Railway pictures (12)

Welcome to episode 12 of this series!

Link to the previous threads: Railway pictures (11) Railway pictures (10) Railway pictures (9) Railway pictures (8) Railway pictures (7) Railway pictures (6) Railway pictures (5) Show us your railway pictures ... 4 Show us your railway pictures ... 3 Show us your railway pictures ... 2 Show us your railway pictures

Coast

I have a story of the Western Pacific RR, now defunct. One of the shortest Class A RR's that is now one of the better diesel RR museums west of the Mississippi River, that no one ever heard of. The line only ran from Salt Lake City Utah to Oakland/San Francisco, but its real claim to fame, it followed the Feather River Canyon and was the lowest elevation crossing Sierra Nevada mountains, which is in California. The Canyon is considered a scenic route. Portola, California was the layover stop for the train crews and the maintenance shop, based on the Feather River at the eastern head of the Sierra Nevada's

Former Western Pacific employees and town people have resurrected the place and started the Feather River Museum about 15-20 yrs ago and are extremely proud they are an NGO and have done it without any government money. (inland California is very different from coastal Cal), as is Oregon and Washington states

The Feather River Canyon runs from Reno to Oroville Cal and living in Reno for 15 yrs I had driven it many times and had taken pics of the museum when first opened and they had Alaskan f 7 diesel units. So a few yrs ago I had time and felt like taking a trip and visiting.
To me it was the the exact diesel version of the Nevada Northern. Paid my $6 and was given free to go where I wanted and do what I wanted for the whole day. Being a train guy and a photography guy, it was like being at a kid at DisneyLand 👀

I get to these places and generally can't stop. I guess they saw me taking photos for hours. One of their attractions was pay a fee and drive and engine in a small loop. That never occurred to me but after hours the came to me and asked if I wanted to do that for free. Really I wanted to take photos but I did and was an engine driver for the 1st and only time   

Took a ton of photos, saw some important diesel engines had a blast, just like at Nevada Northern. Had free reign of the place...Wow!

That wasn't the End of my story. Had enough big city and was going to leave San Francisco and get back to a smaller more livable town. Was set to go to southern South Dakota, drove to Mt Rushmore twice, thought it ideal, mountains, rivers, lakes, fresh air. ___Was so taken w Portola, living on the Feather River, Wanted to volunteer dosun at the museum. Being in the mountains and trains.

Had been to realtors to find me a place. Then It started raining and didn't stop till much of Reno, Portola and the Feather flooded. On the other side of the Sierra, the Oroville Dam catastrophe occurring. After all that I'm here in the Southwest mountains enjoying all these National Parks and the Southwest in general

this is my photo album at that time of the Western Pacific RR
https://flic.kr/s/aHskNwWW9x
Joe

Coast wrote: I get to these places and generally can't stop. I guess they saw me taking photos for hours. One of their attractions was pay a fee and drive and engine in a small loop. That never occurred to me but after hours the came to me and asked if I wanted to do that for free. Really I wanted to take photos but I did and was an engine driver for the 1st and only time

Love this story. Hope you enjoyed the ride on the cab of the locomotive

Guess who that is sitting in the engineer seat with the Biggest smile on his face

Thanks Addy

Hello Ian, I believe we are the same era . Yes always dreamed of climbing into the cab of something powerful like one of those steam locos.

Thanks guys___Joe

Edited by Coast - 29 December 2022 at 21:45

Fall colours around a local train on the Pünderlicher Hangviadukt 


Sony A7ii + Elmar 90/4 (LTM, 1956)

Thanks Mariusz