Road trip to Truckee and Portola California

[Itsed65]

So I took a few days last week to head up to Reno for a mini vacation, which always includes a trip to the WP museum in Portola.

I headed up on Thursday morning with plenty of time to spare, so I pulled off the Interstate in Sacramento (Roseville actually) to see if anything was going on at the UP yard there. Not a whole lot really. The HUGE deadline that was there on my last visit is completely gone. Just some diesel maintenance going on.

Looks like some work going on on the leased unit I see in Martinez all the time.

Nice to see an EMD switcher still in use

Model train look

Just as I was getting ready to leave and start heading up the hill, the east bound Zephyr rolled into the station.

My next post will be some shots of WP equipment at the Portola WP Museum. Thanks for looking!

 

[Bill Anderson]

Good photos. I used to visit the Roseville Yard when I lived in Sacramento back in the 70's and early 80's.

 

[papio]

Very nice!

 

[pedrop]

Great photos. I visited Roseville, Truckee, Portola and other locations in the famous Feather River Canyon, and also Virginia City. It was a great time and I could see great trains, like the one I found as soon as I arrived in William Loop, near Portola.

 

[Mr. Pick]

Great shots! Looks like a fine day to be out shooting trains - and lots of standard cabs hanging around the yard there.

 

[pedrop]

If you don´t mind, here are some pics I took in Roseville in 2011

 

[Itsed65]

If you don´t mind, here are some pics I took in Roseville in 2011

I don't mind at all! Good catch on the old Cotton Belt unit. I think they are all gone now.

Mr. Pick, it was a fine day for shooting trains, especially because I was not at work! We have plenty of old Geeps prowling the rails between Sacramento and San Jose thankfully, as the locals tend to be more interesting than the endless container trains.

 

[Itsed65]

I had a great drive over to Portola from my hotel in Reno (Silver Legacy). It was a great day, and besides heading to one of my favorite museums, I got some great birding in as well. The cool thing about Portola is that they run these engines, and for a fee, so can you!

After all these years, the classic F unit still looks awesome IMHO.

One of my first "real" model train engines was an Ahtern SW 1500, not too different looking than this one.

And as a kid, I drooled over the model of this baby in Model Railroader every month, even though it would have never made it on my 18" radius curves! The biggest diesel to prowl the UP, the DD-40-X

Well used high hood Geep

The Sacramento Northern was mainly an electric railroad.

Cab could use some paint

This would be a good model railroad flat car load

Very faded "Kodak" unit

Newer addition to the museum

I can't walk, so I can only scratch the surface of this place. If you get the chance and want to check out the famous Keddie Wye and Feather River Canyon, this museum is well worth the trip.

Heading back to Reno, a Red Tailed Hawk gave me a great show, and I was lucky enough to have the camera on the seat next to me. The next post will have some shots of the UP mainline near Truckee, along the Truckee river.

 

[njurgensen]

Fantastic shots!

 

[jkinzel]

Amazing as always. Love the last shot of the bird.

 

[Bill Anderson]

Great shots of the museum locos. The first house I owned was across the street from the WP's South Sacramento yard. I probably saw many of those old WP units when they were in service.

 

[Mr. Pick]

More excellent shots. Are you still using your 5D?

 

[Itsed65]

More excellent shots. Are you still using your 5D?

Thanks

I still use my 5D, but actually these shots were a combo of my 7D and 1DMkIV. The wide angle stuff is the 7D with a Tamaron 10-24mm lens, and the long stuff my 1D with the 100-400L. The 5D is in desperate need of a cleaning, which I have a coupon for from Canon Professional Services, I just need to get off my butt and send it in.

 

[Mr. Pick]

Thanks

I still use my 5D, but actually these shots were a combo of my 7D and 1DMkIV. The wide angle stuff is the 7D with a Tamaron 10-24mm lens, and the long stuff my 1D with the 100-400L. The 5D is in desperate need of a cleaning, which I have a coupon for from Canon Professional Services, I just need to get off my butt and send it in.

That's a nice arsenal to be able to choose from. A 100-400 is on my list of "one day" purchases. Good results to be sure!

 

[Itsed65]

That's a nice arsenal to be able to choose from. A 100-400 is on my list of "one day" purchases. Good results to be sure!

What can I say? My 2 cats are cheaper to keep than children

The 100-400 along with the 24-104 are my favorite train lenses. I usually have both on hand mounted to different bodies, so I don't have to switch.

I found a nice spot outside of Truckee to have a picnic lunch, and get some great UP mainline action.

First by was the eastbound Zephyr. Not the best angle, but was eating!

Next I was treated to a westbound heading into Truckee before attacking Donner. IF I lived closer by I am sure I could find a better angle on these, but for an afternoon, I wasn't too keen on exploring and then missing a train when it did come by

DPU pushing into the sun.

Before this train even cleared the nearby grade crossing, I heard another horn, and saw that an eastbound was approaching.

Middle DPU

Back end of the eastbound

After it passed, I decided to see if I could beat the train down the valley to Nevada...

 

[pedrop]

Great pics. I also took some photos in the same location you catched the Amtrak train in my trip there in 2011. That is a lovely area for railfans.

 

[jkinzel]

Makes me want to hit the road for northern Cal. Great photos as always.

 

[Trainfanne54]

Great shots.

 

[Itsed65]

Thanks everyone. If you are ever in the area of Truckee, I took those shots from Hirschdale Road, which is an exit off of I-80 just east of town.

The last little bit. I got back on the freeway and managed to run ahead of the eastbound, and caught it at Mogul Nevada. Of course it was almost 4 in the afternoon so I was shooting right into the sun.

Heading away from me into Reno

And that's all from this trip. I went home the LONG way down US 395 to Mono Lake then over Tioga Pass through Yosemite. Great scenery, but no trains that was for a long long time. I will be posting again on my east bay thread soon. Thanks for looking!

 

[Zoohogger]

6936

Great bunch of photos! Thanks!

Was 6936 visiting Portola for a special occasion?