Some of our club members enjoy train watching and other types of railfanning. Here is a list of action sites around Tucson as well as other rail related places and activities.

Sunset Route is owned by Union Pacific, typical consists are UP SD70M's, sometimes you can see NS, CSX, SP and Conrail power. Typical freight seen is Autoracks, Stacktrains, UPS piggyback trains and few Manifests (mixed freight).

Dragoon, Arizona

(Lordsburg Subdivision, Sunset Route, 50-70miles out of Tucson, AZ)

Location Description: Dragoon has four major areas within it. You have Benson City, out side of that lies Fenner, in the middle of Dragoon is Sibyl and just passed that is Tully. These are great areas to photograph from. Dragoon has the most grade out of all the areas that are listed. It is very easy to get to the area of Dragoon, its just off Interstate 10. To get into the areas of Dragoon requires a bit more work. Railroad MOW roads follow the double trackage all the way from Benson to Tully and beyond, so your always in visible sight of the tracks. Dragoon offers great desert scenery combined with very large mountain ranges that make for a nice backdrop. Benson City is the closest place for gas and food, once you get into Dragoon, the only thing that is visible is the railroad, nobody else is out there. Double trackage offers a great volume of trains all day, but they seem to come in spirts. There are plenty of large hills and cuts to climb a top of to get a great shot. I wouldnt suggest going into Dragoon if your on a time limit, or if you have a small car. It can get pretty rough and it may require hiking to a photo location. If you are spending a weekend for just train watching/ photography then i would suggest going to it for a good afternoon's time.

Here is how to get there (mapquest link below). To start at Fenner (just outside of Benson), take exit 306 off I-10 to E 4th Street (which is a frontage road). From there you can access the RR MOW road and just follow it all the way up, and you can pick out shots as you go along. To start from the middle of Dragoon area, take Sibyl Rd. Exit 314 off I-10 and you will follow Sibyl Rd till you hit the RR tracks from there you can figure out which way you want to go. To start from the end of Dragoon area (and work your way toward Benson). Take exit 318 off I-10 and follow Dragoon Rd till you hit the RR tracks. From there you can hang a right and follow the MOW road to Tully. Mapquest shows the whole area, zoom in on the different locations to see. Dragoon Mapquest Map UP 5107 East at Tully UP 4127 East passing Fenner

Tucson Yard, Arizona

(East End, Sunset Route, In Tucson, AZ)

Location Description: The East end of the Tucson Yard is a great place to watch trains coming in and out of the city. You can view the local switching operations, trains that are Eastbound and Westbound. There is a signal bridge at the end of the yard that will show you movements coming your way. This area is a good place to have a scanner and binoculars. On Weekend mornings it isnt uncommon for other railfans to be parked at the East end of the yard. There is plenty of room to park a vehicle and you can even sit in your car and watch the trains go by. This area is a good place to go if you are on a time limit, because you can always find something moving and its very easy to get to.

Here is how to get there (mapquest link below). The yard end is off Alvernon Way and Technical Drive. You can access it two ways. One way is to come off Avaition Parkway and turn off at Techinal Drive and from there you can pull off to the right and park. Or you can come Alvernon Way and turn at Techincal Drive and from there you can pull off left and park. Mapquest shows directions, you can access it from many different areas. Tucson Yard, Alvernon & Technical Map UP 4729 East out of Tucson Yard UP Eastbound 4473 pulls out of Tucson Yard

Tucson Depot, Arizona

(Gila Subdivision, Sunset Route, In Tucson, AZ)

Location Description: Tucson has a brand new, renovated train depot. It is the only one in town and the only passenger service is Amtrak. Amtrak's schedule varies so you may need to call and find out (call (520) 623-4442), make sure you a count for the late hours because it is a rarity for Amtrak to acually be on time. The depot is nice, there is a up coming train museum that is supposed to be in the depot as well. From the platform you can view a double track main line that features trains coming in to the yard (eastbound) or trains going out of the yard (westbound). Tucson's Yard is about 5 miles or less away from the depot. You can view trains from there as well. The deopt is located almost smack dab in the middel of downtown Tucson, so its pretty good spot to hit if you doing other touring in downtown.

Here is how to get there (mapquest link below). The Depot is at 400 E Toole Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 Phone # is (520) 623-2223 Mapquest shows directions, you can access it from many different areas. Tucson Amtrak Station Mapquest Map Also visit there new website: The Historic Depot UP 5550 West at Speedway Blvd (just passing the depot) The Station, newly renovated

Picacho/ Picacho Peak, Arizona

(Gila Subdivision, Sunset Route, 50 miles from Tucson, AZ)

Location Description: Picacho is a great place to just do some desert photography without all the trouble of going off road and what not. Picacho is right next to Interstate 10 and you can easily access the railroad tracks by taking an exit. Picacho has all around good traffic volumes. You have a single track mainline with two siding tracks on either side of the main. This is a perfect place to catch train meets and train crews. Picacho also is the gateway to the Phoneix line. This is a Wye track that branches off the Sunset Route. It runs up to Phoneix and back, you can sometimes catch Santa Fe or BNSF power on it. Outside of Picacho you can use the frontage road to pace trains. The frontage road follows the tracks almost every inch of the way (from Picacho to Marana, about 25 miles total). There is gas and food at Picacho Peak which might be another good tourist area to hit.

Here is how to get there (mapquest link below). Get off at exit 212 and follow the frontage rd to E Camino Adelante Drive. The you will run into a grade crossing off McClellans Rd, this will get you to a area to pull off at. You can also follow Camino Adelante Drive (frontage rd) to be right next to the tracks. Mapquest shows the grade crossing, zoom in or move the map to see possible exits and other areas along Camino Adelante Drive. Picacho Mapquest Map UP 4149 East is waiting in the siding as a Westbound passes UP 8363 is passing Wymola siding (located about 2 miles before Picacho

Page last updated (6/03/06).

All photos copyright of Pat Lorenz, please contact for permission to use them