This page simply reformats the Flickr public Atom feed for purposes of finding inspiration through random exploration. These images are not being copied or stored in any way by this website, nor are any links to them or any metadata about them. All images are © their owners unless otherwise specified.
This site is a busybee project and is supported by the generosity of viewers like you.
Eastbound (geographically southbound) Tidewater Southern 743 wastes no time in shuttling 10 heavyweight cars over the Tidewater mainline. The GE 70 tonner is about to hit the east switch at Turner with the special in the filtered shade of bordering Valley Oaks. The Highway 99 overpass is in the background for reference.
The Bay Area Electric Railroad Association charter arrives at Ortega behind freight F7-A 919A and an unidentified B-unit (I feel sorry for those B-units)m, but I note it does have a former steam engine back-up light on the rear. The train will be handed off to the Tidewater Southern and 743, with white flags flying will take the train to Turlock and back.
On the return trip back to Ortega, TS 743 hustles the special over the Tuolumne River floodplain using the trestle that crosses the Tuolumne River and the floodplain planted with peach trees. The north end of the bridge is fixed at milepost 31.65, the rail distance from Ortega. White flags have been repositioned to the other end of the unit. This trestle stood for decades serving the Tidewater, but was destroyed by fire within a matter of months post abandonment - one wonders how this could be, unless something more nefarious was afoot to rid the railroad of a remaining attractive nuisance.
Back in the days when the rails were still connected to the (then) SP mainline at Cannon, the WRM hosted about a 20 car train hauled from the Bay Area to Cannon, then on the SN trackage to Dozier and then Rio Vista Junction. At the time WRM was still working on refining who they were and heavy diesel and steam were active on the rails, in addition to their electric vehicles on the loop track in the background. It looks like Carhouse 1 and 2 are up, but it's hard to tell which other features are there. Today the 94 sits cold in the Loren Jensen Carhouse, the 334 and the heavy diesels are gone and WRM is focused on preserving and operating historic electric railroads of the west.
a lone eucalyptus tree stands in the distance as Alco 744 powers the 12 car special east to the Franzia Brothers winery. Four heavyweights follow the Alco and mix of streamlined cars follow, with another heavyweight on the opposite end. TS 744 was formerly Missouri Pacific 1068. French Camp Road is visible to the right of the tracks.
Twelve cars, a combination of heavy weight, CZ cars and cars make their way east on the Tidewater Southern mainlines east of Highway 99. The trip, chartered by the Bay Area Electric Railroad Association, ran from Oakland behind an F7A-B set and was handed off to the 744 at Ortega for the run to the Franzia Brothers Winery for a tour and tasting before returning to the Bay Area. Today that’s the 1/4 mile spur that serves the Wine Guild.
With gravel dumping finished, Visalia Electric 44-tonner hauls two empty hoppers back to the Western Railway Museum facilities. In the distance is the Suisun Marsh, dotted with non-native eucalyptus trees and backed by the Solano-Napa hills. Wires have been strung up to this point. Poles continue on for about a quarter mile south. Putting historic Sacramento Northern track back into operation to Molena is a complex process.
Gravel is being applied to the road bed after tie replacements on the former Sacramento Line now owned and soon to be operated again by the Western Railway Museum. Poles are in place and the wire still needs to get hung, but the plans are in place to extend electric train rides south to Molena along this picturesque segment of track, backed by the Suisun Marsh and the Diablo Range in the distance.
It's a cool, cloudy and wet day, but thankfully it's not raining at the moment as San Diego Trolley 1018 takes a carload of Santa-seekers on a short ride before depositing them at Car House 3 for the Santa spectacular. Seen across greening grasslands from Little Honker Road the red trolley, part of the collection at the Western Railway Museum, runs on original Sacramento Northern track and is a unique splash of red in an otherwise brownish-green landscape.
San Diego Trolley 1018 and 60 passengers are taking a ride out the line - and back in search of Santa. The annual Santa Trains are sold old for this last weekend before Christmas. The trolley runs at a leisurely pace out past Garfield then returns to Car House 3 at Rio Vista Junction where Christmas music, decorated rail vehicles and Santa awaits them.
A sold-out load of Christmas joy-seeking passengers enjoy a ride on the San Diego Trolley as passes the electrical substation and enters the yard at Rio Vista Junction. The car will soon stop at the Loring C. Jensen Memorial Car House (Car House 3), where everyone will detrain to enjoy the music and decorations inside and the kids can have a visit with Santa.
Sacramento Northern/Oakland, Antioch & Eastern train on Western Railway Museum trackage
Sacramento Northern/Oakland, Antioch & Eastern train on Western Railway Museum trackage
On board Melbourne trolley car, Western Railway museum
Preserved Key System car
Sacramento Northern/Oakland, Antioch & Eastern train on Western Railway Museum trackage
Right of way, Western Railway Museum
Sacramento Northern/Oakland, Antioch & Eastern train on Western Railway Museum trackage
Sacramento Northern/Oakland, Antioch & Eastern train on Western Railway Museum trackage
On board Melbourne trolley car, Western Railway museum