Passenger Trains > The Story behind the Amtrak/NWP NASCAR Special

The idea of passenger trains to Sears Point is not a new idea. It goes back over 25 years to the beginning of the NASCAR 350 at Sears Point. Steve Page, President of the Sonoma Raceway was my contact when he worked for the Oakland A's for my weather forecasts. (I still forecast for them) When he moved to Sears Point, he called me about providing forecasts for raceway events. Using my contacts with the NWP, we tried as various times over the years to put something together. There were the usual equipment problems, staffing and organization. Not helping was The FRA shut down of excursion passenger service on the NWP in 1997, and the railroad was shut down completely in 2001 and then flood damage kept the railroad closed until June of 2011. So that brings to this year when the subject came up again. NWP right now is concentrating on freight service and was unable to pursue the passenger train on its own. I suggested Page and his marketing folks contact AMTRAK directly. Fast forward to this Spring when Steve contacted the NCRA, NWP and SMART who now controls the use of the ROW for permission to operate the train. They agreed and the Raceway and Amtrak put the details of the train together. The main hurdle was asking for an FRA wavier to run over the Brazos Bridge becaus the interlocking was no longer operative when thieves stole the copper wiring. The FRA granted the wavier in late April at lightning speed. The publicity went out through the raceway and AMTRAK and the train was sold out last week. The ten car train has a capacity of 500. This is the first train over the extreme east end of the NWP since an RLHS trip from Oakland to Asti in April, 1971. I had a chance to talk to Steve Page and Linsey Ettlin who is the Senior Producer for Brand Engagement and Partnerships for AMTRAK. She told me that next your will much more ambitious, with longer consists and multiple train. One might leave from Oakland and connect with the San Joaquins' for Valley NASCAR fans. Page said he is working other ideas that might bring in some private partnerships but would not elaborate. My first shot is at Schellville, where NWP crews put out the welcome mat for the Special with the NWP #2009 displaying a banner that reads "Welcome for the Northwestern Pacific RR Co." on its flanks. 2nd image shows a view from the entrance to the Raceway, showing the how close the cars were across on other side of Highway 116. The third I phone photo shows the simple ramp that was used to get passengers off the train. One other note, Allan Hemphil, on the board of the NCRA, did run a private special with invited guests to Sears Point in the early 1990's but the trip was not for the public.

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Last pre Amtrak railfan trip over the NWP was in October, 1968



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/13 20:10 by WAF.

Good background, Mike, but your first shot is upside down like an errant slide at that Stockton Winterail pizza party slide show event!!!

Posted from iPhone

Credit Ms. Linsey Ettlin at the Capitol Corridor for the heavy lifting to pull all of the agencies together to accomplish this train trip to NASCAR.

I guess you know the 1st photo was scanned in upside down....
Thx for the back story...and making it work.



As for wx forecasting.....What do you think of a June 20th trough deep enough to get precip at least as far south as Monterey?

I seem to remember that we had some real "winter weather" in early june last year....cold air CU, significant showers as far south as SMX..inland highs in the 60's.

In your experience, how common is this?

thx

Thanks very much for the backstory, Mike!
I look forward to next year having even
more trains -- as long as equipment is
available. Kudos to you and everyone
involved in making this wonderful special
trip happen!

Was that temporary ramp the only way on and off of the train? Or were there more ramps or step-boxes setup along the width of the train?

If not... it would take a long time for 500 people to file out of one door.

Ricky Courtney
Seattle, WA

The one and only ramp. Also they were on time westbound and left precisely at 4:30 pm westbound.

For years we had a display at the Marin County fair, which at that time was running over 4th of July weekend. We had to deliver the equipment in open pickups - and,almost every single year we did it, there was rain. Good rain too. Rain in late June & early July is not unusual.

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> As for wx forecasting.....What do you think of a
> June 20th trough deep enough to get precip at
> least as far south as Monterey?
>

With that going big, they got something started which I hope is a yearly event when NASCAR's in town and even when NHRA has their drag races up there too!

pdt Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I guess you know the 1st photo was scanned in
> upside down....
> Thx for the back story...and making it work.
>
>
>
> As for wx forecasting.....What do you think of a
> June 20th trough deep enough to get precip at
> least as far south as Monterey?
>
> I seem to remember that we had some real "winter
> weather" in early june last year....cold air CU,
> significant showers as far south as SMX..inland
> highs in the 60's.
>
> In your experience, how common is this?
>
> thx

In June, very UNCOMMON in central Calif, but not unheard of. I remember a steady rain hitting the Fresno area in July about 30 years ago that wiped out most of the raisin crop drying in the sun.