ff Wrote:
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> Tom, your experience brot back the memory of my
> folks dropping myself and a friend off at Lyons
> Dam on the Pickering one Sunday back in 1940..
> The plan was to walk to Twain Harte. I had no
> idea trains ran on Sunday but soon the sound of
> screaming wheels on tight curves announced that
> one was descending behind us. When it was
> passing my friend climbed a log car and went to
> the top. I swung on the caboose. The conductor
> was kindly...invited me into the cupolo.. and when
> we stopped preparing to head down what he said
> was a 7% grade...He invited my friend to join us
> telling him how dangerous it was to be on the
> logs. The engineer knew nothing of our
> presence...so we had to jump off while moving
> when arriving at Twain Harte where the family
> had a cabin. == Another experience...the last
> NWP electric out of San Rafael to Saucilito was
> a deadhead movement with 14 cars ...Most of the
> hinged headlights which faced out between the cars
> were all lighted flooding the midnight
> countryside. It was a full speed non stop run
> with fans in many of the cabs... all pulling the
> whistles. My Sister and Husband were waiting to
> pick us up. and were terrified as the train crew
> closer not knowing what was happening. Often
> wonder if anyone reading this was present on that
> trip. == Another.. Feb 13, 1938 one of some 20
> consecutive days of rain.. a dismal day when
> three beautiful Niles cars of the Napa Valley
> electric made a farewell round trip from the ferry
> terminal in Vallejo to Napa for just a handful of
> fans. I was said that a small trestle washed
> out later that day and a Greyhound died in a
> flooded area... Finally...the last run of the
> Utah Idaho Central from Preston to Ogden..3 cars
> ..warmly lighted inside but maintenance was so
> bad... those 3 cars ran with only 2 motors..and
> so we were 2 hours late into Ogden...

Anyone present (like YOU) for historic trips like that, surely had to be present for the driving of the Golden Spike at Promontory...

KRK