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The Trainmaster Dinner in Sacramento and the new Sacramento South Light Rail line 11/15-16/2003

In late September, Steve Grande of Trainweb asked me if I could cover the 15th Annual Trainmaster Reception at the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento and explained what was involved, adding that all my expenses would be included. I thought about it for a few seconds and replied that I would be happy to go. Steve made all my arrangements and I picked up the tickets at Santa Ana then four nights after returning from the my visit to Seattle, it was time to pack my bags for yet another Amtrak adventure.

Much to my surprise, finding a parking space at the Santa Ana Regional Transportation Centre at midnight was very difficult, because of a party with people still arriving. I walked over to the Thruway bus stop and the bus from San Diego arrived early and I boarded the last of the two seats in the back, along with a girl going to Bakersfield. The bus was full so sleep would be almost impossible since I had to be in a seated position. We went to Fullerton before reaching Los Angeles Union Station for a forty-five minute layover. The other bus arrived but did not pick up any of the waiting passengers until after had departed. Since that bus did not leave before us, we had to make all of his stops, including Glendale, before crossing the San Fernando Valley to the Van Nuys Fly-Away Terminal then to Newhall, before the straight shot to Bakersfield as I had a little sleep where the rains began to fall.

Our trainset consisted of F59PH 2014, baggage coach 8204 "Drakes Bay", café 8812 "Sonoma Valley", coach 8031 "Matolle River" and cab car 8313 "Mount Lassen". We departed on time at 4:55 AM and drove through the pre-dawn darkness on turned out to be a rainy morning. I napped to north of Corcoran before going to the café car for a large chocolate chip cookie and mint medley tea. Light took hold just before Hanford on a fully cloudy day in the areas along our route to a dry Fresno.

I quickly detrained for a rear picture of our train before returning to single seat 1 in "Matolle River". We departed on time and I napped to north of Merced and was fully awake by the Castle Air Museum since we were now between weather systems. I went to the café and sat down to enjoy a hot dog and Mug Root Beer then after our station stop at Turlock-Denair, we passed San Joaquin 702 near East Empire before we crept to West Empire to meet BNSF 1112 East. Once he cleared, we went straight into Modesto and just north of Escalon, a passenger started making comments about a very strange-looking cloud that stretched across the whole sky and looked nasty. Shortly thereafter, we entered heavy rain, making me glad I was on a train and not out in it. West of rainy Stockton, we entered the California Delta Country where we met sister San Joaquin Train 712 on the fly at Trull. After our delta trek, we arrived at Antioch five minutes early.

I quickly detrained for a photograph of our train at the station in the steady rain. We then ran along the south shore industries and the Port Chicago Naval Weapons Station to my destination of Martinez, where I detrained.

Capitol Corridor Train 729 arrived a few minutes late in its way to San José.

Once he had cleared, the California Zephyr, Train 6, arrived and I next called Let's Talk Trains and while I was talking, San Joaquin 714 came into the station.

Capitol Corridor Train 733 with a P42DC locomotive on the point.

My train arrived to take me to Sacramento and departed nine minutes late on a slow order. As I walked through the café car, someone called out my name and it was none other than Dave Jansson and Chuck Cottam, both members of the American Association of Private Railcar Owners and owners of Sierra Pacific Rail's "Yosemite Valley" and "Muir Woods" private cars. The three of us chatted about the cars and I learnt that "Yosemite Valley" will enter charter service next year and "Muir Woods" was planned to enter charter service in 2005.

We ran in push mode with cab car 8314 "Mount Pinos", coach 8003 "American River", café 8802 "Sacramento Valley", coach 8008 "Stanislaus River" and Pacific Surfliner coach 6462 "Moss Beach" with Amtrak California B32-8W 2051, then crossed the Martinez bridge and made our way to Suisan-Fairfield with more slow orders. I returned to my seat before Davis in 6462 for the ride across the Yolo Causeway then we waited for Capitol Corridor 737 to clear the causeway as we should have already been in Sacramento had we been on schedule. Train 737 arrived and departed before we finally exited at 1:04 PM {12:32 PM}. I saw a construction project whose goal was to re-lay the second track on the Yolo Causeway for better train operations as it was the major bottleneck on this route. The concrete bridge decks were all in except for the bridge railing on the east end and the grade was prepared for track laying, so this project was progressing well.

A westbound Union Pacific coal train was waiting for us to clear at East Causeway before we moved slowly through West Sacramento and across the Sacramento River into the Amtrak station at 1:25 PM, twenty-five minutes late.

The train at rest.

I walked over to the Vagabond Inn to check in before going to ride the newest light rail line.

The first light rail line of the RT opened March 12, 1987 and initial service commenced between Watt/Interstate 80 and 8th & O stations only for the first six months. It was extended to Butterfield that same year on September 5. In all, it was an 18.3-mile route between Watt/Interstate 80 station in North Sacramento, through downtown, and continuing east on Folsom Boulevard to Butterfield Way station.

Much of the line, when it was first built, was single-tracked, though improvements over the 1990's allowed much of the original system to be double-tracked. The line was built mainly using portions of the Sacramento Northern Railroad and Sacramento Valley Railroad right-of-ways, coupled with use of structures of an abandoned freeway project. A limited portion of the route runs on streets, mainly in downtown Sacramento.

The line became more popular than anyone anticipated, necessitating further expansions and improvements to the system. In September 2003, Sacramento Regional Transit opened the first phase of the South Line, which was a 6.3-mile extension to South Sacramento, adding seven new stations to the system.

I walked over to K Street and paid for a ticket just as a train to Meadowview arrived at 8th and K Street. We turned south, stopping at 7th and Capitol before arriving at 8th and O Street then turned left to reach Archives Plaza then turned right onto 13th Street before turning left to reach the station on 16th Street. From there, we travelled on the original line to just short of the flyover of the former Western Pacific where we switched onto the new route to the right along the former Western Pacific tracks then ran along those tracks for the rest of the journey to Meadowview.

The train gained speed as it passed under Business 80 Freeway to our next stop at Broadway then proceeded to the 4th Avenue/Wayne Hultgren stop located at the north end of what used to Western Pacific's South Sacramento Yard, where shops were located but tooday, it is a few yard tracks, weeds and trees and there is really nothing left of this once-neat Western Pacific property. We stopped at City College Station before continuing south to first Fruitridge station followed by 47th Avenue, which was right at the west end of the South Sacramento siding. Staying along the former Western Pacific tracks to Florin, we accelerated greatly until we reached our station at Florin Road then climbed a grade up and over Florin Road and by the east end of the former Western Pacific siding at Pollock before reaching the present end of the line at Meadowview. One day, this line will be built to continue south and east to Calvine Road near my brother Bruce's home. Would he ever take it to work then?

Everyone detrained and after a couple of pictures, I relaxed as the train took me back to Downtown Sacramento.

The light rail train went out of service.

On the way back to the hotel, I walked over to Old Sacramento and photographed Sacramento Southern SW8 2030, nee United States Army 2030 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951 and newly-repainted Sacramento Northern SW1 402, nee Western Pacific 502 built by Electro-Motive Corporation in 1939. I returned to the Vagabond Inn, relaxed and watched a two-part episode of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" involving Lar, Data's brother and the Borg. A little USC football was next before I walked over to the State Railroad Museum for tonight's event.

The event started promptly at 5:30 after I checked in.

The social hour in the Museum's Lobby with the Black Tuesday Jazz Band entertaining while we waited.

A small portion of the Thomas W. Sefton Gallery and "Small Wonders: The Magic of Toy Trains" exhibit. It is part of the extensive and internationally-recognized toy train collection donated to the Museum by the Sefton family in 2002. The vintage toy train is especially unique due to its personal connection to Thomas W. Sefton. In fact, it was once on display in a glass showcase in Sefton's office at San Diego Trust & Savings Bank and was used as a conversation starter for those who visited his office. Observant guests to the Museum will even be able to view a small photo of the Sefton family inside the toy train.

The Museum's Ongoing Project board. Everyone went into the Museum's area where you normally enter after seeing their video program for a hosted wine and beer bar with hors d'oeuvres and I had a 7-Up then took the opportunity to look around the Museum.

Later, the over 100 people attending entered the Museum's theater for the evening presentations. Catherine Taylor, the Museum's Director, gave us the details on not only how the Museum received the donation of the Thomas Sefton Collection, but also naming all the other donations of toy train collections that the museum has received since the Sefton Collection was donated. She then introduced Steven Drew, who maintained the Museum's Toy Train Collection. Catherine next introduced Roger Carp, editor of Toy Train Magazine, who has authored several books such as "The World's Greatest Toy Train Makers: Insiders Remember Lionel", as well as his latest, "The Art of Lionel Trains: Toy Trains and American Dreams." She finally introduced the other speaker of the evening, Bruce Stiny, a curator is in charge of toy trains and scale models.

Bruce showed a slide presentation of the history and the contents of the Thomas Sefton Collection, as well as insights into the world of collecting. He showed us the collection in the attic of Mr. Sefton's home, then everything being packed to be moved and what it took to accomplish that. Everything had to be categorized, boxed and moved to a storage unit which had to be modified to house the collection. Bruce then showed much more of the Sefton Collection and his presentation told the rest of the story how the California State Railroad Museum received the excellent gift.

The presentation was excellent, fascinating and educational. Once this collection was put on display next year, it will be a must-see for any lover of trains. I learned so much about toy train collecting from his presentation that now I have a far better understanding of the subject.

After that fantastic program, it was meal time so we went into the Museum's Roundhouse for an excellent chicken and beef selection.

Following this excellent meal with great conversations at our table, Catherine Taylor introduced the California State Railroad Museum's Board and informed us that the Museum's budget had remained untouched by the California State budget crisis. New lighting was installed in the roundhouse to save money and the Museum spends the given money extremely wisely. The transfer table at the former Southern Pacific shops was completed for the Museum's of Railroad Science and Technology and the Museum's biggest challenge is to get all the mainline railroad equipment under cover. Missouri-Kansas-Texas coach 642 was refurbished and is now in service. Funding for labour and social exhibits was secured and the exhibits will be out in the Museum at the end of 2004.

The Day Out With Thomas was a huge success for the Museum and the 2003 Sacramento Museum Day Reception was held at the Museum this year. Over 100,000 children were reached this year in educational programs, the funding project for Sierra Railroad 3, "the movie engine" is underway. The Sacramento Southern Railroad operates four miles of track with the museum and they were in negotiations for the rest of the seventeen-mile route. In addition, the Museum was making an offer for fourteen miles of Sierra Railroad track in Tuolumne County. It had been a very exciting year for the California State Railroad Museum.

Pamela Huron, the CSRM Foundation Executive Director spoke next, reporting that the Museum's membership was 9,600 this year and it was hoped to have 10,000 members next year.

Paul Hammond, Director of Marketing and Development, was our last speaker and thanked the membership committee for all of the Trainmaster dinners over the last fifteen years, as well as the other projects they are involved in, such as the Behind the Scenes and the Transfer Table dedication. He finished the evening by thanking everyone for coming to the 15th Annual Trainmaster Dinner.

In a mirrored area of the museum is Virginia & Truckee 2-6-0 13 "Empire" built by Baldwin in 1873. In 1910, it was converted from a wood burner to an oil burner and re-numbered 15, perhaps because engine crews thought 13 to be unlucky. It was retired in 1918 and sold to the Pacific Portland Cement Company, in Gerlach, Nevada in 1924. There, it operated as switcher 501 until retired again in 1931. In 1938, it was donated to the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Railway and Locomotive Historical society and placed in storage in the San Francisco Bay Area. In 1976, 13 was moved to join the museum's collection at the newly-built Central Pacific Railroad passenger station in Sacramento.

In 1978, a total restoration based on period photographs and original drawings returned the steam engine to very much how it looked when it was delivered to the V&T in 1873. The restored locomotive went on display in the new museum building when it opened in 1981.

I returned to the Vagabond and a good traveller's rest.

Following my morning preparations, I first went to Denny's for breakfast before walking over to the station to see my train rolling through the fog to the platform. It had the same consist that I rode last Tuesday from Martinez on at the end of my trip to Seattle. This morning, the train was in the push mode with cab car 8312 "Mount Inyo", coach 8022 "Pitt River", café 8809 "Santa Maria Valley", coaches 8013 "Klamath River" and 8027 "Smith River", with Amtrak California F59PHI 2010 on the rear. We departed on time and proceeded east to Elvas, where we curved off to the south. Sunrise came as we rolled by the Sharp depot on this beautiful clear morning and I napped to before Madera. While I was sleeping, we had a bad meet with San Joaquin Train 711 then later, just before Madera, someone put some debris on the track. We departed Madera at 9:38 AM {9:17 AM} and made our way to Fresno.

I stepped off here for a picture of our train, then we departed at 10:02 AM {9:50 AM} and proceeded to Hanford with no further delays. After Corcoran, BNSF 5422 West was tucked away at Angiola and San Joaquin 708 was at Allensworth. As we moved south, clouds covered the San Joaquin Valley and what a difference five days have made as we ran delay-free to Wasco, departing there at 11:27 AM {11:15 AM}. After a slow order through Shafter, we returned to track speed for the rest of the trip and we arrived Bakersfield three minutes early, where it was off the train and onto the bus.

The bus was boarded much more quickly today and we departed at 12:08 PM, passing the Grapevine exit at 12:39 PM, Tejon Summit at 12:51 PM, Castaic at 1:14 PM, with a 1:55 PM arrival at Los Angeles Union Station. A brisk walk took me me to the 2:00 PM Pacific Surfliner departure.

I was glad to be aboard this train instead of having to wait until 3:00 PM for Pacific Surfliner 780, since today was Sunday. We departed on time and after Los Nietos, we stopped due to a speed restriction and later a second one at Basta just before Fullerton, from which we departed a couple of minutes late. By Anaheim, we were back on time and I was off at Santa Ana.

My train before it departed Santa Ana. I returned to the car and drove first to Savon to drop off the film then went home, ending another interesting Amtrak adventure.

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