Dave, Chris Parker and I left the Double T Ranch and made our way back out to California Highway 140 which we took across the San Joaquin River to Gustine, where we turned north onto California Highway 33. We reached Newman when we saw a southbound California Northern train approaching so made a quick U turn and readied ourselves.
The train had California Northern 3GS21B 503 leading it south down the line. Back on the road again, we took CA Highway 33 to West Stuhr Road then took Interstate 5 north to Pershing Avenue in Stockton, and made our way to the Red Roof Inn for our two-night stay here. There we met our friend Bob Riskie who came to his first Winterail experience with tonight's slide show and the Winterail swap meet tomorrow. After checking e-mail and other items on the Internet, we drove to the Scottish Rite Masonic Center for our NRHS and Railfan & Railroad Magazine's Pre-Winterail show.
NRHS and Railfan & Railroad Magazine's Pre-Winterail Show 3/11/2011We sat outside the auditorium where people ate pizza and soda and I enjoyed a Coca-Cola as we waited for the doors to open. About 100 people arrived for this unique event this year and the shows soon started. Mike Pechner showed "Streets of San Francisco" would have been good but he had some slides backwards and upside down with gaps between slides being shown. He admitted putting it together very quickly last night. A lesson to be learned is never do something like this at the last minute; instead do it at least two weeks before and check it at least twice to make sure your show works.
Bill Kepner showed his "Chicago and North Western Cowboy Line" which was excellent, followed by Paul Janson's "Union Pacific Harbor Line" program which was very good. Then it was Otto Vondrack's turn with "Northeast Railroading", also excellent. Steve Donaldson showed pictures from a Southern Pacific Railroad police officer from the 1950's and 1960's. Next was Mel Patrick and his "Stop Motion" program, another excellent one.
Steve Crise then showed pictures from an upcoming book on the Pacific Electric then and now, which was fascinting. Bruce Blackadar showed a program of Union Pacific stack trains around Reno, which was very good. Mike Roque did a New York City to Donner program, also very good. I then showed my "Year of Trains in the Life of Chris Guenzler" which was followed by Steve Cope's "Echoes through Time" which was interesting. Ray Peacock and John Dziobko did a program, the title of which I did not record, and Ken Shattuck showed a film of the California Western and RDC Trip on the Northwestern Pacific, which was very good. All in all, it was a good evening of railroading and we drove back to the Red Roof Inn for the night.
3/12/2011 The three of us arose early and all went to Perko's Cafe for a very good breakfast, after which we drove back to the Scottish Rite Masonic Center for Winterail 2011.
Winterail 2011 3/12/2011The first duty of the morning was to attend the swap meet which we did much earlier than in prior years. I bought a couple of Charlie Smiley DVDs on Northeast Railroading and a Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad passenger public timetable. At 10:00 AM, I called Let's Talk Trains then purchased a tri-tip sandwich then joined the line for the auditorium, which was opened at 11:00 AM. The shows started at noon with the pre-show announcements given by Vic and Annie Neves.
The first show was "Thru the Winter" by Craig Williams, followed by "Go West Young Man" by Dave Honan and "Western Pacific Modeller's Story" by Tommy Holt, which was entertaining with a few good laughs thrown in. The Winterail Hall of Fame Award went to Ken Meeker. Next Ken Storey showed "Mysterious Canyons of the West" and Dan Sheets and Matthew Robbins showed "All Good Things: The Siskiyou Line Semaphores" Before the Shorts was the excellent joke and "Uncle Vic's Foamer Cleaner", which was repeated later in the evening. The Shorts were "Caifornia Here I Come" by Mike Roque and "For my Father" by Kit Courter.
We left for dinner before "Three Favorites" this year, going to Applebee's where I had an excellent steak. After dinner it was a quick drive over to Stockton Tower for a late-running San Joaquin 704 and a Union Pacific local. Back at the auditorium, the Photo Contest awards were announced then the first evening program was "Dodging Bullets in Search of Streetcars and Steam: Japan" by John Kichner. Next was "Ferrocarrilies De Mexico 1962-1963" by Gordon Glattenburg. T.O. Repp then showed "The Other Washington State" which showed many interesting locations. The final program was "John Dziobko,Jr., Why my Friends Just Call Me the Godfather" by John Dziobko. That ended Winterail 2011 and all the shows were excellent. We returned to the Red Roof Inn and called it a night.
3/13/2011 After losing the hour of sleep last night due to the time change, we left the Red Roof Inn before 7:00 AM. We filled the car with petrol and went to McDonald's for breakfast, where after some wait, I had hot cakes and sausage. Our plan was to get to the BNSF mainline at Escalon and follow it south to near Madera in the hopes we could find some trains along the way.
In Escalon we found Santa Fe caboose 999465, nee Santa Fe 2006, built by the railroad in 1942 in a park. From here we drove through Riverbank and saw a headlight coming so we made it to the crossing just north of the Modesto Amtrak station.
San Joaquin Train 711 heading to the Bay Area. We headed down J7 towards Merced.
North of Denair we found BNSF 4726 North. We continued south to Merced, then headed out of town on California 140 to Planada where we turned onto Santa Fe Road and just south of Le Grand, saw another headlight and set up again.
Amtrak San Joaquin 701 heading north to Sacramento. We had followed green signals south towards Planada and knew there was a southound train on the way so we waited.
BNSF 4278 East just south of Le Grand. We followed the railroad south to Sharon then headed over to California Highway 99 which we took south down the San Joaquin Valley. South of Tipton we saw a headlight, so did an off-and-on at the off-ramp there to get the next picture.
Golden State Grain SD9 1886, ex. Norfolk Southern 59, exx. Southern 199, nee Central of Georgia 207 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1955 was switching the plant there. From here we headed south to Famoso to check on a few items.
Union Pacific 5370 East was sitting with its bell ringing.
The old Southern Pacific water tank had been painted since our last visit here.
Also here was Union Pacific GP40-2 9989, which could have used Uncle Vic's Foamer Remover to get rid of that ugly graffiti. We then drove into Bakersfield to Arby's for lunch, after which we made our way to the Union Pacific yard and through the fence, caught the Rail America train switching and heard the great sounds.
The two units switching.
San Joaquin Valley Railroad GP38 3870, ex. Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway 3870, exx. Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway 344, exxx. Cascade and Columbia River 344, exxxx. Conrail Leasing 344, exxxxx. Pittsburgh and Lake Erie 2050, exxxxxx. Conrail 7818, nee Penn Central 7818 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1969.
San Joaquin Valley/Railink BL20-2 2120, ex. Central Oregon and Pacific 2120; exx. Mackenzie Northern 2120, exxx. Locomotive Leasing Partners 2120, exxxx. EMDX 120, exxxxx. Burlington Northern GP9 1978, nee Spokane, Portland and Seattle 153 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1956.
Great smoke provides great sounds.
Two last views. We headed east through Edison but with no trains in sight, headed to Tunnel 2 in Tehachapi Mountains where we heard a train coming up the grade towards us.
BNSF 4462 East passed below us through Tunnel 2 and up through Bealville.
BNSF 4458 West came down through Bealville and Tunnel 2 and headed down the grade. We followed him south to the overlook above Caliente where we set up again.
BNSF 4458 West came down around the horseshoe curve at Caliente and both ends of the train can be seen in these views. From here we headed up the grade to Woodford to set up for our first train again.
BNSF 4462 East passed through Woodford.
Next we caught BNSF 4467 East on the Tehachapi Loop, after which we returned to California Highway 58. As we neared the highway bridge, here came another eastbound BNSF train so we returned to California Highway 58 to give chase.
BNSF 5088 East climbed towards the Tehachapi Loop. We then drove into Tehachapi to see the rebuilt station after the disastrous fire.
The new replica Tehachapi station.
The grounds were interesting here.
BNSF 4462 East passing through Tehachapi.
Southern Pacific caboose 1098, built by the railroad in 1941, which has been re-numbered to 2009 to commemorate the centennial of the city's incorporation.
Signal displays at the Tehachapi station. We left here but heard a westbound train coming so set up for it.
BNSF 7681 West came through Tehachapi next. The three of us started out of town when we saw a headlight coming from the east and then one from the west. Which one would get to us first?
Union Pacific 5383 West just reached us first.
BNSF 5088 East lost by about 100 feet.
BNSF 5088 East heading to Monolith. From here we drove to Cameron Road where we waited.
The mainlines are named at this location.
BNSF 5088 East at Cameron Road. We headed back via Mojave then followed the Union Pacific mainline through Palmdale and drove west into Soledad Canyon.
The Vasquez Rocks in Soledad Canyon. We went all the way to California Highway 14, which we took to Interstate 5, arriving at LAUPT at 6:05 PM. I said my goodbyes to Chris and Dave then went into the station to wait for Pacific Surfliner 590. When I saw the crew, I walked up to the train with them and they opened it at 7:00 PM. We departed at 7:15 and I was back at Santa Ana at 8:02 PM and drove home, ending another fantastic Winterail trip.
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