This trip is being put on by the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Southern California Chapter and the Rail Giants Museum in Pomona, California and the Union Pacific Railroad. On this morning, I was up by 2:30 AM and after preparing for my day, I drove to the Rancho Cucumonga Metrolink station, parked and boarded the bus to Yermo with the other car hosts, where I would be sharing the duty with Art Sutton in the streamliner coach "Texas Eagle".
The tripThe consist of the train was Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 4014, UP Water Car "Joe Jordan", UP Water Car "Jim Adams", UP helper diesel locomotives SD70AH 9072 and ES44AC 2551, Tool Car "Art Lockman", Power car 209 "Howard Fogg", Museum car "Promontory", UP crew deluxe sleeper "Green River", Power Car 2066, crew dome "Walter Dean", crew Dome, crew diner "City of Denver", crew business car "Kenefick", "Challenger" (Streamliner Dome/Coach), "Portland Rose" (Streamliner Coach), "Katy Flyer" (Streamliner Coach), "Sunshine Special" (Streamliner Coach), "City of Salina" (Streamliner Coach), "Texas Eagle" (Streamliner Coach), "Columbine" (Streamliner Dome/Coach), "Missouri River Eagle" (Premier Dome/Diner), "Colorado Eagle" (Premier Dome/Diner), Power Car Crew Car, "City of Los Angeles" (Souvenir Car), "City of Portland" (First Class Dome/Diner), "City of San Francisco" (First Class Dome/Lounge) and "Cheyenne" (Executive Observation Car).
I slept all the way to Barstow on the rear seat of the bus. The bus driver tried to back into the Best Western parking lot and got stuck, needing to call a tow truck which came about twenty minutes later. In the meantime, the Barstow Police Department arrived with three cars and blocked the road to protect us. Once the tow truck arrived, he pulled us out and we loaded the bus with the rest of our car hosts. Our bus driver then started driving us to Las Vegas, missing the two Yermo exits. She drove us to Minneola Road where we took Yermo Road and back to where we were supposed to meet the Union Pacific 4014 excursion train. "Every trip is an adventure" I told the bus passengers.
The TripWe arrived into Yermo and after our second Safety Meeting, I went into the "Texas Eagle" and made sure the car was ready for my passengers.
The inside of the "Texas Eagle" with the passengers' gift bags on their seat. I made every one stand up to make them easier to read.
Sunrise over Yermo Yard. Once my car was ready, I went outside to the front of the train for a pre-departure picture.
Union Pacific 4-8-8-4 4014 at rest before starting the trip to Barstow. I then returned to the "Texas Eagle".
Me and my shadow! I was issued my radio for the trip today.
The pictures on the wall of my streamliner coach. I moved all of the lunches to the area in front of me and put them in the conductor's area of the car then moved all of the snacks and placed them above my head in the luggage racks.
The giant ice cream cone in Yermo just before we started our trip to Barstow.
United States Army locomotives with the train that was interchanged were now here in Yermo.
US Army GP16 4633.
US Army GP10 4621.
The train then crossed the Mojave River. I then had to get the drinks for our car and the "City of Salina", which would be sharing my ice box in this car. I loaded the ice box and now we were ready for the passengers booked in the "Texas Eagle". The train arrived in Barstow and I met my other car host, Art Sutton. Since we only had three doors on the platform, my job during loading was to ask each passenger going through my car, "What car are you in?" and then tell them how many more cars they had to walk through. We had 360 passengers booked aboard the train today. Once my passengers arrived in the "Texas Eagle", I told them to remain seated until we departed. Once I had every passenger in my car, I gave them the safety briefing and told them the reasons why they could not open the vestibule windows and that we were a sealed train which they all understood after I finished explaining. I informed them that lunch would be at 11:30 AM and snacks distributed at 1:00 PM. I passed out water to anyone who wanted it then the train left Barstow right on time at 11:00 AM.
The passengers reading the safety rules and booklets. Every passenger in my car got their correct T-shirt order.
The yard tower at Barstow.
Views of BNSF's Barstow yard.
The train curving at the west end of it.
One final view of BNSF's Barstow Yard. At 11:20 Art and I took drink orders and passed them out to everyone in our car. Next I distributed the lunches and when we were finished, two passengers did not get lunches. I used the radio and the caterers made them fresh salads in fifteen minutes. I delievered them to my two passengers and all were very happy with the service they had received.
At the Frost Flyover we did another over-and-under with two trains.
Photograhers on the hill at Frost. I pointed out items of interest to all my passengers.
The train was serviced on the Silverwood Connection. It was now snack time so first it was chips, next Famous Amos Cookies and finally granola bars. I made a second pass, informing passengers to take something with them if they wanted any for their trip on the bus and most passengers did so.
Nearing the Mormon Rocks, eastbound BNSF 4553 East was below us.
The train took the curve after we passed the Mormon Rocks.
Union Pacific 4014 East brought traffic to a stop on CA Highway 138.
Photographers up where I shot my pictures of UP 4014 West last Wednesday.
The train took Sullivan's Curve. I pointed out the San Andreas Fault at Blu Cut to my passengers then had all the photographers ready for the big curve at Blu Cut.
Union Pacific 4014 at Blu Cut. I thanked my passengers for coming today and went over the rules for disembarking the train then passed out the rest of the water before taking the snacks back to the Souvenir Car and returning the lunch bags to that car's kitchen. I returned and walked the trash bag down the aisle for the last time of the trip. I cleaned the bathroom and picked up the trash there, bagging it and placing in the vestibule of my car. I finished just as the train stopped at a red signal at the east end of Slover Siding. Next a light Union Pacific power move went by us then the train took the east leg of the wye and I was on new mileage once again.
The train took the east leg of the wye returning us to the Sunset Route.
The passengers in the "Texas Eagle". We backed west beyond the signal at Cedar Street then pulled back to the loading point at West Colton Yard where my passengers waited until I came to get them to unload the train. I helped all passengers from the "Texas Eagle" and once the last ones were detrained, I unloaded the trash then dumped the ice box and took it to the car where we unloaded it. I checked the car but everyone had taken everything with them. I rode in the vestibule as the Union Pacific allowed us to do and moved the train back to unload the "Cheyenne" and then moved the train back and we waved goodbye to all the passengers on the busses as they left West Colton Yard.
My job was not complete until my car was inspected and after that I boarded Bus 0 (staff only) and once the Souvenir Car stock was loaded into the truck, everyone loaded the car host bus and we took surface streets back to the Rancho Cucamonga Metrolink station where I turned in my Green Vest and my radio. I got on Interstate 15 which was bumper-to-bumper and exited at Jurupa Street then followed the Union Pacific tracks to Temple Boulevard where I got on CA 57 to CA 22, off at Grand Avenue and soon was home. A special thank you to Union Pacific for two great days of trips and to both the Rail Giants Museum and the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society Southern California Chapter for running these two days of trip, and to all the volunteers like me who worked the trips. Thanks to each one of you!
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