14-06-18b PHOTOS: Reno 911

Back on my first Zephyr Trip in 2012 the train was running mostly on time and I was able to photograph most of the Nevada Sub with a short break in advance of Winnemucca and upon departing from there I had enough light to shoot a good deal of the Elko Sub as well. This time due to the backup move in Rosedale and a number of other short delays my train was running a little less than an hour late, which I figured would cut a good chunk off the Elko Sub. However my real goal was to try to capture the section of the Nevada sub that I had to skip on the previous run due to dinner.

This was complicated by the impending re-signaling of the western portion of the line as I was faced with the choice of getting a second set of photos of the older stuff or a first set of some newer stuff. In the end I figured I could get away with a quick dinner and trying to do both, but a very slow service in the dining car actually didn't get me back to my position at the rear of the train until almost the exact point where I had gone to dinner in 2012.

Things got worse however when the extreme lateness of the previous day's Train 5 caught up with us. The crew had short turned in Winnemucca, but would not complete their required 8 hours rest until after we arrived. We ended up sitting at the station for almost an hour, killing any chance of getting photos on the Elko sub, which is a shame as that is also targeted for re-signaling.

Anyway, in this set I'll show some shots around the Reno station and continue on to Winnemucca.

Reno continues to be a very popular stop. I suspect most of these people are going overnight to Salt Lake City or Denver, but they might also be heading home to towns not served by good air service.

Once again here are our power, P42DC's #163 and #22.

UP ES44AC #5262 peeks out from behind a welded rail train at Sparks Yard.

The new signals at up as we blast through the equilateral turnout at VISTA and enter the Nevada Sub. If Safetrain clamshell signals are cheap knockoffs of better US&S and GRS kit, what does one call cheap knockoffs of Safetrain equipment? These are bare LED signals with just a small number of high intensity LEDs. Total crap.

Not even brand new searchlights that are probably only a few years old are safe from replacement.

We met a westbound mixed freight waiting in the Clark siding. Sitting in the #3 position was ATSF Warbonnet painted B40-8W #770. The ATSF was the only buyer of this particular model and planned to use them in high speed intermodal service. They were also the largest buyer of EMD's rival GP60 and GP60B.

Speaking of GP60's here are #158 and #122 seen here waiting on the main line for us to pass on the Fernley siding.

After dinner I got back to the rear of the train just before we passed through Lovelock, NV. Note the UP branded trailers in the MoW yard.

MoW hi-rail trucks east of Lovelock.

There was a lot of MoW work going on over the Nevada sub and our train wound up getting stuck behind a slow-ish freight for about 40 miles because so many sidings were occupied by MoW kit.

Passing by a cement kiln. The large tube is the actual firebox which rotates and pulls the limestone through with an internal auger.

Interesting high tension power line pylon design.

MoW "train" on the Rye Patch sidings. This part of the line could see gaps of 10-15 miles between sidings which got us stuck behind the freight. Turned out not to matter much since we had to wait for an hour at Winnemucca.

 

C44-9W #9792 was on hand with a freight to provide power for the MoW train at Rye Patch.

Signals on this part of the line were Southern Pacific vintage and were thankfully not targeted for replacement. 

Pair of SD70M's including #4987 on a welded rail train tying up the Humboldt siding.

MP 401 automatic signal with a solar panel power supply complete with some sort of raptor nest. Note the transformer in the foreground which I believe is for a new buried signal power cable.

The eastern part of the subdivision had already seen its classic signals replaced by LED Darth Vaders as evidenced here by the MP 413 automatic.

Another MoW train hanging out in the Winnemucca siding.

Amtrak Winnemucca station shelter. This was recently rebuilt, probably with stimulus funds.

Amtrak P42DC #22 and #173 at Winnemucca in twilight.

Resignaled EE WINNEMUCCA interlocking with the westbound cantilever mast still sporting a turned searchlight. I must have just missed the cut over by a matter of weeks...bummer.

That eastbound main signal was actually flashing for Advance Approach signifying a stop at WESO interlocking about 4 miles to the east.


I'll finish up with this extra long 85 foot Union Pacific box car rusting away on a Winnemuccadump siding.

Tune in next week as we continue on the DRG&W to through Utah to Grand Junction, CO.