A trip back home

Finally after two and a half years I returned to the Donner Pass area for a week vacation in Reno, NV, It was nice to be able to explore the old area again and see what has changed. Unfortunately this was not primarily a railfan vacation so I was only able to spend a few hours on a couple of days to do some train watching.

Monday May 7th, 2012
The first full day of being back in the area allowed me a couple of hours to get reacquainted with Reno and get photos of some buildings that I had not gotten prior to me leaving the area. In the past I was always saying "I'll get it next time" so I wanted to make sure this was that next time.

One of  my goals was the N-C-O/Western Pacific station on the east side of downtown Reno. I was surprised to see it in better shape than what I remembered especially since there is a lot of transient population in this area.

The N-C-O/Western Pacific Reno station

While getting a couple of shots a train horn was heard and soon the UP Stead local started to make its way up the old WP/UP Reno branch off of the UP Roseville Sub.I was surprised to encounter two fresh SD40N's leading this train. These are fairly rare units in Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa and were a welcome sight.

UP 1574 leads the Stead local up the old WP/UP Reno branch.

After grabbing a couple of so so shots of the local, I headed east on E. 4th St to search out my other goal; the old Virginia & Truckee engine house in Sparks, NV.While heading east I encountered the MRORV at Sutro St. I was unable to see the head end before it slipped into the trench but did get to see most of the train and UP 8446 which was the lone DPU.

In Sparks I was able to find my way over to Crane Way which gave me a view of the west end of the Sparks yard. Looking into the yard from the west revealed the ZG2LT  making a set out and a Sierra DPU was parked along the main.

UP QSTPV, BNSF trackage rights train rolling into Sparks, NV.

As I was turning around to resume my search for the V&T engine house the BNSF trackage rights train from Stockton, CA to Provo, UT was drifting into the yard. I was not able to get into a good position to get anything more than a grab shot or two.

After this I was finally able to do some more exploring trying to find the V&T engine house. I had been to it a couple of times in the past but couldn't remember the direct road to it. After many drives up and down the streets south of the Sparks yard I finally figured out how to get to the site.

V&T engine house Sparks, NV.

I was pleasently surprised to see the building still standing and in somewhat good shape. The area it is in had also been cleaned up or my memory is bad as I seemed to remember the area being a mess previously. One of the things I found the most interesting of this building is it still has the smoke stack and there are still some ties in the dirt floor of the building.

After getting some shots and looking around the area I noticed the ZG2LT was heading departing so I headed west trying to get ahead of it. In the local traffic it was was soon apparent that I wouldn't be able to catch it in town so I got on I-80 and headed for the Truckee River area west of Verdi, NV.

ZG2LT climbs out of Reno, NV.

This area had given me some good shots during previous trips so, I setup looking south with the mountains visible directly behind my shot. It was getting close to noon so the sun was not being cooperative and I had to work with it to get a couple of shots. If the train hadn't been lead by three brand new ES44AC's I probably would have passed on the shots.

I ended up chasing this train to east of Floriston, CA before I had to head back to Reno.

Wednesday May 9th, 2012
Wednesday was set aside for a day trip over Donner Pass to Roseville, CA. We did as much back road driving as possible to explore the countryside and hopefully get some train action in.

First stop was in Truckee, CA and the railroad museum. The collection hasn't grown since 2010 but the old SP caboose that was in the lumber yard is now on the west side of the depot. I didn't stop to see what its being used for but it appeared to be mounted permanently.

Truckee railroad museum equipment.

After this quick stop a drive up old US 40 and over Donner Pass was next. Every time I pass by the old snow sheds on track one and the Chinese wall, I have to think of what it would have been like to see a train on that line.

The first train we encountered for the day was at Soda Springs when a eastbound stack train passed by us as we headed west. Its strange seeing stack trains on this line now.

The second and last  train  seen until we arrived in Roseville was Amtrak #5 at Gold Run, CA with AMTK 114 leading. Strangely seeing Amtrak is not a common occurance as it passes through during the dark in Nebraska.

We arrived in Roseville, CA around 1430 and had some time before I would meet by sons, so I explored around the Roseville yard. I was really surprised to find the receiving tracks nearly empty. This is a far cry from the early 00's as the yard was always full back then and its a sure sign that the economy in California is still in the tank.

Not much had changed in the last few years except for some new construction noted on the west side of the diesel shop and at the Subway. The long lines of stored power were no longer seen as they had been back in 2010 and there was only two patches SP units spotted. From what my son has said all of the old patched SP and DRGW GP40-2's that are assigned to Roseville have been repainted since 2010.

Fresh UP 9918 SD59X 

One of the sites worth seeing was the new SD59X's that are being used in Roseville. These are really sharp units and are the quietest diesels I have ever heard. While looking over the 9918, I was amazed at how quite it was and didn't realize it was actually running until I heard it rev up for a brief moment.

UP 590 and 602 outside the shop.

After an all too brief visit with my son's, I took one last drive around the yard for old times sake and stopped for some pictures on the east end of the shop. After that it was quick run back over to Reno and the end of my train watching back home.

UP Blair Sub 05/05/12

I was able to do a quick recon of the construction progress on the east side of the Blair Sub today. I had hoped that the new mains had been installed but they hadn't started laying the track yet.

Missouri Valley
Signal crews are still working on the signalling with activity spotted east of the depot. The yard is full of construction materials. Many cast concrete bridge decks where noted loaded on bulk head flats. The concrete tie train was also spotted with the car that lays the ties on the west end of the yard.

Italy Ave.
No new work was noted at this crossing since my last report.

California Jct.
This is the current focus of activity. About 1/4 to 1/2 mile east of Fremont Ave the switches for the new main and the third main have been cut into the existing main. On the north side thier has been enough track laid to allow about 4 MOW track machines to be parked.

A nb empty grain train holding at California Jct., IA

Corning Ave.

The surprise of the day is the amount of process the UP is having in installing the new bridge over the slough to the east of Corning Ave. 

New bridge being installed west of California Jct., IA.

Since my last report the UP has the bridge installed half way across the slough. Lots of contractor dump trucks were seen running down to the slough dumping there loads and then back west to Nebraska.

The only other work observed is signals, drainage and some grading around California Jct.