Bill Bishop and I were booked into the Pullman House for our two-night stay in Portola. The inn was built in 1910 by Mattie Conner as a boarding house. In 1988, it was converted into a Bed and Breakfast then in 1993, the inn went through a complete renovation which included adding private bathrooms to all rooms. The rooms are small but cozy. A train theme was taken on and the Inn was named after the Pullman Car. There are six guest rooms and all are non-smoking. Amenities include a TV, VCR Player, phone, coffee maker, hair dryer and ironing board. The Inn has both upstairs and downstairs sitting rooms and a deck with a view of the former Western Pacific Railroad. There is also a dining room where a light continental breakfast is served. It is within easy walking distance of the Western Pacific Railroad Museum.
The sign for the Pullman House.
A switch stand.
A weather vane on the roof.
The guest book area by the door. Now I will show you Room 5 where we stayed.
There are two twin beds.
This picture was over my bed.
The bathroom has a shower.
The picture over Bill's bed.
Sink and mirror. Now for a tour of the Inn.
These two pictures are in the living room.
Three locomotives in one piece of art.
The heater is also out here.
A unique feature of this room was the train that went around the perimeter of the room and ceiling level.
Lanterns and other railroad memorabelia.
A Lionel clock.
A framed set of steam engines done in needlepoint.
Pullman advertisements. Next we go to the kitchen.
This is where you prepare your breakfast.
The tables.
A Baldwin locomotive builder's plate.
A Western Pacific Railroad painting.
A railroad stock certificate.
An EMD builder's plate.
This room also has a train that runs around the perimeter.
Now let us go upstairs.
A famous Union Pacific poster proclaiming the opening of the Platte Valley Route from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
The upstairs hall.
Another Western Pacific painting to keep the theme of the inn's location.
A second version of this three steam-engine piece of art.
A Southern Railway steam engine and a lantern.
A portrait of eight steam engines.
A Pullman step box.
The upstairs sitting room.
There is plenty of railroad action in this painting.
Diesel horns.
A nice selection of books one can read while staying here.
Some lamps.
A steam engine. Now to go outside onto the deck.
This crossing sign points the way towards the former Western Pacific mainline below.
Views from the deck. I worked on labelling the pictures but was tired and called it an earlier night than normal.
Western Pacific Railroad Museum 10/31/2009In 1983, the Feather River Rail Society was formed with the goal of preserving the legacy of the Western Pacific Railroad. The Union Pacific graciously donated several pieces of equipment and granted use of the former WP locomotive facility in the City of Portola to the society. This 37-acre site includes a 16,000 square foot diesel shop in active use from 1954 until 1974 and two-and-a-half miles of track. This facility became home to what is now the Western Pacific Railroad Museum at Portola.
Our collection includes locomotives, rolling stock, an extensive gathering of corporate records, paperwork, artifacts and historic photos and films. Visitors to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum soon discover that this is a hands-on facility where they are encouraged to climb into the cabs of locomotives, sit in the engineer's seats and browse through the rolling stock on display. Visitors can get up close to our restoration projects in the working shop. There is an exhibit room and various railroad-related displays throughout the building.
The FRRS is a not-for-profit, 501(c)3 volunteer organization that does not receive any government funding. The continued existence of this museum and archives depends upon revenue gathered from memberships, donations, fundraising, admissions and store sales. Please help support our mission to preserve and protect the legacy of the Western Pacific and its people. You are invited to become a member of the FRRS and join our team of volunteers here at the museum.
Western Pacific S-4 563 built by American Locomotive Company in 1951. It did not wear the new standard "Perlman Green" scheme for very long, as she was quickly primed and sold to the Central California Traction where she was repainted Cherry Red and became their 50. What the Traction Company really needed though was a road switcher, not another switch engine, so 563 did not stay in her new home long, being traded back to the WP for larger Tidewater Southern RS-1 746. WP re-sold the orphan engine to Foster Farms of Livingston, California where she worked until retirement as a plant switcher, having been repainted in a caramel and black scheme with large Foster Farms "Rooster" logo on the cab side.
When Foster Farms retired the unit in favour of remote controlled switchers in the 1990's, FRRS members stepped in and bought the 563 and brought her to Portola to enjoy her retirement as a display piece, where she was eventually repainted by FRRS founder Norman Holmes in the last paint scheme she wore in WP service.
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.
Union Pacific DD40AX 6936 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1971 and was the last of its kind built. It is part of the Union Pacific Heritage Fleet based in Cheyenne, Wyoming and had been in Portola since late September for a railfan photographer/member appreciation day event.
Western Pacific NW2 608, ex. Stockton, Terminal and Eastern, nee Union Pacific DS 1001, built by Electro-Motive Corporation in 1940. It has the distinction of being the 1000th locomotive produced by the Electro Motive Corporation (later Electro Motive Division of General Motors), as well as being only the second diesel purchased by industry giant Union Pacific.
Union Pacific DDA40X 6936 and "Silver Solarium", the rear car on the Feather River Express excursion.
Western Pacific 29' coil steel gondola 6424 built by Greenville Steelcar in 1953. Its wheels, specifically the bearings that hold the wheels, represent a sea-change in railroad technology. From the earliest days of railroading, friction where the rotating axle attached to the framework holding wheel sets, referred to as a "truck", had been a major issue. A type of bearing device, called an "oil waste journal" and commonly referred to as a plain or friction bearing, quickly became the standard for axle bearings. These were prone to failure. When a failure occurred, the bearing would heat up, catch fire, and possibly break apart, a condition referred to as a "hotbox".
Starting in the 1920s, the Timken Company began promoting a "roller bearing" for railroad applications. This bearing required very little lubrication, created less friction and was touted as a money and fuel saving device. The Sacramento Northern Railway, a Western Pacific subsidiary, served a US Steel mill in Pittsburg, California. When the WP needed to expand its fleet of steel coil cars for this mill, they decided to improve on the gondola cars usually used in such service. They purchased 100 of these short mill gons.
Since the coils were so heavy, they overloaded the typical 45 foot to 50 foot long cars before they were full, so the builder made the new cars very short for less wasted space. Most significant was the application of roller bearings. These cars were the first large batch of production freight cars built with sealed roller bearing trucks. WP was at the forefront of this revolution, which was so important that the cars were delivered with a special "Roller Freight" logo. Today, the old "plain bearings" are illegal for regular rail service and the roller bearing reigns supreme.
Our tour group receiving a personal guided tour of the Western Pacific Museum by Eugene Vicknair.
Western Pacific GP7 705 built by Electro Motive Division in 1952. 705 came to the Western Pacific Railroad Museum from Arizona where she spent several years working in the desert hauling freight for shortline "Arizona Central" after retirement from the Western Pacific. This explains the faded red paint. 705 was purchased by a group of FRRS members and brought "home" in 2005. Nicknamed "Mary Kay" due to its pink (faded red) paint, the 705 will be restored as time and money allow. For the time being, WP 705 is stored at the museum on display. Once mechanical restoration is completed, it will be pained the Perlman Green and Orange paint scheme.
Western Pacific GP9 725 built by Electro-Motive Division built in 1955. Following the Union Pacific/Western Pacific merger in 1982, Union Pacific repainted this engine into their armour yellow and harbor mist gray paint scheme with red lettering in late January 1985, and returned her to former Western Pacific lines in the Bay Area. The 725 did not last long in its new identity however, as it was sold in August 1985 to Iowa Interstate Railroad as their 300. WP 725/UP300 spent ten years working the Iowa Interstate before being sold to the Feather River Rail Society in 1995.
Union Pacific GP30 849 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1962.
Western Pacific F7A 921-D built by Electro Motive Division in 1950.
Feather River and Western H12-44 1857, nee United States Army 1857 built by Fairbanks Morse in 1953.
Soutern Pacific rotary snowplough 208 built by Alco-Brooks in 1927. It was leased to Western Pacific and used at Keddie and the High Line after Western Pacific had retired their ploughs.
Southern Pacific SD9 4404, nee Southern Pacific 5428 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955.
Our train at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum.
Sacramento Northern GP7 712 built by Electro Motive Division of General Motors in 1953. Upon retirement by new owner Union Pacific, this locomotive was donated in 1985 to the Western Railway Museum near Fairfield, California, where the tired old engine was repainted and displayed. In 2006, the Feather River Rail Society and Western Railway Museum successor, Bay Area Electric Railway Association, traded several pieces of equipment, including Sacramento Northern 712.
Sacramemto Northern bay window caboose 1642 built by Pullman as wooden box car 17922 in 1916. It was acquired by the Sacramento Northern in April 1964.
Central California Traction Company caboose 24, nee Santa Fe 1547 built by American Car and Foundry in 1927.
Amtrak steam generator car 662, ex. Great Northern F7B 430C, nee Great Northern 12 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1948 and a rebuilt into a steam generator car.
Western Pacific GP9 731 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955. Following the Union Pacific/Western Pacific merger in 1982, UP repainted the 731 into their armor yellow and harbor mist gray paint scheme with red lettering in late January 1985, and returned her to former WP lines in the Bay Area. The 731 did not last long in its new identity however, as it was sold in August 1985 to Iowa Interstate Railroad.
Southern Pacific SD9 4450, nee Southern Pacific 5363 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1954.
Oregon Northwestern AS-616 3, nee Southern Pacific 5274, built by Baldwin in 1952 and donated to the museum in 1990.
Western Pacific U30B 3051 built by General Electric in 1975. Western Pacific realized that they could purchase 5 U30B's for the price of 4 SD45's and GE's 4 cycle engines were a lot more fuel efficient than EMD's 20 cylinder monster. Western Pacific purchased 5 examples in 1967 at a cost per unit of $234,458. Western Pacific went back to GE and ordered 15 more. U30B 751 was delivered in Silver and Orange with large Western Pacific "Feather River Route" medallion on the cab sides, black and orange chevron style warning stripes, signal lights in the nose, and rode on Blomberg trucks from traded in EMD locomotives. Western Pacific's U30B's were retired by successor Union Pacific after the merger, and 3051 was donated by Union Pacific in 1985.
Western Pacific SW1 501, nee EMC 906 built by Electro-Motive Corporation in 1939. It was the first diesel locomotive owned by the railroad. This and two others SW1's became regulars in the yards at San Francisco, Oakland and Sacramento and proved that steam power was the way of the past.
After serving Western Pacific for over 25 years, 501 found a second life on the rails of Western Pacific's subsidiary Sacramento Northern and was re-numbered SN 401. It would finally be set aside in the late 1970's and spent several years on the Stockton deadline. However, she was resurrected in 1981 when Western Pacific customer Corn Products Corporation needed a locomotive for its Stockton facility. Rebuilt by the railroad, she worked shuffling grain hoppers in south Stockton. In 1987, CPC graciously donated the 501 and she has now been restored to her original WP black and white colors, preserved as the most prominent symbol of the Western Pacific's embrace of diesel power.
Kennecott Copper RS-2 908, nee Kennecott-Copper Nevada 104 built by American Locomotive Company in 1948. It was donated to the museum in 1985.
Kennecott Copper RS-3 2, nee American Smelting & Refining Company Garfield Smelter 2 built by American Locomotive Company in 1950.
Milwaukee Road U25B 5057 built by General Electric in 1965. It was part of a diesel engine instruction program at Webster Technical College in Sidney, Nebraska before donation to the Feather River Rail Society in 1991.
Stockton, Terminal and Eastern S-1 506, nee Western Pacific 506 built by American Locomotive Company in 1942. The Stockton Terminal and Eastern is a small railroad that serves a variety of industries on the east side of the city of Stockton. For most of its history, the ST&E was barely able to make a dime. It needed only one steam locomotive (itself a working museum piece built in 1864) to serve its few industries and was often in danger of abandonment. This began to change in the 1960's when new management arrived and saw potential in a road once called the "Slow, Tired and Easy". Within a few years, huge warehouses and food packing plants were built along its mainline and thousands of cars began to polish its rails. The ST&E quickly became an important connection for all the Stockton railroads, including the Western Pacific.
Needing new locomotives to replace the small diesel switchers that had succeeded their ancient steamer, the ST&E first tried two EMD NW2 switchers purchased from the Union Pacific Railroad. These engines proved to be unreliable and too much for the line's light rail. After leasing one of WP's Alco S1 switchers, the ST&E decided that these were ideal locomotives for their needs and arranged a trade with the WP. In October 1968, the two NW2 units became WP 607 and 608 while S1s 505 and 506 were sent to the ST&E. Repainted in yellow with red trim, the two engines, soon joined by other former WP Alco switchers, became common sights working the industries of east Stockton and pulling trains down the middle of residential Roosevelt Street to the WP interchange.
In 1974, the 506 became a movie star when it was featured in the climatic car chase and crash of the action movie "Dirty Mary Crazy Larry". In the mid-1980's, the 506 was retired and soon donated to the Feather River Rail Society.
Former California Zephyr passenger cars.
Southern Pacific GP9 2873, nee Texas & New Orleans 443 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956.
Western Pacific GP20 2001 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1959. It was donated by Union Pacific in 1985.
Western Pacific GP7 707 was built by Electro Motive Division of General Motors in 1952.
The cab of Kennecott Copper RS-1 3.
Malfunction Junction.
Quincy TR6 1100 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1950 built as EMD demonstrator 1600, then Southern Pacific 1600. It was used as a Sacramento Shop switcher - perhaps the only surviving TR6A .
Museum scene.
Foley Brothers Incorporated 600 horsepower boxcab electric built by Ingersoll-Rand and General Electric in 1929. It was used at Foley Brothers' Colstrip, Montana plant where they used it to switch cars at Northern Pacific's
strip mine operation over a one mile line from the cadi pits to the NP interchange. In July 1963, it was sold to Lon Construction Company (now United Industries) in Billings to switch cars at their gravel plant.
Oregon Northwestern AS-616 4, ex McCloud Railway 34, nee Southern Pacific 5253 built by Baldwin in 1952.
Western Pacific Maintenance-of-Way 27-2 was last used as the fuel and water tender for WPMW derrick 27. Lima Locomotive Works originally built it in July 1943 for use with Western Pacific steam engine 484 and it has a capacity of 23,000 gallons. This tender is the only remaining tender from the Western Pacific's GS-64 series locomotives.
Kennecott Copper steeplecab 778, originally Chino Mines 104, built by General Electric in 1958. This engine was the last electric locomotive delivered to Kennecott. In December 1971, it was moved to Bingham Canyon for use on trains in the huge pit and re-numbered 778. In 1976, it was repainted in red, white and blue colors to celebrate the American Bicentennial. Retired in November 1983 with the close of KCC electric railroad operations, this historic unit was donated to represent the mining industry that sustained the east end of the Western Pacific.
Union Pacific wedge plough 900002, originally Union Pacific 02, built at the Pocatello Idaho shop in 1949 from steam engine tender 3562.
Various cabooses.
Dome-buffet-observation "Silver Solarium" PPCX 800333, ex. Amtrak 9252, nee Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 377 built by Budd Company in 1948. It was one of the six dome/sleeper/observation cars specifically built for the California Zephyr. Ownership of the car was transferred to Amtrak in 1971 and renumbered it as 9252, after more than 20 years of service between Chicago and San Francisco. Amtrak retired the car in 1978, and sold it to Nav Fosee/Cedar Rail Enterprises/Silver Rail Company in 1985, where it was renumbered back to 377 and restored to its original appearance. "Silver Solarium" was then sold to Roy Wullich/Rail Journeys West in 2002 where it entered into charter service after it received modern upgrades in 2003
Western Pacific 0-6-0 165, nee United Verde Copper Company 87 built by American Locomotive Company in 1919. In 1927 it was sold to the Western Pacific and was last used in March 1953, but saw one last hurrah when it and Western Pacific 94 were towed down the Tidewater Southern to Escalon and used as stationary boilers at a cannery in October 1959. It returned to Stockton for storage, one of only 3 steamers left on the railroad (along with 4-6-0 94 and 2-8-2 334). On April 4, 1962, it was donated to the city of San Leandro and eventually was displayed near the San Leandro BART station. At some point in the 1980's, it was relocated to the Alameda County Fairgrounds.
In late 2002, an opportunity arose to acquire 0-6-0 165 which had been at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton but was now in the hands of the new Triple T Agricultural Museum located in Stevenson. Triple T was more interested in a flashier engine and inquired about our Union Pacific 4-4-0 737. After extensive negotiations, a trade was completed that sent the old 4-4-0 to the Triple T, where it will be cosmetically restored and displayed indoors, while bringing Western Pacific 165 home to Portola. Our steam department is headed by Roger Stabler. Assisting Roger is recently retired head of Union Pacific's steam program, Steve Lee, and a large group of "Willing People" working to return Western Pacific steam to the "Feather River Route" for the first time in over 50 years.
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. Today, Quincy 2 is operational at the Niles Canyon Railway. This engine has never been out of Plumas County since it was delivered to the Quincy in 1945.
Western Pacific bay window caboose 484 built by International Car Company in 1980.
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.
Western Pacific S1 512 built by American Locomotive Company in 1941. Western Pacific ordered an additional four GP7 locomotives in 1953, road numbers Western Pacific 710-713, thereby fully retiring WP's last remaining steam locomotives. This resulted in WP becoming the first railroad in the west to fully dieselize.
Western Pacific F7A 917-D built by Electro Motive Division in 1950. It was acquired in 2005 as part of a trade with the Bay Area Electric Railway Association at Rio Vista Junction.
Western Pacific F9B 925-C, nee Canadian National 9039, built by General Motors of Canada in 1951.
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.
More cabooses.
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.
United States Steel S-12 20 built by Baldwin-Lima-Hamilton in 1955. This unit worked in the Pittsburg, California US Steel plant, where it switched trains brought in by Sacramento Northern and Western Pacific. The Western Pacific purchased five Baldwin VO-1000 yard switchers, despite their strong preference for EMD power, due to the shortage of locomotives during World War II. Unfortunately, all five units WP 581-585 were scrapped, so the plan for US Steel 20 is to be converted into a visual replica of a WP Baldwin switcher, since the S-12 had a similar carbody style to the VO-1000.
United States Army MRS-1 2122 built by American Locomotive Company in 1953.
The tour brochure stated that the Special California Zephyr train would leave at 11:00 but the museum staff told 1:00 PM. I walked back to the Pullman House to work on this story and would return about 12:45 PM.
| Click here for Part 2 of this story |