Chapter 4

He shook off the moody thoughts and began to look around. The scenery was breathtaking. High above the track on a steep and jagged limestone bluff, he glimpsed remnants of ancient cliff dwellings. Then, as the train rumbled on, a curve revealed a panorama of the Verde River, edged in green as its name implied, a brilliant gem in the stark red, gray and white desert that surrounded it. He snapped many quick shots.

As the track turned again, he heard Clay gasp. “Oh my God, that’s the bridge! Here’s SOB Canyon. I never saw it from this angle before.”

Sure enough, just ahead, the track made a relatively sharp curve and crossed a deep canyon on a massive old trestle-style bridge. Jon hurried to get a couple of pictures as the lead engine started across the bridge. One might look good in the line’s new brochure. He felt a moment of gratitude for the tight curves, which allowed you to see both the front and rear of the train from the middle of it.