The Sheet Preserving "The Route"

JANUARY FEBRUARY ISSUE No. 29 $1.50

PORTOLA RAILROAD MUSEUM VISITORS CENTER

In This Issue •••..... FUND RAISING BEGINS FOR FRRS DEPOT

WESTERN PACIFIC'S 42' GENERAL AMERICAN AIRSLIDE CARS General Electric U25B Feather River Rail Society Preserving "The " [lWPLIVES

The FRRS, a tax exempt public benefit Corporation, is the HISTORICAL SOCIETY for member " THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS the WESTERN PACIFIC RAILROAD Norman Holmes and operates the PORTOLA RAIL- TRAIN John Marvin ROAD MUSEUM in Portola, Calif. Wayne Monger ************ John J Ryczkowski t John Walker Our Mailing address is ...... Iourist Hallway Association llic. Dave McClain FRRS POST OFFICE BOX 8 PORTOLA CALIF 96122 Jim Ley ************ Our information phone number is ...... ************ 916-832-4131 or call 916-832-4737 Associate Membership (non voting) $15.00 yearly ************ Active. Membership (voti ng) $25.00 yearly "THE TRAIN SHEET" is edited by John J Ryczkowski Family Membership ( 1 vote) $30.00 yearly and assisted by Mary S Ryczkowski. Life Membership (voting) $300.00 Articles/ Info please write, The TRAIN SHEET Dues are paid for 12 months from time of receip Post Office Box 1663, Sparks, Nevada 89432 ************ The Feather River Rail Society is not supported by, nor affiliated in any way, with the THE TRAIN SHEET Western Pacific Railroad ...... Volume No. 6 No. 1 Issue No . 29 ************ 1000 issues printed FRRS tax ID number is 68-0002774

PRFSIDENf'S DESK Two-member couples FRRS CALENDAR FOR 1988 With winter in full force in Portola, little activity is going on at the museum. Mem· may choose to renew as February 20 Social Meeting bership renewals are coming in at a good separate Associate (non­ February 27 rate and this is encouraging. It makes us voting) members for $15 each, Winter Rail, Stockton, CA pleased to know so many think we are . $30 total. Or, they may April 16 Social Meeting doing a good job. Th.is time of the year IS a renew as separate Active good time to plan next summer's activities. May 21-22 • Our restoration program must go forward (voting) members for $25 Spring Work Party to show our visitors we mean business in each, $50 total. They may May 28- 29-30 preserving railroad equipment. We have a also renew as one of each. 3rd Anniversary of Grand very valuable collection and more pieces Another option is a Family will be added. All will require care. We Opening-Operations would like as many members as possible to membership with one vote for June 18 spend a little (or a lot) of time helping in $30. Those "dual" members Annual Membership Meeti ng any way they can. who sent in $30 before June 25-26 Operations receiving renewal notices July 2-3-4 Operations have been renewed as Family July 9-10 memberships. Anyone may, at From the Membership Officer- Rail Featival Weekend any time, upgrade their July 30-31 Operations membership by paying the August 6 (Tentative) The implementation of additional dues or may the new membership renewal Motor Car Races separate a Family membership August 13 Social Meeting system is proceeding ' nicely, into two Associate but a few questions have August 20-21 memberships. We can also Railroad Days-Operations come up. Husband-and-wife accommodate dual members members who joined at September 3-4- 5 Operations who joined at different times -- di fferent ti mes of the year September 24- 25 Operations and wish to have a Family wi 11 receive renewal notices October 22 Social Meeting membership. We wi 11 extend at different times. Confusion December 10 Social Meeting on this point is compounded the earlier membership so it December 17 Santa Train slightly by the new expires with the later one. Every third weekend each month membership categories. We Just wri te and tell us, or members meet together and work can offer several alternati ves indicate on your renewal on museum projects •••••• for the convenience of "dual" notice when you get the first members. one. The month and year of SEE YOU IN PORTOLA ••••••••••• contd .... Sheet Two THE TRAIN SHEET ISSUE No. 29 SHEET TWO expiration of your membership FREE TRIP OFFERED is on the mailing label. FUND RAISING BEGINS FOR DEPOT The Feather River Rail Society and 1988 finds the Feather River Rail Society Unlimited, Tours is proud to announce that kicking off its fund-raising drive for a new We have been in the some lucky person will receive a free trip combination depot and visitor center. The habit of printing Train Sheet for six days to Guatemala leaving on drawings for the proposed building have December 8, 1988. been recently completed by our volunteers. mailing labels for only one The winner of our drawing will join Trains member to save on mai li ng The depot will be a recreation of the Unlimited, Tours trip to this spectacular and Western Pacific depot that used to stand at costs. This means that the fascinating Latin country just below Mexico Pleasant Grove, California (north of second member to join for six days of charter train riding with Sacramento). Included in the two-story (usually the wife) will not steam locomotives, visiting railroad shops, structure will be a new interpretative center yards, depots, sightseeing or just relaxing. for the visitors to the museum, offices of the know when her membership Free airfare will be provided from expires till she gets a Feather River Rail Society, and proper anyplace within the to c1imate-controlled storage area for our vast renewal notice. If you would Guatemala City, round trip. Also included quantity of historical documents from the li ke to know now, or if you will be lodging in first class hotels, all Western Pacific Railroad. The plans call for want your own issue of the charter trains, all charter buses, airport the depot to be built to the west of the transfers and some meals. current museum parking lot, on the north Train Sheet, or if you have Raffle giveaway valued in excess of other questions, let us know. side of our current "main line" at the $1,000. museum. Once completed, the new visitor This is a fund raising drive to help build center will relieve some of the pressure on We would like to the Portola Railroad Museum's Visitors the engine house to serve as a multi­ extend a special Thank-You Center and Depot. This building will house purpose building for both visitors and many artifacts and displays, the gift shop rebuilding projects. to George Comer, who was and ticket office. We hope to break ground the sale respondent to our It is true that there are some legal details on this building sometime this spring. Raffle that must still be straightened out between ear li er query for he Ip wi th tickets for the free trip are $2 each or 6 your society, the City of PortQIa, and the our computer problems. Mr. tickets for $10. Let us know how many before construction Comer, even though not a tickets you want and we will send them to can begin. The FRRS Board of Directors you. Then you can fill out the stub with realize that it will take at least two years to computer person, was able to your name and address and send back to us offer suggestions which raise sufficient funds for this project. Of the with payment to: few monetary grants available to your resulted in the temporary Feather River Rail Society society for such a project, many are strictly solution of our data storage P.O. Box 8 (Trip) "matching fund" grants for specific, pre­ dilemma. We'd still like to Portola, CA 96122 planned projects. We need to begin to Help us out and sell tickets for us or buy raise money NOW so we can be hear from anyone who might some for your friends. We will be glad to be able to help the Society successful! send you as many blank tickets as you feel The first big fund-raising project for our obtain better equipment, you can sell. Drawing to be held on new depot/ visitor center has been started however-- this difficulty will September 15, 1988. by member and Gift Store operator Chris f ace us agai n in the future. Skow. Chris is now working for a travel agency in Oroville putting together Joe Way tours of South American steam railroads. He AROUND TIlE MUSEUM has graciously donated a free trip (all Norm Holmes and Dean Hill drove to expense paid give-away including airfare) Sacramento December 22 with a pickup for his Guatemala Steam Adventure of LAST AND NEXT MEETING load of junk batteries to exchange for a set December 8-14, 1988. This trip is a $1,000 Last Meeting: On December 12, Bob of good used batteries from scrapped SP value. Raffle tickets for this excursion are Larson showed a fine slide collection of locomotives. An agreement was made with on sale for $2.00 each, or six for $10.00, and early ( and some late) passenger trains. LMC Corp. to exchange the batteries pound are availble to both members and non­ Twenty members were present who for pound. We appreciate LMC's coopera­ members. Tickets are for sale through both enjoyed the program and refreshments tion. Each battery weighs 400 pounds and it mail and at the museum. The address for provided by Deborah Canino and Barbara takes 8 to power a locomotive. While at tickets is: Holmes. LMC, we were given permission to remove Depot Raffle - FRRS Next Meeting: A social meeting will be windows and other small items from a SP P.O. Box 8 held February 20 at 7:30 p.m. in the Portola SD-45 unit being scrapped. Portola, CA 96122 City Hall. This is our fifth anniversary of our On December 28, a repeat trip was made Make sure all checks are made payable organization. Chris Skow will show a one exchanging another set of junk batteries for to the FRRS Depot Fund. The raffle for the hour sound film on his recent trip to a good used set. Jim Ley and Hank Stiles winning ticket will be held on September 15, Argentina where he chartered a narrow also went along, in Jim's truck, picking up a 1988. gauge steam train among other railroad gas engine and transmission from Purdy Co. The second part of the fund raising will adventures. Refreshments will be served. in Ewing as spare parts for our Burro crane. follow the lead of the Illinois Railroad We will need at least one more battery set Museum. In the December 1987 issue of for our operative locomotive roster. Railfan and Railroad, a news item DONATIONS mentioned that the museum had raised Since December member donations SANTA TRAIN around $3,000 by collecting aluminum cans totaled $1,780, most sending a little "extra" Our second annual Santa train was oper­ for the purchase of a locomotive. We will be along with their dues. Our restoration pro­ ated December 19. Again our hamburger starting a similar drive at the Portola gram requires a great deal of money for flipper Emery Godard donned a red suit and Railroad Museum. Beginning this spring the tools and supplies. We really appreciate white whiskers and passed out candy canes ballast hopper WP 10649 will be positioned your financial assistance. The 805A fund to about 50 children. Train rides were free, on Track #2 at the east end of the engine received $55 during this period. but adults were encouraged to visit our well house. Our aim is to FIlL this car with stocked gift shop. Two cabeese and 608 aluminum cans by the end of this coming Fund Raising contd . .... Santa Tr ain con td .... summer! There will be a sign on the side of provided transportation. Dean Hill, Norm T 6 SWEAT SHIRT SALES the car, as well as a set of stairs on the Holmes, Steve Jackson, Hap Manit, Mat parking-lot side of the track so that both Parker, Hank Stiles and Gene Vicknair were I would like to thank everyone visitors and members can contribute cans on hand to assist. that has ordered shirts your support to the depot/ visitor center fund drive. has put $380. in the. account and Thanks for your support of YOUR museum! all in stock shirts are paid for •..• This money will be used to buy painting equipment and paint for MOUNTAIN DlFSEL. .• Special Rates for FRRS Members the 2001 and 80S-A •.••. Mountain Diesel Transporation, owner of Member Grant Kern is the manager Thanks again the six Alaska F7 units at our museum, has of the Sandman Motel at 3421 Cleve­ I need more orders ..•... leased units 1510, 1512 and 1517 to Western land Ave in Santa Rose, Calif. He Railroad Builders for service on a former will give special rates to any member. Union Pacfic branch in \\Yoming. The 108 mile Coalmont branch extends south from Laramie to Walden, Colorado and has 2% grades for a portion of the line. Mark Retired Engineer Pens Ode to Railroad Hemphill, Dale Sanders, and Tom Carver (MDT's owners) constructed a wood frame, Retired Enginee r John Peterso n, Sr. , who recently ended 44 years of plastic covered "hot house" inside the service to the railroad without a lost-time injury, wrote a poem to his diesel house where the units were painted friends "Tied Up." ArkJllSJS Division.£l:lpef~l1tenJent R.C. Lang submit-· in MDT's deep orange and black color called scheme. A heating system was engineered ted it for publicati on: A to overcome our cold fall temperatures. No m ore willi pull rh e rh rolll,', Wh(> n looking back ill rerrospecr, great deal of preparation work, steam No m ore willi .IN rh C' ,J ir Tll C' r(, '1I com l.' ro me rh e rhrills cleaning, sanding, panel replacement, oil No morC' will I pull r/ H' whi, r/ ,' ,,,rtl Th.1I I (!'Ir WIIl' 1I shl.' rlHlII!!l.'red rhrough and filter changes and other miscellaneous A/l(/Ii rell ro rh e' bl.lrC' . SO IJI C' sag work, was done prior to the final painting Never aga in willi /)(,In' my,,'1f Or I.Ii)()r l.' !! (II' rh C' hi/ls. and departure. Doug Jensen, Dave McClain As I (cd rh e C' ngiIH' 'W(,(V('; I h.lv!' livp(/ Ill y lifl.'; rllNe are no regrers; and others were employed by MDT to get Never again will I ho ,'d III'r up I II .lvl.' no c.Il/SC' ro grieve the units ready. A number of FRRS members As she rocks around .1 cllrvC' . R(lr rll C' (p llow'hip o( all my (rie nds also helped, just because they wanted to. Th e lillie kids who w.IVl.'d .Ir I"" I., rll!' rh ing rh.II 's II.ln/ CO lea VI.'. Hap Manit particularly put a lot of effort And rhe rOWllS rh .1I r/lllnd('n'd p.l,r I I!';] VI.' rh l.' lIl now wirh kindly rh oughr s into going for supplies, etc. Are los r CO m e, (or (.II/]('r ri/lll' A.I I fin is h r11i.' 1.lsr run Although the extensive, hurry up job of /-l as raken hi ~ ro ll .Ir 1.,,1. Bur wirh all rhe Wil.' ( ane! hardships, getting three units ready in a little over 30 Th ose long, dark nighc.-, rho;!' ('l' ri!' d.l wm , Ie's bl.'l.' n iI lor o ( ((In. days sort of took over our facility, it should Til e smokesrack's (C). lfing bl.I, r. be noted that it did not interfere with Th ose peace(ul (arm.1 rllar dri(rl.'d by -John Peterson, Sr. normal museum activities during this Are a parr o( my life rh ae's pa.11. period. A lot was learned from the From UP's "INFO" Magazine preparation activity and the paint booth, a $1 ,200 value, is ours to use when we paint our units. The OANP picked up the units on December 10 and arrived in \\yoming two days later. When the three year lease expires, the units will return to Portola.

TIDEWATER SOlITHERN'S ... Western Pacific subsidiary Tidewater Southern purchased its first diesel locomotive in November 1946 at a cost of $4 7,761. This locomotive was a General Electric 44-ton unit, a sister to the five similar "mice" purchased by the Sacramento Northern at the same time. Initially numbered TS 135, it was painted into the standard WP orange and silver and renumbered TS 735 in 1952. [n 1967, this locomotive was sold to Pickering Lumber, and was moved to the mill site at Standard, California along the Sierra Railroad. After being used as the mill switcher at Standard for 10 years, the 735 (still in WP orange and silver) was sold to Chrome Crankshaft, who then resold it to Pacific Railroad Ph o t o by George Cockle Contractors. Still in orange and silver and lettered Tidewater Southern, this "mouse" CALIFORNIA was used in the late 1970s on railroad Richmond: Southern Pacific Historical and Technical Society construction projects in Southern North California Spring Meet - April 23, 1988, Noon to 10PM California. Until now it had disappeared (or later). Slide shows and movies hourly. Model display. from sight with no final disposition known. Swap tables. Food available. At Golden State Model Thanks to George Cockle and friends in the Railroad Museum/East Bay Model Engineers Society, 900 Dornan Omaha area, this locomotive has been Drive, Point Richmond. Information w/SASE from Ken "found" once again. [t is located in a Harrison, 1809 San Antonio Ave., Alameda, CA 94501. Phone messages at (415) 574-6282. Calls returned c ollect. THE TRAIN SHEET ISSUE No. 29 SHEET THREE

railroad supply yard south of Kansas City WP MODELS COMING •••••••••• OUR GENERAL ELECfRlC U258 along the AT &SF mainline at Morris, The past three years have seen a steady Kansas. As you can see by the The wooden cupola like redefinition of what the Feather River Rail accompanying photo that was taken on WP 779 in Portola is now being Society is trying to accomplish at the December 21,1987, the years have been done by Overland. with delivery by Portola Railroad Museum. When we began, fairly kind to it, and it still has its orange and mid summer .•.••.. the museum was to be dedicated just to the silver paint, lettered Tidewater Southern. The WP 1201 series 12500 gal preservation of the railroad history of the Believe it or not! tank car is also being done by Western Pacific and the Feather River area Pecos River Brass. In two styles We are still very dedicated to the CCT 19 exWP 741 is from series one with K brakes and modern preservation of the history of our area, but 731-779 built in 1910. WPMW1232 with AB brakes ••.••.•..• the museum has gained a nationwide and is series 1201-1250 company ser­ Please send in your reservations worldwide reputation as one of the leaders now and we'll be giving the same of the diesel locomotive preservation vice tank cars . Decals will be discount to members as with the movement in the United States. We are made for all phases of us e and steel bay window. lucky to have in our General Manager and paint scheme ...... President Norman Holmes someone that realized that the history of railroading during the "Diesel Era" of the past 45 years has been poorly preserved in almost all museums. Thanks to our efforts, we have made the railroad preservation movement begin to look at even modem diesel locomotives as something that should be considered for preservation. There is a definite evolution and history to the "Diesel Era," and the history of the Western Pacific is closely tied to this evolution over the years. With our aggressive program of acquiring locomotives over the past three years, we have one of the three largest collections of preserved diesel locomotives in North America (we were the largest for several months in 1987), and are just three or four locomotives away from completing our core collection that represents the evolution of the "Diesel Era" Over the next few years, the Feather River Rail Society will be on the lookout for locomotives built by Baldwin and Fairbanks-Morse as representatives of those builders, plus an Alco locomotive from the "second generation" (the Century series of locomotives ). With this direction in mind, the arrival of Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad "'5057 to the Portola Railroad Museum in August marked an important milestone toward the completion of our diesel locomotive collection. This locomotive is a General Electric U25B (U = Universal locomotive, 25 = 2500 horsepower, B =four axles), and is one of 478 such locomotives built between 1961 and 1966. It now ranks up there with NW2 608, GP20 2001, and DDA40X 6946 as the most historically significant locomotives in our collection at Portola - even though this particular locomotive never got closer to Portola than Portland, Oregon during its active life on the .

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5057 leads Eastbound Morton Logger across Nisqually River Bridge Aug 6, 1978 Wayne Monger Much has been written about the seven years of Universal-unit design and East Coast. They are New Haven 2525 importance of the U25B to the evolution of experience in the export market was riding owned by the Connecticut Valley Railroad diesel locomotion during the late 1950's in what was at the time the most powerful Museum (see Trains Magazine February and early 1960's. It was the introduction of single locomotive available. Twenty years 1988 issue for photo), New York Central this locomotive by General Electric, plus later, Trains Magazine published an indepth 2500 owned by the Lakeshore Chapter of the development of the GP20/ GP30 by two-part article in the August and the NRHS, and New York Central 2510 Electro-Motive and the Century-series by September 1982 issues on the U25B, and owned by the Mohawk and Hudson River Alco that began what is now called the announced that the U25B was to General Chapter of the NRHS in Schenectady, New "second generation" of diesel locomotives, Electric as the IT's of 1939 were to Electro- York. The most recently preserved as well as the horsepower race of the 1960's Motive. The U25B is indeed "The Other "Universal" locomotive is a U28B, which that ended with the building of the 6600- Diesel That Did It." was the next step following the horsepower DDA40X's for the Union Pacific. At the time that the Portola Railroad development of the U25B. This locomotive Trains Magazine editor David P. Morgan Museum was established in early 1984, not is Southern Pacific 7028, and was recently clearly stated the case for the U25B in the a single General Electric "Universal"-type purchased at scrap price from the railroad January 1962 issue featuring the new locomotive out of the 24 years of by the Orange Empire Railway Museum of "second generation" locomotives. "The production had been saved by a museum. Perris, California. U25B is General Electric's quite original We were the first, when on December 17, effort to combine capacity with simplicity. 1984, U30B Western Pacific 3051 - the There has been some confusion in the Designwise, General Electric got the jump railroad's first big GE - arrived at our past if our "new" U25B is actually that, or is on its rivals (Electro-Motive Division of museum. Since that time, the number of a later U28B. This uncertainty was General Motors and Alco) simply because it preserved "Universal" locomotives has continued in our short article on the arrival could and did build an ideal diesel from increased to six. Portola now has one third of the 5057 in the September/ October 1987 scratch with no commitments to previous of this number with U30B WP 3051 and Train Sheet. We will try to straighten out the blueprints or components." When the first U25B CMStP&P 5057 at the museum. There jumble here for our members. The 5057, two U25B demonstrators were sent out to are now three other U25B locomotives which was originally CMStP&P 388, was one "barnstorm" across the United States, saved, and they are all in museums on the of 12 U25B's delivered by General Electric to the Milwaukee Road in mid-1965. The next year the first one of the group was destroyed in a wreck, and the pieces were sent back to General Electric for rebuilding. This locomotive, CMStP&P 380, was rebuilt as a U28B by GE and retained its number upon returning to service. As the late U25B's and the early U28B's have identical carbodies, this is where the confusion began. In the 1970's, this confusion was cleared up when the U25B's were renumbered into the 5050-series, while the U28B's were numbered into the 55OO-series. Both the U25B's and the U28B's finished out their active lives on the Milwaukee Road's "Pacific Coast Extension," which was abandoned in March 1980. Our 5057 helped power the third to last train from the Seattle/Tacoma area on March 14, 1980, as THE TRAIN SHEET ISSUE No. 29 SHEET FOUR can be seen in the photo on page 4 of the March 1980 erc Board. Even though the Western Pacific did not GP-40-2' s WP 429 Stored Salt Lake buy a General Electric "Universal"-type ex3548 Clearfield WP 431 Active Stockton locomotive until the order for U30B's in UP 903 UP 904 3549 Reno WP 440 Stored Glens Ferry, 10 1967, the U25B demonstrators 753/754/ WP 443 Stored Rupert, 10 755/756 did spend some time hauling trains UP 905 3550 Las Vegas on the WP in 1961. Between April 16 and UP 906 3551 Idaho Falls WP 446 Stored Lathrop April 21, 1961, the lO,OOO-horsepower four­ MP 907 3552 Las Vegas WP 459 Stored Lathrop unit set of U25B's made a single round trip WP 464 Stored Shoshone, 10 between Stockton and Klamath Falls, and UP 908 3553 Idaho Falls UP 911 3556 Stockton WP 468 Stored Oakland then a round trip between Stockton and Salt WP 471 Stored Stockton Lake City. Year later, some of the Great UP 912 3557 Stockton Northern's U25B fleet was seen on WP rails UP 913 3558 Stockton WP 476 Stored Glens Ferry, 10 by way of the pool power run-through UP 914 3559 Kemmerer, Wy WP 479 Stored Glens Ferry, 10 agreement. WP 482 Stored Pocatello Unlike our U30B 3051, the 5057 is in WP 484 Stored Lathrop nearly complete condition, and will only require a moderate amount of work to return it to working condition. Wayne Monger is heading up the work to return the 5057 to operation by the end of 1988, and wants to hear from anyone else that might be interested in helping him. You can contact Wayne Monger at 916-938-4208. We also ask that before any work is done on Current News of the Feather River Route by Wayne Monger this locomotive that you contact Wayne. Thanks. The proposed revival of rail service on Airport will be removed and replaced by the For our members who are interested in the eight-mile long former Sacramento "Fred Davis Memorial Bikepath." reading more about the General Electric Northern Chico Branch was permanently Another section of the old Sacramento U25B, we suggest two two-part articles that derailed on October 20,1987. That evening, Northern mainline, the 12 miles between go into the details. These two articles are the lengthy efforts by Whytehouse Railways Dozier and Libfarm, has not seen a train in the "General Electric U25B" in the July and added up to zero as the Chico City Council at least 15 years and has been scheduled August issues of Railroad Model Craftsman voted for the removal of the nearly two for abandonment. Approved on November and "U25B Biography" in the August and miles of street trackage through their city. 18,1987 and effective December 3,1987, it September issues of Trains Magazine. The prospective shortline operator and does not (yet) affect the Western Railroad local rail activists (FRRS members) had Museum's outside connection from Rio been able to convince the Chico City Vista Junction. Just prior to the Council to delay the vote for over eight abandonment, u.P. ran the only train of the Former hlP Power and cabooses months while they negotiated for purchase year to the Western Railroad Museum's on the Western Region. of the line from the Union Pacific, freight connection at Dozier. This train delivered West of Green River, Wy rate agreements with their connection - the long awaited (after three years) electric On January 7th 1988 the "friendly" SP - and for commitments locomotives donated from Kennecott from prospective on-line shippers. In the Copper in Utah. The three electric SW-1500 's end the "business as usual" attitudes at the locomotives were in pieces, and distributed UP 1317 ex1503 Paramount SP, plus the endless roadblocks set up by between six gondolas. Also delivered to this UP 1501 1501 Oakland Chico City Manager Fred Davis ensured that museum group was caboose WP 438, which there would never again be "dirty old had been donated by the UP to public GP - 35's trains" running down the middle of Park television station KIXE in Sacramento. UP 783 ex3002 Salt Lake Avenue and Main Street out to the Chico June 17, 1987 slipped by rather quietly Airport. this year and very few people realized that UP 784 3003 Modesto After the decision there was a flickering of on this day the corporate identity of the UP 786 3005 Stockton hope that Whytehouse Railways could get a Western Pacific, Tidewater Southern, and UP 787 3006 Milpitus railroad operating on the few miles of Sacramento Northern disappeared. Even UP 788 3008 Salt Lake remaining track to the south of Chico to though the merger with the Union Pacific UP 790 3010 Stockton Durham. But even this hope disappeared on took place in November 1982, the actual December 20, the day that the option with corporate identities remained, as nothing UP 791 3012 Salt Lake the UP for purchase of this section expired. more than "paper railroads." UP 795 3017 Reno The actual removal of the street trackage General Electric locomotives are in the UP 797 3019 Salt Lake will probably take place this coming news this time around. Western Pacific's UP 798 3020 Reno summer. The Union Pacific is obligated to former U23B's in the 2251-series finally pay ten percent of the estimated $800,000 came to the end of their 15-year lease from GP-40's cost of removing the tracks, and the State of the First Security Bank of Utah in November California will pay for the rest. Though the 1987. These locomotives have been in UP 652 ex3502 Bend ICC approved the abandonment of this line storage at North Little Rock, Arkansas for UP 654 3504 Milpitus in 1985, the entire line out to the Chico three years now. They have been stripped of UP 655 3506 Las Vegas Airport may not get pulled at the same time. parts by the shop personnel at the modem UP 656 3507 Salt Lake It seems that the City of Chico overlooked Jenks Shop, and have been heavily the fact that they own the last three miles of vandalized. First Security Bank "sold" them UP 657 3508 Hinkle track out to the airport, and that they must back to the UP in the first week of January UP 661 3512 Idaho Falls now file with the ICC for abandonment of 1988, because they were generally too far MP 662 3513 Idaho Falls that section before it can be pulled out. gone to be returned to operating condition. UP 663 3514 Hinkle Oops! So it will be a little longer before the Your museum may attempt to acquire one MP 665 3516 Stockton tracks between downtown Chico and Chico of these locomotives in the future (before ,..

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by they are sold to a scrapper), as they are through the window of the lead locomotive Photo Ge orge Cockle and hit engineer Gary Clark. He was really the only former WP locomotive type Another stretch of interurban trackage that will be available for a very long time. evacuated by helicopter to a Chico hospital, where he arrived near death. A newspaper has made news with grain traffic in 1987. In Meanwhile, the UP has been receiving their September 1986 a local Yuba City company article about the sentencing noted that 75 new high-tech General Electric converted the old Del Monte cannery into a engineer Clark was recovering from his locomotives. These locomotives are called grain storage facility. After making a small "DASH 8-40C," and are numbered 9100 wounds, but may never work again. At that time he still had more than 100 shards of b~ndle onn that d~al with the government, through 9174. The first one was delivered to thiS company deCided to look for more broken glass and bullet fragments in his the UP on December 8, and it is expected storage space in the area to house surplus chest, which may be impossible to remove. that the last one will be on the railroad by grain. Between August and October 1987 Effective November I, 1987, almost all the third week of February. These the UP delivered around 650 carloads of trains between and Oakland locomotives are currently the most surplus grain to the Yuba City area. The over the former WP are being operated by powerful single locomotive ever mass grain was usually delivered in cuts of 25 three-man crews. The exceptions to this are produced at 4,000 horsepower each. This cars by a single locomotive off of the some of the local trains, the trains to the BN claim by GE and UP takes into account the Stockton-Bieber train. The unloading area connection at Bieber, and trains on the five 4,200 SD45X's produced by EMD as for 1987 was not in Yuba City itself, but Tidewater Southern - in other words those testbeds in the early 1970's, and the single rather at the current end of track on the old trains that still regularly use cabooses. 4,000 horsepower M640 produced for CP SN's Tarke Branch (formerly the line to Another portion of former Western Pacific Rail by MLW in Canada We will be seeing Colusa) just west of Sutter. For many years street trackage will see removal from plenty of the new 91oo's on the old Western now this line has seen just two or three service within the next two years. Unlike the Pacific mainline, all are to be assigned to movements per year, mostly to place or street trackage in Chico mentioned earlier, TOFC/ COFC trains west of North Platte retrieve stored boxcars. Now in only two ~~as~ , this section sees heavy train traffic on a months time, over 650 loaded loo-ton grain daily basis. We are talking about othe one hoppers have been shoved out over track With the advent of double-stack trains on mile plus of Tidewater Southern street that is best remembered as the line that was the WP, some tunnels have caused trackage on Ninth Street in Modesto. The restricted to a single SW-l for motive clearance problems. One of the biggest City of Modesto has been trying to get the power! The strangest movement during this headaches for the railroad was Tunnel 3 on trackage removed since 1958. In 1987, $13 , where the double-stack million dollars of federal money was made time on the Tarke Branch was a single GP- 35 bringing 60 empty grain hoppers back trains had to slow to 5 MPH due to tight available, thanks to the Congress over-ride into Yuba City. This movement found a clearances. After seeking a solution for over of President Reagan's veto of the 1987 caboose at each end of the train, with the a year, the UP finally eliminated the Highway Bill. Modesto's plan is to locomotive in the 41 st position in the train. problem. The month of September found consolidate UP and SP trains along the SP's heavy equipment stripping off the hillside right-of-way through Modesto, which is 100 In December 1987 the first coal-unit train from above the cement-lined tunnel, and a feet west of Ninth Street. But this may be a traveled over the Feather River Route in shoo-fly around the tunnel site was greater change to the operations over the almost four years. This train, starting at installed. The last train to actually pass Tidewater Southern south of Stockton than Sharp, Utah, was destined for the new coal­ through Tunnel 3 was the SLOAl of anticipated. UP will probably gain trackage burning power plant for Corn Products in September 22. On October I, with all of the rights over the SP between the SP-UP Stockton. Since the new unloading areas _dirt and rock removed from around the crossing at Lathrop and Modesto, and then was not quite ready to receive a train, the cement lining, an explosive charge quickly get the trains back onto Tidewater Southern train was taken to the Port of Stockton for removed what little remained. Trains were tracks just south of Modesto. If this were to unloading. The port's ex-Contrail Century- back on the original alignment by October happen, the northern half of the Tidewater 636 helped move cars around during the 5. Southern would become a lightly used unloading process - a job it has been In July, an Oroville judge sentenced 20- branch ending just north of Modesto. All awaiting for several years. The Port of year-old Steven Myers of Stockton to four traffic for Modesto and Turlock, including Stockton had planned a few years ago to years in prison for the shooting of UP those loo-car grain trains to Foster Farms in become a coal export port, but it was engineer Gary Clark on November 29, 1986. Turlock, would run via the SP between quickly found that the ship channel to San The shooting took place near Merlin in the Lathrop and Modesto. So the sight of a full­ Francisco Bay was too shallow for a fully Feather River Canyon where the Stockton sized grain train blocking traffic in Modesto loaded ship. Now the ship channel man was using a high-powered hunting rifle in the middle of the day is something we will deepened, but the coal export market is for "target practice." A single bullet crashed not see for much longer. THE TRAIN SHEET ISSUE No. 29 SHEET FIVE

poor. We probably won't see coal export trains down the Feather River Canyon for We recommend these independent publications for further reading: quite some time still. The Lark News of Northern and Central California, Western Nevada, and It seems that the controlled siding at Southern Oregon. Published "monthly" by FRRS members Vic Robbers Creek on the "Highline" was very quietly removed sometime this past Neves and Wayne Monger. summer. The west switch at Robbers Creek $12.00 yearly subscription was tom out by the derailment of the STBR Address: The Lark in October 1986. Then sometime in early P.O. Box 23721 1987 the east switch was damaged Oakland, CA 94623-9991 somehow, and the MofW forces decided to tear out the switch instead of repairing it. Northwest Railfan News of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, British With both switches out, the MofW forces Columbia Published "monthly." came along later and tore out the rest of the $.50 per issue SUbscription price. siding. This act must have been done rather Address: Dean Ferris quietly, as a few months later, one of the 2126N.5Oth dispatchers in Sacramento was trying to set Seattle, WA 98103 up a meet between two trains at Robbers Creek (a very rare occurrence anywhere on The Spike Railroad News of Northern California, Humor/ Satire for the the Highline these days). The dispatcher Railfan. Published quarterly. told the train to head into what he thought $.50 per issue subscription price. was a stub-end siding, but the train crew Address: The Spike called back on the radio and said they couldn't! When the dispatcher asked what 2671 Monroe Street they meant, the train crew reportedly told Santa Clara, CA 95051 the dispatcher that they were just then The Streamliner Publication of the Union Pacific Historical Society. History, going by what was left of the siding - rails modeling tips for anyone interested in the Union Pacific and ties stacked in nice neat piles. Oops! The members of the Feather River Rail Railroad. Published quarterly. Society owe a bit of thanks to Jay Tatum $12.00 per year membership/ subscription. and the other members of the Longview Address: Union Pacific Historical Society (Texas) Model Railroad Club. Back in June P.O. Box 5653 while the 805-A was being transported by Arvada, CO 80005-0653 the UP from Louisiana to Portola, it was set out at Marshall, Texas. After sitting around F7imsies! Hot news of California and the West. for a few days, while the local UP offices Published monthly. were unaware of what it was and where it $1.00 per issue was going, the 805-A was tacked onto a Address: Flim Baden local freight for delivery to a nearby scrap P.O. Box 3165 - FX company that deals in locomotive parts. Costa Mesa, CA 92628 The local fans, who knew that it was supposed to be heading for California, The Mixed Train Publication of the Camerail Club of Omaha, Nebraska Current mentioned to the UP trainmaster that he railroad news and history of the Midwest - especially the UP, had better check with someone in Omaha C&NW, BN, and regional shortlines. or St. Louis before that train crew delivered $5.00 per year membership/ subscription that "old F unit" to the scrap company. To say the least, the confusion was quickly Address: Joel Boucher cleared up, and the 805-A was once again 3031 Fourth Avenue heading in the right direction - thanks to Council Bluffs, Iowa 51501 some local !

WESTERN PACIFIC 2600 cuft AIRSLIDE COVERED HOPPER CARS

The term "A irslide" comes from Airslide conveyors built into the hoppers of the WP 11591-11600 Blt Aug 63 car , a low pressure source of air is WP 11601-11604 Blt Sept 58 required at each unloading site. This WP 11605-11616 Blt Aug 60-June 62 air is introduced into manifolds below WP 11617-11662 Blt June 64-May 66 the car , carried to a plenum chamber where it passes through the special They came to the WP i n l ight gray with Airslide fabric " fluidizing" or aerating black lettering and now are being repainted the material above it and causing the into bright silver with red " Union Pacific". lading to flow to . a single pair of out­ WP used the cars in flour and sugar ser­ lets at the bottom center of the car. vice and the cars are still in this ser­ WP had 72 cars in the 2600 cuft vice today. capacity and as of Jan 88 45 are still Built by General American and designed in service now for the UP. primarily for sanitary and economical Series 11591-11600 leased from North bulk shipment of dry , granular or powder­ American Car Corp ( No. NIHX 60300- ed commodities _ 60309) are off the roster. A~ J'ot)s. II~OI- II~~ M::'. Ot' C~.s - 4

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WP 11596 in Sacramento late 70 ' s note block "Western Pacific " this is the only series using this style, all the other series use the standard style as shown on WP 11611 ...... THE TRAIN SHEET ISSUE No. 29 SHEET SIX

\yJS 'TE IN PA elFI C

WP assigned their Airslides in both capac ities to the following . .. . GEllERAL AMERICAN TRANSPORTATJDI-QllNUTION Pillsbury Ogden , UT 4 cars EAST C HICAGO. INDIANA Peavey Co . SLC, UT 19 cars GATX Purity Oats Minneapolis , Minn 2 cars Kerr Pacific Pendleton, ORE 21 cars National Biscuit Cheney, WA 12 cars <:5 Corn Products , Stockton, CA 4 cars :I I o I

.... \i-

Non-Profit Org. THE TRAIN SHEET U.S. POSTAGE FEA THER RIVER RAIL SOCIETY PAID P.O. BOX EIGHT Portola, CA PORTOLA, CALIFORNIA 96122 Permit No. 32

Address Correction Requested ...... Dated Material Please do not Delay