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Former Southern Pacific 0-6-0 number 1233 crosses the floodgates for the Sacramento River near West Sacramento, California in October of 1996. Should the river become swollen, these gates will open into the flat floodplain and onto part of the Yolo Shortline's main.
The Southern Pacific "Hollister Local" rolls towards its namesake city in September of 1996. The local has drawn a single GP40-2 for the flat and slow run on the Hollister Branch.
Southern Pacific caboose 4754 trails on the "Permanente Local" near Los Gatos, California in September of 1995. These were my first B&W negs, and were bullet proof after some extra development in D-76!
Cotton Belt 9664 roars up the 3% grade near Cupertino, California with the Southern Pacific "Permanente Local" in September of 1995. Lest I forgot that my shadow was beneath the train! Also from my first roll of B&W ever.
Union Pacific 951 takes a business special up the Coast Line at Carandero just a few miles from Gilroy, California. The E's still took charge of the business specials as seen here in April of 2001.
A BNSF detour manifest creeps through the yard at Dunsmuir, California in August of 2001. An earlier UP freight has left a present inside the UP yard on this morning! :p
The Union Pacific "Santa Cruz Local" whines with dynamic brakes as it rolls into a gulch at Wilder Ranch in March of 2006. The local is about four miles from its namesake city.
Southern Pacific 371 leads the outbound "oil cans" at Bradley, California in November of 2000. The big AC4400CW is lugging this oil unit train from the Mobil wells at Wunpost to the port at Long Beach. The train is often elusive in daylight, often running the length of the Coast Line...
Canadian Pacific FP7 number 1400 makes a run down the San Francisco Peninsula at Menlo Park, California in November of 2000. The CP varnish was on tour to promote Canadian tourism, and presented a rare chance to see a working f-unit on the Peninsula.
Amtrak #6, the "California Zephyr" makes time as it's late through Hirschdale, California on the Donner Pass route. Amtrak's Zephyrs have been notorious for being late.
A solid train of potash rolls down the slopes of the Sierra Nevada at Casa Loma, California in October of 2006. Union Pacific's route over Donner Pass will become much more active in the future once the tunnel improvements are made.
A rarity. Two identical Southern Pacific 4-6-2's are steamed up at the Golden Gate Railroad Museum in January of 2003. This would be the last steam event held at the San Francisco, California location. The 2472 has moved to Niles Canyon, and the 2467 is housed inside the railroad museum in...
A set of ex-Chicago & Northwestern gallery cars pull up to the San Antonio stop in Mountain View, California in June of 2001. These old C&NW gallery cars pinch hit for CalTrain's own coaches. CalTrain's gallery cars were being rebuilt by Alstom during that year.
This was unheard of in the Southern Pacific's days of commuter trains. A female CalTrain conductor validates tickets inside one of the old Chicago & Northwestern gallery cars in June of 2001. Lots of women are now serving aboard the commuter trains as conductors or assistant conductors. Even...
SP 9817 leads a northbound intermodal at Sargent, California in June of 2000. What I wouldn't give for a time machine right now. UP just eliminated through freights on the Coast Line, and has plugged the sidings with stored cars.
Forgive the unremarkable photo of a remarkable event. Was riding the Southwest Chief on May 11, 2009. Noticed the new California car bringing up the rear. Had to wait for the Fort Madison, Iowa smoker's stop to get this grab shot. I guess that's how they get the newly manufactured coaches to...
Three GP40-2's take the southbound "Santa Margarita Turn" past produce fields near San Ardo, California in August of 2000. The three geeps will have no problem handling the one car train today. ;)
A pair of pure Southern Pacific GP40-2's lead the "Santa Margarita Turn" past Harlem on the Coast Sub in November of 2000. Some fall colors dot the river as it winds down the valley to Santa Margarita. Harlem is about four miles south of Soledad, California.
The Union Pacific "Santa Cruz Local" engineer switches cabs while paused at the wye in Santa Cruz, California yesterday. The train had a real "heritage" mix of Rio Grande, Western Pacific, and Southern Pacific locomotives. :)
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