DSC_0385-Roseville-5824
Calrailfans at Yuba Pass, California,
12 August 2017
Our August Calrailfans meet was at Yuba Pass, California, on UP's Donner Pass line On a map, Yuba Pass is also known as Yuba Gap, and is where SR 20 meets I 80.
It was a good meet for the dogs, so they came along and we picked up my friend Mike in Antelope. As I was passing the yard to pick up Mike, a train was arriving behind a couple of SD59MX units.
We decided to see the westbound California Zephyr and Blue Canyon. When we arrived at the Blue Canyon grade crossing, an empty grain train was passing on its way east. We did not see the head end, but caught the DPU pushing on the rear. The CZ showed up a few minutes later.
After the CZ at Blue Canyon, we drove the rest of the way to Yuba Pass, and found only Dave and Paul there. Another couple stopped by for a while and we chatted about historic routes over the mountains. Meanwhile, the eastbound CZ showed up and we got photos of it.
The dogs were getting restless, so I walked them along the right of way of the westbound track to beyond the east portal of Tunnel 36, where someone has made some rock sculptures.
As we started back, I heard voices and found Paul and Mike on the east portal of Tunnel 36. I climbed up to join them just in time to photograph a westbound stack train heading into the tunnel. The stacker had mostly overseas containers and was probably headed to Oakland.
Paul and Mike helped to walk the dogs back, past the location where SP's City of San Francisco was stuck in the snow in January 1952. At one point, Paul carried Lupe for a bit as she is almost 8 and has an extra pound or two to carry around on those little legs.
When we got back, we decided to head for home. Dave also had to leave, but Paul was planning to spend a bit more time camped next to the track. The two of them had been up there since Thursday.
We stopped to get a bite at Nyack and heard an eastbound train come through. We drove down to the track at Emigrant Gap to see the Super Fruit, the fast refer train from the San Joaquin Valley to New York State already on a hillside in the distance. We headed back to Yuba Pass and caught the overpowered refer block (2 units on the point, plus a DPU) in great light.
Then it was down the mountain to Roseville. We hoped to see the stack train, but all we saw was an eastbound no grainer near Weimar and we did not try to turn around and catch it.
At Roseville, we found light power moves and interesting Rocklin Rocket power in great light and as we shot the light power, our stack train appeared. We shot it coming into the yard, then stopped at Atkinson for a crew change. We drove to Antelope, where I'd started my day, to try to get the stacker leaving town, but it took its time leaving so instead we shot a SD38+SD40 combo switching and the arrival of the MWCRV from West Colton with 3 units leading and 2 DPUs.
I dropped Mike off and as I was heading back, the stacker departed and left me in the dust after I was stuck behind someone going 35 in a 50 zone. The consolation prize was an eastbound ballast train against the sunset at Walerga, a great close to the day.
DSC_0385-Roseville-5824
Calrailfans at Yuba Pass, California,
12 August 2017
Our August Calrailfans meet was at Yuba Pass, California, on UP's Donner Pass line On a map, Yuba Pass is also known as Yuba Gap, and is where SR 20 meets I 80.
It was a good meet for the dogs, so they came along and we picked up my friend Mike in Antelope. As I was passing the yard to pick up Mike, a train was arriving behind a couple of SD59MX units.
We decided to see the westbound California Zephyr and Blue Canyon. When we arrived at the Blue Canyon grade crossing, an empty grain train was passing on its way east. We did not see the head end, but caught the DPU pushing on the rear. The CZ showed up a few minutes later.
After the CZ at Blue Canyon, we drove the rest of the way to Yuba Pass, and found only Dave and Paul there. Another couple stopped by for a while and we chatted about historic routes over the mountains. Meanwhile, the eastbound CZ showed up and we got photos of it.
The dogs were getting restless, so I walked them along the right of way of the westbound track to beyond the east portal of Tunnel 36, where someone has made some rock sculptures.
As we started back, I heard voices and found Paul and Mike on the east portal of Tunnel 36. I climbed up to join them just in time to photograph a westbound stack train heading into the tunnel. The stacker had mostly overseas containers and was probably headed to Oakland.
Paul and Mike helped to walk the dogs back, past the location where SP's City of San Francisco was stuck in the snow in January 1952. At one point, Paul carried Lupe for a bit as she is almost 8 and has an extra pound or two to carry around on those little legs.
When we got back, we decided to head for home. Dave also had to leave, but Paul was planning to spend a bit more time camped next to the track. The two of them had been up there since Thursday.
We stopped to get a bite at Nyack and heard an eastbound train come through. We drove down to the track at Emigrant Gap to see the Super Fruit, the fast refer train from the San Joaquin Valley to New York State already on a hillside in the distance. We headed back to Yuba Pass and caught the overpowered refer block (2 units on the point, plus a DPU) in great light.
Then it was down the mountain to Roseville. We hoped to see the stack train, but all we saw was an eastbound no grainer near Weimar and we did not try to turn around and catch it.
At Roseville, we found light power moves and interesting Rocklin Rocket power in great light and as we shot the light power, our stack train appeared. We shot it coming into the yard, then stopped at Atkinson for a crew change. We drove to Antelope, where I'd started my day, to try to get the stacker leaving town, but it took its time leaving so instead we shot a SD38+SD40 combo switching and the arrival of the MWCRV from West Colton with 3 units leading and 2 DPUs.
I dropped Mike off and as I was heading back, the stacker departed and left me in the dust after I was stuck behind someone going 35 in a 50 zone. The consolation prize was an eastbound ballast train against the sunset at Walerga, a great close to the day.