This is a Blackberry photo of the Union Pacific Railyard in Tucson, AZ where PL Productions shot video for an upcoming public information piece with URS Corporation’s Creative Solutions Group. The engine in the center of the picture is referred to as the “Green Goat”, but is officially the YD40. We never figured out why it is nicknamed that. It was really interesting working with the Union Pacific and having access to the yards and lines in Arizona. The rail line is currently replacing old track and we were afforded the opportunity to get an up close look at how it is done. You might imagine black and white photos of thousands of Chinese laborers with sledgehammers, but it is now very automated and requires only a handful of workers to keep the machines running. All of the old wooden ties are removed and new concrete ties are put in place.
Our locations were between Phoenix and Tucson, so we not only enjoyed warm sunny weather far from the single digits in Colorado, but we were also treated to many historic and interesting sites including Picacho Peak Monument. Unfortunately, the monument has suffered a major drop in tourism and the site looks like a burned out ghost town. Nevertheless, the ostrich farm next door seems to be doing OK.
