Rail track with many trees at countryside in Hokkaido, Japan.

This photograph captures a rare and precise moment: the passing of two Amtrak California Zephyr trains. Taken from the perspective of an Eastbound Zephyr (headed toward Chicago), looking past the top of a modern GE P42 locomotive, it captures the complete Westbound consist (headed toward Emeryville) as it approaches a curve at Nielsburg, California.

The image is notable for its sharp focus on the passing train, led by Amtrak P42DC locomotive No.54 , while providing a sense of motion through the blurred foreground perspective. The Westbound train is navigating a curved section of double track, surrounded by dense evergreen and deciduous trees typical of the Sierra Nevada foothills. The consists include a mix of Superliner coach and sleeping cars, showing the full length of the long-distance train. The scene is well-lit by late afternoon sun, which catches the metallic sheen of both locomotives and cars.

The entire image is framed by a stylized white and red double-rule border, giving it a classic, collected feel.

History & Context

This photograph was taken on December 26, 2010, near Nielsburg, California.

The location, Nielsburg, is a strategic passing point in the dramatic and historic terrain of the Sierra Nevada mountains, a few miles east of Auburn and west of Colfax, California. This area is famously part of the original First Transcontinental Railroad route, completed in 1869. The steep grades and winding tracks here are essential for the passage of the Zephyr through the rugged Sierra Nevada, and this stretch is owned and maintained by the Union Pacific Railroad.

The 'California Zephyr' is one of Amtrak's most scenic routes, operating between Chicago, Illinois, and Emeryville, California (serving the San Francisco Bay Area). It traverses the spectacular Rocky Mountains, the Sierra Nevada, and vast stretches of prairie and desert. A passing meet between the eastbound and westbound Zephyrs (often referred to as trains 5 and 6) is a scheduled event but rarely happens in such a picturesque, photogenic setting with both consists fully visible. This date (Dec 26) is also noteworthy for potentially featuring extra cars and demand due to post-holiday travel.

CrossCountry class 220 Voyager travelling north on the East Coast Main Line near Burnmouth, Borders, Scotland, 2015

LP151787

Tractor stien til golfbana/Tractor trail to the golf course

In Jamestown, New York, on June 5th, 2021, the valley of the Chadakoin River as viewed from the south side of West 3rd Street.

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Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names terms:

• Chadakoin River (2231127)

• Chautauqua (county) (1002259)

• Jamestown (2069910)

Art & Architecture Thesaurus terms:

• industrial landscapes (300253299)

• power lines (300008603)

• spring (season) (300133097)

• summer (season) (300133099)

• temperate deciduous forests (300387649)

• urban forests (300132453)

• urban landscapes (300132447)

• valleys (landforms) (300008761)

• vines (300132406)

Wikidata items:

• 5 June 2021 (Q69306073)

• Allegheny Highlands forests (Q4731313)

• Allegheny Plateau (Q654947)

• Appalachian Plateau (Q620627)

• Chadakoin River (Q14706216)

• deindustrialization (Q5909102)

• Erie Drift Plain (Q64072343)

• June 5 (Q2622)

• June 2021 (Q61312778)

• Low Lime Drift Plain (Q80576918)

• Rust Belt (Q781973)

• Southern Tier (Q7570547)

• Treaty of Big Tree (Q7836988)

• Western New York (Q7988104)

Library of Congress Subject Headings:

• Forests and forestry—(New York (State) (sh85050741)

• Industries—New York (State) (sh2008104607)

• Valleys—New York (State) (sh86003152)

Upwards towards L'Authion in the Alpes Maritimes on an awesome off-road track below the ridgeline with my bike. During the Alps Divide Ultra Challenge in September 2024.

Northern Rail class 153 departing Arnside Station, Cumbria, England, 2014. LP142619

Above Tehachapi Loop, Ca.

TransPennine class 185 traveling on the East Coast Main Line (ECML) near Overton, North Yorkshire, England, 2016

LP160630

Olympus XA2

Fuji Provia exp 1990s

Developed by Underdog Lab Oakland

Bike ride in Black Diamond Mines Regional Park, formerly a very busy coal mine and town, now ghost town with interpretive center and just plain nice place to hang around and stare up at the big California sky and down at frogs, snakes, grasses, and broken trails

Atop Tunnel #10

A little overhang from the new straight section. Better to be too long than too short.

Arnside Station, Cumbria, England, 2014. LP142621

My house, my ride, my kitchen, my garden…

Glad that I did drive all the way to Granada and Badlands by car. Took my time. Rode some short loops in between on the way and am especially happy I scouted parts of the Gorafe desert already the Wednesday before the race. This gave me not only the opportunity to experience it in sunshine and below a blue sky but also just take in the place, stroll along and explore.

Like those living caves I found and show you here. That one is a pretty barren and bare bones one. And it’s right next to the race course! The vista point of the last photo actually isn’t. So many stunning details and grand vistas alike to explore in the Desierto de Gorafe!

during stage six of the 2010 Absa Cape Epic Mountain Bike stage race between Worcester and Oak Valley in the Western Cape, South Africa on the 26 March 2010

Photo by Sven Martin/SPORTZPICS

Karin and I rode the Bangtail Divide Trail on July 13, 2006. There's several ways you can ride this trail but most people probably climb up some gravel road and double track that meets up with the trail about halfway, then they'll ride down the amazingly fun northern section to get to the Brackett Creek trailhead pictured here (at this point they will be all happy smiles, no doubt :) From the trailhead, they'll ride their bikes on the road back to their car. Based on the official trailmap, that's the Grassy Mountain trail.

Karin and I decided to go out and back instead, we started here, climbed about 2000 feet and reached the doubletrack. We then continued up the trail (which on the official trailmap is called Olson to Stone), rode some really fun sections and some others that were more atv style through clearcuts. We turned around a while before the trail started going downhill towards the southern Stone Creek trailhead. Going back, there's some ups and downs until you reach the summit from where there are some 1500 feet of awesome descent. We had a blast! :)

Connecting the new track the old mains. This project was to remove a section of short single track though a slide prone area. We removed an old bridge, widened the ROW, installed a box culvert, and now BNSF is adding the double track.

Taken at the Oshkosh Model Railroad Club

Dresdner Parkeisenbahn, Zug mit Lok EA01.

Dresden Parkeisenbahn train with engine EA01.

Taken at the Oshkosh Model Railroad Club

BNSF 6397 scoots coal empties west on NS at Holmesville, IN Dawn to Dusker #33

Dumfries Station, Dumfrieshire, Scotland, 2015

LP150631

A rail track with rural scenery at summer day in Hokkaido, Japan.

Arnside Station, Cumbria, England, 2014. LP142618

Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria, England, 2014. LP142812

ScotRail class 380 standing at Drem Station, Lothian, Scotland, 2015

LP152422

Tehachapi Loop, Ca.

Heading into a big snowshed. Donner Lake in the valley. Snow getting

heavy.

From the end of the westbound Amtrak California Zephyr.

The last shot of the day taken from the road bridge parapet to take a shot of something I couldn't see. I guess I got lucky.

The fake brick platform (it is poured concrete with a brick pattern) gleams after a severe summer thunderstorm has passed through.

This is what a 0500 wake up call looks like.

Under the Loop