I took a table in the cafe car, had a Coca-Cola and caught up with the story before departure time. We started backing 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 AM raffle winners were let in.
The view of the Silver Solarium Dome.
The view of the Silver Solarium rounded end.
The view of the Silver Solarium Bar under the Dome. I thanked the car owner and returned to the cafe car for the westbound trip. We headed through Mabie and crossed the Middle Fork of the Feather River twice.
Views of the Upper Middle Fork of the Feather River in its unique canyon.
A picture of me writing the story as I go like I do on all my trips these days.
Our train crossing the Clio Viaduct. We then rolled west through Blairsdan and Cromberg.
Views of our train between Cromberg and Sloat.
The train left the Middle Fork of the Feather River by the spot where we did the runby during the Union Pacific Steam Trip in 1991. Our train then plunged into the 1226 foot long Spring Garden Tunnel.
The train passed through Spring Garden then around the Williams Loop.
Later we rolled through Quincy Junction where the Quincy Railroad interchanges with the Union Pacific. We made our way to Keddie where we met an eastbound UP 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 Hi Line Bridges. Randy and I decided to ride in the Great Dome as they were doing a 30 minute rotation of seats. At Paxton there was another BNSF eastbound waiting for us and the BNSF westbound behind us. Chris caught our train at Virgilia and 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. We went into the siding at Camp Rodgers for UP 4484 East. The head-end crew come back to get their box lunches while we waited for UP 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 the BNSF 4850 East was waiting and I spotted Chris for the last time today.
Out of the last tunnel after James, the train headed for the Highway 70 Bridge.
The train ran below Table Mountain closing in on Oroville, which we departed at 3:05 PM. The Feather River Express crossed Binney Junction at 3:33 PM and rolled through Marysville. 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 UP 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. The train departed Sacramento at 5:08 PM and headed 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 the 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.
San Joaquin 718 4/2/2006Having 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 as I waited with a pair of Caltrain engines on the point. My train finally arrived at 8:08 PM {6:43 PM} and I took a seat in the cab car with Surfliner seats. We had one passenger who got on our train thinking he was going to Sacramento. He 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 then our crew had to protect the crossing in case of any damage. After we met a westbound BNSF freight, our train headed to Merced.
4/3/2006 With no more delays, we made our way to Bakersfield arriving at 1:35 AM {11:56 PM}.
Thruway 4/3/2006The bus finally departed Bakersfield at 2:03 AM after everyone's IDs 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 45 more minutes before I got up to go to work at McFadden Intermediate School. I woke up and thought what an incredible trip it had all been aboard the Feather River Express.
