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Drifting Through Emigrant Gap

One last shot from "Rotary Day" exactly four years ago. Even four years on I still struggle with putting it into words. It was truly a dream come true and the opportunity to experience one of the rarest and most impressive sights in railroading. Something that has happened not more than 6 or 8 times in my lifetime!

 

But I guess sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. This was my first trip to Donner Pass, a place I'd dreamt of seeing ever since I was young child, and I got to shoot the rotaries working! We use the phrase once in a lifetime a lot...but this time it was apt!

 

While, rebuilt #207 on the east end did most of the work as they plowed west upgrade, unrebuilt #209 (Alco-Brooks September 1929) was along on the east end to clean up anything that sloughed in behind them. After working east to the 6972 ft top of the pass at the Big Hole, summit Tunnel 41, the train symboled as WTKTKF 25 is on its way back west down the 1.88% grade. This view looks west at Emigrant Gap, MP 172 on modern day UP's Roseville Subdivision, on a stretch of the line that the Southern Pacific single tracked in 1993. They are about to swing beneath Interstate 80 as the high Sierras here in Tahoe National Forest are bathed in evenings light. Sharp eyes will note the Lake Spauldind dam on the Yuba River far below.

 

Emigrant Gap

Donner Pass, California

Saturday February 25, 2017

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Uploaded on February 26, 2021
Taken on February 25, 2017