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Re: Trips I'm SOOOOOOO glad I made
Author: Margaret (SP fan)
Date: 02-07-2011 - 18:26
My list of trains I was very glad to have ridden (in no
particular order, except for #1):
1. SP's Coast Daylight, behind a glorious red & orange
steam locomotive -- all the way from LA to SF, in 1951.
2. Rio Grande Zephyr, Denver-Salt Lake City-Denver.
(1979) and then, in 1983: next-to-last through train on
the Rio Grande before the slide at Thistle happened.
3. Behind the SP 4449 (1984, 1992, 1997)
4. Behind the UP 8444/844 (1978, 1979, 1980,
1996, 1997 (1997 via Tennessee Pass), and 1999.
5. Behind the SP 2472 many times, especially 2 short rare-mileage
trips in the mid-1990s (i forget the year): on the Redwood
City Harbor Line and on the SP's Dumbarton Line, and
another very short rare-mileage trip, this in 2002,
around the now-gone Mission Bay Wye in San Francisco.
6. Behind the UP 3985 (1982, 1992, 1995).
7. Behind the Royal Hudson (CP 2860) in 1977.
8. Riding Amtrak's "Pioneer" in 1979 Portland-Boise-
Portland, and even getting to ride in an ex-Santa Fe
Pleasure Dome Portland-Boise.
9. Riding Amtrak's "San Francisco Zephyr" in 1979
Oakland - Denver -- and riding the UP at 100 mph (!!!)
to make up lost time at one point. Wow! Also rode the
SFZ in 1983 as part of the Dick Reynolds Last Trip on the
Rio Grande zephyr.
10. Behind the ATSF 3751 in 2002, Williams-Grand Canyon-
Williams.
11. On the rerouted Coast Starlight over Tehachapi Loop
in 2005, Sacramento - LA (and non-stop Sacramento-
Bakersfield! Possibly the first passenger train in history to
highball Fresno).
12. Commuting behind SP Trainmasters and GP-9s
in 1965. Sad to say, I was not yet a railfan then, so I did
not appreciate the Trainmasters -- but I DiD ride behind
them!
What a neat bunch of trains I got to ride! I AM grateful
for all of them.
Margaret (SP fan)
P.S. I also have dim memories of Le Gare du Nord being
FULL of STEAM locomotives back in the early 1950s.
particular order, except for #1):
1. SP's Coast Daylight, behind a glorious red & orange
steam locomotive -- all the way from LA to SF, in 1951.
2. Rio Grande Zephyr, Denver-Salt Lake City-Denver.
(1979) and then, in 1983: next-to-last through train on
the Rio Grande before the slide at Thistle happened.
3. Behind the SP 4449 (1984, 1992, 1997)
4. Behind the UP 8444/844 (1978, 1979, 1980,
1996, 1997 (1997 via Tennessee Pass), and 1999.
5. Behind the SP 2472 many times, especially 2 short rare-mileage
trips in the mid-1990s (i forget the year): on the Redwood
City Harbor Line and on the SP's Dumbarton Line, and
another very short rare-mileage trip, this in 2002,
around the now-gone Mission Bay Wye in San Francisco.
6. Behind the UP 3985 (1982, 1992, 1995).
7. Behind the Royal Hudson (CP 2860) in 1977.
8. Riding Amtrak's "Pioneer" in 1979 Portland-Boise-
Portland, and even getting to ride in an ex-Santa Fe
Pleasure Dome Portland-Boise.
9. Riding Amtrak's "San Francisco Zephyr" in 1979
Oakland - Denver -- and riding the UP at 100 mph (!!!)
to make up lost time at one point. Wow! Also rode the
SFZ in 1983 as part of the Dick Reynolds Last Trip on the
Rio Grande zephyr.
10. Behind the ATSF 3751 in 2002, Williams-Grand Canyon-
Williams.
11. On the rerouted Coast Starlight over Tehachapi Loop
in 2005, Sacramento - LA (and non-stop Sacramento-
Bakersfield! Possibly the first passenger train in history to
highball Fresno).
12. Commuting behind SP Trainmasters and GP-9s
in 1965. Sad to say, I was not yet a railfan then, so I did
not appreciate the Trainmasters -- but I DiD ride behind
them!
What a neat bunch of trains I got to ride! I AM grateful
for all of them.
Margaret (SP fan)
P.S. I also have dim memories of Le Gare du Nord being
FULL of STEAM locomotives back in the early 1950s.
