After 50 Years, SP Pacific Class Passenger Steam Returns to Niles Canyon.
By David Hensarling, President – Golden Gate Railroad Museum

In 1958, Southern Pacific #2475 (P-8) powered a passenger excursion train through Niles Canyon. This excursion from San Jose to Tracy, CA marked the last passenger excursion train pulled by a Pacific class locomotive through Niles Canyon. Interestingly enough, some members of GGRM and PLA were on that very train including Henry Luna, Doug Debs and Ron Vane. It was a “run-by” photograph taken at Farwell Bridge on this trip that would later serve as the inspiration for the PLA logo.

It is now 50 years later and it is with great pleasure that we announce the return of SP Pacific Class Passenger Steam to Niles Canyon on the weekend of May 24th – May 26th.

The Golden Gate Railroad Museum in partnership with the Pacific Locomotive Association will be running a series of special trains over this weekend in commemoration of this 50th anniversary.

On Saturday, May 24th the event will kick off with a special railfan excursion train focused on providing photo opportunities from unique vantage points on the Niles Canyon Railway for those on board the train that recreate the 1958 passenger excursion train. Many of these photo run-by locations will be only available to those who purchase tickets to be on board the train. This train will depart out of the Niles Depot at 9am with a return time of 4:30pm. A Picnic lunch will be provided.

Sunday, May 25th, SP 2472 and other heritage equipment will be on display in Sunol, during the normal Sunday PLA operations. This will provide an opportunity for us to educate the public on the preservation of historic railroad equipment and the mission of both the GGRM and PLA organizations.

Monday, May 26th special trains will run round trip from Sunol on the standard Sunday schedule using SP 2472. The focus of this event is to provide the opportunity to ride behind historic steam in commemoration of this 50th anniversary. There will be no “run-by” opportunities on any of the Monday trains.

Tickets will be available starting on May 1st through 2472 Steam / Key Holidays - 925-944-5883, 1141 Bont Lane, Walnut Creek, CA 94596 or via email 2472tickets@ggrm.org. Payment can be by check (made out to PLA/Key Holidays), MasterCard, Visa or Discover. The pricing for the events will be as follows:
Saturday All Day Ticket (Non-Members) - $150.00
Saturday All Day Ticket (Members) – $125.00
Sunday display Train - $5.00 (fee at the train)
Monday – $25 Adults / $10 (Single Round Trip From Sunol)

All tickets for the 2472 special trains will be mailed out up to 10 days prior to the event. After that point tickets are available on a will call basis at the Sunol Station with a photo id.

The funds raised from this event will go to support the museum and restoration operations of both the PLA and GGRM.

I hope you are excited as I am about the return of SP steam to Niles Canyon and the partnership between the PLA and GGRM that has helped make it possible! If you have questions or concerns about the operation, you can reach me via email at president@ggrm.org

Additional information and order forms are available at http://www.ggrm.org

What great news! PLA and GGRM have really created a time machine in Niles Canyon; it's nice to see, even from 3000+ miles away.

A good-looking engine and a very scenic line, some appropriate passenger cars, add in lots of dedication and talent, and those pics of 2472 splitting the semaphores is the result.

Keep up the good work, guys.

Howard P.

TSY, MP 6 on the NAUG

Let's see........... Williams, AZ to Niles Jct. is about 700 miles one-way, according to this one atlas program. The 2WD Jeep Cherokee gets about 20 mpg...... or 20 cents a mile for gas, for about $280 for the gas alone.........

Sorry, chaps. Maybe next year we can see her at Campo? <:-)

folks,

I was in the Brightside yard a few weeks ago and the had the Pacific fired up for testing. She is a fine looking locomotive.

The yard itself is really something to see. there are at least 100s car from the Golden Gate and Pacific Locomotive Association collections there to see.

The Robert Dollar Three was not hot that day; but had been recently and I am sure she is still good to go when they go back to steam running in the canyon.

The Yosemite Valley 330 a private restoration is looking great also. Has anybody ever seen a passenger car with a whole new set of art glass in the windows??



Ted Miles

Sure would be nice to see her in Campo. As Steam Foreman there, I'd like to invite 2472 to come down any time they'd like to!! Maybe by the time they got all the necessary approvals done, we could have 2353 back up in steam. <:)

Actually, if we ever get 2353 running, I'd like to take her up to Niles Canyon. The PLA folks gave us a couple of real nice photos of 2353 operating there in the 1940's, so we could try to recreate one of those.

My dream triple header: "30 Years of SP passenger steam progress - 2353, 2472, 4449."

Good job PLA & GGRM! Wish I could get away for that weekend.

Just to float this back to the top, I wanted to point out that there are still some tickets available for the Saturday train. It ought to be a pretty good looking heavyweight consist that will mostly recreate an S.P. train of the 1930s or 1940s (at least for the first several cars). I think the Oakland will be on the rear, which is in its 1960s paint. Anyway, hope to see some of you out there.

R.