2019

About 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 2, 2019, the northbound Driftwood Turn is at Emporium, PA with Western New York and Pennsylvania (WNYP) 643, 630, 685 on the return to Olean, NY.

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Railfan notes from 2019, page 2

Jan 1 - June 25 | June 26 - Aug 4 | Aug 27 - Dec 31

Steve Sloan's Trains : Trip Notes : 2019 : Page 2

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From June 26 to August 4, 2019 I was on a road trip across the United States and through part of Canada. I drove 10,302 miles.

Days on the trip

Trip or Day Outings

Possible overview, not required.

Wednesday, June 26, 2019: First day of the road trip. I said goodbye to Sue. Drove all the way across Nevada to Salt Lake City. Drive time alone was 12 hours to Salt Lake City, not counting breaks.
Thursday, June 27, 2019: Drove from Salt Lake City, UT to Ulysees, KS. Stopped to take break and saw trains. OMG, another 12 hour + drive! Never doing that again! At least the night's motel in Ulysees was very comfortable!
Friday, June 28, 2019: I had driven over 12 hours the day before, and the day before that as well. It was far too much! The Corporate East Hotel in Ulysees, KS was very comfortable and it was hard to get up early after the long Thursday drive to chase the Cimarron Valley Railroad. But, it turned out to be one of the most interesting days of my trip. At the end of the day I drove to Salina, KS and stayed at a Motel 6. It was not as comfortable, but I had no rush to go on Saturday.
Saturday, June 29, 2019: I started from Salina, KS and went to Kansas City where I photographed trains. I found Kansas City a great place to see a lot of trains but a hard place to photograph them. I then drove east and camped that night at the Katy Roundhouse Campground in New Franklin, MO.
Sunday, June 30, 2019: Big driving day! I drove from at the Katy Roundhouse Campground in New Franklin, Missouri to my friend's house near Indianapolis. I passed through an intense rain storm on the way.
Monday, July 1, 2019: Another driving day. I drove from my friend's house near Indianapolis to Olean, NY via Lake Erie and Presque Isle State Park.
Tuesday, July 2, 2019: I spent the night before at the Microtel Motel in Olean. After spending time hanging out at the power pool I followed the Driftwood Turn to Emporium, PA. I broke for lunch and followed it back to Allegany, PA, after the train returned to Emporium. Really got some bursts of heavy rain this day! That night and the next I stayed at the Moonlight Motel, which was a real dive.
Wednesday, July 3, 2019: Again, I spent the night before at the Moonlight Motel, a real dive. This was a short day. It was the day before a long holiday weekend and the WNYP crews were wanting an early quit. My midafternoon the railroad was quiet so I got a break to rest, have a beer and a sub and work on my trip photos.
Thursday, July 4, 2019: For the last time, I spent the night before at the Moonlight Motel, a real dive. This was a transition day. I left Olean, NY and drove to Rochester via Hornell. This was the Fourth of July holiday. Many places were closed and folks were getting into celebrating the holiday. I photographed some trains and ended up in the lovely town of in Fairport, NY. I enjoyed a yummy sub and the reflections of the evening light on the Erie Canal.
Friday, July 5, 2019: I spent the night before at a motel near Rochester and met Otto there. We went to breakfast at the Highland Park Diner in Rochester. It was great. Then we went to Lakeville. We followed the LAL turn back to Rochester shooting it at many places along the way. The rain got bad and so we decided eventually to go to the Genesee Brewery have food, beer and watch trains go over the bridge above the falls on the Genesee River. The weather improved and so we went to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum.
Saturday, July 6, 2019: Repositioning day. I drove from Rochester, NY to Country Acres Campground in Leacock Township, PA. There was a big storm and an accident happened right in front of me. After getting to the campground and bedding down in my truck the storm finally cleared and lightning bugs danced around like fairies in the campground.
Sunday, July 7, 2019: That morning I was at the Country Acres Campground in Leacock Township, PA, where I had arrived the night before. After leaving the campground I went to the Strasburg Rail Road. After that I went to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. I spent a good amount of time in the area and photographed a lot of trains. Then, I drove to Scranton via Philadelphia. In Scranton I stayed at the Days Inn by Wyndham. That place was a pit. Not the worst place I stayed, but a pit.
Monday, July 8, 2018: That morning I had a hard time waking up. It was a rainy morning in Scranton, PA.
Tuesday, July 9, 2019: Scranton — After a bit of time at Bridge 60 and Steamtown, I drove to Archibald, PA and followed DL train SC7 back towards Scranton. Back in Scranton I went to the shops and photographed around there. Then I started my long drive to my friend Ginny and Laurence's in Woodbridge, CT. I went via the The Danbury Railway Museum in Danbury, CT. It was closed so I only grabbed a few shots through the fence there. Then I drove on to Woodbridge, CT, where I had dinner with, and stayed with, friends.
Wednesday, July 10, 2019: I drove from Woodbridge, CT to just outside Boston, MA where I met Susie at our friend's house.
[Non-train photos from this trip on Flickr]
Thursday, July 11, 2019: Went into Boston with Sue and her friends.
[Non-train photos from this trip on Flickr]
Friday, July 12, 2019: Went to Waldon Pond & Salem, MA.
[Non-train photos from this trip on Flickr]
Saturday, July 13, 2019: Drove to Rhinebeck.
[Non-train photos from this trip on Flickr]
Sunday, July 14, 2019: Went to Millbrook winery. Met Sue's cousin Jackie and Coleen and Joe.
Monday, July 15, 2019: Went to Rye. Spread ashes.
[Non-train photos from this trip on Flickr]
Tuesday, July 16, 2019: Around Rhinebeck
[Non-train photos from this trip on Flickr]
Wednesday, July 17, 2019: Our 25th Anniversary. Drove to the Finger Lakes from Rhinebeck, NY. It was a long and pretty drive on twisty country roads. On the way we went through Arkville, NY and stumbled on a railroad tourist operation. We spent that night in Watkins Glen, NY at the Watkins Glen Harbor Hotel.
Thursday, July 18, 2019: On Thursday, July 18, 2019, the day after our 25th Wedding Anniversary, Susie and I went to Niagara Falls. We rode the The Hornblower Niagara Funicular in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.
Friday, July 19, 2019: On Friday, July 19, 2019, Susie was slated to return home. She'd booked a flight that night home from Buffalo to home. So, we left Canada and returned to New York. We went via Lockport and the Erie Canal. Her flight was cancelled after one of those intense Western New York storms came in. She spent the night with me at a local motel and flew home the next day.
Saturday, July 20, 2019: Early on Saturday, July 20, 2019, I dropped Susie at the airport in Buffalo, NY to return home. Then, on my own again, I drove back into Canada to Waterloo, Ontario. I spent that day chasing and photographing the Waterloo Central Railway, staying in that area that night.
Sunday, July 21, 2019: This was kind of a laid back day. I did some expoloring leaving Waterloo, ON in the morning and driving Brantford, where I watched trains and visited with a local railfan and then back to Niagra Falls where I had dinner with a friend.
Monday, July, 22, 2019: Early that morning I left the motel in Niagra Falls. I met two locals, Mike and Bill, at Port Colborne in an attempt to shoot the Trillium Railway but had no luck with Trillium. But we did see some interesting action around Welland. After that I set off on my own to Guelph Jct. to shoot the Ontario Southland. It was a big driving day that took me ultimately past many kilometers of lovely country to Parry Sound, Ontario where I spent the night.
Tuesday, July 23, 2019: No trains this day! This day was another long drive day, from Parry Sound to a campground at the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.
[Non-train photos from this trip on Flickr]
Wednesday, July 24, 2019: I drove from the Soo Locks at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to Mauston, WI and saw some trains along the way.
Thursday, July 25, 2019: After a restful night at a nice hotel in Mauston, WI I chased the Big Boy in Wisconsin. After that I drove to Madison, WI and did some exploring there.
Friday, July 26, 2019: Over 10 hours drive time, Madison, WI to Bismark, ND, Motel 6. I only saw one locomotive, after pulling off the freeway to get gas in Jamestown, ND. The bugs, especially mosquitoes, were so thick I cleaned the bugs off my windshield in Jamestown. By the time I arrived in Bismark it was so thick with bug goo I could hardly see out the windshield.
Saturday, July 27, 2019: This was a take it easy railfan Saturday in Bismarck, ND. After a hard drive the day before I had landed in the Motel 6 in Bismarck. I restfully railfanned this day and even went shopping for a new raincoat that day.
Sunday, July 28, 2019: Another mellow railfaning day. I again spent the previous night at the Motel 6 in Bismarck. I drove to Minot, ND. Along the way I stopped in Falkirk, ND and Max, ND and shot some targets of opportunity there. I spent a long time at "Soo Tower" where there is not a tower. It's a shady spot to hang out and see a lot of trains on the CP and BNSF. Towards evening I went to Grossman Trestle. After that I drove back home again stopping in Falkirk, ND and Max, ND.
Monday, July 29, 2019: Another long drive day. I left the Motel 6 in Bismark, ND early in the morning and followed a Dakota Missouri Valley and Western Railroad (DMVW) train north to Washburn, ND. After that, at late morning I started my drive to Gillette, WY. The drive took me through Rapid City, SD where I photographed a Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad (RCPE) SD40-2. Eventually I made it to Gillette and checked into a Motel 6 there.
Tuesday, July 30, 2019: This was my day in the Powder River Basin. At this point I was tired and not really in the mood for hard core railfanning. I spent most of my time either around Reno Junction or Logan Hill. I saw a lot of trains, but the Powder River Basin was still a shadow of its former self. Coal is no longer king.
Wednesday, July 31, 2019: Gillette, WY, to Salt Lake City, UT Motel 6
Thursday, August 1, 2019: Long Drive, Salt Lake City to Reno. Stopped at Rio Grande Depot in Salt Lake City. Stayed at Ken Compton's house in Reno that night.
Friday, August 2, 2019: Donner - West of Sparks. We shot from the east side of donner as far west as the big hole. I was staying at Ken Compton's house.
Saturday, August 3, 2019: Reno - East of Sparks. We shot on the mainline and the Fallon Branch. I was staying at Ken Compton's house.
Sunday, August 4, 2019: I drove home to San Jose from Ken Compton's house in Reno.

Special Thanks

All the great folks who helped me out with information for these Web pages!

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Steve Sloan Train Photo Notes