So as this was my third trip over the California Zephyr route, I was looking to do something a little different. An obvious answer was to include video as the last time I had made the run in 2014 I had not yet purchased my GoPro camera that can record video out the back while leaving my hands free to operate a still camera. Because much of the Zephyr route is either slow or rather unexciting, I chose to video the parts of the trip that stood to be the opposite. California's Capitol Corridor is an 80mph sprint between Martinez and Sacramento with the Zephyr running express with only a single stop in Davis. Also, the Donner Pass route between Switch 9 and Truckee might be slow, but the scenery is spectacular with tunnels and bridges and classic signals and even a horseshoe curve! So sit back, block out some time and enjoy what make up some of the best parts of the Zephyr experience.
We start on the Capitol Corridor at the city of Martinez. I didn't bother starting the video at Emmeryville because the first 30 or so miles of the Corridor has a 30-40mph speed restriction due to curves and other line geography. Pulling out of the Martinez station the eastbound Train 6 will climb up to cross the famous Suisun Bay Bridge, then turn to the east where it will pretty much enjoy a straight shot to Davis with an 80mph speed limit. Note the new Fairfield/Vacaville station being built about halfway through the video.
After departing Davis, CA with its classic searchlight signals still in place, the Zephyr makes the short hop over to Sacramentowhere, after crossing the I Street Swing Bridge, it enters the new station platform complex that was built to eliminate an S-curve and heavy freight trains having to rumble through the passenger tracks.
Next the Zephyr tackles the world famous Donner Pass. This section of track was built by imported Chinese labour back in the 1860's and still ranks as one of the world's highest rail lines with the summit topping out around 7400 feet. The video starts at the start of what used to be a CTC island at SHED 9 interlocking and continued up and over the summit and through the 3 mile long Tunnel 41, completed in 1925. Ultimately the new "Track 2" alignment through the tunnel would replace the 1860 route and the famous "Chinese Wall" at the summit when Union Pacific shut down Track 1 in the 1990's. The video Cuts at SHED 47 where I had to perform a battery change.
The final video picks back up from SHED 47 and documents the horseshoe curve used to descend the train from the pass down to the town and station stop of Truckee, CA. The Southern Pacific searchlight signals here were replaced in 2014, but the old bridges have remained in place due to the remoteness of the terrain.
Well that's it for this video special. Next week I'll post the still photos from the Donner Pass portion of the run. If you want to see the Capitol Corridor stills check out the previous post.
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