I chose a table in the café car and caught up with the story before departure time then started reversing out of Portola at 10:03 AM. I asked for a tour of the "Silver Solarium" and was allowed to view the car before the lucky 10:00 AM raffle winners were let in.
The dome.
The rounded-end observation area.
The bar under the dome. I thanked the car owner and returned to the café car for the westbound trip as we made our way through Mabie and crossed the Middle Fork of the Feather River twice.
The Upper Middle Fork of the Feather River in its unique canyon.
The author writing the story throughout the day on paper, as I usually did on my trips these days.
Our train crossing the Clio Viaduct, after which we rolled west through Blairsdan and Cromberg.
Our train between Cromberg and Sloat.
We left the Middle Fork of the Feather River at the spot where a photo runby occurred during the double-headed Union Pacific 844/3985 steam excursion in 1991. Our train then plunged into the 1,226 foot-long Spring Garden Tunnel.
We train passed through Spring Garden then went around the Williams Loop.
Later we rolled through Quincy Junction, where the Quincy Railroad interchanges with the Union Pacific, and made our way to Keddie, where we met an eastbound Union Pacific freight.
Crossing the Keddie Wye. There was a BNSF freight waiting for us to clear and would follow us west.
A railfan who was practicing his photographic skills caught our train on the Keddie Wye. We passed through the tunnel across the bridge where a group of photographers, including Chris, caught us. Then, after passing through another tunnel, we came upon the view of Highway 70 and the High Line bridges. Randy and I decided to ride in the Great Dome as the seats were being offered for a thirty-minute rotation. At Paxton, there was another eastbound BNSF waiting for us and the westbound BNSF behind us. Chris caught our train at Virgilia then we watched for him to join the chase on a very wet and slick Highway 70.
I left the Great Dome and returned to the vestibule for pictures as we continued down the Feather River Canyon, where we went into the siding at Camp Rodgers for Union Pacific 4484 East. The head-end crew came back to get their boxed lunches while we waited for Union Pacific 9950 East to pass.
A bald eagle perched on a tree enjoying the view of the Feather River Express.
Later the train crossing the Rock Creek bridge.
The bridges and train at Pulga.
A little later on this darkening stormy day, we came to the North Fork Bridge then plunged into the series of tunnels to James, where BNSF 4850 East was waiting and I spotted Chris for the last time today.
Out of the last tunnel after James, the train made its way to the Highway 70 bridge.
The train ran below Table Mountain closing in on Oroville, from which we departed at 3:05 PM. The Feather River Express crossed Binney Junction at 3:33 PM and rolled through Marysville then at Mounkes, we were delayed as we held the main while BNSF 4533 finally ran around us on the siding. Later at Pleasant Grove, we again held the main while waiting for Union Pacific 4533 East to arrive. We then made it to Haggin and left the former Western Pacific for the former Southern Pacific's Cal P Line.
We departed Sacramento at 5:08 PM and made our way west across the flooded Yolo Bypass to Davis, which we departed at 5:29 PM. The Feather River Express then sprinted to Martinez, arriving at 6:13 PM, and I detrained.
With the rain continuing to fall, the Feather River Express departed Martinez with "Silver Solarium" bringing up the markers. As I watched it fade away, I thought what a great trip it had been. A special thank you goes to the Pacific Locomotive Association, the Central Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society, and to Amtrak for this excellent trip and experience.
The efforts of Central Coast Excursion Director Jeff Ferrier, the PLA's Henry Luna, and the many volunteers who made the trip happen were especially appreciated by the more than 600 passengers on board the special. Arthur Lloyd, a former WP passenger department employee and one of the few people to have ridden both the inaugural and final California Zephyrs, led negotiations with Amtrak and the UP. Arthur, Neil Carlson and Hal Lewis handled operations planning for the trip, with Neil serving as trip manager and Hal honorary train manager.
Henry Luna of the PLA and his travel agency, Key Holidays, played a vital role in promoting the trip and selling tickets to the general public. Clem Dickey kept track of finances as the treasurer. Mike Romiez developed custom reservations software and handled ticket orders. Steve Miller was the bus manager. Dennis Hanley maintained the website, which generated a substantial number of ticket sales. Jeff Blackmon and Tom & Marilyn Diamond served as both car hosts and first aid personnel. Additional car hosts included Scott Gerken, Roy Gabriel, Denis & Patti Murchison, George Royer, Mike Romiez and Mike Snyder. George Royer also was the Portola hotel manager. Denis & Patti Murchison also facilitated food distribution and Keith Baker was our crew chief.
And a special thanks go to the volunteers at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum in Portola, who graciously stepped in to water the cars during the layover.
The above three paragraphs are from the May 2006 issue of the Central Coast Chapter's newsletter "Ferroequinologist"Having detrained in rainy Martinez, I waited in the station for my last train of this trip. My train was delayed in Richmond due to a female passenger having to be removed.
A Capitol Corridor train arrived with pair of Caltrain locomotives on the point. My train finally arrived at 8:08 PM {6:43 PM} and I chose a seat in the cab car with Surfliner seats. We had one passenger who boarded, thinking he was going to Sacramento but only made it to Stockton and of course, left his bag in Martinez. I tried to sleep most of the way to Bakersfield. At Escalon, we took the siding to wait for San Joaquin 703. Next at Atwater, there was a car parked on the track and our crew had to protect the crossing in case of any damage. After we met a westbound BNSF freight, we continued to Merced.
4/3/2006 With no more delays, we made our way to Bakersfield, arriving at 1:35 AM {11:56 PM}.
Thruway Bus 4/3/2006The bus finally departed at 2:03 AM after everyone's identification and tickets were checked. We stopped at Newhall, Glendale, Los Angeles and Fullerton before arriving Santa Ana at 5:13 AM. My car was waiting and I drove home, getting to sleep forty-five more minutes before I had to get up to go to work at McFadden Intermediate School. I awoke and thought what an incredible trip it had all been aboard the Feather River Express.
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