22 photos included after text.

Barstow,CA is a smaller town with around 23,000 people that is host to the BNSF Barstow Yard and its diesel facilities.  It is also the eastern terminus for the Cajon Subdivision, and the western begining of the Needles Subdivision.  Interstate 15 runs through Barstow somewhat in its middle, and has 7 exits that serve it.  Interstate 40 begins its own eastward journey in Barstow at exit #184A on interstate 15, and Route 58 to Bakersfield, starts from Barstow at exit #179.

Amenities are plentiful in Barstow with exit #178 having the most choices for food, gas, and hotels.  There are also two large truck stops at that exit, and a large outlet shopping mall.

Main Street runs north of the interstate starting at exit #184B and parallels the tracks with Barstow Yard.  There are several great photo locations in and around Barstow such as the west entrance to the yard, the Tower off of Ave "H", Barstow Hill, the Bridge for 1st Ave, Yucca Ave Bridge, Nebo, and finally Daggett, CA.

The Union Pacific starts its trackage rights with the BNSF at Daggett.  This is where the Union Pacific tracks connect with the BNSF tracks and the Union Pacific can continue past Barstow, Cajon Pass, San Bernardino, and finally Riverside, CA before branching off onto their own tracks again.  At Daggett the Union Pacific tracks junction off the BNSF tracks and begin their northern trip to Salt Lake City, Utah through Yermo, CA and Las Vegas, NV.   

WEST ENTRANCE INTO THE YARD

There is a large set of tracks that leave the west entrance of the Barstow Yard forming a large complicated wye with two tracks continuing to Los Angeles, CA through Cajon Pass, and the one track traveling to Bakersfield, CA through Mojave, CA and Tehachapi Pass.  Route 58 travels over this complex trackage and provides a great location for photos.

Alas, it is illegal to stop and photograph from Route 58.  In August of 1997, while my wife and I were returning to Las Vegas, NV from a trip to photograph trains in Tehachapi Pass, we came across a large derailment between a Union Pacific coal train and a BNSF intermodal train.  That collision sideswiped another BNSF train as it was leaving the yard.

I took a chance, and took some photos from the Route 58 overpass.  The authorities investigating the derailment saw me, and told me to leave the area.  My wife who was driving, returned to the area so I could get another round of photos by doing a u-turn in the median of Route 58.  (At my request)   She was seen by a CHP officer, who gave her a $180.00 ticket.

There is a less costly way to get photos from this area of Route 58.  From the Route 58 overpass, turn west on Main Street.  Go .3 miles to Citrine Road and turn north.  Before the road goes under the tracks, turn right onto a dirt road, and drive to the overpass of Route 58.  Park near here, and walk to the embankment.  Climb up the embankment and you are in a good position to get great photos of eastbound trains as they approach Barstow Yard.  Photos are best in the early mornings in winter or the mid morning in summer.

Later in the day, you can also take good photos of westbound trains as they leave the yard from the embankment on the other side of Route 58.  Those photos are good in the late afternoon in summer.  Winter is not that good.

Another good photo location is nearby.  From Citrine Road, go another .3 mile down Main Street toward Lenwood.  Turn right onto the large dirt open area, and park near the edge where you can get great photos of more westbounds as they exit the yard.  You will see the Route 58 overpass in the background.  These photos are best in the late afternoon in winter.

THE BARSTOW YARD TOWER

Go back toward Barstow on Main Street past "L" Street by four blocks to "H" Street.  "H" Street is 2.5 miles from the Route 58 overpass for Main Street.  Turn left and go a short distance to where the road turns to the left and continues into Barstow Yard.  This road will travel along side the yard hump for 1/2 mile, and you can get photos of the action from a nearby parking lot for a little while if you are smart.

DO NOT leave your car and stand for a long time at the edge of the large open area you are in and photograph the trains.  You can get some photos if you look safe and don't attract alot of attention to yourself.  If you haven't noticed, the tall main Barstow Yard Tower is just to your left, and the smaller yard hump tower is to your right.  Trust me...they already know you are there.  Photos of the Barstow Yard Tower are best in the late morning in summer or winter.

You will probably notice that the road you drove in on, turns to the right next to the tower, and goes into a one-lane underpass under the hump approach tracks.  Do Not under any circumstances continue on that road.  You will be in the yard, and because Barstow Yard is a high security concern, you will be approached.  I have know people to be arrested for trespassing, and you can't talk your way out of that one if you are that far into the yard.

BARSTOW HILL

Barstow yard is one of the few yards in the country where you can watch the yard movements all day legally from an elevated location.  Barstow Hill will put you just east of the main yard and about 100 feet up.  Fantastic overall and close-up photos of the yard are possible from on top, or the sides of Barstow Hill.

You can watch the yard engines trim cuts of cars in the bowl, and observe trains as they enter the yard, or roll past it on the mainline tracks.  You will see lots of action.  Photos from up here are best in the early to mid morning winter or summer, but really best in the winter.   

To get to Barstow Hill, you need to go north on Ave "A" aka Dillingham Drive from Main Street.  Ave "A" is 1 mile farther on Main Street from Ave "H" or just .4 miles left from Barstow Road.  Barstow Road is exit #183 from the interstate 15.  Proceed one block uphill from Main Street and then turn left.  Continue another .1 mile or so, to where you will have to make a right.  This next portion is a steep drive, and although it is paved, it is a rough road.  It is drivable by any mid-sized vehicle or larger.

Find a place to park away from the buildings that are up at the top.  There are some communication towers up there also, and I'm sure that you might see a worker for those towers, so be polite.  You can move around on the hillside to get lots of photos depending on the sun angle.  I can't think of any other yard in the country that you have a view like this.  Enjoy.

1ST AVE BRIDGE

1st Ave is just .2 miles from Ave "A" and is directly in between Ave "A" and Barstow Road.  I believe that 1st Ave has a light on Main Street.  Anyway, turn north and the bridge is just .3 miles, or 4 blocks ahead.  I would recommend that you cross the bridge and park in the parking lot for the Amtrak / Greyhound Depot that you should see to the right.

After parking, walk up the east side of the bridge to a position of your choosing, and get your photos.  The only sidewalk on the bridge is on the east side so that is the safest place to go.  You can get photos of east bound trains leaving the yard, but you will be standing in the south bound travel lane of a narrow bridge.  BE CAREFUL.

From the east side of the bridge on the sidewalk, you can get good late afternoon in winter, or mid afternoon in summer photos of westbound trains.  The depot is east of the bridge and on the north side of the tracks, so from the bridge it is in a great position for a photo.  Use it as a great background prop.

Photos of trains while at the depot are only good in the summer in the early morning, or late afternoon.  Any other time, including all during winter, the sun will be on the wrong side of the tracks.  However, at the depot is a small museum, and they have several pieces of railroad equipment outside and in a good position for photos.  My favorite is the Santa Fe FP45 #95 diesel in the latest silver/red warbonnet paint scheme with the large red letters on the side.

YUCCA AVE BRIDGE

Yucca Ave is also off of Main Street, and 1.2 miles east of 1st Ave, or .4 miles west from the interstate exit # 184B.  Turn north on Yucca Ave and go .3 miles to the bridge.  This bridge is much more photo-friendly in that there is plenty of room to stand out of the way of traffic, but the angle of the tracks and the large cut the tracks are in, make it a challenge for the photographer.  Photos of eastbound trains are best in the early morning in summer, but winter is only ok, and only average photos of west bound trains as they approach the yard, are best in the late afternoon in winter, or the mid afternoon in summer.

My advice is to continue across the bridge, and turn left as Yucca Ave turns into Riverside Drive.  After just .1 mile, there will be a couple of open dirt areas to the left where you can get spectacular photos of trains in both directions.  Work your sun angles here. 

East bound trains leaving the yard, are best in the early morning in summer, and west bound trains entering the yard are best in the late afternoon in summer.  Winter sun is not good at anytime of day here. 

You can reach the depot by continuing on Riverside Drive as it curves a couple of times, and then turn left into the parking lot for the depot just 1 mile from Yucca Ave.  This is also the way to get to the Riverside Drive photo locations from the depot.

NEBO

I do not know why this is called Nebo, but you get to it from interstate 40 at exit #4.  Turn north on Nebo Road for .3 miles and follow it as it curves to the right and turns into National Trails Highway.  Continue for another .3 miles to a dirt road that will turn to the left toward a grade crossing for the tracks.

The tracks will be coming down a slight grade as they go under a signal bridge .5 miles in the distance.  Then they will turn toward the northwest and continue on to Barstow.  This is a very dramatic photo of west bound trains and is best in the late afternoon in winter or mid afternoon in summer.  You could get early morning photos of east bound trains, but there will not be that grade that is so dramatic for the west bound trains.

DAGGETT

Daggett is a small town that is the junction of the Union Pacific from Salt Lake City through Las Vegas and Yermo, with the BNSF Transcon.  The Daggett / Yermo Road runs north from the interstate 40 at exit #7, and crosses the BNSF Transcon after .6 miles.  The Daggett / Yermo Road continues on to interstate 15 another 2.7 miles to the north.

You can get photos of trains in Daggett from either side of the tracks and on either side of the grade crossing.  There are open dirt areas at all four corners of the grade crossing and tracks.  Best photos are in the early morning in summer in the northeast corner of the grade crossing, or the late afternoon in the winter from the southwest corner.  Tracks are at an odd angle for photos of trains in the early morning in winter or the late afternoon in summer because the sun goes almost straight down the tracks at those times.

Do not get to close to the tracks at Daggett.  Trains are sometimes traveling at the track speed of over 50 mph by the time they reach Daggett.  Be very careful.

You can get to Daggett north from interstate 40 at Exit #7, or south from interstate 15 at exit #191.  The National Trails Highway also goes to Daggett from Nebo 2 miles away to the west.