Semaphore Safari updates

More updates on what to expect during the Semaphore Safari.

1. Presently there are 19 private cars scheduled to be on the eastbound AAPRCO passenger train special on Friday, September 17th. I will try to get their names. I know that at least one MKT TEXAS SPECIAL chair car and one ATSF big dome will be on the train.

We will be chasing this train that morning from ABQ to at least Springer and will target it as it passes several several semaphore locations.

These cars will also be on display at ABQ and we will visit them at the Amtrak depot at some point prior to Friday morning, probably when we ride Railrunner to Santa Fe.

2. On Thursday, Sept. 16, the AAPRCO group will be having a BBQ meal at the Santa Fe steam locomotive 2926. We have been invited for a tour of the locomotive.

3. Amtrak and BNSF has recently dropped speeds on the Southwest Chief from 79 mph to 60 mph across over 150 miles of trackage east of LaJunta. This was done beginning last week and is yet another hint of a possible reroute of the Southwest Chief via Amarillo in the near future. Reason given was that the BNSF has failed to maintain it to 79 MPH standards and that it is rough riding. This means that Tr. 3 could possibly be about 30-45 minutes late through these areas. Amtrak timetables are somewhat padded in spots so I'm not sure what to expect from Raton west, but it is entirely possible that the daily meet between 3 and 4 could be moved east from the Lamy-Rowe areas, to somewhere further east to possibly take place in the semaphore district.

4. There have also been an increase of Amtrak motive power failures on the SW Chief beginning this month and BNSF power has been observed on the point on many days. From a photograph standpoint, this greatly adds value to any trains we might catch.


As stated earlier will will spend two full days in the field chasing the SW Chief, two days aboard the train between Albuquerque and LaJunta, a trip aboard Railrunner, and another day chasing the AAPRCO special. And as always we will also take you to any nearby rail sites, such as depots, steam locos, roundhouses, water towers etc.

Skip provides all of the driving and transportation and I make out all of the day's schedules. We take you right to all of the best spots and basically all you have to do is get out and start taking pix.

In short, everything seems to be coming together to make the upcoming Semaphore Safari one of the best, if not rarest ones to date. More and more indications all point to a possible reroute of the Southwest Chief in the near future which will take it off this historic line.

Plus it will be our last!


Can you really afford not to go?

We still have a couple slots open for the trip. Contact us off off list if interested in going along.


TZ

Planned departure date - Sep 13th, 2010

Although this is still somewhat a tentative schedule, the 2010 Semaphore Safari will be departing from the DFW area on Monday, September 13 (very early AM) and will head to New Mexico for two full days of train chasing in the field, and two full days aboard Amtrak's Southwest Chief roundtrip between Albuquerque and LaJunta, CO.

The purpose of the trip is to close out the chapter on this historic line, with its T-2 upper quadrant semaphores, Automatic Train Stop (ATS), jointed rail and spectacular scenery. The current Amtrak/BNSF contract is up next April and there are more and more hints that Amtrak and the BNSF are close to an agreement which would allow Trains #3 and 4 to begin using the transcon via Amarillo and Clovis. If this takes place passenger service via the historic Raton Pass line will
soon be a thing of the past.

The trip will close out with a chase of the eastbound AAPRCO passenger special which will depart ABQ early on the morning of Friday, September 17 enroute to Alamosa. Although the consist for this run is still incomplete at this time, several cars of note are scheduled to be on the train, including a Santa Fe Big Dome car and the J. Pickney Henderson from the Katy's TEXAS SPECIAL. That day we will chase the train east through the last bastion of Santa Fe T-2 semaphores in the country, up Apache Canyon, over Glorietta Pass, through Shoemaker Canyon and past Wagon Mound. Arrival back in DFW will be late Friday evening.

Events we plan to include:

Two full days of photographing Amtrak's Southwest Chief passing numerous semaphores.

Dinner inside the Rio Grande "Chili Line" depot in historic downtown
Santa Fe.
Two meals aboard the Southwest Chief's dining car.
More semaphores.
A possible meal inside the dining car restaurant at Lamy, MN.
A roundtrip aboard New Mexico's Railrunner between ABQ and Santa Fe.
And did we mention, more semaphores.

The September 2010 Semaphore Safari is scheduled to be our last one. Each year we have been able to knock off more locations and this year we will finish up that quest. Last year there were 64 semaphores remaining. This year the number is down to only 58. Next year???

Can you afford to wait until next year?

Contact Skip Waters or Steve Goen off line for more details.