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Feather River Express EMY to Portola CA Page 4

Feather River Express Private Varnish Train, Emeryville to Portola CA

August 20, 2010
Photos By Richard Elgenson


Now that you've been introduced to the train, which has just left Sacramento and switched over to the old Western Pacific line towards Marysville and Oroville, let's kick back, enjoy the scenery and hear the rest of Chris Skow's Western Pacific story.  "I took an early retirement with the Union Pacific Railroad from my conductors job in 1995 after spending 26 years running trains through the Feather River Canyon and in fact over the entire Western Pacific system.   After spending many years as a trainman in the Feather River Canyon I want folks to enjoy the rugged landscapes from the train as much as I have over the many years.  Bringing a  train load of passengers to Portola for the Railroad Days weekend will be a big boost to the local economy.  But, much more important is the fact that I have arranged to have 50% of the proceeds donated to the Feather River Rail Society to use at the Western Pacific Railroad Museum to help prepare for Railroad Days and other museum projects."  Thank you Chris.

  Below, the Sutter Buttes are in the distance towards the west.  They remained visible for over an hour as we headed northerly to the Feather River Canyons above Oroville.

   

Below Oroville dam are other structures.  Thermalito Diversion Pool and its retention structure are show below.  The installation of the main dam necessitated rerouting the Western Pacific Railroad in the late 1950's.  From near this point until the large North Fork concrete arch bridge over the river, we are on the newer right-of-way.

   

The original route went up the canyon mainly on the eastern side of the Feather River.  We will rejoin the original route in approximately 27 miles.  The reroute was an engineering marvel, rising in elevation with numerous tunnels and bridges, views of the rapidly vanishing California central valley and Lake Oroville.

   

   

   

   

California has some extremely large water projects and Oroville is one of them.  This system, located in Butte County, and part of the CA State Water Project,  sends its water south to Central and Southern California.

   

This spot is one of the more interesting locations engineering wise.  As on Lake Shasta, the railroad is on a bridge coincidental with a highway.

  

Below left, houseboats lined up at moorings.  Right, looking  southwesterly, arms of the lake are low.

   
   
The other side of Tunnel 8 (lower right) and across North Fork bridge returns the route to the original alignment.

       

Feather River Express continued