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The Feather River Express 4/1-3/2006

I saw a post on Trainorders.com in early February about the Feather River Express excursion, jointly organized by the Pacific Locomotive Association and the Central Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, which was planned for April 1st and 2nd. About twenty minutes later, a link was posted to purchase tickets online, which I followed and purchased my ticket. A few minutes later, I received a confirmation e-mail then told Chris Parker about it and he wanted to go so came over to my house one night and we went through the same steps I did, and thought we had purchased his ticket.

About a week before the trip, I posted a question regarding whether the Western Pacific Railroad Museum would be open since I had a friend coming with me. That led to an e-mail asking who that person was and it turned out that Chris did not have a ticket and the train was sold out. He made some calls and I placed postings on three railfan boards, hoping to get him an extra ticket. I watched the boards for days, but nothing. Chris then had an idea - he would ride with me to Oakland, take the California Zephyr to Sparks and a Thruway Bus to Sacramento before riding the train at the California State Railroad Museum. We kept in contact right up to the night before the trip.

I arose at 4:52 AM and prepared for the trip, checking my e-mail and packing before driving to the Santa Ana station where I left the car until early Monday morning, then bought my Metrolink ticket to Los Angeles.

Metrolink 603 arrived on time and I boarded the cab car then pulled into LAUPT at 7:12 AM and I walked out to the Bus Plaza, where I found Chris Parker waiting. A couple of minutes later, the bus driver loaded the bus and at 7:28 AM, we proceeded to Glendale to pick up a single passenger. It started raining before Sylmar and continued up the south slope of the Grapevine. We chatted the entire way to Bakersfield, making for another nice bus ride and arrived thirty minutes early.

Amtrak's Bakersfield station built in 1985.

BNSF C44-9W 4084 was leading our train to Oakland.

BNSF 4331 West passed through the station before the door was open.

This train featured BNSF C44-9W 4084, Amtrak P42DC 160, coaches 8009 "Santa Ana River" and 8007 "Russian River", café 8003 "San Gabriel Valley" and cab car 6964 "Point Arena". A compression failure on the P42DC was the reason the BNSF locomotive was on the point. We departed on time, running to Wasco, where a new station was being built. North at Elmo, we passed through the siding around a BNSF eastbound freight and at Allensworth, met Amtrak San Joaquin 702 in the siding waiting for us. We stopped in Corcoran, Hanford and Fresno.

Interior of café 8003 "San Gabriel Valley".

Interior of coach 8009.

San Joaquin 713 at Fresno.

The train with the Fresno station sign. Later at Gregg, we held the main to meet BNSF 4606 East, continued onto Madera and at West Sharon, met BNSF 4090, then reversed into the siding to let a late-running San Joaquin 714 pass on its way south. After a slow order at Le Grand, we made our way to Merced for a fresh air stop. Here Chris was able to see the use of the California Car wheelchair lift for the first time. An eastbound BNSF freight blocked our view of the Castle Air Museum at Atwater before we paused at Turlock/Denair then went onto Modesto.

On the way, we spotted this cloud trying to form a tornado. My camera was out and ready just in case it did. We then heard a report that a BNSF Remote Control Unit had derailed east of the Bakersfield yard and the afternoon became more interesting as we turned northwest into Riverbank and headed into the storm. It really poured, complete with flashes of lightning. At East Stockton, we passed a late-running San Joaquin 716 before arriving at Stockton.

Santa Fe Stockton station built in 1900. We then crossed the California Delta and proceeded to Antioch as the rain continued to fall but it let up as we stopped at Martinez and the clouds became interesting as we continued west down the Carquinez Straits to San Pablo Bay, which was beautiful in today's unique light. The train stopped at Richmond, passed through Berkeley and on to Emeryville, where we passed the Amtrak coach yards and went down the middle of the street at Jack London Square, arriving at Oakland at 5:18 PM {4:25 PM}. We said goodbye to Conductor James and started walking to the Jack London Inn.

Capitol Corridor 541 arrived and with a light rain, we set up for more action under an awning across the street from the Jack London Inn.

Capitol Corridor 540 bound for Sacramento.

Another deadhead move to the coach yards.

A westbound Union Pacific came down the street next.

The Amtrak train then beat the freight through Jack London Square.

The freight chasing the Amtrak.

Behind him came our train, also deadheading from the coach yard.

After all that action, we crossed the street to check into the Jack London Inn, receiving Room 326 overlooking the tracks. After checking my e-mail and hoping for good news about Chris getting a ticket, we walked over to the waterfront.

A container ship being turned by a hard-working tug.

The western hills across the San Francisco Bay. We ate at Tony Roma's, where I enjoyed a steak while watching the trains pass through Jack London Square then returned to the hotel by way of the former Western Pacific station. We watched the History Channel's program about Saddam Hussein and his link to the Nazis of Germany. It was a fascinating program and I learnt more about several present and past issues, as the trains rolled by outside our window. I then had a waterfall shower and called it a night.

Oakland 4/1/2006 After another waterfall shower, I checked e-mail before joining Chris for a continental breakfast then we checked out and walked to the station in a light rain. While Chris was buying his ticket to Emeryville, I heard a train approaching.

Union Pacific 5775 East rolled through Jack London Square. Knowing our train would be arriving, we relocated to the pedestrian bridge.

Our Capitol Corridor train for Emeryville duly arrived and we boarded, but it would not leave until 7:15 AM.

San Joaquin 712 sat ready to make its way south to Bakersfield. Capitol Corridor 520 departed Oakland on time and we were off for the quick trip to Emeryville.

As the rain continued, I detrained to look for shelter and Chris went off so I would not be seeing him again as I met a few friends. I decided to relocate under the pedestrian bridge for more cover but it stopped raining so I moved to where my car would be stopping.

A late-running San Joaquin 712 came through Emeryville.

At 8:12 AM, our 15-car Feather River Express arrived with a consist of Amtrak P42-9BWH 146 and 79, Horizon club-dinette 58107, Horizon coaches 51000, 54535, 54509, 54565, former Great Northern full-length dome Amtrak 10031, Horizon coaches 54505, 54503, 54013, privately-owned lounge car Southern Pacific 2981 "Overland Trail", Horizon coaches 54577, 54508, 54523, Horizon club-dinette 58100 and privately-owned CB&Q California Zephyr dome-lounge "Silver Solarium" bringing up the rear.

A Western Pacific herald was added to the front of P42-9BWH 146. I boarded and found my name above my seat.

The interior of "Great Dome".

Interior of "Overland Trail".

Our train passed through Port Costa with the former Southern Pacific ferry dock pilings.

The view towards the bridge at Martinez before we arrived at that station and passengers boarded from the front to the rear.

Crossing the Carquinez Straits. We stopped later at Davis, then crossed the flooded Yolo Bypass; the open drawbridge before Sacramento cost us a few minutes.

Randy Jackson, from Albuquerque, who had been with me on many Milwaukee Road 261 trips would share a table with me in the front café for the trip. I called Let's Talk Trains, the internet radio show, before we stopped in Sacramento where another large group of passengers boarded.

The Feather River Express took the connection at Haggin to reach the former Western Pacific line then went into the siding at Del Paso for Union Pacific 3498 West.

Flooded areas north of Del Paso. At Pleasant Grove, we met a late-running Coast Starlight before we crossing the Bear River into Marysville. At Binney Junction, there were plenty of happy passengers as we continued straight on the former Western Pacific.

The Sutter Buttes before we had a slow order for water against the embankment, after which we proceeded to Oroville, where we picked up the final six passengers.

On display across from the station is Western Pacific 0-6-0 164 1927, nee United Verde Copper 86 built by American Locomotive Company in 1919. It is believed to be the last Western Pacific steam locomotive to run over WP rails (excluding excursion trips) when it ran light from the United States Gypsum plant at Gerlach, Nevada to Portola. It was donated to the City of Oroville in 1959 and went on display at its current location in Hewitt Park. The park is named after local miner John Boughton Hewitt who came to Butte County during the 1860. In the 1940's, a rooming house had been built on the site by the Western Pacific for its train crews. The land was progressively bought by the city from the WP during the 1950's, as well as from Corporan and Collinson, a Chrysler Dealership.

After leaving Oroville, we crossed the Feather River and started on the relocated trackage built because of the Oroville Dam on the original river route. We skirted the western flank of Table Mountain and ran through Kramm and Elsey before catching up to an eastbound stack train we could see ahead of us.

The train stopped before Tunnel 4 to wait for the stack train to go through James on the other side of the tunnel. There was a work gang there, so after we received permission to pass through their limits, we proceeded through James then crossed the west branch of Lake Oroville on the lower lever of the Highway 70 bridge and plunged into Tunnel 5.

A red signal before Tunnel 6 caused another stop for the train. The signal then turned yellow and we proceeded through Tunnel 6 and 7 to Dark Canyon. After a short period of daylight, we entered the longest tunnel on this railroad today, Tunnel 8, an 8,856 foot affair. We exited out onto the arched North Fork bridge and returned to the original Western Pacific route through the Feather River Canyon.

The North Fork Bridge. We were now following the North Fork of the Feather River and at Poe, a westbound Union Pacific freight was in the siding for our passage.

Our eastward journey towards Pulga.

Passing under the Highway 70 bridge at Pulga and there, we passed Union Pacific 5535 East before going by the Poe Diversion Dam.

The Feather River Canyon between Pulga and Merlin. At Merlin, we ran through the siding to get by a hi-rail truck with its right wheels between the rails.

Crossing Rock Creek Bridge. We proceeded across the Highway 70 bridge at Tobin where Southern Pacific 8556 was in the siding, then continued on to Camp Rodgers, where more red signals were waiting to stop our progress. After stopping at both ends of Camp Rodgers, we proceeded east again.

Rock Creek Dam, followed by our passage through the Honeymoon Tunnels, then onto Belden, where we had a green signal.

Joe Harper, the fantastic videographer.

The Feather River Express passed the point where the North Fork of the Feather goes north to Lake Almanor and our route follows Spanish Creek.

Above Twain.

The Serpentine Canyon. At Virgilia, we passed BNSF 4177 East and made our way to Paxton, then through Tunnel 23.

Bridge on the High Line. We then proceeded through Tunnel 24, across a bridge into Tunnel 25 and out onto the Keddie Wye.

Our train on the Keddie Wye. I know this is a blurred picture, but since this was historical, I have kept it; sometimes my camera does not work too well in low light. The Feather River Express passed through Quincy Junction.

Next our train rounded the Williams Loop then we went into the siding at Spring Garden. Day turned into night as we waited for Union Pacific 5425 West and Union Pacific 7042 West. A green signal and minutes later, we plunged into the Spring Garden Tunnel.

Lyn and Ron Gomes were celebrating their second wedding anniversary on this trip and they were married on the Niles Canyon Railwya on April 24th, 2004. We stopped at Sloat for Union Pacific 4232 West then reversed out of the siding and proceeded through the night to Blairsdan, across the Clio Viaduct and into Portola, where we reversed onto the house track and stopped at 8:15 PM, ending a fantastic eastbound trip aboard the Feather River Express.

As I walked across the bridge over the railroad, the sole on my boot came off. I made my way to Highway 70 and on the way to my motel, stopped and bought some white glue as that was the only glue this store had. I checked in at the Sierra Hotel and received my room then glued the sole back onto my shoe, showered and called it a night.

4/2/2006 After a shorter night due to the time change early this morning, I arose, prepared for my day and left the room key in the key drop before walking into town. The sole came off again so the white glue was a waste of time. I made it to the Station Café for breakfast of a waffle, sausage and orange juice which I enjoyed at a table overlooking the yard. After a great meal, I walked to the yard and wondered what to do about my footwear.

The rear of our train with "Silver Solarium" and its unique tail light. I started walking towards the locomotive when a Silver Toyota Highlander pulled up to me, with none other than Chris Parker at the wheel. He had taken the California Zephyr to Sparks, stayed at the Nugget Hotel and took a shuttle to Reno Airport to rent the vehicle. His new plan was to chase our train, return the car at Sacramento Airport and fly home. We stowed my luggage in his car then drove down to photograph my train at rest in Portola.

Chris saw my boot problem and suggested we go back into town to find a solution. At 8:00 on a Sunday morning in a small town, my only choice was town's supermarket where I bought a tube of Super Glue and a pack of napkins. Using the exhaust from the Highlander, we warmed the sole and the boot, cleaned the white glue off, then super-glued it back together, which worked. We drove back to the train and I put my belongings aboard then decided to give Chris the "grand tour" of the Western Pacific Railroad Museum.

Union Pacific DD40AX 6946 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1977.

The first order of business was to get a good picture of Southern Pacific 0-6-0 1215 that once was Burris Park south of Kingsburg, that Chris and I had looked for on the way to Winterail this year. 1215 built by Baldwin in 1913, one of the first "modern" steam switchers on the railroad, equipped with superheating and piston valves. The locomotive was originally assigned to the Dunsmuir rail yard near Mount Shasta, and used mainly on the Southern Pacific's Western Division out of Oakland, Sacramento and Bakersfield. It last operated in San Francisco before being retired in 1957. The following year, it was donated to Hanford for a park display. The Feather River Railroad Society bought 1215 in 1995 and moved it to their Portola Railroad Museum. The California Trolley and Railroad Corporation acquired the locomotive from the Museum in 2004.

Western Pacific FP7 805-A built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955 as part of an A-B-A set of 2 "cab" units and 1 cabless "booster" units for the road's flagship "California Zephyr" passenger train. General Electric sold the unit to the Wellsville, Addison and Galeton Railroad in Pennsylvania. After that railroad was abandoned in 1977, the 805-A was transferred to the Louisiana and Northwest Railroad in Louisiana, where it was used until it was in need of an overhaul. The Feather River Rail Society wanted this locomotive for its Western Pacific Railroad collection as it had become the last WP California Zephyr locomotive in existence.

Western Pacific GP7 707 was built by Electro Motive Division of General Motors in 1952. I then gave Chris a complete tour of the museum.

Museum scene.

On the left is Napa Valley Railroad DS-4-4-660 51, nee Morrisey, Fernie & Michel Railway 1 built by Baldwin in 1946. It worked for the Crows Nest Pass Coal Company in Canada then began its well-travelled list of jobs by working at the Delta Alaska Terminal in Vancouver, British Columbia, then crossed the border and was renumbered to Seattle and North Coast 51. Following the closure of the Seattle and North Coast railroad, the unit was leased to Publishers Paper Company in Newport, Oregon, spent some time on the Chelatchie Prairie in Battle Ground, Washington and was moved to Sacramento for storage at the California State Railroad Museum. It was then run under its own power to Napa for use by the Napa Valley Railroad to assist in rehabilitating their trackage after its long neglect by the Southern Pacific. It was here that one of the traction motors was damaged while working a ballast train, which put the well travelled locomotive out of service and was moved to Oroville and finally to its current home at Portola.

On the right is Quincy Railroad S1 4, nee Western Pacific 504, built by American Locomotive Company in 1942. It was sold to Sacramento Northern as their 405 in December 1967 and then to the Quincy Railroad in April 1973.

On the left is Quincy Railroad S1 4, nee Western Pacific 504, built by American Locomotive Company in 1942. It was sold to Sacramento Northern as their 405 in December 1967 and then to the Quincy Railroad in April 1973 and on the right is Quincy Railroad 44 ton switcher 3 built by General Electric in 1945. It relegated Alco 2-6-2T 2 to stand-by service when it arrived, but the steam engine did not leave until 1970, seeing occasional use on excursion trains. This engine has never been out of Plumas County since it was delivered to the Quincy in 1945.

Western Pacific F7A 917-D built by Electro Motive Division in 1950 which was acquired in 2005 as part of a trade with the Bay Area Electric Railway Association at Rio Vista Junction. After I showed Chris a few more items outside, he drove me back to the train and I gave him directions to chase the Feather River Express then we said our goodbyes and he drove off while I boarded.