Elizabeth and I were talking about excursion trains she had not ridden so with a free weekend and some extra time, we decided to ride the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, Railtown 1897 and the Sacramento Southern. While I had ridden all of these before, I never mind showing and taking Elizabeth to any of the trains I have experienced before. We woke up, had breakfast and finished packing and left our apartment at 9:00 with Elizabeth driving. We went up Interstate 5 and stopped at the rest area at the summit of Tejon Pass before we exited at Old River Road south of Bakersfield and made our way to our first stop of the trip.
At 13343 South Gosford Road is the former Sunset Railway Conner station built by the Santa Fe Railway in 1901. From here we went to the Kern County Museum but could not pay as there was no one there. So I took Elizabeth to where the steam engine was.
Southern Pacific 4-8-0 2914 built by Schenectady Locomotive Works in 1898 as Southern Pacific 2024. The re-numbering occurred when it was converted from coal to oil. It worked on the San Joaquin Division until it was retired in 1955, hauling freight as well as working as a helper over the Tehachapi Mountains, served on the McKittrick, Sunset and Oil City Branches of the SP and as a switcher in the SP's East Bakersfield yard. The Southern Pacific donated 2914 to Kern County in 1955.
Santa Fe wooden caboose 1323 built by American Car and Foundry in 1923.
The Southern Pacific Bena station built in 1889.
The station board of the Bena station.
Information boards about Southern Pacific 4-8-0 2914.
Information board about the Bena station.
Scale house and telephone booth.
Information board about the scale house and telephone booth.
Southern Pacific crossbuck. Look out for the cars.
Southern Pacific Railroad jail.
Information board about the jail.
This house reminded me of the Addams Family house from the 1960's television show. From here we drove out to west of Shafter.
At 30360 Orange Ave is the former Sunset Railway Fellows station built by the Southern Pacific in 1917.
San Joaquin train 710 at South Sandrini. We went to both Earlimart and Pixley but alas both of those stations are gone. We had Subway for lunch then drove to Porterville.
Trackside view of the Southern Pacific Porterville station.
First Train to Porterville May 10, 1888 emblem.
This was going to be a hard station to photograph until I had an idea.
Southern Pacific Porterville station built in 1913. From here we drove to over to the Santa Fe station.
The Santa Fe Porterville station now a senior retirement home built in 1917. We left Porterville but had to stop when I spotted something.
Santa Fe caboose 999182 built by American Car and Foundry in 1930 as Santa Fe 1948. I then drove to Exeter where there were several items of interest.
The Visalia Electric mural sits across the street from the old station of the same name.
Visalia Electric interurban station in Exeter built in 1905. Visalia Electric Railroad, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Southern Pacific Railroad, began as an electric interurban railroad in Tulare County. The railroad was incorporated on April 22, 1904, passenger service was discontinued in 1924 and the electrification was removed in 1944. Subsequent operation was by diesel locomotive. The railroad was closed in 1992. The Visalia Electric used the unusual choice of 15 Hz AC at 3,300 volts carried by overhead wire, with pantographs on the cars for pickup. Parent SP intended this as a testbed for main line, long distance electrification of its own lines in the area, a project that never came to fruition. For a short time in 1950-1951, the Visalia Electric briefly interchanged with the Santa Fe due to the bridge over the Kaweah River being washed out. The Santa Fe was seen by the SP as a rival, so for most of the life of the Visalia Electric only interchanged with its parent SP.
San Joaquin Valley Railroad NZE24BDE 2408, built in 2019.
San Joaquin Valley Railroad NZE24BDE 2407, built in 2019.
San Joaquin Valley Railroad GP28 1829, originally Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf 701, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1964.
San Joaquin Valley Railroad GP28 1825, originally Illinois Central 9430, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1964.
San Joaquin Valley Railroad GP28 1826, originally Illinois Central 9431, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1964.
San Joaquin Valley Railroad PR30B 3002 built by Progress Rail in 2012.
San Joaquin Valley Railroad NZE24BDE 2405, built in 2019.
Visalia Electric engine house.
Mount Whitney as we turned around on CA Highway 198 to get to Dinuba.
This station was going to be really hard to photograph until the caretakers of the museum asked me why we were there and we told them. They then let us into the complex.
For some reason a canopy had been strung from the depot to some poles.
The proper side views of the Southern Pacific Dinuba station built in 1916. We thanked the ladies for letting us come into the museum grounds.
My last view of the Southern Pacific Dinuba station. From here we drove to Fresno and went to Arby's to get dinner and took it to the hotel. The Rodeway Inn was far below our expectations. The key did not work in two doors so the manager had to come and open it for us. I would not recommend staying here under any circumstances. I worked on the story while Elizabeth participated in her monthly Fraser Valley Heritage Railway Society board meeting via Zoom then we called it a night.
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