and up to Cadiz where you intersect the real route 66.
No services out there anywhere, on the CA side though until you get over toward the River. So, if you take the side roads along the A&C be mindful of that, as it would be wise to fill the tank, and take water, out in that country. It's the best time of the year to see all of that, right now, it's still nice, not yet a million degrees, and with millions of flowers this year.