Razing Arizona

[WhoozOn1st]

Wow very interesting, Mahalo

Mahalo and aloha, or aloha and mahalo (what do I know about Hawaiian grammar?), Eric. Here are a few shots from a segment of Razing Arizona, Phase II, that was entirely TOO interesting.

Dust Storm On I-10

Ordinarily I wouldn't post such stuff here, but as a SoCal coast resident totally unused to things like dust storms it was for me a unique, bizarre, and very scary experience.

 

[Long Train Runnin']

Wow very interesting, Mahalo

Mahalo and aloha, or aloha and mahalo (what do I know about Hawaiian grammar?), Eric. Here are a few shots from a segment of Razing Arizona, Phase II, that was entirely TOO interesting.

Dust Storm On I-10

Ordinarily I wouldn't post such stuff here, but as a SoCal coast resident totally unused to things like dust storms it was for me a unique, bizarre, and very scary experience.

Picture 6!!!

Thanks for sharing, I hope that driver was okay!

 

[gswager]

Mahalo and aloha, or aloha and mahalo (what do I know about Hawaiian grammar?), Eric. Here are a few shots from a segment of Razing Arizona, Phase II, that was entirely TOO interesting.
Dust Storm On I-10

Ordinarily I wouldn't post such stuff here, but as a SoCal coast resident totally unused to things like dust storms it was for me a unique, bizarre, and very scary experience.

Been here (in my area) and done that. Pretty cool to see the wall of dust running toward me.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

With Razing Arizona, Phase III, drawing to a close, the process of assembling collected material, churning it out, and foisting it upon the masses has begun. Phase IV is far down the road, so plenty of time to bring together leftovers of earlier phases as well. Also, with a projected travel gap of about a month maybe - just maybe - I'll be able to start going back and cleaning up the remaining detritus (like steam at Strasburg) from the Patrick & Alice RailRiot 2009. You have been warned!

Phase III involved about a week at Phoenix, and a number of rail activities were undertaken. We'll start with this video clip of an eastbound light rail train on a bridge at night:



It's a train! It's a light show! It's Super Rail!! Eastbound Valley Metro crosses Tempe Town Lake. The train traverses the bridge in a matter of seconds, but the lights go through their routine for another two minutes before returning to the American flag motif.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

In the course of Phase III Team Whooz switched hotels from one that used a live rooster as a general wake-up call to one within walking distance of the Phoenix Valley Metro light rail line:



Nonrail from Phase I:

Pima Air & Space Museum

 

[GG-1]

Between leaving one hotel and checking into another we visited McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. Unlike many park trains that use internal combustion engines tarted up as fake steam, McCormick-Stillmann features a real, live, miniature 2-8-2 steam locomotive.

Aloha

Do you know what scale these were? Very nice operation.

Mahalo

Eric

 

[KayBee]

Between leaving one hotel and checking into another we visited McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park. Unlike many park trains that use internal combustion engines tarted up as fake steam, McCormick-Stillmann features a real, live, miniature 2-8-2 steam locomotive.

Aloha

Do you know what scale these were? Very nice operation.

Mahalo

Eric

The Paradise and Pacific Railroad is a 5/12 scale, 15" gauge railroad modeled after turn-of the century Colorado narrow gauge equipment.

What a great looking engine! More information can be found by clicking this link.

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Let's begin this installment by agreeing that touring via internal combustion road vehicle is sometimes not so terrible.

Thank you, KayBee, for the scale info. Didn't have a ruler on hand, and thought the Paradise & Pacific was 12-inch gauge. Had no clue about the scale.

Riding the St. Charles line in New Orleans with a girlfriend once I was wondering out loud about the gauge. "Looks wider than standard," said I (it is). Said she, "I wish you paid as much attention to me as you do to your stupid trains." She didn't last long.

Photos:

McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park

Desert Power, Real & Model

And just to show eastoid skeptics that southern California does indeed have winter:

Desert Snow

 

[WhoozOn1st]

During Razing Arizona, Phases I and II, Alice had been bugging the bejeezus outta me to visit the Phoenix "Hall of Flame." I heavily resisted, figuring it was just some kinda rinky-dink tribute to the likes of Liberace and his ilk. But no: It's the USA's largest firefighting museum. Team Whooz finally got around to it in Phase III, and found it very entertaining and enlightening.

Phoenix Hall Of Flame & Light Rail

 

[WhoozOn1st]

Some loose ends...

In this video Motorman Alan (not AlanB of AU fame and infamy) works the controller and bell to take the Old Pueblo Trolley Japanese tram from 4th onto University and bring it to a safe stop at an intersection.