Elrond Lawrence

Winterail Weekend Photo Album

Elrond — Thu, 28 Mar 2013 19:50:03 +0000

Every year railfans make a pilgrimage to the most unlikely of “hot spots” — Stockton, California, in the heart of California’s Central Valley. The occasion is Winterail, a photography and multimedia show that celebrated its 35th anniversary this year. The drive to and from Winterail is half the fun of going — the other half is seeing old friends and catching up in the dealers’ room. This year I made a little photo gallery of the three-day weekend, including some incredible scenes of almond blossoms that we discovered while following the BNSF rail line near Modesto. Visit the gallery by clicking HERE.

New Trains Article: Railroading Below Sea Level

Elrond — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 20:50:13 +0000

East of Palm Springs lies the Salton Sea, a beautiful but desolate place that developers once touted as the next great water resort. While those dreams were swept away, Union Pacific’s Yuma Subdivision hosts up to 35 trains a day through this searing desert terrain. A new article in Trains magazine examines the shared history of the sea and its companion railroad: tour this vital rail corridor that passes old seaside towns and a border patrol checkpoint straight out of “Border Wars.”

Learn more about the March 2013 issue here. As a bonus, check out an online gallery of 10 Salton Sea railroading pictures by clicking here.

And to learn more about the Sea, visit the Salton Sea History Museum and Visitors Center.

UP trains meet at twilight along the Salton Sea in summer 2011. (click to enlarge)

The new site is taking flight!

Elrond — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 19:54:49 +0000

It’s long overdue, but the website has finally been given a beautiful facelift with the help of web designer Jim Bunte. I’ll be fine-tuning the content for a month or two . . . be sure to bookmark the home page and check back for news of rail and roadside related projects, plus blog posts and pictures!

Photo: Endeavour’s final flight, seen from Marina, Cal., Sept. 21, 2012.

Route 66 Railway

Elrond — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 19:25:41 +0000

Welcome to the online home for Elrond’s coffee-table book Route 66 Railway. The book sold out in 2011, but you can click here to read about R66R and view sample pages. To contact the book’s publisher — the Los Angeles Railroad Heritage Foundation (LARHF) — visit http://www.larhf.org/.

A handful of signed copies were recently discovered in 2012 — to get a copy, contact the author by clicking here. Check back for news of future projects!

Transition

Elrond — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 17:38:55 +0000

The sun dips below a heavy cloud layer in the Mojave Desert, silhouetting old and new signals on the former Santa Fe west of Barstow, Cal., in November 2011.

Santa Fe 3751 and Roy’s Cafe

Elrond — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 22:28:35 +0000

Ever since my book Route 66 Railway came out, I’ve always wanted to redo the Amboy, Calif., photo on page 73 with 4-8-4 no. 3751. A recent NRHS excursion finally provided that chance. Former Santa Fe no. 3751 rolls west past the Route 66 town on a hot May afternoon in 2012 … note the Amtrak helper engine is no. 66 (in 1980s-era colors).

LA Signs

Elrond — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:53:20 +0000

Signs in Echo Park, Los Angeles, Cal., July 2009

Poppies in Franklin Canyon

Elrond — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 02:33:07 +0000

Poppies in Franklin Canyon, Cal. (near Martinez), April 2010

Travels with UP No. 844

Elrond — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 23:51:45 +0000

Visit the new photo gallery of Union Pacific steam in Cajon Pass and the Mojave desert: http://66rails.com/844weekend/photos/

Mt. Whitney at Sunrise

Elrond — Sat, 18 Dec 2010 23:55:00 +0000

Taken from Lone Pine, Calif., October 2010.