The Serendipity of Railfanning
I'd spent the morning on UP at Cienega Creek and then moved on to Benson to check out where the San Pedro Valley kept their power (which was tied down and cold since it was a Sunday) with plans to take Claudia down to Tombstone and do touristy stuff, but I needed gas first. The gas in town was cheaper than where I was by SPVR's yard, so I drove a couple miles back north for the "cheap gas" and was waiting for the pump to fill up the car when I heard another UP train coming.
At first I thought it was just another intermodal with lots of power on the front but I immediately realized the single level containers on the head pin were all green or tan DODX boxes and had the immediate, helpless realization something "cool" was passing by. Sure enough, it was a military train and turned out to be one of the most interesting ones I've ever seen with bridging tanks, Abrams, Bradleys, Paladins and ammo tracks, plus all kinds of support tracks, trucks and other equipment.
I started snapping pictures from the gas station in frustration and once the car was full immediately set off to chase west as far as I needed to so I could get it again. That turned out to be not real far since it got slowed down by track work but the pictures at a non-descript (but very wide open!) grade crossing were kind of boring looking at the head end with most of the visible train just being containers. It did allow me to roster shoot the neat consist though. Looking back at the pictures, I actually liked how this came out with the UP mural along the former station wall and a M109 Paladin and M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicle passing by behind. Benson, AZ 4/13/2025
The Serendipity of Railfanning
I'd spent the morning on UP at Cienega Creek and then moved on to Benson to check out where the San Pedro Valley kept their power (which was tied down and cold since it was a Sunday) with plans to take Claudia down to Tombstone and do touristy stuff, but I needed gas first. The gas in town was cheaper than where I was by SPVR's yard, so I drove a couple miles back north for the "cheap gas" and was waiting for the pump to fill up the car when I heard another UP train coming.
At first I thought it was just another intermodal with lots of power on the front but I immediately realized the single level containers on the head pin were all green or tan DODX boxes and had the immediate, helpless realization something "cool" was passing by. Sure enough, it was a military train and turned out to be one of the most interesting ones I've ever seen with bridging tanks, Abrams, Bradleys, Paladins and ammo tracks, plus all kinds of support tracks, trucks and other equipment.
I started snapping pictures from the gas station in frustration and once the car was full immediately set off to chase west as far as I needed to so I could get it again. That turned out to be not real far since it got slowed down by track work but the pictures at a non-descript (but very wide open!) grade crossing were kind of boring looking at the head end with most of the visible train just being containers. It did allow me to roster shoot the neat consist though. Looking back at the pictures, I actually liked how this came out with the UP mural along the former station wall and a M109 Paladin and M992 Field Artillery Ammunition Supply Vehicle passing by behind. Benson, AZ 4/13/2025