Today's railroad adventure:
Train meets!

You must realize that taking photographs out of the window of a thick passenger car window is difficult and if the train is not on curve, well...all you can see is straight out the window!
But, in the mountains of California, our Amtrak met two trains on its journey from Los Angeles to Seattle.
The first, top right is the northern bound Coast Starlight meeting the southbound version. We are just outside LA and climbing out of the basin that LA is in. Our next meet is in the mountains waaaayyyy north in Oregon. Here Amtrak is meeting a waiting UP freight heading south. Note that we have gone from sage brush and brown grass to evergreens. As we moved through these mountains, there was still snow on the ground---in early July! As always, click on the photos to see a larger view.
Our next meet is a view of the old and the new! As we arrived in LA, we went through the BNSF yards at Barstow and here are two buddies waiting in the yard. The old ATSF and the New BNSF.
I must comment, when I look at engines etc. in hobbie stores in OHIO, why do I see so many ATSF and UP engines? What has happened to B&O, C&O? Oh well, I digress.
Finally, our last meet of the day is a very, very long BNSF freight somewhere in the desert east of LA. I think we are nearing Barstow, but I don't remember (note: Take notes! )
Unlike here in OHIO, where trees and our numerous southern OHIO hills keep things hidden from view, out west you can see the long, long, long trains. Literally and I mean literally, for miles. It is hard to keep the entire train in the frame as you can see.
The west is dry, brown, but wonderful to look at from an Amtrak window. Taking a trip to LA via the SouthWest Chief was the way to go.