WHEEL CLICKS .MARCH 2010 BIG DOME TO THE BAY EXCURSION People were enjoying the scenery along the way while the (This article is adaptedfrom the original story posted online staff prepared for the first meal of the day to be served after by Andrew Novak, a staflmember on the Big Dome to the Bay. Oxnard. We made the station stop at Oxnard and had three more Photographs with the article appear on Pages 4-5.) passengers boarding. We now had all our passengers on the PRS members and guests experienced historic passenger train and once again we continued north. After Oxnard, we equipment ranging from a magnificent 1908 Yosemite Valley began gearing up for the lunch meal which was cold turkey and Railroad Observation car to Amtrak's only remaining dome car .ham sandwiches, fresh hit, and chips. on a three-day "Big Dome to the Bay" over January 16, 17, and We served the lunches to the passengers sitting upstairs in 18, 2010. Except for walking and a short taxi ride, the entire the dome, at the tables in the lower level of the dome, and in the excursion was accomplished by rail. PRS was treated royally by sections on the Forum. Those who booked a room in the Forum our hosts at the Niles Canyon Railway and received enthusiastic could eat in their room if they chose. After leaving our next stop service from Amtrak crews along the way. at Santa Barbara we fmished serving lunch and now had about ONBOARD THE GREAT DOME three hours to start planning for the evening meal which we Saturday was the first day of the long-awaited Excursion would be picking up in San Luis Obispo. As we left Santa Number 538. The PRS volunteer staff included Marti Ann Barbara we saw the former Southern Pacific business car Santa Draper, Will Walters, Rob Markowitz, Annette Markowitz, Barbara that is now on display next to the station Andrew Novak, and Lany Jennings, who served as Pullman We arrived at San Luis Obispo early so we had enough time Porter aboard the National Forum. We were joined by Wes to get the trash off the cars, load the food onto the cars and not Frishkorn, an Amtrak lead service attendant who was our lose any of our passengers. Marti Ann and Andy ako walked up bartender in the dome car. to the head end of the train to meet with the conductor to discuss Andy arrived at Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal at the baggage off-load in Oakland The Conductor said Andy 8:00 a.m. and took up his post at the Amtrak Groups area which could ride in the "ten car" from San Jose to Oakland to be close was the designated meeting area for our passengers. Rob and to the front and keep an eye on the bags after they were off- Annette joined him soon after and they checked the people in loaded. While walking up to the head end of the train Andy and accepted their checked baggage. The first passengers began recorded the consist of our train. The lead unit was, appropri- arriving at 8:45 a.m. and we had all 49 of the Los Angeles ately, Amtrak 99. The consist was: passengers by 9:45 a.m. Then Rob and Andy began taking the 99 (P42DC) bags from the group meeting area out to the baggage cart for 85 (P42DC) Amtrak to load. The Amtrak baggage handlers tagged all 37 of 453 (F59PHI) 1206 (ex-ATSF Baggage Car) our bags and Andy took charge of our claim checks. When Marti Ann arrived at the station we escorted our large 3207 1 (Superliner I1 Sleeper) group up to the platform to wait for the Starlight's equipment to 320 15 (Superliner I Sleeper) arrive with the special cars for our excursion group on the rear: 32007 (Superliner I Sleeper) . 39974 (Pacific Parlour Sonoma Valley) the PRS National Forum, a Pulhan Standard 6-4-6 sleeper built in 1955 for the Union Pacific; and Amkak 10031, a Great Dome 38066 (Superliner I1 Diner) built by Budd in 1955 for the Great Northern, originally num- 33033 (Superliner I1 Lounge) bered 1391 and named "Ocean View." This is the last dome car 34059 (Superliner I Coach) 34508 (Superliner I1 Coach - Video Game Car) in the Amtrak fleet. Will and Larry had spent the night onboard preparing the National Forum. It was a good thing that they 340 14 (Superliner I Coach) PAR 1207 (ex-UP 6-4-6 Sleeper National Forum) were on board because the Amtrak coach cleaners had not been 10031 (ex-GN Great Dome) told that the car was going to be used on an occupied excursion. With a reminder, however, the cleaners had gotten to work and Leaving San Luis Obispo we began working on the dinner put in plenty of extra effort to get their car ready. The two cars, meal which consisted of appetizers and a Southwest chicken with the "Big Dome to the Bay" drumhead designed by John Jay salad. The entire staff spent the next couple of hours dishing up meals and serving them to passengers and then cleaning up the Ulloth especially for our trip, made a beautiful sight backing into trash generated by these meals. As with the lunch meal, we Track 10. We departed at 10: 19 a.m., 4 minutes off the advertised. The served food and drinks in three locations in our two cars. Once we had taken care of an the passengers, the staff could enjoy train made a stop at the Van Nuys Station, and by the next stop their dinners. at Simi Valley, we were ahead of schedule and had to wait for [continued at BIG DOME on Page 31 time. Page 2 Apr. 9 Membership Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Alhambra Room, Fri. Joslyn Center, 210 N. chapel Ave., Alhambra. MEETING PROGRAM by Russ DAVIES March 12: Railfair 1981 at Sacramento, California. The WHEEL CLICKS Pacific Railroad Museum staff will present a DVD from the MARCH 2010 VOLUME 73, NO. 12 California State Railroad Museum. Be there, and bring digital briefs. EDITOR .......................................DICKFINLEY April 9: Long-time Southern California rail fan and photog- TECHNICAL EDITOR ...................... CHARLES VARNES rapher, Alan Weeks, will present a slide program covering MAILER .................................. JOHN STALLKAMP miscellaneous Santa Fe in the 50s and 60s. Some of us Opinions expressed in unsigned articles are those of the editorial board, and do have seen previews of this in e-mails from Alan, and this not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Society, its officers or directors. one will be great! Be there,.and bring sMe briefs! Opinions in signed articles are those of the author only. All rights reserved. ISSN: 004311744. 02010 BY PACIFIC RAILROAD SOCIETY, INC. MEMBERSHIP REPORT by VIRGINIAGRUPP Published monthly by PACIFIC RAILROAD SOCIETY, INC. The Society ' is a California chartered, nonprofit organization of those who share an interest At the PRS Board meeting on February 5,2010, there were in railroad operations, travel and history. Address and telephone are the same no late renewals, and one new member voted in. Dave Frevele as for Pacific Railroad Museum. is a new member with seniority number 45 1. PARTICIPATRVG MEMBER .................. S35.00 per year SUSTAINING MEMBER.. .................... $50.00 per year CORPORATE MEMBER ....................$100.00 per year ALAMEDA CORRIDOR EAST LIFEMEMBER .....................................$500.00 Next winter, trains will travel up to 30 feet above a mile-and- PACIFIC RAILROAD MUSEUM is operated by Pacific Railroad Society at a-half stretch of Valley Boulevard spanning from east of North 210 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773. Telephone: (909) 394-0616. Puente Avenue to west of North California Avenue in Industry. Museum e-mail: [email protected] Open Saturdays: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.; The construction is one of 20 rail crossing projects spearheaded Wednesdays: 1-5 p.m. by the Alameda Corridor-East Construction Authority. MUSEUM COMMIlTEE CHAIR ............... LINDSAY SMITH Construction on the $92 million project started in 2007 and EXCURSION DIRECTOR ................. MART1 ANN DRAPER should be completed in November or December 2010, according WEBMASTER ..............................RUSSELL HOMAN to officials. INTERNET Home Page: http://www. pacificrailroadsociety.org Over the holidays, about 50 men and women doubled their production to transform 6 million pounds of steel and 27 cubic BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PACIFIC RAILROAD SOCIETY,MC. feet of cement into two overpasses at Sunset and Orange PRESIDENT ..................................WILL WALTERS VICEPRESIDENT ....................... MART1 ANN DRAPER avenues, and more than a mile of retaining walls that will SECRETARY .................................... BILL SMITH support the heavy trains. TREASURER ..................................... NICKTEEL Oficials expect rail traffic to increase by about 150 percent DIRECTOR (2008-2011) .........................DAVE ABBOTT over the next few years as industries increasingly turn to the DIRECTOR (2009-2011) .......................VIRGINIA GRUPP DIRJXTOR (2009-2012) ......................... DAVID HOUSH comparatively low-cost transportation provided by trains, DIRECTOR (2009-2012) ............................KEN RUBEN according to officials. DIRECTOR (2009-2010) ....................... LINDSAY SMITH "The conditions we have now are unsafe," said Rep. Judy Chu, D-El Monte. "Traffic backs up and people cross at terribly PRS NEWS - ARRIVALS & DEPARTURES congested spots. "If we are serious about making sure we Mar. 5 Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m., Valencia Room, Joslyn improve our economy, we have to have these goods coming in," Fri. Center, 210 N. Chapel Ave., Alharnbra. Chu said. "This is really a lifeline to much of the nation." Mar. 6, 13, Pacific Railroad Museum work party, 10:OO a.m. In the meantime, officials say motorists need to stay off the 20,27 to 4:00 p.m., 210 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas.