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From 1978-1980, I was blessed to play Baseball for Liberty Christian High School in Huntington Beach, CA. Our school played in the small schools division throughout southern California. Two schools we played away games were Hesperia and Victorville. These games were played at my "Field of Dreams", Lime St. Baseball Park. Located in Hesperia, right next to the Santa Fe/Union Pacific mainline through Cajon Pass to Los Angeles. "If you play, the trains will come." My senior year, (I was the only one out of a class of 25), I circled April 11, 1980 on the calendar. This would be my final away game against Victorville at the Hesperia ballpark. I brought my trusty Pentax K-1000 camera filled with B&W Kodak Plus-X film. I was also the yearbook photographer in 1980. I gave my camera to one of our "Team Moms" Mrs. Hildom to take photos of the game and especially any trains going by. From home plate looking to straightaway centerfield and right field, you had a clear view of trains going by. It was very difficult at the plate trying to concentrate on the pitcher and the ball with a train going by! Eastbound trains would zip by with little warning going downhill toward Victorville. However, westbound trains could be heard for a long time struggling up the steep grade. So on this beautiful spring April afternoon, Coach Riddell put the ball in my hand to pitch this final game. With a comfortable lead in the top of the 7th inning, two outs and nobody on, I knew a westbound train was approaching quickly. I called time, stepped off the mound, to watch UP DD40X 6901 West with three 8000 class SD40-2H units lead the SuperVan toward Los Angeles. Mrs. Hildom captured the moment as I started walking back toward the mound. I pitched a complete game, we came away with a victory and celebrated afterward at the local McDonalds. The bus ride back to school was a happy one.

UP Centennial 6936 East climbs up the grade of Cima Hill just east of Kelso, CA. The Yermo to Last Vegas train has picked up some MOW cars stored at Kelso and is passing Dawes siding in April 1984.

During early 1981 the US was under a major recession and business was down in the railroad industry. Union Pacific placed many of their older motive power into storage until business increased. Many of the UP DD40X units were stored at the Las Vegas yard. Here are four of them including 6945 and 6927.

UP 6905 West is stopped at San Bernardino station to wait for a Santa Fe to clear before continuing to Los Angeles with the SuperVan train.

UP DDA40X Centennial 6909 is the lead unit for an eastbound TOFC train at the Los Angeles yard in 1980.

UP 6905 Centennial DDA40X is the lead unit on it's maiden trip back in service from Salt Lake to Los Angeles on the SuperVan in Yermo.

In February 1984 the DDA40X Centennials made a comeback to service between Salt Lake and the west coast. Here is UP 6902 stopped at Cajon waiting on a westbound to clear before headed up the south track eastbound due to MOW work on the north track.

On the night of April 3, 2014, a large line of severe thunderstorms came roaring into Arkansas. I'm an avid storm chaser and love shooting lightning. I started first at the UP yard in Malvern, capturing some good bolts. I then jumped in the car and raced north core punching through heavy rain and more lightning to get ahead of the storms. In Little Rock, I knew the UP DDA40X is on display outside the Jenks Shop and would make for a great photo with the coming storm. Arriving just after midnight and setting up the camera on the tripod in the backseat pointing the camera lens out the window, I was ready. Pressing the cable release and triggering the shutter, at 12:39:59 am this massive bolt hit just behind the unit! The flash was so bright and instant thunder very loud, I closed the shutter and this is what was captured. The bolt was less than 100 yards away. The drive back home to Hot Springs, I was thanking the Lord for allowing me to witness and capture the "photo" of a lifetime.