DSC_0299-Towle-phone-booth
Calrailfans at Alta, California, 30 Sept 2017
The Calrailfans Donner Pass campout wound up at Alta the weekend of 28 Sept-1 Oct 2017. The planned location in Gold Run didn't work out, so it turned into an Altafest.
Due to other commitments, I was unable to camp out, but did head up the hill with the dogs for a few hours on Saturday afternoon.
UP provided us with 5 trains while I was there.
First up was the Super Fruit or Salad Shooter or whatever you want to call the perishables train that runs from the San Joaquin Valley to North Platte. As we often see it, it was hilariously overpowered with 2 Tier 4s on the point, a GEVO on the rear and a dozen or so refers in between. We shot it snaking around the curves east of the Alta grade crossing.
Following the Super Fruit, with the same amount of power on about 100 empty covered hoppers was an empty grain train that I shot at the crossing.
#5 more or less snuck up on us The CZ has been running late due to UP track work on the Moffat Line in Colorado. It had a UP track geometry car on the rear.
The lineup said that another train was following #5 down the mountain and the dogs and I hiked a half mile east to Towle, the former site of a lumber mill where UP still has a crossover and siding. Alta was in shade by this time, but Towle still had sunlight. The ZG2OA came around the corner in great sunlight with 4 units on a relatively light train. This train usually leaves many of its cars in Sparks, but keeps its power.
The lineup also had an eastbound that was on the #1 track between Bowman to Colfax and as I walked back from Towle, the signal just east of the Alta crossing was on, indicating that it was cleared for the eastbound. I got into position and waited and after a while, and eastbound stack train did show up, working hard and going slow on the grade. All 3 lead units were running, but it sounded like the second of 2 DPUs was not running, which could account for the lack of speed.
After that, it was time to head west into the sunset.
DSC_0299-Towle-phone-booth
Calrailfans at Alta, California, 30 Sept 2017
The Calrailfans Donner Pass campout wound up at Alta the weekend of 28 Sept-1 Oct 2017. The planned location in Gold Run didn't work out, so it turned into an Altafest.
Due to other commitments, I was unable to camp out, but did head up the hill with the dogs for a few hours on Saturday afternoon.
UP provided us with 5 trains while I was there.
First up was the Super Fruit or Salad Shooter or whatever you want to call the perishables train that runs from the San Joaquin Valley to North Platte. As we often see it, it was hilariously overpowered with 2 Tier 4s on the point, a GEVO on the rear and a dozen or so refers in between. We shot it snaking around the curves east of the Alta grade crossing.
Following the Super Fruit, with the same amount of power on about 100 empty covered hoppers was an empty grain train that I shot at the crossing.
#5 more or less snuck up on us The CZ has been running late due to UP track work on the Moffat Line in Colorado. It had a UP track geometry car on the rear.
The lineup said that another train was following #5 down the mountain and the dogs and I hiked a half mile east to Towle, the former site of a lumber mill where UP still has a crossover and siding. Alta was in shade by this time, but Towle still had sunlight. The ZG2OA came around the corner in great sunlight with 4 units on a relatively light train. This train usually leaves many of its cars in Sparks, but keeps its power.
The lineup also had an eastbound that was on the #1 track between Bowman to Colfax and as I walked back from Towle, the signal just east of the Alta crossing was on, indicating that it was cleared for the eastbound. I got into position and waited and after a while, and eastbound stack train did show up, working hard and going slow on the grade. All 3 lead units were running, but it sounded like the second of 2 DPUs was not running, which could account for the lack of speed.
After that, it was time to head west into the sunset.