Compared to the hot “Z” train that had just gone west, the next train to gain access to Abo Canyon was a lowly merchandise train. The BNSF 5434 East and three more GE’s were pulling a very long HBARTUL1 from Barstow to Tulsa as the train whistled off and then came out of the siding to assault the grade up through Abo to Mountainair.
The engines were in Run 8 by the time they passed me by with a wave and a honk.
The train was moving at about thirty miles per hour when the units crossed the bridge to the east and then vanished around the curve.
Once again silence returned to my isolated lookout at the end of double track.
