Rainy Day SD9 for Tuesday
SD9 SP 5399 takes an Albany and Eastern excursion train back to the yard in Lebanon, Oregon after a pre-Winterail trip in March 2017.??
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For Monday, Donner Summit, 30 Years Apart
Two visits to Donner Summit, 30 years apart.
Mike Tisdale
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Roseville 26 Years Later for Saturday
I've lived in northern California all my life, other than 9 months in Texas for Air Force training, and in the Sacramento area since 1960.? So,Roseville has been part of my railfanning since 1972, and even before that, Dad would sometimes drive up Roseville Road and around the yard to see what we could see, but, in those days, it never occurred to me to bring a camera and get some snapshots.?
My last post was of of freight trains in late afternoon sun in 1981, now we jump forward 26 years to September 2007 and see that things have changed just a bit.? Amtrak is now running the Capitol Corridor, Union Pacific now owns the railroad, but there are still some gray and red diesels to be seen.
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3 in Roseville for Friday
Three trains leaving and entering the east end of SP's Roseville, California yard in April 1981
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Sunrise at Sunrise for Thursday
Sunrise at Sunrise this morning. For the first time since we got home from vacation in mid-October, our daughter drove me to light rail and rode Sacramento's Gold Line from Watt/Folsom to Sunrise for my morning commute. I'd been fairly regular on the train for over a year, but with our daughter having moved out, I've been driving. I realized I missed a visit with the kid (she's 27), then just being able to sit there and play on my phone for 15 minutes and then having a walk to the office. I'll have to see if she will swing by the house on her way to work more often. The Gold Line mostly follows the route of California's first railroad, the Sacramento Valley, engineered by Theodore Judah and opened for the 22 miles between Folsom and the Sacramento waterfront in 1855. The light rail line was completed as far as Butterfield in 1987 when the system first opened and has since been extended in stages to Folsom. Union Pacific runs freight service on a parallel branch as far as Hazel these days. The line used to go up to Placerville in the foothills, but was cut back when traffic dried up. Two groups of rail enthusiasts run excursions on parts of the line between Folsom and Placerville.
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Cumbres and Toltec K-36 2-8-2 489 leads a Cumbres and Toltec train down the 4% grade of Cumbres Pass
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Kelani Valley Line J1a 4-6-4T 264 switching at Maradana station, in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 13 Feb 1980. The Kelani Valley Line goes east from Colombo and was 2' 6" gauge when we were there in 1980, with a mix of steam and diesel engines powering trains of wooden coaches. The line has since been broad gauged. We had gotten a cab ride on this engine from Dematagoda shed back to Maradana station and I got a photo of the crew, which I made prints of and sent to someone at the railway to give to the crew.
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Our November Calrailfans meet in Marysville, California 7 years ago, under interesting skies.
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Chasing Cumbres and Toltec for Sunday
Chasing Cumbres and Toltec on the last bit of the climb up Cumbres Pass from the east.
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Chama and Cumbres Saturday
Last month in Chama and on Cumbres Pass
Mike Tisdale
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The valve gear of Santa Fe 4-8-4 2925 in Old Sacramento, California
Mike Tisdale
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Capitol at Roseville for Thursday
Amtrak 526, the afternoon Capitol Corridor train to Auburn, California, leaves Roseville, pushed by F59 2003. 15 May 2011
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A Union Pacific signal and the moon at Rocklin, California
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A couple of SD70Ms in good light and a nice sky can make a mud puddle a thing of beauty.
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Chasing the D&S out of Durango for Tuesday
The morning train chase of the two trains to Sikverton out of Durango.?
Mike Tisdale
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Our Calrailfans meet at McClellan Park in Sacramento
Mike Tisdale
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On the wet and stormy night of 3 January 2008, the crews at Roseville, California have fired up an SPMW rotary snowplow to test it and have it ready in case things get bad enough on The Hill to require the rotaries.? In the event, flangers and spreaders were able to handle the snow in 2008, but the rotaries would be called out in March 2011 after the weather had shut down the mountain.
Still, seeing the crews checking out the plow and F7B "snail" power car and listening to the sound of a 567B idling away, gave an electric feel to the air that night.??
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Chicago L and Subway for Thursday
A couple shots of Chicago transit, L and subway
Mike Tisdale
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Silverton to Durango for Wednesday
The return trip from Silverton down Animas Canyon.
Mike Tisdale
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For Tuesday, Spring to Winter in 3000 feet
A train chase up Donner Pass in February 2011 goes from trees in bloom to snow.
Mike Tisdale
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