Christmas Eve, 2005 found me driving south on Highway 99, in California's foggy Central Vally, headed to Merced, where I planned to spend the night with family members.  If you're familiar with Highway 99, you'll note that it mostly parallels U.P.'s tracks, which can lead to outstanding railfanning.  Sure, the San Joaquin Valley is quite flat, and if you consider farming country to be spectaculor scenery... Hold the phone!  You can find good, scenic photo locations if you know the area.  I grew up in Merced, in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, so I know many of scenic locations that the San Joaquin Valley has to offer to a dedicated railfan.  Just as in fishing, a bad day by the tracks is better than a good day at home, or work...

 

Photos:  U.P. 5956 leads an eastbound manifest train on foggy December 24, 2005, just north of Atwater, California.

U.P. has imposed a speed limit of 55 m.p.h. for their freight trains, and Highway 99's speed limit is 65 m.p.h., so it is relatively easy to overtake and pass a train, and photograph it in the location of your choice.  That is exactly what I did on December 24, 2005, at 0930.

Left:  After the train has passed, I look west to observe the red block signal, at the east end of Arena siding.  Notice the heavy truck traffic, on parallel Highway 99.  Right: The d.p.u. on the rear end fades into the fog, as the train heads east.

I was heading south on '99 to spend the holiday with my family, while I overtook and passeed a fantastic manifiest train, complete with d.p.u.s, led by U.P. 5956, just north of Livingston, after crossing the Merced River. U.P. 5956 was travelling at about 50 m.p.h. and I was at 65, so I knew that I could pick the photo location of my choice.  Being a "native son" of the San Joaquin Valley, I knew that the Grove Ave. crossing, just north of the small city of Atwater, at m.p. 141.1, would be a good location.  

I pulled off the highway, and had about 5 minutes to set up, and figure out exactly what I wanted to do.  The results?  Check out the photos and enjoy my Christmas Eve, 2005, along U.P.'s tracks in the San Joaquin Valley.