JAMIE'S RANDOM AMERICAN RAILWAY PHOTOS.

[jamie92208]

3 minutes ago, F-UnitMad said:

When do we get to find out what the note said? You can't just throw in little details like that and then leave them hanging....  

The note was addressed to "The English Guy" and had her name address and phone number. 

 

Jamie

[F-UnitMad]

32 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

The note was addressed to "The English Guy" and had her name address and phone number. 

 

Jamie

Now the thread gets interesting....

[Allegheny1600]

1 hour ago, jamie92208 said:

The note was addressed to "The English Guy" and had her name address and phone number. 

 

Jamie

American ladies do seem to like the British accent! 

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

1 hour ago, Allegheny1600 said:

American ladies do seem to like the British accent! 

 

The ones that even know what a 'British' accent is... in my many trips over there most folk hazarded a guess at australian...  they could spot 'posh English' and Guy Ritchie mockney and that was about it. 

 

I used to hang out with a girl from Tenessee... now that was an accent!  She made everything sound suggestive.

 

That may just have been her though, she was a great girl!

[Northroader]

I always wondered how your gerbils got frittered.

[jamie92208]

Bon apres midi from the Charente where it's sunny.  It was also sunny as we climbed into the Sierra Nevada on 9th June 1978.   The train was going through a series of snowsheds on the on the original 1869 route. This was the area that took years to build, mainly with Chinese labour.  One of them was where the Challenger, 3985 was heading over to Sacremento with a couple of diesels assisting. The story goes that the limited exhaust from 3985 caused the two diesels to shut down so Steve Lee had to open her up.  The crew got down on the cab floor and hung their heads outside to keep breathing.   As we went along this area we saw Donner Lake below us, I 80 is on the other side of the lake, dropping down to Truckee.

Donner pass was named after a party of German emigrants heading west for Gold in 1849. They were warned not to try and cross the pass and got snowed in. It can have up to 5' of snow per night.  It is alleged that the Donner party only survived by eating their Indian guide.  The stretch overlooking the lake has now been abandoned in favour of a bypass route built some years ago. This can be seen joining our route here. The tunnel has been enlarged to take doublestacks.

Some idea of the rugged country at the 7500' summit.  SP and now UP maintain a fleet of rotary ploughs with steam auxiliaries, simply to fight the wet snowfalls that comes roughly every 10 years. 

Another view of the summit area.

Just past the summit is the town of Norden. The houses here often have wooden tunnels leading from their front doors to the road for use in winter.

There used to be a covered roundhouse for turning helper locos near here and there is still a passing track.

TTFN.

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by jamie92208

[Keith Addenbrooke]

Just had a catch-up: very enjoyable.  As others have said, thanks for sharing the journey, Keith.

[pH]

11 hours ago, jamie92208 said:

One of them was where the Challenger, 3985 was heading over to Sacremento with a couple of diesels assisting. The story goes that the limited exhaust from 3985 caused the two diesels to shut down so Steve Lee had to open her up. 

That may have been the occasion and location where 3985 was the first steam loco through the tunnels since steam had been withdrawn from regular service. The diesels were operating as a manned helper. As they approached the first tunnel, with 3985 leading, the diesel crew suddenly realized what was about to happen. Working hard, 3985’s exhaust proceeded to steam-clean the tunnel roof of several decades of oily diesel exhaust, covering the diesels and completely blanking the diesel cab windows.

[jamie92208]

On 06/06/2021 at 23:38, pH said:

That may have been the occasion and location where 3985 was the first steam loco through the tunnels since steam had been withdrawn from regular service. The diesels were operating as a manned helper. As they approached the first tunnel, with 3985 leading, the diesel crew suddenly realized what was about to happen. Working hard, 3985’s exhaust proceeded to steam-clean the tunnel roof of several decades of oily diesel exhaust, covering the diesels and completely blanking the diesel cab windows.

That sounds like the same incident but from two different perspectives.  I believe that the plan was to have the steam loco doing very little work with the diesels providing most of the effort but like the best laid plans....

 

Anyway we continue with our time travel.   It's still 9th June 1978 and we are at about 7,500' at the summit of Donner pass about to take the 45 mile descent to Roseville which is only 200' above sea level.  It's the 8th day of my adventure and I'm just about to finish film 9. The descent, is mainly, IIRC, at 1 in 45 with no real breaks.  There are still many special instructions about how to work trains on the grade, along with rules about operating in winter conditions.  All trains have to stop at the summit and check everything.  Anyway there are many snowsheds and even though we all knew that it was safe, everyone in the dome duked as we approached them.

We got through that one safely.   Norden lake was alongside us.

This shows the rear of the dome.

The guy with the camera and beard was then one I mentioned eralier who had grown up in Cheyenne.

The line then runs along the side of a deep river valley for many miles.  I think that it's the America River but aren't sure.

We then passed a freight grinding uphill.

I think that's a Cotton Belt tunnel motor with the radiator inlets mounted low down to get cooler air in the sheds and tunnels.

And of course in those days there was always a caboose and one of the crew always watched any passing train for defects.

More tomorrow.

 

Jamie

 

Edited April 9, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a sunny Charente.   You will be glad to hear that the Tardis is still in the Sierra Nevada's, now in California, and it's still 9th June 1978. We are still on the long descent to Roseville. Here we are high above the river, I think we are rounding what was known as Cape Horn where Chinese labourers were dangled off cliffs in baskets to blast the shelf in the cliff face using unstable nitro-glycerine.

There is a monument to the Chinese which will appear much later in this thread.   We then got down to Colfax where an SP loco was waiting by a loading dock. I think it's and SD45 tunnel motor.

Then we went through Bloomer cut, which is part of the the original line.  A second track goes round it now.

And finally we got to Roseville, the large marshalling yard and major junction at the base of the climb. Basking in California sunshine are more rows of SP power. I can make out an early GP plus  a tunnel motor.

Roseville is the home of the famous rotaries that are the ultimate snow fighting weapon on Donner Pass yet can be prepared in T shirt weather before they head upgrade to battle many feet of snow. The gantries here are for sand and fuel, all in the open air. A UP unit has made it this far west of Ogden.

More serried rows of black and slightly red locos.

More tomorrow as we head through Sacramento towards San Francisco.

 

Jamie

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[pH]

10 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

We then got down to Colfax where an SP loco was waiting by a loading dock. I think it's and SD45 tunnel motor.

 

 

Straight SD45. Tunnel motors have big air intakes at the bottom rear of the long hood. Dash-2s have the oval sight glass towards the rear of the long hood on the engineer’s side. 

Here’s a SD45T-2 tunnel motor: http://www.rr-fallenflags.org/sp/sp9243abp.jpg

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a warm Charente, 43 years to the day,  after I was in California for the first time.  The Tardis is still aboard the San Francisco Zephyr hauled by a pair of SDP40F's heading from Roseville towards Sacramento. It's still the 9th June  1978.

As we puled into Sacramento, my friend had told me to look at the front of the SP shops on the right. What should be there but the very last Cab Forward, just visible under the 2nd gable from the left.

The shops were right by the station.  The area looks rather different now.

As we set off we travelled along the north side of San Francisco Bay and passed the reserve fleet at Suisun (IIRC)

Then we got to Oakland and transferred to a bus that took us across the bay bridge to San Francisco, and no I hadn't heeded Scott McKenzie's advice and didn't have any flowers in my hair.  However the view from the bridge as we crossed IIRC Treasure Island in the middle of the bay, was lovely looking towards the Golden gate.

 

I had planned to have a slightly expensive stay in the Hilton, courtesy of a voucher that my travel agent friend had given me but two guys that I had been talking to, offered to put me up for the night. I ended up in a sleeping bag on a floor somewhere in the Castro district.  However the view was spectacular

I tried my starburst filter for the first time.  The guys were very hospitable and took me down to Fisherman's Wharf for a walk round and an ice cream. It was nice to be given a tour of the city by locals.

The next morning the view looked good.

 

It's an area south of the city centre overlooking the bay towards Oakland.   I was up early and rang the cousin of a lady that I'd met on the train between Chicago and Denver.   The cousin answered and arranged to meet me in a cafe not far from where I was.  She said, "I hope you've not got too much luggage, I've only got a small car."

 

Jamie

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[jamie92208]

Good moaning from a quite warm Charente.  It's still exactly 43 years since todays pictures were taken.  The Tardis is in San Francisco on the morning of 10th June 1978.  Not many train pictures in todays selection but there are wheels on rails.   As mentioned yesterday I was on my way to meet the cousin of someone that I'd talked to on a previous train.  There was some interesting street art as I walked down to the cafe.

She did mention having a small car. Well this is what Beverley turned up in.

My frame rucksack just fitted behind the seats.  She was a freelance photographer and offered to spend the day showing me the city/ I accepted of course.  She was setting off to Marin County, north of the Golden Gate to go house hunting.  First of many stops was below the bridge.

She told me that when the QE2 was still steam powered she had put on a fabulous display by heading out under the bridge at a good rate of knots and was a sight to see.  Anyway after Marin County it was back into the city and of course the cable cars.

She took me down the winding brick street that's now closed to cars.

I think that featured in Bullitt but aren't sure.

Then he took me to the Cable car museum which s attached to the winding house.   Not a brilliant photo but well worth a visit.  The cables are all labelled as to which street route they operate.  An amazing piece of transport history.

More tomorrow.

 

Jamie

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[Johann Marsbar]

One of the winding gear in the Cable Car museum from 5 years ago....

 

 

 

[The Lurker]

The winding street is Lombard Street is Lombard Street. cars can (now) run downhill only.

 

Couple of shots from our visit in summer 2019:

 

 

 

Edited June 10, 2021 by The Lurker

[Dr Gerbil-Fritters]

 

I've visited San Francisco quite regularly  for work since the early 2000s.  One of the most unpleasant cities I've ever had to spend time in.  The squalor is quite extraordinary.

 

Here's a review of the 'hotel' my employer decided would be fun for me to stay in last time I went.  On the Saturday night I had to go out and tell the party animals outside my door to stfu and go somewhere else and smoke weed.  Somehow, doing it with an English accent seemed to work and they all trooped off sheepishly.  

 

 

[Johann Marsbar]

7 minutes ago, Dr Gerbil-Fritters said:

 

I've visited San Francisco quite regularly  for work since the early 2000s.  One of the most unpleasant cities I've ever had to spend time in.  The squalor is quite extraordinary.

 

Here's a review of the 'hotel' my employer decided would be fun for me to stay in last time I went.  On the Saturday night I had to go out and tell the party animals outside my door to stfu and go somewhere else and smoke weed.  Somehow, doing it with an English accent seemed to work and they all trooped off sheepishly.  

 

 

I decided, before my first visit in 2016, after studying the various hotel review websites, that it would be better (and cheaper) to stay outside of SF, close to decent Transport links. From what I saw in the area on my travels in 2016 and 2019, that was a wise decision, though I never experienced any problems in the City, and I travelled around quite a bit whilst I was there....

Millbrae in 2016 (BART & Caltrain) and Belmont in 2019 (Caltrain & SamTrans) both were ideal locations.

 

I still think Portland (OR) is worse than SF though!

[The Lurker]

I've been three times over the past 40 something years and like the place. It's much nicer than LA IMO. Sorry for the threadjack

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a warm and sunny Charente.  It was warm and sunny in SF on the 10th June 1978.  Beverley was still giving my tour of the city.  One of the places we went was the Fisherman's wharf terminus of one of the cable car lines.

Next was  a trip up a city centre skyscraper and  I was bought a cocktail in the revolving lounge that gave me a unique view of the city.  This included the Bay Bridge and treasure Island.  When the bridge was first opened in the 1930's  interurban trams ran along the lower deck that is now the eastbound carriageway. 

All good things come to an end so it was now time to say goodbye to my tour guide and a big thank you.  

Whilst there I also saw some trolleybuses, which along with trams and cablecars plus a good bus network make SF a city that you can walk round and use public transport.  

Here's the revolving restaurant.

I then walked down to the main police station where the transport was a bit more utilitarian.  It was only a couple of hundred yards form Market Street but there is, as commented above, a seamier side to the city.

More tomorrow, now off to pick cherries.

 

Jamie

 

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[Johann Marsbar]

A couple of preserved "New Look" GM diesel buses of the type featured in the background of one of your photos turned up at the Muni Transit Festival in September 2019.....

 

 

...and I know there are others preserved like that as well. The original "New Flyer" trolleybus has been preserved by MUNI and that was about too...

 

[jamie92208]

Good morning from a warm and suny place.  Just like SF was. It's still 10th June 78 and I've arrived at the main Police HQ to try and get a patch for my collection. I ended up having a short tour of some of the seedier streets near the ferry terminal with members of the anti robbery squad.  They very kindly took me to the terminal, which was the former Interurban terminus now used by buses.  A bus took us over to Oakland to join the Coast Starlight to head north.  I found a seat and sprawled myself across two seats to try and set up for a comfortable night.  I was getting comfy when a voice said,  "Is this seat taken" I looked up and saw a very attractive young blonde so replied, it is now.  Heidi was from Wisconsin.  She was very pleasant company from Oakland to Seattle. 

We headed east then north and into the Cascades  with some spectacular scenery.

The next morning as we descended the logging industry was very visible.

 

We then arrived at Portland and the process of changing our SDP40F's for F40's began.  Here are our replacements parked near our train.

The SDP40F's pulled away.

Then backed into a siding.

Then the F40's appeared and started to back onto our train, complete with a steam generator car,

I'm not sure what the parentage of the steam generator was, perhaps an ex B unit.  For some reason the SDP40's weren't allowed north of Portland the the F40's only had Head end power. Anyway we have now moved to the 11th June.

 

More tomorrow.

 

Jamie

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[Johann Marsbar]

That steam generator car is former Great Northern F3B #432B, which GN converted to heater car 13, later BN HC13.

The area around Portland Union station appears to have changed rather a lot since you took your photos.  The bowstring girder bridge you can just see in one of the shots (and which now has tram & light rail services over it) is the only landmark I recognise from when I was there in 2017!

[jamie92208]

Good afternoon from a rather warm Charente.  The Tardis is still in Portland however on the 11th June 1978. As I took the photos of the locos there were some BN one parked up behind me.  I think that the left hand one is an F45 cowl unit.

There was also an interesting collection of 70's boxcars, from UP, BN, Penn Central and Norfolk and Western.

The connections between the steam generator and the coach were interesting to my eyes.  The steam line was at 140psi and very substantial.

This was the interior of my home for 36 hours.

My companion for the journey had been Heidi from Wisconsin who got off at Seattle and to change onto the Empire Builder to get home.  The Beach Boys ertainly got it right about Northern girls.

After we said goodbye I changed onto the International Train to Vancouver BC. This was Amfleet coaches hauled by an F40.  As we went north along Puget Sound the sunset was lovely.

Some years later I watched a documentary called Hobo, which finished with a shot of a hobo riding a piggyback train south along this same stretch with the sunset behind him.  It brought back many good memories.

 

Jamie

 

Edited April 10, 2022 by jamie92208

[U36B]

Thanks for great pictures!!

 

The PC car is a Seaboard Coast Line car - and the UP and BN cars got wheel inspection dots (yellow circle on black square).

Very 1978ish:

http://cs.trains.com/mrr/f/13/t/163471.aspx

 

Cheers

 

Stephan 

[Johann Marsbar]

It's been interesting trying to place your photo locations and it took a while to work out how extensive the station and rail yards obviously were in 1978,

 

The mill building featured in the second photo has now been completely refurbished, but where the boxcars were standing is now a road!

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.5315137,-122.6774425,3a,75y,138.79h,84.72t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1siBcENhxuLPePDPphAGMGVw!2e0!7i16384!8i8192

 

The top photo seems to have been taken close to here - but you can't see the concrete flyover structures anymore due to the buildings...

 

https://www.google.com/maps/@45.532853,-122.6797813,3a,75y,261.95h,66.38t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s9mcTE0rQUBs4PDQq73U7qA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192