Off to Arizona for another great event.

Winslow: the host with the most -- including trains.

Your *All Access* pass for an inside look at the weekend. Name badge artwork by Kip Thompson.

La Posada's Sheila Ashenfelder working the front desk getting everyone checked in.

Santa Fe Railway & Historical Society Secretary Eric Hiser (seated) works the Meet registration desk on Saturday morning.

Eric Hiser makes opening remarks at the Santa Fe Society Meet. The Society mini-meet was held in La Posada's beautiful ballroom. You've got to love those turquoise vigas.

Left to right: Bud Klumph, Paul Brown and Jürgen Dietrichkeit take in the Meet. Paul and Bud traveled to Winslow from Indianapolis.

Ken Rhoads presents "Santa Fe Treats in Oakland." Second year in a row that Ken presented at the Winslow Meet.

Jürgen Dietrichkeit presents "Abo Canyon—From Prototype to Model Layout." Jürgen traveled from Germany for the Meet.

Eric Hiser (left) works the Santa Fe Society's Company Store between presentations.

Society Treasurer and the last Santa Fe Railway public relations man, Mike Martin, presents "Homer and Me." Mike's presentation recounted his days working with the late Homer Henry at the Santa Fe. There's an online tribute to Homer Henry here: http://www.qstation.net/Homer_Henry/

Eric Hiser (left) presents La Posada Hotel owner Allan Affeldt a check from the Santa Fe Railway Historical & Modeling Society for $100 in support of continued La Posada preservation work.

"They're Baaaaaaaaack!..." SouthWest Free-mo's 2008 La Posada Depot set-up.

2008 Winslow trackplan drawn by Kevin Hughes.

Santa Fe modeler and Winslow resident Jim Buckley visited the Depot shortly after the layout was operational so we put a throttle in his hand.

Kevin Hughes sets up the Albuquerque Ramp.

Trio of SD75Ms hauling coal. Ortner 5-bay rapid discharge hoppers by Athearn, motive power by Overland, LokSound and ditchlights installation by Paul Federiconi.

This is what it is all about: Seth Kohler (left) and his grandfather Lyle Kohler. Lyle retired in Winslow after forty-nine (49) years as an ATSF and BNSF conductor. Seth works at La Posada while going to school.

Action on Kevin Hughes' two (2) new work-in-progress 45 degree Santo Domingo modules.

Tom Trodden's quartet of D&RGW SD45s power a manifest freight.

Left to right: Tom Trodden, Dan Risdon of Free-mo LA, and Kevin Hughes.

Dan Risdon's SP motive power lash-up hauls a manifest.

Gary Walton (left) and Kevin Hughes yuck it up. Gary flew in for the Winslow event from Philadelphia and was Contributing Editor for the late great Model Railroading magazine.

Model railroad industry pow wow: Joe D'Elia (left) of A-Line/Proto Power West and Dave Hussey of Cannon & Co. hanging out at the SouthWest Free-mo Depot set-up.

Jay Styron scratchbuilt a model of the prototype maintenance shed at Dalies, New Mexico, and brought it to the Meet to add to the Dalies module set. Jay currently serves as President of the San Diego Model Railroad Museum and is a member of the La Mesa Model Railroad Club.

Butch Eyler works Plains Escalante Generating. Butch came from Pennsylvania for the Winslow Meet.

Nighttime ops in the Depot as Mark McLeod guides a Yellowbonnet powered coal train around the Isleta reversing loop.

Mark McLeod's Santa Fe coal drag around the other end of the layout during nighttime ops.

Action on Kevin Hughes' Thoreau module set.

Jay Styron (left) looks on as Joe Rogers handles motive power.

Busy at Dalies.

ATSF Redheads pulling coal across Tom Trodden's Abo Canyon Bridge 3 module.

Kevin Hughes (left) and Dan Risdon work the DCC programming track with Kevin's JMRI-equipped laptop.

Conor Ryan (left) builds a train while Matt Martin looks on.

Tim Costello (left) and Butch Eyler talk weathering on Butch's train.

Harry Wong poses with his Santa Fe motive power lash-up on Tom Trodden's Plains Escalante Generating module set. Harry traveled from San Francisco for the set-up.

Dave Hussey (left) and Gary Walton take a break from operations to talk intermodal trailer modeling. Gary examines Dave's kitbashed Yellow Freight pup trailer. Behind them Dan Risdon leans in for a shot.

Left to right: Kip Thompson, Tim Costello and Dan Risdon check out Jay Styron's SP train. The Yellow Freight pup trailer will soon magically migrate back to the intermodal ramp.

Eddie Ryan (left) and son Conor Ryan running a train. Eddie and Conor are visiting from Tucson.

Kip Thompson operates his New Mexico Rail Runner Express.

La Mesa Model railroad Club members Paul Voss (left) and Jay Styron strike a pose. Paul and Jay traveled from San Diego for the event.

Eddie Ryan grooves a train around Isleta.

Jim Morgan (left) and Pat Perea. Jim is a retired Santa Fe conductor out of Albuquerque with 42 years of service. Pat is a BNSF engineer based in Belen. Jim and Pat used to work together and are reunited at the Meet in Winslow during Pat's layover.

For several hours late Saturday afternoon, professional musician Richard Firth serenaded the crowd and Free-mo operations with live jazz on his clarinet. It was one of those cosmic things that you had to be there to appreciate and that will never be captured by a mere camera. It was fantastic!

Dave Hussey looks on at Harry Wong's SD26 powered York Canyon coal drag.

Close-up of Mark McLeod's Radio Control Car kitbashed from a Highliners shell.

Mike Martin checks out the intermodal action.

Tom Trodden (black cap) and Joe Rogers (tan cap) sort out dispatching protocols.

Harry Wong (left) aims his Nikon and shoots his York Canyon coal train. Paul Brown (white shirt - center right) at the throttle of a Redbonnet powered Santa Fe coal train. Tom Trodden (black shirt - center) dispatches the action.

Ken Rhoads in the Depot. Dave Hussey photo.

A view of one of the big crowds through the Depot to see the SouthWest Free-mo set-up. At the center of it all Jürgen Dietrichkeit faces the camera and grips his favorite frosty beverage.

Jürgen Dietrichkeit brought this lash-up all the way from Germany to run in Winslow.

Eric Hiser hanging in the Depot.

SP and ATSF trains in action in the New Mexico desert.

Matt Martin operates Dave Hussey's SD39s and SD40s pulling a Southern Pacific manifest.

Another look at part of Dave Hussey's awesome SP lash-up. Gary Walton photo.

Mark McLeod (left) engaged in the coal action.

Tom Trodden's long BNSF coal drag.

BNSF coal over Wash.

Eastbound autoracks.

Close-up look at Kevin Hughes' RLCX lease unit.

Berkeley Gang reunion: railfan photographer Brad Hellman (right) drove up from Phoenix to catch-up with long-time friend Harry Wong.

Left to right: Harry Wong, Jürgen Dietrichkeit, Kevin Hughes and Dave Hussey gathered at Plains Escalante Generating.

Albuquerque Ramp doing a booming business.

ICG pig trailer model by Gary Walton. Scratchbuilt Drott RTG model by Steve Priest. Gary Walton photo.

Yellowbonnets with coal at Plains Escalante Generating.

Eddie Ryan's doublestacks roar across the Transcon.

Doublestacks across New Mexico.

Ready, aim, fire!

70MAC coal.

Kevin Hughes' work-in-progress Thoreau module set.

Charlie Poslosky at the throttle of a BNSF powered Utility Fuels unit coal train. Charlie traveled from Phoenix to see the SouthWest Free-mo set-up.

Harry Wong at the throttle shuttling power. Harry is with Northern California Free-mo (NorCalF).

Left to right: Jürgen Dietrichkeit, Kevin Hughes and Eddie Ryan whooping it up.

BNSF SD40-2s running light.

BNSF SD40-2s hauling an EB coal drag.

"Welcome to my clinic on weathering with margaritas." Dave Hussey photo.

Model by Butch Eyler.

Model by Butch Eyler.

Model by Butch Eyler.

Model by Butch Eyler.

Model by Butch Eyler.

Model by Gary Walton.

Model by Gary Walton.

Model by Gary Walton.

Model by Gary Walton.

Model by Gary Walton.

Left to right: Eddie Ryan, Katie Costello and Tim Costello.

Connie and Kip Thompson. Dave Hussey photo.

It really happens: Joe D'Elia standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona. See: http://tinyurl.com/p3jeq Dave Hussey photo.

Now this is how to railfan. Left to right: Gary Walton, Diana Gionet and Kip Thompson.

Hanging out by the tracks. Left to right: Jim Nisleit, Paul Voss, Paul Brown, Dave Hussey, Jürgen Dietrichkeit, Joe D'Elia and Bud Klumph.

"I am J.B. Hunt!" Dave Hussey photo.

Left to right: Bud Klumph, Jürgen Dietrichkeit and Paul Brown work hard at staying hydrated in the desert. Dave Hussey photo.

Party on Dave and Brian! Dave Hussey (left) and Brian Kreimendahl. Melanie Hussey photo.

Australian newlyweds Heidi and James Costello arranged their honeymoon so that they were able to attend the Winslow meet. James is an N scaler.

Dave Hussey and his wife Melanie enjoy the ambience of the Transcon at La Posada.

Bangers with Nikons. Left to right: Matt Martin, Harry Wong, Dave Hussey and Gary Walton.

Katie Costello enjoys the day by painting on the grounds of La Posada.

Katie's work. Dave Hussey photo.

Some of the ladies chilling at La Posada (left to right): Melanie Hussey, Diana Gionet and Catherine Kreimendahl.

"This Free-mo thing seems to have worked out okay."

Frank Peacock traveled over from Albuquerque for the Santa Fe Society Meet.

Tom Trodden (left) and his father-in-law Jim Morgan.

Tim and Katie Costello. Dave Hussey photo.

Joe D'Elia (left) and Mike Martin trackside at La Posada. Dave Hussey photo.

Railfan mob (left to right): Charlie Poslosky, Jürgen Dietrichkeit, Frank Peacock, Joe D'Elia, Dave Hussey, Harry Wong and Brad Hellman.

An EB stacktrain crawls out of the sink on the west end of Winslow. Gary Walton photo.

WB Military train rolls past La Posada at dusk.

Red skies at night arrive at La Posada. Sixty (60) miles distant on the horizon at Flagstaff are the 12,000+ foot San Francisco Peaks. These mountains are sacred to thirteen (13) Native American tribes and one of four peaks marking the traditional border of Navajo tribal lands.

Full moon over a WB at Winslow.

Kevin Hughes meets his wife Cindie with a frozen concoction as she arrives at La Posada on the WB Southwest Chief.

Tom Trodden meets his wife Danielle with a frozen concoction as she arrives at La Posada on the WB Southwest Chief.

Harry Wong gets off the SouthWest Chief at La Posada and is greeted by Mark McLeod. Mark drove to Winslow from San Francisco with his and Harry's equipment to operate on the SouthWest Free-mo layout.

The legendary Turquoise Room at La Posada. Breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Turquoise Room serves the finest in haute cuisine under the guidance of owner and chef John Sharpe. See: http://www.theturquoiseroom.net

The Corn Maiden's Delight: polenta with poached eggs, roasted tomatoes, roasted corn salsa and other delights. There's always a lovely corn maiden waiting for you at breakfast in the Turquoise Room.

Left to right: Sandy and Richard Firth with Liz and Jay Styron.

Joe D'Elia (left) and Paul Voss.

Taking over the watering hole. Left to right: Butch Eyler, Mark McLeod, Tim Costello, Kevin Hughes, Tom Trodden and Jay Styron.

Recent newlyweds Anne Stone and Eric Hiser.

Happy hour. Left to right: Diana Gionet, Bud Klumph, Jürgen Dietrichkeit and Dave Hussey.

Sara and Dan Risdon visiting from Los Angeles.

Sharing a laugh. Left to right: Cindie and Kevin Hughes with Tom Trodden.

Mark McLeod (left) and Harry Wong taking a load off.

Jürgen Dietrichkeit (left) and Joe D'Elia.

Socializing. Left to right: Eric Hiser, Connie Thompson, Kip Thompson, Sandy Firth, Diana Gionet and Gary Walton.

Mike and Matt Martin visiting from Rochester.

Diana Gionet and Gary Walton visiting from Philadelphia.

Dave and Melanie Hussey visiting from Southern California.

Jay and Liz Styron visiting from San Diego.

Sandy and Richard Firth visiting from Rio Rancho, New Mexico.

Friday night's impromptu Turquoise Room dinner reservation was for twenty-eight (28). Arriving to be seated are (left to right) Kip Thompson, Tim Costello, Connie Thompson, Katie Costello and Catherine Kreimendahl.

You just ain't gettin' Kevin's hand off this glass.

Tim Costello shows off his dessert.

Harry Wong shows off his dessert.

Message from Shoestring scrawled on one of the Depot's columns. Nothing like post-dating your graffiti.

Dave Hussey packing up late Sunday afternoon.

SouthWest Free-mo loaded up in front of the Depot and ready to roll home to Albuquerque on Monday morning.

Our EB SouthWest Free-mo caravan approaches the Arizona/New Mexico border. Diana Gionet photo.

Railfanning the Transcon from I-40 on the way home to Albuquerque. Diana Gionet photo.

More I-40 Transcon action on the way home to Albuquerque. Nothing says "Land of Enchantment" like the red sandstone cliffs of western New Mexico. Diana Gionet photo.