A sea of yellow. . . UP style.

This past weekend, the Union Pacific Railroad came in style with a  sea of yellow to celebrate their 150 years as a company at the Calif. State RR Museum.  Here are a few photos other than the UP 844 in case you've missed.

It's train time.
UP business car no. 101 "Lone Star"UP Motor Coach No. 27 gleaming in the sunUP latest diesel: EMD SD59MX. Tier 3.5 compliant.

People can make a difference . . . well sometimes.

As we work feverishly on the upcoming products in development.  Here's a break in the action for you.

Sometimes while taking photos of trains, people are an added plus.  Other times well, I wish I can photoshop them out. Here are some of my diggings through my collection.  Dad train watching with me in '79, the Amtrak San Joaquin train to Oakland - at one of our favorite spots right next to Spenger's in Berkeley.

Next photo, my brother's hand waving to the engineer sort of got in the way, but it's rather fun now . . .  with "proper" photo of the Southern Pacific EMD dynamic equipped SW-8 switcher in the next photo.

Finally, ah shucks . . . wish they weren't there.  Chicago-bound Metra from Wheaton on the Northwestern Line with the original carbon steel gallery coaches.

50-ft Pacific Car & Foundry Insulated Loader Equipped Box Cars

In the works is our new 50-ft P.C. & F Insulated Loader Equipped Box Cars with railroad specific details.  We have revised our modeling based on your comments.  The lettering details are subject to revisions since we have noticed a variation in lettering placement.   Please check out the new images of Burlington Northern box car with single Youngstown plug door.Hope you enjoy the new pictures.

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How dirt moves (a photo essay).

Over the scanners, I heard the crackling voices that crews have filled up the South S.F. yard with the "dirty dirt" special and the train needs to clear out before the evening rush of commuter trains.  I decided to seize the moment, be a little crazy and drive 40 minutes  - risking getting stuck in traffic on the way back.   A potential run down the peninsula during daylight hours is a rare bird, but seeing a freight train being made up is rarer for me.  Normally, this train has been a nocturnal only operation.  So for your enjoyment, this is 'how dirt moves' on 30th of August from the old U.S. Naval Hunters Point Ship Yard to South City and then onward to a hazard landfill site somewhere east hopefully not near you in another state.

 

Eighty-four hundred horsepower (or about 6300 KW for my metrics friends) being applied by EMD SD-70M 3876 and GE C44AC 6553 pushing hard to bring the loaded train out from the yard trackage over to the main track, and then clearing the crossover switch point.  

Quickly, UP Extra 6553 East gets the go ahead and 53 loads of dirty dirt departs on Caltrain's main track no. 1. What's surprising for me?  The locomotives starting up were quiet soft in contrast to the days of second generation diesel locomotives such as the roar from the SD45s.  Last picture is one of S.F. State Belt's ancient ALCo S-2 used at the Hunters Point dirt loading operations taken a couple of years back.  Enjoy.  Happy Labor Day!

The old shall be really new . . .

With lots of elbow grease, love and care these really old icons of the past have a bright future and one day be running again. . . in fact some are already.

SP 9010 Krauss Maffei ML4000 (SP class DF-801) diesel-hydraulic locomotive currently under restoration.

SP EMD F7 currently under restoration at Golden Gate Railroad Museum.

SF Muni "Baby Ten" PCC 1040 - the last batch of  PCC streetcar built.  Here is the car before it was restored.  A restored shot is at http://www.streetcar.org/blog/2011/12/car-1040-newest-all-over-again.html

SF Muni "Double End" PCC 1008 is now restored and running in full Muni Rwy. green & cream livery.  Here is a the before shot. . . and a really early shot when it was in revenue service. http://www.railpictures.net/photo/223967/