Joshua Trees and Big GEs - Wanderings around California

[Techniquest]

That looks well funky!

 

[Kristofferson]

4200hp V20 cat? I'm in.

 

[ac6000cw]

A super powered 68, now theres a thought.
Looks like a cross beween a 68 and a pendolino, love to hear what it sounds like.

Me too

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4200hp V20 cat? I'm in.

It's actually 4700hp (at the alternator), which should make it the most powerful diesel loco in the US - now that the relative handful of 6000hp freight locos built have either been scrapped or down-rated to 4300hp.

 

[ac6000cw]

I've been catching up on editing the video from the trip, so here are a few trains from the morning of Day 8 at Truckee (just east of Donner Summit):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z5NKeeiEzi0

[youtube]Z5NKeeiEzi0[/youtube]

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More video - a collection of highlights from the Donner Pass area, moving east from Colfax to Truckee on the first day, then west from Soda Springs to Dutch Flat on the second day.

(direct link to play on YouTube) Donner Pass - Colfax to Truckee

[youtube]h04Q9WuuzbU[/youtube]

In chronological terms, the Truckee night time and morning videos sit between the two days covered by 'Donner Pass - Colfax to Truckee'.

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The first part of the Cajon Pass video from the trip - the approach to the summit from the east, starting at Hesperia. Just to show it's not all trains crawling upgrade, this one has some rolling along at a reasonable speed...

(direct link to play on YouTube) Cajon Pass - East of the Summit

[youtube]yP8Dh-h0x80[/youtube]

Video from the summit itself will be next

 

[47403]

some simply awesome stuff there. Some fantastic locations. Enjoyed them immensley, those American train drivers love their horns dont they

 

[ac6000cw]

those American train drivers love their horns dont they

They don't (generally) do it for fun - it's to try and avoid watching people being cut out of the mangled remains of their car, especially at crossings without any lights or barriers...but you do sometimes get a friendly toot if you're a lineside train watcher, and some drivers occasionally try to be tuneful

 

[Techniquest]

Sadly they won't work on my phone, but I'll watch them as soon as I can!

 

[ac6000cw]

As promised, the video from Cajon Pass summit

This is two hours of heavy freight train action condensed into 15 minutes. The skies were very cloudy at times, but the summit overlook is a great place for 'trains in the landscape' views in both directions, so it's best watched in full-screen mode. There is also some good 'big diesel' noise here - listen to the bark of a pair of GE ES44 DPUs as they throttle up on an eastbound train (starting at 11m:15s into the video).

(Direct link to play it on YouTube) Cajon Summit - Trains from the Overlook

[youtube]oJRV_tmfcys[/youtube]
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Sadly they won't work on my phone, but I'll watch them as soon as I can!

I know the embedded player won't work because it uses Adobe Flash, but the direct YouTube links (just above each video player) should work on most devices I think - especially if you have the YouTube app installed.

 

[Techniquest]

I'll give them a look once I charge the phone, never thought to use direct links

 

[ac6000cw]

The final part of the Cajon Pass video 'trilogy' - some late evening trains down on the west side of the summit (just below Sullivan's Curve) at the point where Main tracks 1 & 2 split away from the original Main 3.

@Kristofferson - this is the video footage that your favourite "diesels at dusk" photo came from.


(Direct link to play it on YouTube) Cajon Pass - Late evening trains at 'CP Cajon'


[youtube]h2KhVan_rCU[/youtube]

 

[Kristofferson]

Great videos! Those DPUs throttling up was really something

 

[Minilad]

I must try convince the bods at Central Rivers to procure American style horns for Voyagers. Or even better get a couple myself and fit them to my cars!

 

[ac6000cw]

I must try convince the bods at Central Rivers to procure American style horns for Voyagers. Or even better get a couple myself and fit them to my cars!

Freight or Amtrak sound? (or were you just fancying something to - almost literally - blast people out of the way... )

(The standard Amtrak one is a five-horn AirChime K5LA - http://atsf.railfan.net/airhorns/k5la.html )

 

[Minilad]

Freight or Amtrak sound? (or were you just fancying something to - almost literally - blast people out of the way... )

(The standard Amtrak one is a five-horn AirChime K5LA - http://atsf.railfan.net/airhorns/k5la.html )

Freight. Although I would love the ding ding ding ding bell for entering stations too!

 

[ac6000cw]

Freight. Although I would love the ding ding ding ding bell for entering stations too!

Freight locos have bells too (although they are electronic on modern stuff rather than real brass bells ).

I expect you'd like some alternately flashing 'ditch' lights as well...

 

[Minilad]

Freight locos have bells too (although they are electronic on modern stuff rather than real brass bells ).

I expect you'd like some alternately flashing 'ditch' lights as well...

Of course. Imagine setting that lot off while entering New Street up the Derby tunnel

 

[ac6000cw]

Of course. Imagine setting that lot off while entering New Street up the Derby tunnel

It would certainly wake the commuters up...

Time for some more video. I realised that I'd got quite a lot of content from my Friday evening at Fullerton, so here is 2 1/2 hours of train action condensed into 11 1/2 minutes of video. Note the 'Southwest Chief' running though on the centre track then reversing back into platform... and I think the only freight of the whole trip with both mid-train and rear DPUs - it took about 4 minutes to go past, so about 2 miles long if it was doing 30 mph.

It's also got plenty of EMD passenger diesel noise, for those who'd like to know what a 67 should sound like...

(Direct link to play it on YouTube) Fullerton Sunset - Train watching on a warm Friday evening


[youtube]ynK5qiSFF5U[/youtube]

 

[ac6000cw]

Some video highlights from my visit to the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California, during their 'Pumpkin Day' event (on last day of my trip). The noises made by the streetcars in particular are lovely and nostalgic.

(Direct link to play it on YouTube) Orange Empire Railway Museum - Steam and Streetcars


[youtube]rSfg-I9ylJA[/youtube]

 

[ac6000cw]

Having posted a 'no diesel' video last time, it's time for more diesel action from Tehachapi

I was intending to do another 'Diesel Thunder' type video, but realised I had clips of the same BNSF intermodal train at five locations up the pass, so decided to create a 'one train climbing the pass' video instead...


(Direct link to play it on YouTube) Tehachapi - Climbing the Pass


[youtube]Hw6u9AyXYMg[/youtube]

The middle part of the video (from 2:28, at Woodford Siding) is where the 'head-on' photo came from that many people liked earlier in the thread:

BNSF Head-on at Woodford by ac6044cw, on Flickr

 

[Kristofferson]

Well, that's my viewing tomorrow sorted! Missus out, surround sound on [emoji23]

 

[ac6000cw]

Well, that's my viewing tomorrow sorted! Missus out, surround sound on [emoji23]

The latest video is only about 6 minutes duration, so you won't have to push her out for long

 

[Kristofferson]

Well I'm having a great time! Those freight locos are absolutely earth shaking. Im sure my eco friendly cycling-mad neighbours are enjoying it just as much as I am

It's also good to see how popular the "rail fan" culture is over there - looking at the families waving at the Surfliners is something we don't really see as much here.

I did laugh at the "delayed by 2 hours and 30 minutes" message at Fullerton - rail travel in the U.S. is more of an adventure than a way of getting somewhere!

Also, watching this on a TV, the picture and filming quality is fantastic - thought I was watching a BBC documentary!

 

[ac6000cw]

Well I'm having a great time! Those freight locos are absolutely earth shaking. Im sure my eco friendly cycling-mad neighbours are enjoying it just as much as I am

It might be diesel-hauled, but at 1-3 hp/ton it's still reasonably eco-friendly freight transport

It's also good to see how popular the "rail fan" culture is over there - looking at the families waving at the Surfliners is something we don't really see as much here.

Fullerton is a bit special as a 'family' place to watch trains, especially on a Friday evening (and Sunday afternoons). There were quite a few enthusiasts around as well, filling up the benches at the east end of the main platform (and some of the outdoor tables in the cafe).

I did laugh at the "delayed by 2 hours and 30 minutes" message at Fullerton - rail travel in the U.S. is more of an adventure than a way of getting somewhere!

BNSF, Metrolink and Amtrak had a bad afternoon - a freight train hit a person on the mainline close to LA, closing it completely for a while just as the evening peak was starting. The train I caught to Fullerton was a like a sardine can inside...

Also, watching this on a TV, the picture and filming quality is fantastic - thought I was watching a BBC documentary!

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it

 

[ac6000cw]

I've sorted the photos into albums for the various places I spent time at on the trip - click on the photo to go to the album.

LA Metrolink album:


Fullerton album:


Tehachapi album:


Donner Pass album:


Western Pacific Railroad Museum album:


Roseville album:


San Luis Obispo album:


Cajon Pass album:


Orange Empire Railway Museum album:


The whole trip in one album: