This
years GNRHS
Convention was
held in Spokane, Washington. Another great opportunity to do some 'Rocky-hunting' before
and after the convention. This year found me racing around the western states starting and
ending in Denver, Colorado. My route took me through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona,
California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South
Dakota and Nebraska. As a lot of what I saw was located outside of GN country I
decided not to write a lengthy trip-report like last year but to rather make a photo
essay of the highlights of each day. Last year's report also took away too much
time from other projects for the website and hopefully this format will speed
things up a bit.
Please follow along on my trip full of
expected and some surprise finds and some great visits with (GN) friends along
the way.
Day 1, Thursday
July 1: Pueblo, CO to Williams, AZ
First stop is the Pueblo Locomotive and Rail
Historical Society. In 2002 this group restored GN
2649, a 1952 company
built express boxcar and gave it a fresh coat of beautiful Omaha orange
and Pullman green. Looking over the Society's collection I come across
some former BN Maintenance of Way cars, one of which BN 951864 - a kitchen car - was
converted from former GN boxcar
36472, an unexpected find!
In Trinidad, CO I look for the two
reported ex GN cabooses X102 and X151, but only find one; X102. Sam
Maniscalco, the owner of GN
X151, mentions that he thinks it was scrapped, but couldn't say
for sure. X102 is owned by his nephew and reportedly holds his
baseball-cap collection.
This
concludes the GN part of the day which is further spent getting to Williams, AZ
while enjoying the scenery on the way and visiting two famous narrow gauge steam
railroads, the Cumbres & Toltec, which operates between Antonito, CO and
Chama, NM and the Durango & Silverton, which operates between its namesake
cities in Colorado.
Day
2, Friday
July 2: Williams, AZ to Fresno, CA
Today
I start off with a visit to the Grand Canyon Railway to see GN dome coach 1326,
which operates on lease on the railroad wearing the number 2097 and 'Kokopelli'
name. After an hour wait caused by my early arrival due to Arizona not using daylight
savings time I get to see the inside of this magnificent car on a personal tour given by today's
conductor. The wait was all worth it as I get to admire the original Indian
decorations and dome seats.
After
an unplanned but beautiful trip through the Sedona Red Rocks I arrive at
Clarkdale, AZ; home to another wandered-off GN caboose; X536. Destined to
house the town's Chamber of Commerce, it is slowly being readied to fulfill
the role. Only the frame on X536 is still original as the body has been
completely replaced by a new structure of freelance design. X536 was
donated to the Chamber by the Verde Canyon Railroad located in town. At the
depot I find two former Alaska Railroad FP7A's (#1510 and 1512) ready to pull
today's train into the much warmer weather of their Arizona retirement home.
Day
3, Saturday
July 3: Fresno to Vallejo, CA
An enjoyable trip through the wavy golden hills of California brings me
into the Yosemite Park area. First stop is the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine
Railroad to find GN caboose X213. The gold grass has given way to thick pine
forests now. Hidden between the trees I find the railroad and one of its Shays
getting ready to pull another trainload of tourists. All steamed up she's
looking good and sounds great. I find X213 in the back of a small yard hidden in
the brush and - surprisingly - sitting on narrow gauge trucks.
I
decide to visit Yosemite Park which isn't probably the best of ideas for the
4th of July weekend but it sure is worth it. I have never seen the Giant Sequoia
Trees before and they really are impressive.
After
a lengthy trip from Yosemite Park I arrive at Jamestown at the 'Railtown 1897
State Historic Park' where several former Great Northern GSC ore cars are still
in use in ballast service on the Sierra Railway. Some have been repainted and
some haven't but all still clearly show their original numbers through the
paint.
At Oakdale, CA I find former GN GP9 #667 still
in BN livery and with a chopped nose at the Sierra Northern Railroad yard.
Clearly in use as a parts supplier its years seem numbered.
Day
4, Sunday
July 4: Vallejo to Redding, CA
With the famous Bay Area fog
(too) slowly lifting this morning I start with a visit to Richmond. GN
caboose X124 can still be found here, at work now for the Richmond Pacific
Railroad, a switching road for the harbor here.
Originally planned only as an optional side-trip I decide to make a detour north
to Willits as it is still early. In the former Northwestern Pacific yard there
sits former GN heater car #10 (ex EMD F3B GN 354B) still wearing a faded coat of
Amtrak silver. When I get into town the 4th of July parade is just about to
begin and all streets are closed-off making it very hard to get to the yard. A
bit of pleading at one of the road blocks gets me in and happily so as I don't
only find heater car #10 but also (surprise!) former GN ranch car 1245
'Whitefish Lake'. I later find out that the Whitefish Lake was recently acquired
by the Roots of Motive Power and plans are to fully restore it.
Back
south again to the Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction. With a heavy
theme of trolleys and interurbans it is also home to Great Northern caboose
X344. Also still at the museum is former GN heater car #12 (ex EMD F3B 430C).
Parked at a siding down the line she's waiting to be shipped to the Feather
River Rail Society at Portola as part of a recent equipment trade.
After an enjoyable drive along the Sacramento River I
arrive at Kirtlan's Silver Bend farm near Clarksburg for another Great
Northern caboose, X421. Parked on a siding partly hidden by overgrowth
it's waiting for better days, hopefully as part of the train which runs on
the farm in the fall celebrating harvest days.
Just at sunset I arrive at the
former depot at Chico. The depot is in use as a gallery now. The gallery
acquired GN coach 1127 last year. Work is underway to prepare the car to
serve as an exhibition room.
Click
here to go to part 2 of my 2004 GN Finding Trip
)
This
years GNRHS
Convention was
held in Spokane, Washington. Another great opportunity to do some 'Rocky-hunting' before
and after the convention. This year found me racing around the western states starting and
ending in Denver, Colorado. My route took me through Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona,
California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South
Dakota and Nebraska. As a lot of what I saw was located outside of GN country I
decided not to write a lengthy trip-report like last year but to rather make a photo
essay of the highlights of each day. Last year's report also took away too much
time from other projects for the website and hopefully this format will speed
things up a bit. )
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