Today is the 50th anniversary of the Yuba Gap snowslide and blizzard, which marooned the City of San Francisco passenger train in the high Sierras. The train was stuck for four days in a 700-foot snowslide, 8-12 feet deep, with passengers huddling in blankets. In extricating it, four rotary snowplows became stranded, and had to be rescued by five more. The railroad's effort was joined by Navy, Coast Guard, Highway Patrol, Highway Department and power company personnel. Two people were killed, an SP rotary engineer and a power company lineman. The train was powered by three SP Alco passenger units. Most of the rotaries were pushed by cab forwards.

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