Tacna Train Webcam, Yuma County, Arizona

The Tacna Train Webcam watches Union Pacific’s Sunset Route at milepost 780.9 of the Gila Subdivision, in the small desert town of Tacna in Yuma County, Arizona. In its wide view the track crosses the middle of the frame on a raised bed of gray ballast, with green desert scrub and pale sand in the foreground, a row of utility poles and power lines beyond it, and a jagged mountain range along the horizon. SouthWest RailCams estimates 25 to 40 trains a day on this stretch, a mix of intermodal trains, mixed freight, automotive trains and the occasional unit train. Amtrak’s Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New Orleans passes the camera as well. This is a PTZ camera, so it can pan and zoom to follow a train or reframe the scene, and the framing will not always match the wide shot described here.

About Tacna and the Gila Subdivision

The camera is hosted by Chubby Cheeks Country Deli at 39760 Old US Highway 80, right by Exit 42 on Interstate 8. SouthWest RailCams runs it as part of a network of free railcams across the American Southwest, most of them in Arizona, and the channel gives May 21, 2022 as the camera’s original start date. Along the bottom of the stream sit a location label, a support ticker and a clock showing local time, which helps when you are logging trains. The operator also streams a radio scanner feed of Union Pacific traffic on the Gila Sub between Dome and Mohawk, so you can follow the radio traffic before a train reaches the frame.

Tacna sits in the Mohawk Valley just south of the Gila River, at 102 meters (335 feet) above sea level. The 2020 census counted 425 residents across 4.98 square kilometers (1.92 square miles). The town owes its name to the railroad. Max B. Noah established it in the early 1920s and named it after a railroad stop, a siding that had served as a watering station. When Noah sold the town in 1941, the post office moved about 6.4 kilometers (four miles) east and the original siding was renamed Noah.

The Gila Subdivision is the Union Pacific stretch of the Sunset Route between Yuma and Tucson, running through Wellton, Tacna, Mohawk, Dateland, Gila Bend and Maricopa. The line began as the Southern Pacific, whose tracks reached Yuma by 1877 and then pushed east along the Gila River. Amtrak’s Sunset Limited makes three round trips a week over the full route. The operator lists both the Sunset Limited and the Texas Eagle on this camera, and neither stops in Tacna.

Weather and Climate in Tacna

Tacna is low desert, and its averages show it. January brings a mean high of 70.8 F (21.6 C) and a low of 37.4 F (3.0 C), so winter afternoons on the camera are mild while nights turn cold enough to need a jacket. Rain is scarce at any time of year: the annual total averages just 3.79 inches (96 millimeters), so most days on the camera stay dry. Spring and fall sit between the two extremes, with warm days and comfortable evenings.

Summer is fierce. July averages a high of 109.2 F (42.9 C), and nights only fall to about 78.4 F (25.8 C). On hot days heat shimmer can bend the outline of an approaching train, and haze can flatten the mountains on the horizon into a pale gray band. The stream clock shows Mountain Standard Time all year, because Arizona does not observe daylight saving time, so the camera matches California time in summer and runs an hour ahead of it in winter.

Things to Do Near Tacna

Start with the camera’s host. Chubby Cheeks Country Deli is a small place with limited seating that focuses on food to go, handy for a stop if you are driving Interstate 8. About 6 kilometers (3.5 miles) west of the camera, Antelope Hill rises beside the Gila River to a summit of 245 meters (804 feet). Archaeologists describe it as the largest and most productive milling stone quarry in the Southwest, many of its boulders carry petroglyphs, and the Quechan, Cocopa, Kamia, Pima and Maricopa all used the hill. The hill was also a camp and watering place on the Southern Emigrant Trail and the site of Antelope Peak Station on the Butterfield Overland Mail. Hiking guides list a walk to the petroglyph site, so check access before you go.

Head east on Interstate 8 and Dateland, at Exit 67, is about 40 kilometers (25 miles) from Tacna. Like Tacna, it began in the 1920s as a watering stop, and the Dateland Travel Center on the south side of the freeway is known for its date shakes. Date palms, citrus groves and a dairy surround the town. In the other direction, Yuma is roughly 68 kilometers (42 miles) west by interstate.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More desert railroad cams and Arizona views to try next:

• Benson Train Webcam
• Barstow Train Webcam
• Tucson Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Tacna Train Webcam located?

The camera is at Chubby Cheeks Country Deli, 39760 Old US Highway 80 in Tacna, Yuma County, Arizona, next to Exit 42 on Interstate 8. It covers Union Pacific’s Gila Subdivision at milepost 780.9, roughly 68 kilometers (42 miles) east of Yuma.

What can you see on the Tacna Train Webcam?

In the wide view, the railroad crosses the middle of the frame on gray ballast, with desert scrub and sand in front, utility poles and power lines behind, and a mountain range on the horizon. Freight trains and Amtrak’s Sunset Limited pass through, and the PTZ camera can zoom in on them.

How many trains pass through Tacna, Arizona each day?

SouthWest RailCams estimates 25 to 40 trains a day on this part of the Sunset Route, including intermodal trains, mixed freight, automotive trains and occasional unit trains.

Does Amtrak stop in Tacna, Arizona?

No. The Sunset Limited between Los Angeles and New Orleans runs past the camera without a local stop. It makes three round trips a week, so a passenger train shows up far less often than freight.

What is the weather like in Tacna, Arizona?

Hot and very dry. July averages a high of 109.2 F (42.9 C), January a high of 70.8 F (21.6 C) with lows near 37.4 F (3.0 C), and the whole year brings only about 3.79 inches (96 millimeters) of rain.

What time zone is the Tacna railcam clock in?

The clock shows Mountain Standard Time. Arizona does not use daylight saving time, so the time on screen equals California time in summer and is one hour ahead of it in winter.

Who runs the Tacna railcam?

SouthWest RailCams operates the stream, and Chubby Cheeks Country Deli hosts the camera on its property. The channel asks for donations and offers YouTube memberships to keep the camera running.

Source: SouthWest RailCams