The project was one of the largest of its kind in years and the first of any major size on. The western pacific railroad the western pacific railroad reporting mark wp was a class i railroad in the united states. This year marks the first time the convention will be held in utah. April 1922, 2018, we will be hosted by the doubletree inn by hilton near the salt lake city airport. The best of the western pacific feather river railfanning. From 1910 until merging with union pacific railroad in 1982, the western. Summary map of northern united states and part of canada showing relief by hachures, drainage, cities and towns, and railroads.
This new line, known as the feather river canyon route, was 924 miles long and. Railfan western pacific on the feather river route in ho. Photo gallery of western pacific trains through the. Tour 7 wonders of the railroad world plumas county. The feather river route is a rail line that was built and operated by the western pacific railroad. A brief 9 years later, pentrex set out to capture the variety and volume of trains now flowing over this famous pass across californias scenic sierra nevadas.
The western pacific railroad reporting mark wp was a class i railroad in the united states. Western pacific railroad museum steam program portola. I made the different trips to photograph the western pacific in the feather river canyon including one in 1981 right before the railroad was merged into the union pacific. The route is part of ups ex western pacific main line through the feather river canyon. The route between salt lake city and chicago, through the heart of the rockies on continue reading. Western pacific remembered dvd d140 visit the western pacific from both sides of the san francisco bay down to niles jct. Operated by the feather river rail society, this museum offers a locomotive rental program. Western pacific railroad corporate archiveskenneth j. Union pacific railroad opened its donner pass route to domestic doublestack intermodal container freight traffic nov. Growing up along the southern pacific i was more interested in donner pass than the feather river canyon. The western pacific was a late comer to americas railroad scene wp was not incorporated to build its main line from salt lake city to the san francisco bay area. Assisting roger is recently retired head of union pacifics steam program, steve lee, and a large group of willing people working to return western pacific steam to the feather river route for the first time in over 50 years. Here, it is seen preparing to reassemble the feather river express at the western pacific railroad museum in portola, ca for its journey back the the bay area the next day.
Western pacific heavily advertised its scenic route through the feather river canyon. Sometimes it was hard to tell just who the railroad belonged to, bnsf has trackage rights and sent everything they had, and of course up is a mix of up, sp, and cnw, plus leased power, a veritable rainbow. Union pacifics feather river canyon route still closed. The resolute david in a marketplace dominated by southern pacifics goliath, long perceived as the scrappy good guy who al. This route, the highline, joined the oakland salt lake city main line at the keddie wye, a unique combination of two steel trestles and a tunnel forming a triangle of intersecting track.
Western pacific railroad museum steam program, portola. The railroad had reopened its rail line from portola east to winnemucca, nev. Western pacifics alternative to building over the mountains was to follow the feather river canyon. Western pacific remembered dvd d140 train video depot. Western pacific railroad begins passenger train service 5. The western pacific railroad going around the big bend. Due to extensive repairs that are needed to restore the line to operation, the railroad could not provide an estimate on when the line could reopen. Western pacific s feather river canyon route is one of the most famous, scenic, and highlyengineered railroad lines in all of north america. Media in category western pacific railroad the following 28 files are in this category, out of 28 total. Known as the oroville line change, the new singletrack railroad replaced about 27 miles of main line, which had been in use by the railroad since its construction in the early 1900s. This route was selected because it leads to a low pass over the sierra nevada mountains. The feather river rail society was founded in 1983 with a goal to preserve the memories and significant equipment from the 100 year history of the western pacific railroad.
Presenting a bucolic scene of small town america is this portrait of sacramento northern motor 405 it rests near downtown oroville in march of 1951. The best of the western pacific feather river railfanning trips by chris guenzler. The track formerly owned by the western pacific railroad runs parallel to the feather river, slightly east of it. Model railroader is the worlds largest magazine on model trains and model railroad layouts. The project was one of the largest of its kind in years and the first of any major size on the western pacific since construction of the railroad.
Attracting fans from all over the world, the wps short but diverse route featured everything from urban industrial trackage in the thriving metropolis of the san francisco bay area to the scenic splendors and sleepy mountain communities of the famous feather river. The line was built to compete with the central pacific railroad and later southern pacific railroad, which at the time held a nearly complete monopoly on northern california rail. Pony plate girder swing bridge over mokelumne river on western pacific rr open to traffic. The union pacific railroad now owns the tracks that formerly belonged to the southern pacific and western pacific railroads. New and correct map of the lines of the northern pacific. Pin connected pratt through truss bridge over feather river on railroad trail open to pedestrians. Union pacifics feather river canyon route still closed trains.
The feather river rail society frrs is the owner and operator of the western pacific railroad museum in portola. Wps feather river route directly competed with sps portion of the overland route for rail traffic between salt lake cityogden, utah, and oakland, california, for. The western pacific was one of americas great railroads, famous for its scenic and rugged path through californias sierra nevada mountains. The feather river route feather river rail society. From 1910 until merging with union pacific railroad in 1982, the western pacific was one of the wests most popular railroads. Aug 01, 2011 by the late 1970s, mergers were folding many of the smaller railroads into larger systems. Dlc feather river canyon western pacific gp20 high. The best of the western pacific feather river railfanning trips. Pony plate girder swing bridge over mokelumne river on western pacific rr. The route brings to life the remarkable locations and features of the feather river canyon. Meeker collectioncourtesy of feather river rail societyarthur walter keddie library, portola, ca. Assisting roger is recently retired head of union pacific s steam program, steve lee, and a large group of willing people working to return western pacific steam to the feather river route for the first time in over 50 years. At portola we spend some time at the western pacific railroad museum where the wp lives.
Western pacifics feather river canyon route is one of the most famous, scenic, and highlyengineered railroad lines in all of north america. The western pacific railway company was in operation from 1903. Disneyland resort donates california zephyr to western. For more information on the western pacific railroad, please visit the feather river rail societys web site, it is a must for those with an interest in the western pacific railroad. For anyone interested in preservation of the wprr in the steam era at wprm portola and elsewhere. It was constructed between 1906 and 1909, and connects the cities of oakland, california, and salt lake city, utah.
This material on this page was cut from feather river route, volume 1 due to space limitations. The frrs is wholly funded by admissions, locomotive rentals, museum store sales, and generous donations of time, material, labor and money, and does not receive funding from any local, federal or state governments. Then at hartwell the good people of quincy had come up again over the fivemile branch road, which they built themselves to connect with the western pacific. After november 1, 1909 the spot was well known simply as being the companys golden spike location where its eastern line to salt lake city connected with its western route to oakland. Improvements began immediately to facilitate increased traffic.
The feather river rail society is pleased to announce a new marketing partnership with the city of portola to bring visitors to town and to the museum. Union pacific railroad opens donner pass tunnel to. Photo gallery of western pacific trains through the feather river canyon. The information presented on and within this site and on the separate pages of this site are an individual effort and in no way is this site affiliated with any preservation group nor is this site affiliated with any transportation company past or present doing business with western pacific, tidewater southern, sacramento.
The western pacific was a late comer to americas railroad scene wp was not incorporated to. Western pacific feather river express model railroader. Jan 27, 2018 the feather river rail society is pleased to announce the opening of preregistration for the 2018 western pacific railroad historical convention. At the time a young art lloyd snapped this photo, a freight car on the sn could still move from the railroads northern terminus of. Browse maps, pictures and histories of abandoned railroad lines of the western pacific railroad the feather river route. By the late 1970s, mergers were folding many of the smaller railroads into larger systems. Feather river rail society blog operators of the western. Photo gallery of western pacific trains through the feather. The frrs, a tax exempt public benefit california corporation, is the historical society for the western pacific.
It was formed in 1903 as an attempt to break the nearmonopoly the southern pacific railroad had on rail service into northern california. Along the feather river bnsf and union pacific on former western pacific rails by highball productions. Train rides in cabooses and vista flat cars are available on. Louis on the rio grande and mp, while some cars from the scenic limited went to chicago on the burlington route. The first locomotive to travel on the feather river route, the engine attended the wps golden spike ceremony in november 1909, and was used for special railroad events after the end of steam on the railway, including an appearance in the movie pollyanna. The western pacific railroad museum wprm, formerly known as the portola railroad museum is part of the feather river rail society and focuses primarily on preserving original equipment of the western pacific railroad, the famed feather river route. Western pacific was a railroad in transition on january 1, 1972. In 1982, the western pacific system, including the storied feather river canyon route, was purchased by the union pacific railroad.
You may want to become a member of the society and help preserve the history of the western pacific railroad and get involved with the many activities that are. The feather river rail society is pleased to announce the opening of preregistration for the 2018 western pacific railroad historical convention. Train simulators feather river canyon route recreates the dramatic western pacific main line. Williams loop of the western pacific rr in the feather river canyon. Union pacific railroad opens donner pass tunnel to double. Engineering and technology equipment feather river canyon feather river route fifty percent flatcars freight. The western pacific was a late comer to americas railroad scene wp was not incorporated to build its main line from salt lake city to the san francisco bay area until 1903, and its final spike. Short history of the western pacific railroad pre1869 arthur keddie had explored the feather river route which was 2000 feet lower than donner pass, used by the central pacific. The up began improvements immediately to facilitate increased traffic. Wps feather river route directly competed with sps portion of the overland. Photos of the old western pacific rail line around big bend which operated from 1905 until 1966 when the route was realigned with the creation of lake oroville. The western pacifics feather river route directly competed with the southern.
Western pacific s feather river canyon route is one of the most famous, scenic. Jim models part of the wps feather river route through the sierra nevada as well as part of the highline in ho scale. The trend finally caught up with the famous feather river route on december 22, 1982, when it was purchased by the union pacific railroad along with midwestern railroad missouri pacific. Union pacifics feather river route dvdunion pacifics. The western pacific railroad museum now has one of the best collections of early diesel locomotives in the u. Preservation of the history of the western pacific railroad and its subsidiaries. Todays zephyr goes over donner pass, on tracks that were southern pacifics, instead of through the feather river canyon, on tracks that were western pacifics. Railworks feather river canyon route addon download. I wish i had had more time to photograph the western pacific. Congress containerization covered hopper cars customers denver downingtown economics engineering and technology equipment feather river canyon feather river route fifty percent flatcars freight cars designed gould grain guaranty trust company handle high. He was stopped by central pacific interests and politics.
On behalf of the membership of the feather river rail society, operators of the western pacific railroad museum, we would like to thank disney for their gracious donation of their california zephyr, and for their generous hospitality while our crew worked in the park to save the dca cz. A rail society is born western pacific railroad museum. In 1931 western pacific opened a main line north from the feather river canyon to the great northern railway in northern california. Jul 24, 2007 in 1982, the western pacific system, including the feather river canyon route, was purchased by the union pacific. The western pacific was a small classic railroad linking salt lake city with oakland. The architecture involved in orchestrating this makes this an impressive line in real life. Western pacific s alternative to building over the mountains was to follow the feather river canyon. Brief history of the western pacific railroad mountain. Today, the western pacific may no longer exist but its legacy lives on through the feather river route, keddie wye, inside gateway and the california zephyr, the name of which survives under amtrak albeit following a slightly altered route.
In 1982, the western pacific system, including the feather river canyon route, was purchased by the union pacific. Along the feather river bnsf and union pacific on former. Union pacifics feather river route dvd train video depot. This was especially true after seeing the works of steinheimer and other california photographers on donner. It also sat towards the eastern end of the wps legendary feather river route through the feather river canyon between oroville and portola, california. The southern pacific made every effort to block the western pacific from obtaining a waterfront terminal on the san francisco bay at oakland. Union pacifics feather river route dvdunion pacifics feather. Dlc feather river canyon western pacific gp20 high nose. Along the way, the feather river route reclaimed the national spotlight by hiring one of the countrys mosttalked about railroad executives, alfred e. You will even witness the up 844 steam locomotive making a special appearance as the up celebrates 100 years of railroading in the feather river canyon.