Black Mesa & Lake Powell Part 1
January 23, 2012
Man I got Lucky! While coming home from a short trip to Durango and Silverton Colorado I was driving through Kayenta heading for Tuba City and Flagstaff when I came across something I’ve been wanting to see for years… a Black Mesa & Lake Powell Railway train! As I was passing under the conveyor that crosses over Highway 160, I started seeing some hopper cars. Sure enough it was a train that had just finished loading and was ready to head west. As I was nearing the train on foot (on the road side of the barbed wire fence, not the railroad side), the engineer came out of the cab and started talking to me. A really nice guy who’s name I did not catch, he said that the conductor was walking the train from the rear and as soon as he got back to the headend they would leave for Page. We talked trains for a few minutes, then it was time for them to leave. Shakey and wind blown I know, but that train had the highball and they weren’t waiting around for me to setup the shot better! I’m just glad I had a video camera to document the rare treat for me. I was able to race ahead a few times and get some more shots that I’ll also post. Motive power: General Electric E60C’s EA034, EA038, BM&LP 6006 (the last original BM&LP E60 still operating on the railroad), and EA022. 83 cars. August 28th, 2010. Thanks for watching.
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17 Responses to “Black Mesa & Lake Powell Part 1”
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@railfanentertainment Yeah, that? would be nice to see.
It would be awesome if they would rebuild a GG1 to today’s? standards and run it.
@baggerolli1 Thank you for your comments. I’m happy you liked the video. You know, I think the railroad is not in any hurry to repaint these locomotives. I’m pretty sure they’ve been on the property and working for over a decade now, and I believe that only one? of the former Mexican units has been repainted. Judging by the way the right of way has been maintained and the fact that this railroad is landlocked, I’d say they take very good care of these units.
Wonderful this rare footage, I do appreciate your? work! Keep on Oliver. I wonder tat the two first locos hare painted for the National de Mexico, has the owner of the mine changed or what has happend?
Regards from Germany!
dam thats weird! Im used to hearing some large, high displacment diesel engines notch up. All you can hear of these 4 beasts is air spitting and traction? motors! Very awesome sight to behold!
It’s a shame? that my Mexico did not take the power of these locomotives
@rpm2night Yes, it is actually an air hose that supplies compressed air to each car to activate the mechanism that is used to open the hopper doors and dump the load.? There is a kind of a paddle on each side of the car near one of the trucks that when in the unloader trips the mechcanism and the doors open automatically, dumping the load. I’m not sure if the paddle is electrical or a pressure switch. The air for the dump system is totally separate from the train braking system.
Pretty nice catch! Looks like there is an electrical jumper between each car. Any idea what that’s used? for?
Very? neat video of such an interesting railroad!
Y pensar que así podría verse la doble vía? eléctrica de México a Querétaro….
@espeescotty well the reason why the U50, U5C were cut up and ha short lifes was because they had alot of problems….manily with there size and high maintance costs…and the u30cg’s were amazing? fully streamlined and everything….the P30ch’s were good to very good..i did as around a few years ago and there might be atleast few of the P30ch’s for sale still..but tht might have changed…oh btw China never bought an E60 it was the Navajo Mine Railroad was the one i just got the places mixed up
@EMDSD14R Yup, I guess they were retired in ’03 and? got cut up pretty quickly. Old GE’s don’t get much love. So many rare and cool GE’s (U30CG, U50, U50C, P30CH just for a few) got scrapped with out any consideration given to saving any of them. Many railroads just thought of them as crap and many of them were, but it still would be nice to be able to see them at museums.
@espeescotty yeah i’ve seen the Amtrak one up close its a beauty..but there all scrapped now?… man they did tht fast..i rememeber? seeing them like in 2000….man thts something..i know one E 60 is in china but i’ll have to check on tht..i have four of the big e’s in my collection..and they are great loco’s
@EMDSD14R Unfortunately I don’t think that can happen. There are only two passenger E60′s left (one Amtrak and one NJ Transit) and they’re in museums. All of the others back east have? already been scrapped or are in scrap yards. I saw pics in a train magazine of a few Amtrak E60′s being cut up. The only E60′s still running are out here in the southwest on the BM&LP and the Deseret-Western in southern Utah and Colorado. Mexico might still be running some, but I really don’t know for sure.
@espeescottyohh.. i never knew tht if u make the windows smaller tht it could cut down on costs for the engine….but i like the way they look….plus there still using the other e 60′s…i hope i can get some film of these trains….its ashame the Amtrak retired their E 60′s so soon…well atleast they can get them up and? running quickly if needed since there being stored around the system
@EMDSD14R Thanks for the feedback. I’m glad you liked it. I just wish the wind and my shakey hands weren’t so bad. You know, I can’t say why the windows on the front are different. I would guess it’s either a cost saving design change that G.E. did to lower manufacturing expenses, or maybe it’s just that NdeM odered them that way. It seems that every time a locomotive has a change in the design of it’s windshield it is always to reduce the cost of replacement glass and? manufacturing costs.
i love these units!!!..E60′s are awsome…these looked? like a beefed up version of Amtraks E60CH’s..why are the cab window’s so small/far apart then the ones i’ve seen? i’ve always wondered about tht..great job filming the train!!!