5/1/2007 I got out of bed just as the California Zephyr was entering Palisades Canyon.
Two more views in Palisade Canyon.
The Humboldt River.
A beautiful central Nevada morning.
A lone tree in the clear morning air.
An eastbound Union Pacific train on the eastbound line.
A big bend in the Humboldt River. I went to the Dining Car At 6:15 AM and was seated with the Winstons. I had French toast and sausage patties. Most of my meals on the California Zephyr were served by the most excellent and funny waiter Alexander Walton. The train stopped at Winnemucca.
Scene west of Winnemucca.
Sage brush, the plant of the morning.
A Union Pacific eastbound at Rye Patch.
Rye Patch Reservoir.
Another view of the Rye Patch Reservoir.
Past the Rye Patch Reservoir the Humboldt River dries up in the salt flats.
Nevada can be turned green. All it takes is a little water!
West of Lovelock, I returned to the rear door for the ride to Toy.
New ties are ready to be installed.
Miles of slow orders are in place ready for the ties to be installed.
Toy.
Toy siding.
The west switch of Toy. I napped until near Sparks. Back in Coach, Tom showed me a UP 3985 DVD that had the NRHS Convention trip to Gorham that I had ridden.
Just east of Sparks we stopped waiting for the yard to be cleared for our arrival.
After we left Sparks, I was again at the rear door for my first trip down and through the Reno Trench. I will take you with me for the ride.
The junction to the old Western Pacific line into Reno.
An eastbound freight was waiting for us to clear with its tail still in the trench as we start our descent into the Reno Trench.
We have arrived at the Reno Amtrak Station in the Reno Trench. Now some station scenes in the Reno Trench.
One last view of the Amtrak Station before we all reboarded and the California Zephyr left Reno to continue west down the Reno Trench.
Our trip through the Reno Trench is now complete. I had just made my first trip through the Reno Trench. After Tom's DVD was finished I returned to my room to read the USA Today and listen to Keith Richard "Expensive Winos Live at the Palladium".
The Truckee River. After Truckee we started our climb over Donner Pass and I returned to the rear door of the train.
The big turn at the head of Coldstream Canyon.
View looking east as we climbed the east side of Donner Pass.
Inside a snowshed on the east slope of Donner Pass.
Inside the Donner Summit Tunnel also known as the "Big Hole".
Exiting the Summit Tunnel at Norden.
Rolling towards Norden.
Coming into Norden.
Norden.
Leaving Norden.
Signal bridge just west of Norden.
The train takes a big curve.
After we crossed one of the large trestles on this line.
Passing one of the former bypassed tunnels.
A great looking signal bridge.
Twin Tunnels.
We passed an eastbound BNSF freight after the next tunnel.
Inside a concrete snowshed at Shed 10.
Leaving Shed 10 behind.
We passed through the tunnel as the old grade went around.
This is where the San Francisco Zephyr got stuck in that Blizzard of 1952.
Nearing Yuba Gap. Later at Emigrant Gap we passed the eastbound California Zephyr. I relaxed in my room after that with the Scorpions "Crazy World" and did some Sudoku puzzles.That was followed by Ozzy Osbourne "No More Tears" as the day turned mostly cloudy as we descended into the Sacramento Valley. After Colfax I put on Mick Taylor "Handle Me With Care". The train then pulled into Roseville.
Engines at Roseville.
Engines at Roseville. At the south end of the Roseville Yard we got stopped waiting for a westbound Union Pacific freight to clear out of our way. After I walked to the rear of the train we started to move.
A few minutes later we passed that UP freight. Why did we have to wait for him to leave when we had to make him wait later?
We ran by the Sacramento Light Rail Shops. Next we headed out across the newly rebuilt American River trestle that had burned and the Union Pacific Railroad repaired it in less than two weeks. Great job by the Union Pacific Railroad crews.
Coming off the American River Bridge. One word describes this new trestle: Impressive! The California Zephyr arrived into Sacramento at 5:00 PM {2:15 PM}
The California Zephyr at Sacramento.
Sacramento 5/2/2007
We walked over to the Vagabond Inn where we checked in and I checked e-mail. After we settled in and caught the local weather, it was time to ride the new .5 mile of the Sacramento Light Rail. Jonathan, Tom and I walked through the Amtrak Station to the Light Rail station and bought tickets for our one way trip. We left the Amtrak Station and a few minutes later detrained at the 7th and Capitol Station. We walked through the Westfield Mall to Old Sacramento. There we went to Fat City where I had an excellent Blackened Rib Eye Steak. After dinner we walked around Old Sacramento before Jonathan and I walked over a bridge to see the railroad equipment at the old Sacramento Southern Pacific Shop Buildings. I checked e-mail before we watched the Anaheim Ducks {no longer mighty} defeat Vancouver in Overtime 3-2. After the overtime winning goal we called it a night.
5/2/2007 After a good breakfast at Dennys, we checked out and walked back over to the Amtrak Station. I visited with my brother Bruce and then got a luggage cart to get all of our stuff out to the train.
San Joaquin 702 5/02/2007
This train had California Cab Car 8308 Mount San Gorgonio Cafe 8806 Salinas Valley, Coach 8023 Calaveras River, Coach/Baggage 8204 Drakes Bay and engine 2010. We departed Sacramento on time and at Haggin the southbound Coast Starlight was waiting for us to clear.
Wrecked grain car from the accident that rerouted the trains down the old Western Pacific mainline from Haggin to Stockton.
The Siemens Plant in South Sacramento. The train made its way to Lodi and ACE Stockton before we turned south onto the BNSF mainline to Modesto. A siding station stop at Turlock/Denair where we met Amtrak 712.
Castle Air Museum before Merced.
A little steam engine on display near Planda. The train made its stops at Madera and Fresno. I had the all time worst Hot Dog after leaving Fresno as the train sped to Hanford and Corcoran and met San Joaquin 701 before we arrived at Wasco. We went around a freight train at Shafter and an 11:45 AM arrival into Bakersfield. We all got on the bus and guess who did not have a ticket? Jonathan! He had to go and get a ticket delaying our departure time so I would have to say that we would take Metrolink home to Santa Ana today. The bus departed Bakersfield at 12:07 PM and I put Jethro Tull "Watchers of the Storm" CDs on. That got me to LAUPT at 2:01 PM. I rented a luggage cart for $3 to carry the luggage up to Track 8B to wait for Metrolink 684 to Irvine. I returned the cart to track 12 for 50 cents and spotted a UP SD-70.
I returned to get my camera for pictures. The Walkers arrived on a cart and everyone boarded the lower level of the cab car.
Metrolink 684 5/02/2007
We departed LAUPT on time at 2:50 PM, stopped at Commerce and Norwalk/Santa Fe Springs before we arrived into Fullerton. Tom, Jonathan and the Walkers all left me at Fullerton and I stayed on through Anaheim and Orange. After waiting for a late running Surfliner 579, I was returned to the place where it all started last Wednesday at Santa Ana. The main difference besides being tired is that I stepped off Metrolink 684 with over a Million Rail Miles ridden. I got picked up, dropped off the slide film before I headed home! But it is not all over yet!
Fullerton Railroad Days 2007 May 6th and 7th, 2007I took Amtrak 763 up to Fullerton both mornings to be in the Trainweb.com booth both days as I am the Million Rail Mile Man.
Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 was a surprise display.
On the Trainweb.com Tent was this message about me being at the booth.
The engine from Disneyland on display at Fullerton Railroad Day 2007.
The map of my rail mileage on the inside of the tent.
On Sunday we moved the sign to our side to create more shade.
Tom, Kelly and Steve. Tom and Kelly were at Fullerton to promote the Depot Inn and Suites in La Plata, Missouri.
Me with Tom and Kelly. After Fullerton Railroad Days was over, we had a dinner for Tom and Kelly at the Slidebar Cafe. Here are some scenes from that event.
After a wonderful dinner, I took Surfliner 592 home to Santa Ana ending an exciting two weeks in my life. Now Million Rail Mile Man can rest and write these stories.
