Union Pacific trains in and out of Nevada's Las Vegas Valley face stiff grades on either end of the valley, while the mainline across the valley and through the city of Las Vegas is virtually arrow straight and basically level. Arden, Nevada (named after Union Pacific legend E.H. Harriman's New York estate) is at the bottom of the grade at the south end of the valley; from there on into town trains could really open up, making it a prime location for train watching. This view from Arden's Blue Diamond Road grade crossing shows the garish night lights of Las Vegas spreading across the desert floor. (This crossing has since been replaced by an overpass.)
