Re: SP over Altamont
Author: Third Rail
Date: 01-22-2010 - 22:00
The last steam run over Altamont was on October 12, 1958, with the GS-6 4460 on Cal-Nevada's "Fresno Flyer," the best SP steam trip I was ever on. The short, mostly streamlined train had an open, bared door baggage car behind the engine and SP 2901 streamlined coffee shop/lounge/observation on the rear.
It operated out of San Francisco Third St, down the Peninsula, via the Dumbarton Bridge, over Altamont, down the Valley to Fresno, then return to Oakland via Martinez. What a great trip! Only a hundred and forty or so people on the trip since most planned to go the next weekend to Reno on the RLHS "Farewell to Steam on the SP."
I used every penny I could scrape up to go on both - a wise investment.