January 1987 No. 278 Five Decades of the Ski Train Issues 246-277 • Never Offered Before At Such Reductions! 1/3rd OFF • Limited Time (Orders must be postmarked by March 1, 1987) AND Pacific Rail News Binders at Reduced Prices With Back Issues 246 Historic Trolley Fe stival in San Fran- 258 Kaiser Iron Ore Train s Roll. , . The 269 UP 's GP35s. Snow' Steam- Oct. 1983 cisco ... Last Call for D&RGW 17 . May 1985 Purdy Co. Morrison-Knudsen April 1986 EXPO Facts ... Fort Collins Munici­ Morrison-Knudsen 1982 1984 pal Railway, Then and Now 247 Hello Ye llow, Goodbye Green . 259 Cal Cable Car on Powell St. Lines, . 270 Thank sg iving in Sonora , .. Historic Dec. 1983 Alfred Perlman Memorable June 1985 What About Cabooseless Tra ins? . May 1986 Niles Tower Is Closed ... A Railfan's Images from Albert C. Phelps SP 's Kentucky House Branch Guide to the Vancouver Area 248 Winter in the Colorado Rockies. Santa Barbara's Street Railway- 271 Water Woes ... Locomotive Devel- Feb. 1984 The Weyerhaeuser Tw ins ... Three 18 75-1929 June 1986 opments Morenci . Caspar Gauges for Copper 260 Th e Spirit of the CH IEF Is Alive on Lumber'S Iron Horses 249 The Old Road to Los Angeles . July 1985 the Santa Fe Seattle & North 272 Another California "Encore" for 4449 April 1984 Motive Power of the Iowa Railroad Coast Finale , , , San Ardo, Popula­ July 1986 .. The Blue Mountains ... Oregon's Company ... Confessions o f a Rail tion 445 Shortest Shortline ... History on the Book Writer 261 The North Coast Daylight ... Santa Move 250 Light Rail in the West Part One: Aug. 1985 Fe 's Venta Spur ... Millbrae: 35 Years 273 Santa Fe Salutes Dese rt Centennials June 1984 Edmonton and Calgary ... Virginia & Later, , . No More Train Orders at Aug. 1986 . San Diego Trolley's East Line . Truckee Is Alive and Well ... Morri- Santa Barbara The San Diego Trolley ... Western son-Knudsen 1983 262 Southern Pacific's Altamont Pass Line Railroading in the 1910s ... Mid­ 251 Light Rai l in the West-Part Two: Sept. 1985 , , , Today's Railroading on Espee . States Port Authority/ Kyle Railroads Aug. 1984 Portland SP's Tillamook Branch ... A Miss Katy Meets Her Suitor 274 SteamEXPO Album ... Santa Fe Ti llamook Steam Album 263 A Slice of the Santa Fe . .. Sta lking Sept. 1986 Behemoth Moved . Copper Basin 252 Daylight Photo Gallery ... Light Rail Oct. 1985 Locomotives at Ajo Tracing Rai lroad Off and Running.. " Oct. 1984 in the West-Part Three: San Diego Sacramento Northern's "Ghost" Miracles Take a Little Longer" Milwaukee Road Snoqualmie 264 Varied Live ries ... Railroads Across 275 To Merge or Not to Merge ... Chi- Pass Snowplows Nov. 1985 the Divide 21st Century Dis­ Oct. 1986 cago, Missouri & Western ... Arkan­ 253 Light Rail in the West - Part Four: San patching on the Santa Fe sas & Missouri. Yakima Trolleys Dec. 1984 Francisco Muni. Tacoma Short ­ 265 San Diego Trolley - Success & Return .. Morrison-Knudsen 1985 lines Combined ... Cajon Pass Dec. 1985 Growth ... SP & SF Renumbering, 276 C&NW Consist Comes West. Dry 254 UP Challenger Steams Again ... Ven- Spokane's Rai l Action Nov. 1986 Valley Railroad Suspends Operation Jan. 1985 tura County Railway (Part One) . 266 Challenger 3985 B.C. Electric · .. When Empty, Return to Playas Mainline Electrification in the West Ja n. 1986 Commemorative Run ... Portrait of · .. "Coyote Special" Remembered 255 Eurek a Southern Inaugurates Freight the SJM , , . Pass the Sa lt, Please, 271 Moves to Campo Mina Line's Feb. 1985 Operation . .. Ventura County Rai l­ Very Wide Rai lroading at the VLA Dec. 1986 Future Clouded ... CB&O Interlude way (Part Two) ... A McKeen Sur- 267 UP 's GP30s Fade Away . "Red­ · .. C&NW Special Inspects Powder vives Feb. 1986 Bird" Locomotive Fleet Grows . River Basin New Washington Central Emerges Goodbye 256 Last of the D-D Locos Pinole Yakima Fi na le ... Shortline Album Orders- Hel lo, Track Wa rran t Mar. 1985 Passages ... New Year's in Los .. Steaming to the Last Spike Control Angeles 268 In Search of Electrics . Rio Grande's 257 Amtrak in the Rio Grande's Desert Mar. 1986 Big Ten Curves ... U30C Phase-Out April 1985 ... B.c. Railroading . .. The "Wa lkin' on Union Pacific ... A Unified Roster Da yl ight". Super Bowl Extras for Union Pacific PRICES: SAVE ON BINDERS Issues 246-265 - pub. at $2 - now $1 .33 each! With Your Issues 266-277 - pub. at $2.50 - now $1.67 eac h! Back Issue Order MINIMUM 5 ISSUES - Limit 3 of any issue. These sturdy, li b.rary-type wire binders hold 12 or more issues SHIPPING: Add $2.00 shipping/ handling for first 5 issues ( 12 wires are included). Special prices IF ordered with back - add 50¢ for each additional issue. issues. (Additional sets of 6 (See right for shipping cost of binders.) wires - $1.50 postpaid,) (California residents add 6% sales tax for binder total Reg. Price W /Back Issues cost only - for magazines do not add any tax.) Single Binder $ 7.50 $ 6.50 3 Binders $20.50 $19.50 5 Binders $31.95 $30.50 Pacific RaiiNews Shipping: 1 or 2 binders - $1.50 each; 3 binders noo total; 5 binders - $4.00 total. (Calif. residents add 6% sales tax on b inders and w ire sets - P.O. Box 6128 • Glendale CA 91205 before adding sh ipping cost.) January 1987 No. 278 PaCIfic R ailNews and PacIfic News are registered trade­ marks of Interurban Press, a California Corporation. Two in the Hole at Athol, Idaho ........ .. Bruce Kelly 8 PUBLISHER: Mac Sebree A Meet in The Funnel EDITOR: Jim Walker ART DIRECTOR: Bill Bradley Destination Nacozari ... .... ........ .... Dick Stephenson 12 NEWS EDITOR: Dick Stephenson PRODUCTION MANAGER: Ray Geyer CONTRIBUTING ARTIST: John Signor NWP Steam in Third-Rail Territory ... ..... ...... ..... .... ......... Harre W. Demoro 14 STAFF: Kenneth M_ Ardinger, Michael W. Five Decades of the Ski Train . ......... Ronald C. Hill 16 Blaszak, David R. Busse, P. Allen A Rio Grande Tradition Copeland, Harre W. Demoro, R. C. Farewell, Thomas Higgins, Herb Horton, Don Jewell, Ken Meeker, Steve Morgan, Union Pacific: In Many Western Places. .. 40 Clifford Prather, Karl Rasmussen, John A. Rushton, Jim Seal, Joe Strapac, Charles Rail News ................ 4 Book Reviews ... ......... 36 Vercelli. Call Board ....... ... ...... 7 Preservation ....... ....... 39 Pacific RailNews (USPS 862840) is published 42 monthly by Interurban Press (a corporation), Letters ......... ... ....... 7 From the Past ............ 1212 South Brand Blvd., Glendale CA 91204. Railroads ................ 22 Photo Stop ............... 44 Second-class postage paid at Glendale CA 91209. Transit ....... .......... 34 Interurbans Newsletter ..... 46 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Pacific RailNews, P.O. Box 6128, Glendale CA Out West ..... ........ .. 36 Extra Board Ads .......... 47 91205. ISSN 8750-8486. CORRESPONDENCE: Please use P.O. Box COVER: Burlington Northern train 101 , powered by units 7874/4112/6807 is on the main 6128, Glendale CA 91205 for ALL correspond­ at West Ramsey, Idaho, on July 24, 1986. In the distance, train 2, with units 3134/FT401 ence. UPS deliveries only to 115-C E. Palmer 3149 on the point, waits for clearance on a passing siding. Such a meet at nearby (about Ave., Glendale CA 91205. eight miles distant) Athol is the subject of Bruce Kelly's story in this issue. - BRUCE KELLY SUBSCRIPTION RATES: U.S. $25.00 for 12 issues, $47.00 for 24 issues, $67.50 fo r 36 issues. Foreign $29.00 for 12 issues, $55.00 for 24 issues, $79.50 fo r 36 issues. First class/air rates on request. Single copy $2.50 (subject to change A NOTE FROM THE NEWS EDITOR without notice). CHANGE OF ADDRESS: The Post Office F YOU TALK WITH ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN IN THE does not regularly forward 2nd Class Mail and I hobby a while, almost invariably they will bemoan the fact that Pacific RailNews is not responsible for copies not forwarded or destroyed by the Post Office. they didn't get started five years or so earlier. It always seems that Replacement copies/PO notifications will be there is someone else around who can remember those "good old days billed. Please allow us at least four weeks for any when ... ." Columnist Joe Strapac was jolted recently when a young address changes. fan commented, "Gee, Mr. Strapac, do you really remember F units?" ADVERTISING RATES: On request, or call The natural reaction is that it wasn't too many years ago that Fs were (818) 240-4777. rather commonly available. Then you start counting, and maybe it's a Articles and photographs for the magazine are welcome. When submitting material for consider­ few more years than you thought. ation, include return envelope and postage if you The point is that things continue to change on the railroads. All we wish it returned. Pacific RailNews does nor can reasonably advise is to do the best you can today with what is assume responsibility for the safe return of material. Payment is made upon publication. available. Whether in books, magazines or photos a lot of data is available about the yesterdays of railroading. Add that to the consider­ © 1987 INTERURBAN PRESS able amount of "today" information available in these pages and Mac Sebree, President others, and we can hope that there is enough data to fuel the natural Jim Walker, Vice-President interest that thousands of fans all around the world seem to have. Railroading is a fascinating business. Though not everyone's inter­ ests run to the same depth, or in the same areas, there is a lot out there to enjoy. Don't be left wondering what happened. -DICK STEPHENSON DA-I-··-~ ~ ..t ~.... - EW-S A rare sight on the Santa Fe at Wellington, mates that grain and grain products should the rear of No.