Ludlow 2011 - April 8th - 10th - aka Needles Sub Adventure

[chris_wlkr]

   

For those that have been here since we started you may remember seeing images from passed BNSF Needles Sub adventures.

Well it is time to do that again. This year we have the weekend of April 8th -10th marked for the annual event. It happened last year but was top secret.

I believe this marks year 7 or maybe year 8 for this.

What is it? A bunch of crazy people sitting in the middle of the mojave desert watching giant hunks of steel and paint fly bye at most hours of the day. A small group of us set up tents and camp Friday and Saturday night. Campers are welcome to join and enjoy the stars and conversation as well as some nighttime photography.

There is a central area that most gather during the day. It is identified on the maps below as "The Hut". The teepees are where we camp. If you do not want to camp, you can partake of the luxurious accomdations in Barstow - or even more daring accomdations in Ludlow. The Hotel Social Club (as we call em') centralize at the Ramada Inn in Barstow.

Please bring what you want with you and take everything you brought with you when you leave.

Where exactly? Southwest (relative) of the spacious modern luxury town of Ludlow, CA. You might miss the town if you blink at the wrong time on the way to Vegas... so here are some detailed instructions written by Jeff and recycled from previous years... coz really, things do not change much out there.

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Directions below are for railfans taking I-40 east out of Barstow.

There is only one off-ramp for Ludlow. Take it.
Ludlow follows the Hector off ramp (eastbound).

Jeff's notes on Hector, unrelated to directions.
There is nothing at Hector. business wise, or anything else wise. There is a siding
at Hector and I like the photo ops here, especially for eastbounds with a tele-smashie
lens. I prefer the grade crossing as a camera platform.

General notes on the sprawling metropolis of Ludlow, also unrelated to directions:
Ludlow has a Chevron station on the south side and a Unocal (??) on the north side. There is
a motel, a coffee shop, and the remnants of a town, mostly on the southside of the
interstate. The coffee shop has a niftie mining car on display at the front door. Just to the
east of the coffee shop will be a tire shop in an old gas station, cut thru the large parking
lot of the tire shop towards the tracks (further south).

At the end of the LUDLOW off-ramp go right.
You will be on Nat'l Trails Hwy. The Hwy will go to the left in less than 100 yards at
the T intersection. Go left at the T intersection, and almost immediately after the left,
and then go right just past the tire place in the old filling station.

As you pass the tire shop, the parking lot will become a street.
Believe it or not, this is Main Street. As you approach the tracks, the former
grocery and general merchandise store will be on your right.

Follow Main Street to the tracks.
The road will dead end at the tracks, turn right (westward) and drive the ballast about one mile, or less.

The ballast will end and a dirt road will form.
The road will drop down and will approach an underpass to allow access to the south side of the tracks.

This is the dicey part of the road, or at least it was in the past. A good constant speed will get you thru the soft spots.
Once clear of the underpass, turn right and continue west along side the tracks.

Continue westbound for about one to two miles. When you come to a fork in the road, take it too...
you might be hungry and you are almost there.

Bear left, away from the tracks towards the camping area.
If you bear right along the tracks, that will take you to the train viewing area and our base camp on Saturday.


~~~

Here are some maps that detail the area and where things are established.

Clicky to make bigger...

       

I think that is about it for now .. feel free to join us out there as long as you like me. If you don't like me .. then stay home.

Chris

[TC Smith]

That's the wrong way if you're going to Vegas ....


TCS - maybe possibly, I don't hate you or anything, Jenn thinks you're cool too.

[jeff]

Well... this is, in my opinion, the one railfan event of the year NOT to miss.

So much to see and so much to shoot... I am not sure where I will end up
"roaming and foaming" this year, but the possibilities are endless, or so it seems.

Also to add, each year we have several day-trippers join us, so that is an option
if camping or a motel bill are an obstacle. Feel free to PM me and I will share my
cell number with you so we can connect on Friday or Saturday or even Sunday.

Do not forget your FRS capatable radios !!

~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Fantastic photo ops can be found at...

Cadiz:
Interchange location between the AZCR and the BNSF.

Amboy:
Route 66 icon with several photogenic buildings.

Danby:
Ghost town remnants of a mineral processing facility. Two vacant houses still stand.

Klondike and Ash Hill:
Several photo spots with angles for almost any time of the day.

Goffs:
Mojave Desert Museum and a row of mailboxes that every photographer must abuse with his camera. Access to the ghost town of Lanfair.

Klinefelter:
A favorite of several of our attendees, therefore a likely meet point at some point on Saturday.

Ludlow:
Don't forget the fine town that hosts the event. Graveyards, abandoned homes, abandoned cars and travel trailers, abandoned gas stations and cafes, etc...

I may visit the former site of the Tonopah & Tidewater railroad terminus in Ludlow. I walked the site a few years back, but due to a harddrive failure, I lost all of my photos from that day. There are several foundations and service pits with all sorts of artifacts at your feet. Oddly enough, from a distance you cannot see a thing that might be RR related, but as you walk the site, there are many surprises to be seen.


Here is a view of the facility back in the day. The steam plume is about where the hut will be deployed.
A very cool travel in time, eh ??






this website has a few photos of the T&T facilities...
http://www.rasorranch.com/T&T_Rail_Road/...ilroad.htm

Interesting map that outlines the property of the T&T in Ludlow:
http://wikimapia.org/1812912/Tonopah-Tid...-abandoned

~ ~~ ~~ ~~ ~

the list could go on... but I gotta get back to work. Basically, there is a lot to do on this trip.

~ jeff

[CoasterMike2105]

Cool, that's my birthday weekend. If I get back from SBA in time, I may see if I can join in the funtivities. Looks like a great trip.

[kenszok]

Interesting links, Jeff. I didn't know that Mr. Winslow was that old.

[AMTK510]

I'll be out there on the 10th. I'll make note to bump into you guys.

[chris_wlkr]

(03-31-2011 12:09 PM)TC Smith Wrote:  That's the wrong way if you're going to Vegas ....


TCS - maybe possibly, I don't hate you or anything, Jenn thinks you're cool too.

That would depend on the route you choose. If I am going to Vegas I would rather follow the tracks so I could take the 40 and head up the back way. Granted it is the long way but much more entertaining then the boring traffic of the 15. Its about the adventure not so much the destination.

And I am glad Jenn thinks I am cool. Always appreciate the positive vibes.

[TC Smith]

Agreement, I always come back the long way more as a traffic avoidance measure, trains are a bonus.


TCS - a switch into a ditch, I wonder about metrolink sometimes ...

[chris_wlkr]

(04-01-2011 11:29 AM)TC Smith Wrote:  TCS - a switch into a ditch, I wonder about metrolink sometimes ...

Capn Obveus might say that is why them trains got them ditch lights.



But Seriously ... nah, nevermind.

Chris

[bastatim4294]

I couldn't get Friday and Saturday off, but if anyone is going late Saturday or early Sunday give me a PM, or email.

Tim~