Crawford Hill - Windy Point trip

[skyview]

One Thursday, May 19 I made a last minute decision to go to Crawford Hill, NE, and stay at the Ponderosa Ranch, located on Crawford Hill at Breezy Point. I had found out that the Ponderosa Ranch had a guest house available to rent through an add in CTC board. The Ponderosa Ranch is a working cattle ranch, operated by Jeff and Kim Lund, and Dale and Donna Steike. The ranch has a guest house that they rent out to hunters, families or others interested in horseback riding, and railfans! To say the least, this seemed to be a unique occurance, and I promptly inquired with the owners of the ranch. They were prompt with there reply, and very very friendly. Trying to juggle work schedules, availability of the guest house, and good weather was a tough task, but Kim Lund kept me posted and had great patience as I tried to arrange a trip. At the last minute, conditions looked good, and off to NE I went. I arrived late in the day Thursday, May 19, and shot several trains. The next morning, after a break fast of french toast, eggs, and bacon prepared by Kim and served with the family, it was off to the tracks. The best access is high above the tracks, and I was taken trackside via Kim on there 4 wheeler. The following images are a sampling of the 200+ images I shot in a little over a day.... Train density was excellent, and photo angles abound. I cannot recommend highly enough a trip to the Ponderosa Ranch to shoot the BNSF on Crawford Hill (all quite legal without trespassing), and support the Lunk and Steike family as they open there ranch to railfans, a very UNIQUE occurance in this day and age!!! For those interested, here is the link to the ranch website http://www.ponderosaranch.net/

The first shot shows an eastbound train at the ranch's private crossing, with the second shot showing a westbound light pusher set, again at the ranch's private crossing, below Breezy Point, on Thr, May 19, 2005

The third shot shows an eastbound coal load behing pushed around the curves, just below Breezy Point, Friday May 20, 2005 while the fourth shot shows light pushers returning west to Crawford pass pushers on an eastbound coal load, just below Breezy Point on Friday, MAy 20, 2005

[skyview]

The fifth shot shows eastbound train in the S curves, just west of the ranch's private crossing. The high angles provided the best views.... Friday May 20, 2005.

The sixth shot shows one of the pusher sets seen all day had two BNSF red/silvers units, as seen here. Friday, May 20, 2005 just below Breezy Point.

Shot Seven: A westbound coal empty moves through the curves at Breezy Point, Friday, May 20, 2005

Shot Eight: Wide angle view of a westbound train coal empty just west of Breezy Point, Friday May 20, 2005

[skyview]

Shot Nine: The photo angles are endless, just follow the light around the curve. Here is a view of the sharp curve at Breezy Point as a pusher set shoves a coal load east, Friday, May 20, 2005.

Shot Ten: The curve is infact a horseshoe curve, as can be seen in this shot of a loaded eastbound coal load, with the rear of the train visible. Mutliple movements make for good angles, with plenty of returning helper sets to add to the action. Friday, May 20, 2005.

Shot Eleven: Angles everywhere, here is a shot across the horseshoe curve of another eastbound load. Friday, May 20, 2005.

Shot Twelve: Another shot showing an eastbound train, with the trains pushers visible in the background. Friday, May 20, 2005.

[skyview]

Shot Thirteen: A wide angle view of the horseshoe curve, shows an eastbound coal load just below Breezy Point. Friday, May 20, 2005.

Shot Fourteen: Train trains trains, here, an westbound emtpy exits the large, horshoe curve, as seen from BreezyPoint. In the distance, a eastbound coal load glistens in the sun. Friday, May 20, 2005.

Shot Fifteen: One final posting from the trip, an eastbound coal load at Breezy Point, again with train its train visible above it. Friday May 20, 2005

I hope these images show just some of the many angles available. I only spent one full day, as work requirements dictated. However, I would recommend two full days to shoot the curve, as the opposite side of Windy Point has many angles as well, angles that I saw while hiking but didnt have time to shoot. I encourage all to support the owners of the Ponderosa Ranch as they make this curve accessable to all railfans. One note, you do not have to stay at the ranch to gain access to the curve, they do have a day rate of $25 which allows full access to the curve, without using the guest house, again a great deal for this type of access!

[Trackside]

Nice series! I like all the curves you've got out there.

Q: What's up with the tanker cars that some of the helpers have?? If that full of fuel?

[ahockley]

A double thanks.... one for showing us those images (not sure if it was your photo selection or the operations, but I liked the preponderance of green as opposed to orange) and a second thanks for pointing out this ranch which sounds like a great deal either for an overnight or day trip. I've been pondering heading somewhere in the midwest next year. Hmm....

[skyview]

Breezy Point is correct name, sorry bout that, fixed the posts (I think I caught them). Lots of BNSF green on the trip, though orange as well.... just picked shtos that represented the area. I did plan the trip to capture green landscape, as the area is frequently brown in all but wet years, and of course each spring when the grasses green up.

The tendor spliced between/with the helpers is a fuel tendor, something I did not realize the BNSF still did, but as seen here, they certainly do.

[Mike]

Wow, only $100 a night for railfans, but $300 a day for rifle hunters. They must love railfans.

[Keith 55]

Great series, Skyview.
It's cool to see new photos of the fuel tenders in operation.
They make perfect sense in some situations.
How close is the nearest fuel from where these helper sets work?

[steveeshom]

I'm with Aaron...hmm...must consider this sometime in the near future. Thanks for sharing the great photos and the tip on the ranch!