Barstow Train Webcam, Mojave Desert, California

The Barstow Train Webcam looks out over the BNSF main line at milepost 744.5 on the Needles Subdivision, from the Barstow Station travel center on East Main Street in Barstow, California. This is one of the busiest freight corridors in the western United States, and the operator counts roughly 80 to 100 trains a day through this spot. Double-stack intermodal trains, manifest freights, automobile racks and long unit trains roll east toward Needles and Arizona or west into the Barstow yard. The camera is a PTZ unit, so the operator can swing it along the tracks and zoom in as a train approaches. In the heat of a summer afternoon the rails shimmer and the desert light goes flat and white. After dark the scene shrinks to headlights, ditch lights and the glow of signals.

About Barstow and the BNSF Needles Subdivision

Barstow sits at 663 meters (2,175 feet) in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County, where Interstate 15 and Interstate 40 meet. The city had 25,415 residents at the 2020 census and was incorporated on September 30, 1947, but the railroad came long before that. The town takes its name from William Barstow Strong, a president of the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway, and trains have shaped it ever since. Today the Needles Subdivision carries BNSF traffic east across the desert from Barstow to Needles on the Colorado River, and Union Pacific trains also run over BNSF tracks in the area.

The camera is hosted by Barstow Station, the train-themed roadside stop at 1611 East Main Street on historic Route 66. It opened on July 10, 1975, and its best-known tenant is a McDonald’s where diners eat inside old passenger railroad cars. Park behind the building and real freight trains pass close by, which is exactly the view this camera shares with anyone online.

A short way west lies the BNSF Barstow yard, one of the railroad’s major classification facilities. The main yard is about 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) long and the eastern yard adds another 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles), for roughly 7.4 kilometers (4.6 miles) of railroad in all, with a hump on the eastbound receiving yard. In October 2022 BNSF announced a 1.5 billion dollar expansion of its Barstow operations. Beside the yard stands the Casa del Desierto, the Harvey House depot built by the Santa Fe in 1911 to designs by Francis W. Wilson, replacing an 1885 station that burned in 1908.

Weather and Climate in Barstow

Barstow has a hot desert climate, and it shows on camera. July averages a high of 39 C (102 F) with nights around 22 C (72 F), and the city recorded 49 C (120 F) on July 23, 1996. Summer afternoons bring hard overhead light and heat haze that blurs trains at the far end of a zoom. Rain is scarce, with only about 126 millimeters (4.96 inches) a year, so most days the sky over the tracks is clear and the ballast is dry and pale.

Winter is the gentlest season here. January averages 15 C (59 F) by day and about 2 C (35 F) at night, and a cold morning can put frost on the rails and a low, raking sun across the side of each train. Spring and autumn sit between the extremes, with the long evening light of those months often catching the colors of passing locomotives. Wind is a regular feature of the Mojave, and on gusty days blowing dust can soften the view.

Things to Do Near Barstow

Rail history is the obvious draw. The Casa del Desierto now houses the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 Mother Road Museum, along with the Amtrak station. Outside the museum, displays include Santa Fe No. 1460, a locomotive known as “the Beep”, and Union Pacific SD40-2 No. 9950. The First Avenue bridge crosses the BNSF yard and gives a high view over the tracks. The Desert Discovery Center holds the Old Woman meteorite, the largest found in California.

A short drive out of town, Calico Ghost Town preserves a 19th-century mining camp about 16 kilometers (10 miles) northeast of Barstow, and Rainbow Basin, about 13 kilometers (8 miles) north, is known for its banded, colorful rock formations. West along the Mojave River in Hinkley, the Desert Lighthouse stands more than 15 meters (50 feet) tall in open desert, an art installation raised in 2017. Back in town, the Skyline Drive-In is one of the last operating drive-in cinemas in San Bernardino County.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More railroad cameras, in California and along other BNSF lines:

• Truckee Webcam
• Ritzville Webcam
• Alma Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Barstow Train Webcam located?

The camera is at Barstow Station, 1611 East Main Street in Barstow, San Bernardino County, California. It watches the BNSF Needles Subdivision at milepost 744.5, on the east side of the city near the junction of Interstate 15 and Interstate 40.

What can you see on the Barstow Train Webcam?

The BNSF main line, with eastbound and westbound freight trains passing through. Intermodal, manifest, automobile and unit trains are all common, and the PTZ camera is often moved and zoomed to follow them.

How many trains pass through Barstow each day?

SouthWest RailCams estimates 80 to 100 trains a day at this location, which makes it one of the more rewarding railcams to leave running in the background.

What is the weather like in Barstow?

Hot and dry. July highs average 39 C (102 F), January highs average 15 C (59 F), and annual rainfall is only about 126 millimeters (4.96 inches).

Does Amtrak stop in Barstow?

Yes. The Southwest Chief between Chicago and Los Angeles stops at the Harvey House depot, although its Barstow times are not scheduled during daylight hours.

What is the Barstow Harvey House?

The Casa del Desierto is a depot and former Harvey House hotel built by the Santa Fe in 1911. It now holds the Amtrak station, the Western America Railroad Museum and the Route 66 Mother Road Museum.

Can you watch trains in person at Barstow Station?

Yes. Freight trains pass right behind the Barstow Station complex on East Main Street, and the parking area there is a popular spot to watch them roll by.

Source: SouthWest RailCams