We managed to make it here to Cheyenne in decent time. There's a *lot* of old, gray-haired folks that are here - hmmm...can't be the Home Expo that's just a block away from us - naah! 😀
After checking in, it was time to do a bit of scouting...let's cruise thru downtown & see what we see!
Union Pacific Train Depot - Cheyenne, WY
Apparently, there is a decent train museum located inside - another time, perhaps!
Now, I had lucked up and noted there is a display Big Boy in a park close to the train yard. We did a drive-by thru downtown, then headed over to the park to see a Big Boy. You know, in the event the *other* one doesn't run tomorrow.
Yep, actually letting people into the cab (it was pretty trashed...). There were people that had retired from UP and also from UP's contractor that were also answering questions.
That's quite a long way off the ground - eight feet easily! Photo by G T
Dr Gramlich was a long-time physician in the Cheyenne area.
After seeing this, we got a quick bite to eat - crossed downtown traffic one more time, then retired to our room for the evening. Since most of the lodging along the road was also in close proximity to the railroad yard we were next to, we'd periodically hear trains passing thru during the evening.
As I was doing a little bit of picture file backup, every once in a while, you'd hear a locomotive whistle in the evening air. Didn't get an opportunity to record it, but just hearing it - that was cool!
Day 4 - Cheyenne, Laramie, Rock River, Sinclair, Rock Springs, WY - 274 miles, 12.5 hours total, 6h:15m total waiting time.
I was 80% sure I had the route that *I* was going to follow down at this point...but that 20% was in the back of my head - hard.
We waited at the right end of town for the departure...four rails, but an inter-modal train (what? container-train!) had blocked our view of the special train as it left. Damn - who knew we were all on the wrong side of the tracks??
Smoke & whistle let's us know - it's moving...but...we don't see it!!! Photo by G.T.
Aw crap! Track 1 is on the *other* side - inter-modal sits on track 3 and track 4 is the clear track closest to us - argh!! Photo by G.T.
Yeah - this isn't gonna work; gotta start flyin' toward Laramie!! Photo by G.T.
My wife and I bolted for the bike, then headed out of Cheyenne to catch the train as it entered the town of Laramie, which would be stop three on this day. Later, I'd learned that issues at the second stop (Harriman) lead to it being over 30 minutes late at this point of the journey. One of the images I featured in the previous blog entry; here are a few others...
We managed to get to the depot relatively early - even after stopping for fuel and a snack as we entered Laramie.
Train history is kinda big around here...well, after all, trains really helped Wyoming thrive!
Moments before the train arrives, and the crowd is easily a couple thousand all along the fence on both sides of the depot.
Photo by G.T.
Okay - once the train is stopped, there's nothing to see. We need to move on to...well, I don't know.
Shhh...don't tell him I put this picture here. I wanna see if he notices it! ;) July, 2019 - Not yet...
We bolted from here - and the traffic in this small community (around 30,000) was BAD. I still thought we'd get some good pictures...but needed another location. The rail line ran behind this shopping center...and with that, I made the decision to take video rather than stills:
So did my wife!
Once the train left view, again, we hurried out of the parking lot in an effort to get "chase" images. Much of US-30 north of Laramie parallels the rails. On a popular railroad forum, it's known as the "Wyoming 500" for good reason...the photos will tell the story:
Really?? No, I'm taking a photo of how close we were able to park - the building in the background is the train depot! Win!!
So, my goal is to keep us from getting run over, while my wife is to get some pictures. This is the "Wyoming 500" - as in 500 (or more, easily...) cars are all trying to be in the same position - pacing the train. Obviously, being on the bike had it's advantages! ;)
The highway and the rail line parallel each other rather close for miles. Being on the bike, I was able to maneuver around the traffic, and hoped that my wife would get some good shots - not bad at all! Photo by G.T.
Photo by G.T.
When we got to the the four lane divided portion of the highway, traffic was able to either pace the locomotive (which everyone wanted to do for photos...) or like us, move along to get to another location to see it again.
I could only physically watch it at this point - and it was only for a few seconds (remember what my primary job was...). It was absolutely magnificent to watch all that machinery working like that.
::whistle sound goes here::
I don't think I even noticed the car until I reviewed the photo. Note the sheer number of people out in the middle of nowhere to watch this pass in 20 seconds.
...and like that, it's gone, the track is clear, and we're on our way!
The train is along the ridge to the left of this image. We're about a half-mile behind it. There's two lines of cars all the way to the locomotive - remember what people are wanting - pictures of it running! Behind me? There's three or more miles of vehicles - all wanting to do what we did!
The train is headed to Rock River - from here, it's 2-laned all the way back to I-80. There's a direct route to get to I-80; there's only one more place to really see this thing today - 90+ miles away. We're doing that. I looked at Google Maps; it showed the backup of vehicles for nearly seven miles. Good choice!
By this time in the afternoon, the wind is blowing pretty good. There's a couple of times I needed the entire lane.
A quick fuel stop near Walcott, WY; there's but one more location I'd like to be at to see this thing. There's rail access right outside an industrial location. Well, not just industrial, but it's a refinery. In Sinclair, WY. Yes, that Sinclair.
Off to the left at the horizon is the refinery. There's a rail yard just off the left of the road that has a *lot* of rail tank cars in it.
A 1/4 miles of dirt road, and we're right against the tracks. We had security come by as well as cops - they never spoke to the few of us that were here. Yeah, we may have been trespassing; they didn't have a sign posted.
Think I got one...
My wife did nearly as well from the comfort of the bike. Photo by G.T.
Having the GoPro on the bike positioned as I did, it was a "Hail-Mary" recording it as it passed...how'd that turn out?
From here, I was done - I know my wife was. We had room reservations - 90 miles away. The train was only going another few miles to Rawlins, WY; we were headed to Rock Springs. The truck stop at Sinclair had a restaurant; we both need a good meal and a bit of comfort.
The Sinclair dinosaur at the Sinclair Truck Stop in Sinclair, WY
We arrived in Rock Springs a bit later than I would have liked; of course, I was following a path to 'Rock Springs', and not to our lodging *in* Rock Springs for the night. Fatigue, my old friend, has returned. It was a lot like I felt while midway thru my 48-10 ride.
Too tired to review the photos that night, I made the decision we were going to head for home from here. If we needed to do so, the second day would be backtracking that 90 miles, and seeing if there was other places to catch the train as it headed toward where we were in Rock Springs.
May 5, 2019
My wife slept in; I did get up early & review the images. We got what we got; I'm gonna be okay with what we had. Yeah, it's about the photos, but it was also about the experience of chasing the train across Wyoming. I'm satisfied. It's time to find breakfast, fuel and point the bike south & head for Arizona.
US-191 south of Rock Springs, WY
Entering the Flaming Gorge Nat'l Recreation Area, WY
Yes, the white stuff is snow. My local contact said there would still be a bit remaining at this time of year.
Entering Utah, still in the Flaming Gorge National Recreation Area
Crossing the Flaming Gorge Dam, Utah
The aspens have yet to begin to leaf up...spring hasn't quite happened yet at this elevation.
Vernal, Utah. Spent a bit of time talking to a local out on a ride; one of the few he's been on this year.
I'm looking at this cloud "I think we go around it." We did.
We don't have these in AZ...not a bad chicken wing place.
Approaching Green River, UT on US-191. "I think we may have a chance to get wet..."
It's Sunday, and it's Utah. NO telling what might be open, or what might NOT be open. Get gas now!
Decent gear means you don't get very wet. Good gear means you don't get wet in a brief shower that this was.
Moab, Utah. Busy on a Sunday afternoon. I know my next gas stop - I'm good until I get to Blanding.
Blanding, UT - not a lot of civilization to the south, and we just rolled thru central Utah. Get gas.
Navajo Nation, Utah
That last little bit of natural light - taken over the shoulder as we're zipping down the road - Navajo Nation, AZ
Navajo Nation, Arizona. I'm certain we're gonna run out of light.
This is why I bring my own lighting. My wife was a bit uncomfortable during this part of the ride. When it's dark out here, it's dark!
...and we made it to the hotel. I'm more tired than hungry...I'm ready for bed. Holbrook, AZ
A shower, a bed and sleep. Home is less than a half-day away. From here, don't even need a map. ;)
May 6, 2019
Lazily, we got out of bed for the final 300-odd miles home. No pix, but one final story to share.
I didn't fill up in Holbrook in the morning; Show Low is only 50 miles away. If I fill in Show Low, I can make it home with no problem.
We fill with fuel in Show Low, and after I get clear of the town, along US-60...I'm in the home stretch. I can just about do this ride in my sleep. I decide to wick it up a bit, trying to get myself to a point that I'll have some clear sailing down (and up) that ten miles of fun called Salt River Canyon.
After a bio-break at the bottom of the canyon, I begin the climb out - at a fair pace. Hey, five miles of fun is better than none.
About half-way up the canyon - zoom!
We were buzzed by an F-35! About a second later, here comes the two-ship (wing-man) off echelon right.
Two seconds later, they were out of sight. First time I've ever heard of that being done in the Salt River Canyon.
The rest of the ride home was completely uneventful...thanks for reading!
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