Daggett is only 1½ miles (2.4 km) from Barstow, but far enough away to have desert scenery that makes Barstow look like Los Angeles in comparison. (And, yes, that is a massive exaggeration ... or is it?) Daggett is also where the Union Pacific trains that have trackage rights on the BNSF from UP's Los Angeles Sub in Riverside to here, where UP trains diverge off the BNSF and back onto the UP's Los Angeles Sub ... for another 3 miles (4.8 km), at which point their line becomes the Cima Sub to Las Vegas. Which is a long set up to point out the junction here, just to the left of BNSF High Priority Merchandise train H-KCKBAR1-26A. Those signals are UP's, and one can also see the LA Sub trackage curving to the north.
But ... What about this BNSF train, you ask? This freight is heading west from Kansas City, Kansas (BNSF's Argentine Yard) to Barstow, just 2 miles ahead (the yard is just beyond the Barstow location mentioned earlier). Once in the yard, the power (BNSF ES44DC 7336, BNSF Dash 9-44CW 5074 and BNSF ES44C4 4225 up front, BNSF ET44C4 3774 midtrain, and BNSF ES44DC 7272 and Union Pacific ES44AC 7968 on the rear) will be cut off for servicing, and this train will be broken up and the cars distributed to both southern and northern California.
And, look carefully, and you can see the rear of eastbound BNSF empty unit grain train X-FRSDRA2-28L, heading from Fresno CA to Drayton ND behind BNSF ET44C4 3918, ES44C4 6754, ET44C4 3801 and AC44C4M (a rebuilt Dash 9-44CW) 611. (Daggett, California – March 1, 2025)
(What a wordy caption for a fairly dull photo! Sorry about that…)
