36 photos included after text.

The college town of Flagstaff, AZ is a medium sized town of over 56,000 and is host to Northern Arizona University.  Flagstaff will have all the amenities that you could possibly need for gas, hotels, entertainment and regular or finer dining.  Located north of the interstate, Flagstaff is served by exits #191, 192, 195, 198, and 201.  

Exit #195 is the main entrance to downtown.  Follow this road now called Milton Road for about 2 miles as it turns a couple of times on its journey to downtown.  This road will have most of anything you might need along the way.  When you reach downtown, Milton Road will go under the tracks and turn abruptly to the right and toward the depot just two blocks away. 

This new road is called W or E Santa Fe Ave and is aka Historic Route 66.  As it travels east, it will parallel the tracks and offer several good photo locations.  Also along Santa Fe Ave are many more accommodations for the traveler.  There are a couple of grade crossings for main streets that connect Santa Fe Ave with the interstate.  One is Enterprise Road which, just after the tracks, will turn into E Butler Ave and finish the only 1/2 mile distance to the interstate at exit #198.  Many other accommodations are at that exit.

There are a couple more grade crossings as you travel east.  Country Club Drive was a former main grade crossing connecting with the interstate, but is now a bridge over the tracks.  The interstate is only .1 mile from Santa Fe Ave on Country Club Drive and photos from that bridge are possible from the sidewalk on the east side of the bridge only.  You can park in a parking lot between the interstate and the bridge, and walk to it.  Because of the limited viewing area though, photos are only good of west bound trains and only in the late afternoons of summer or winter.  NOTE: The Flagstaff Mall is only another 1/4 mile east on Santa Fe Ave and is on the south side of the road. 

AMTRAK

Amtraks Southwest Chief arrives in Flagstaff with the east bound #4 train at 05:22 a.m. and the west bound #3 train at 8:56 p.m.  The depot itself also houses an interesting gift shop.

Since the eastbound #4 Southwest Chief arrives so close to sunrise in Flagstaff, it is a good time to remember to call "Julie" Amtrak's automated answering machine to find out if the train is running late.  If that is the case, fantastic daylight photos of Amtrak are possible at several locations east of Flagstaff, AZ.  I'll explain those locations later on this site page. 

THE VERDE CANYON RAILROAD

Another tourist railroad in Arizona is the Verde Canyon Railroad and I recomend it for the adventurous.  Located in Clarkdale, AZ on N Broadway, this railroad features a pair of former Alaska Railroad FP-7 diesel locomotives hand painted in a special eagle paint scheme.

These are truly rolling works of art painted by a renown local artist to commemorate the many eagles that live in the canyons and are frequently seen during the rail tours through those canyons.  The train leaves the Clardale station at approximately 1:00 p.m. and travels to the ghost town of Perkinsville returning about 5:00 p.m.

Getting there is not a problem.  From either Flagstaff or Phoenix, exit interstate 17 at exit #287 which is highway 260.  Follow this road west for about 14 miles to the fifth traffic light, and turn left.  This road is historic 89A, or Main Street.  Continue past the town of Cottonwood, AZ and a little over three miles later, Tuzigoot Road to the Tuzigoot National Monument.  Continue past Tuzigoot Road about .8 miles until you see a sign that says, "Verde Canyon Railroad".  Bear right onto Broadway, cross a one-lane bridge and find the designated parking area across the street from the depot.

For prices,schedual updates or more information about the Verde Canyon Railroad visit their website at www.verdecanyonrr.com.  

LOCATIONS AT WEST FLAGSTAFF

There are many places to photograph trains as they travel through Flagstaff, AZ.  A good location on the west side of the city is off of Milton Rioad on Historic Route 66 located 1.7 miles from the interstate or just .3 miles from where Milton Road went under the tracks.  Follow Route 66 for about 3.0 miles to the aproximate location of a new subdivision that was under construction the last time I was in Flagstaff, AZ.

This new subdivision might very well change what road is easiest to get to the tracks only about .3 miles north.  There are a couple of great curves that make for fantastic photos.  Hopefully they will still be accessable.  I will have more updated information the next time I get to Flagstaff, AZ.

You can also get to that location by accessing a dirt road north of the tracks.  From Milton Road, go west on Santa Fe Ave 1 block to Park Street.  Turn left and follow Park Street until it curves and becomes W Coconino Ave.  Go a couple more blocks to the intersection of Lower Coconino Ave and turn left.  Follow Lower Coconino Ave to its end.  Continue on the dirt road and follow it to where you want to go.  I do not know however, if this road can still be used in the future.

THE BRIDGE FOR ROUTE 66 AT EXIT #204

Continuing east on Route 66, or business 40, is a little tricky.  There is an intersection with Santa Fe Ave and Route 66 but it is just east of the intersection of Santa Fe Ave and N Fanning Drive.  Follow Route 66  as it goes under Country Club Drive and around the back of the Flagstaff Mall, (you can access Route 66 from the back parking lot), for 3.6 miles to where it crosses over the tracks.  Just past this bridge is a dirt road that goes to the tracks and accesses a great place for photos.

This is one of those places that you could be in all day, just work your sun angles.  East bounds are good in the mornings and west bounds are good in the afternoons summer or winter.  The photo of an east bound shot from the south side of the tracks is really nice in the early morning of winter or the mid morning of summer.  Great photo of a train with Mt. Elden in the background.

It is actually easier to get to this location by getting back onto the interstate from Country Club Drive and go east to exit #204 for Walnut Canyon Road.  Turn left and go over the interstate and then veer left on Route 180, aka Historic Route 66, aka Santa Fe Ave.  Continue on this road a total of .7 miles to a dirt road to the left.  Turn onto this road to go to the tracks or stay on the paved road another .1 mile to the bridge. 

COSINO

You could continue another .8 miles to the interstate and continue east to exit # 207 and Cosino Road.  The tracks will be just .3 miles north of the interstate, and there are dirt roads on both sides of the tracks providing access in both directions, to some more great photo locations that you have seen published before.  Have fun.  Photos here are great all day summer or winter.

WINONA

Traveling another 3.9 miles east on the interstate will take you to exit #211 and the unincorporated area called Winona, AZ.  This is also the siding called Darling by the BNSF and is the place for fantastic early morning photos of east bound trains.  If the Southwest Chief is 1/2 hour or more late into Flagstaff, this is the place to be for an outstanding photo in the summer.  If it is more than 2 hours late in the winter, even better.

CANYON DIABLO

Canyon Diablo is next and the site of an awesume bridge over the canyon.  Continue east from Winona, AZ another 19 miles to exit #230 called Two Guns.  For about .5 miles this road will be paved and travel back west on the north side of the interstate.  Then after it turns north, it will become THE roughest road I have ever tried to travel on.

It is drivable even in a regular car, but drive cautious and slow.  (One time I even drove a 1979 Chevy Station Wagon on that road!)  Manuvering around the various rocks and pot holes, travel 3.1 miles to the tracks.  Turn left on a much better service road, and follow it .9 miles to the Canyon Diablo Bridge.

When you are here, know three things to be true...First - You are in the middle of nowhere!...Second - This really is a security sensitive area with several hidden cameras working 'round the clock.  DO NOT even think about walking across the bridge for a photo from the west side. Just forget it...Third - Be very alert for the rattlesnakes and other creatures around here, because they are around, and if you did get bitten, it would be difficult to get back to the interstate before you would be in serious trouble. 

Don't not go, just be very alert and smart as you go to the several photo locations.  The bridge makes your new photos worth the trip.  Best photos here are in the early to late mornings in summer or winter.  I'd go in the winter...less creatures, and you do not have to cross the tracks!

WINSLOW, AZ

Winslow, AZ is the last town in the Seligman Subdivision and is another 23 miles from the Two Guns exit on interstate 40.  With a population of about 10,000 people, Winslow is not a large town.  It does have the regular amenities for the traveler.  Gas is around 10 cents above the current national average and the food options are mostly in the fast-food variety.

Railroad action includes a small yard that really does not have that much photographic potential because the roads with the unobsructed views are mostly on the wrong side of the sun.  Winslow's best photo location is on the west side of town off of exit #252 on Hipkoe Ave.  Go south from the interstate for .1 mile.  Now turn right on W. 3rd Street and follow that road for around 1 mile until it climbs a small hill, and a curving bridge to carry it over the tracks.

Photos from this bridge are great of east bound trains as they approach Winslow, AZ with the seemingly unending desert in the background.  Sometimes you can get a photo of a train with the headlights of the next TWO in the background!

Well that concludes our venture along the BNSF Transcon in the Seligman Subdivision.  Hope you enjoyed the ride, and I truly hope that the information in these site pages were of some help.  Contact me if you have any questions because I really want everyone who visits the great southwest desert areas to have a very enjoyable and productive photo experience.