Western Pacific Geeps running on the main - 2005

evicknair · **Joined:** Thu Oct 07, 2004 7:41 pm **Posts:** 93

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,921483

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,921318
Some nice photos over on Trainorders.

The Feather River Rail Society is doing a move of equipment from Portola to Rio Vista and Niles Canyon, and from Rio Vista and Oakland back to Portola.

M_Overlander · **Posted:** Thu May 12, 2005 12:23 pm

FYI:

Pictures already showing up on RailPictures.net like this one:

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=105483

Ted Miles · **Posted:** Thu May 12, 2005 3:40 pm

My photographer wife likes your picture what kind of camera did you use?

I am glad that both the Western Pacific switcher in Oakland and the assorted equipment at Rio Vista is going home to Portola.

Ted Miles

btwise · **Posted:** Thu May 12, 2005 3:47 pm

The pictures I've seen are terrific, but I'm still wondering what the purpose of the trip from Portola was? Some posts have elluded to other WP equipment "returning" to Portola. Is that what the two empty flats are for? And what equipment might that be?

Brian Wise
Benton, KY

David Johnston · **Posted:** Thu May 12, 2005 7:46 pm

These moves are a result of several equipment trades between California railway museums. From the Feather River Railway Society in Portola there was a GE diesel for the Museum in San Diego. It got moved as far as Roseville where it will move by commercial railroad to Southern California. Also from Portola is equipment for the Western Railway Museum. Loaded on flatcars were 44 tonners SN 146 and SLG&W DS-2. On its own wheels was Sacramento Northern wooden cupola caboose 1632. There are also two service cars for the Western Railway Museum, a former WP flatcar and an SP ballast car. The train made it to Rio Vista Junction on Tuesday and the flatcars were unloaded with a crane. On Wednesday the FRRS locomotives went from WRM with the flatcars to the Pacific Locomotive Association in Niles Canyon to leave the flat cars so steam locomotive WP 164 (165?) can be loaded for a return trip to Portola at some time in the future. The plan is to pick up Magnolia tower, which is loaded in gondolas, on the way back through Oakland retuning to WRM. At WRM the FRRS train will pick up equipment going back to Portola. This includes WP F-7 917, SN GP-7 712, a trailer train flat car, a WP steel caboose, a UP steel caboose, and Amtrak steam generator (former NP B unit) 662. Two MRS-1 locomotives 612 and 614 will also leave with the train but will be dropped off at CSRM in Sacramento. The FRRS train is hoping to get back to Portola by this coming Sunday.