DSC_0260-Long-Ravine-3023-coal-empties
Calrailfans in Colfax, 11 August 2018
Our August Calrailfans meet was in Colfax, California at the Carpenter Road grade crossing by the Long Ravine curve. If you happen to have the book "Tragic Train" by Don DeNevi, this is the place identified as "Palo Alto" in the caption for a 1938 publicity photo of the train.
As often happens, I had stuff to do around the house in the morning and I finally got out the door in late morning. While passing Rocklin, I noticed an empty grain train stopped and figured it was waiting for the eastbound California Zephyr to run around it. This was the case and I stopped and photographed both trains, then shot the no grainer at Newcastle.
I beat the no grainer to Colfax, but as it approached the crossing, Lupe got her leash tangled and I missed the photo of 8627 at the grade crossing. Steve Cope took the photo of me holding up the 1938 City of SF photo...many more trees today than 80 years ago.
Next down the mountain was #5 running a bit behind. The Roper, the MRVRO manifest to Roper Yard in Salt Lake City showed up shortly after the westbound Zephyr with 3 units leading a 2 mid train DPUs.
We sat around and chatted for a while, then ATCS said another eastbound was coming. Michael Scholz and I went down the hill to the Long Ravine trestles and got a looking up view of the train, which turned out to be coal empties with a Tier 4 EMD SD70ACe-T4 leading.
I've had a painting of NCNG #5 passing under the City of SF at Long Ravine hanging in my living room since the 1980s. Lee Yeager offered to paint me a watercolor and I'd had the idea for a while, so that's what he painted.
Not having a lot of SD70ACe-T4 photos (the model was introduced in November 2016), I followed the train up to American/Casa Loma and photographed it against the backdrop of American River Canyon. The new 4 stroke 1010 engine in the Tier 4 unit certainly has a different sound than the 2 stroke engines that have powered EMDs since the 1930s.
Back at Long Ravine, only a few people were enduring the hot weather and no trains were expected for a while, so I headed for home. It was a good day in the mountains.
DSC_0260-Long-Ravine-3023-coal-empties
Calrailfans in Colfax, 11 August 2018
Our August Calrailfans meet was in Colfax, California at the Carpenter Road grade crossing by the Long Ravine curve. If you happen to have the book "Tragic Train" by Don DeNevi, this is the place identified as "Palo Alto" in the caption for a 1938 publicity photo of the train.
As often happens, I had stuff to do around the house in the morning and I finally got out the door in late morning. While passing Rocklin, I noticed an empty grain train stopped and figured it was waiting for the eastbound California Zephyr to run around it. This was the case and I stopped and photographed both trains, then shot the no grainer at Newcastle.
I beat the no grainer to Colfax, but as it approached the crossing, Lupe got her leash tangled and I missed the photo of 8627 at the grade crossing. Steve Cope took the photo of me holding up the 1938 City of SF photo...many more trees today than 80 years ago.
Next down the mountain was #5 running a bit behind. The Roper, the MRVRO manifest to Roper Yard in Salt Lake City showed up shortly after the westbound Zephyr with 3 units leading a 2 mid train DPUs.
We sat around and chatted for a while, then ATCS said another eastbound was coming. Michael Scholz and I went down the hill to the Long Ravine trestles and got a looking up view of the train, which turned out to be coal empties with a Tier 4 EMD SD70ACe-T4 leading.
I've had a painting of NCNG #5 passing under the City of SF at Long Ravine hanging in my living room since the 1980s. Lee Yeager offered to paint me a watercolor and I'd had the idea for a while, so that's what he painted.
Not having a lot of SD70ACe-T4 photos (the model was introduced in November 2016), I followed the train up to American/Casa Loma and photographed it against the backdrop of American River Canyon. The new 4 stroke 1010 engine in the Tier 4 unit certainly has a different sound than the 2 stroke engines that have powered EMDs since the 1930s.
Back at Long Ravine, only a few people were enduring the hot weather and no trains were expected for a while, so I headed for home. It was a good day in the mountains.