Western Railroad Discussion > Donner Pass?

Is there a "Railfan's Guide to Donner Pass" available for the first-time visitor?

Thanks in advance

Seaboard....You will be lucky to see four to six freights a day on donner plus two amtraks and 4-6 freights is a wide estimation as you could starve to death waiting for something to happen...but good luck....

Want to see some of those amazing locations some have posted photos of on TO, such as snow sheds, tunnels, etc.

Barstool Wrote:
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> Seaboard....You will be lucky to see four to six
> freights a day on donner plus two amtraks and 4-6
> freights is a wide estimation as you could starve
> to death waiting for something to happen...but
> good luck....


What he said. I live close to the descending (#1) track in the Auburn foothills and hear 2-3 trains per 24 hrs.....if that.
If you go along the right of way up above Colfax you will also run into impromptu homeless camps complete with the ever present pit bulls. I’ve stumbled on a few up there coming around a bend on a frontage roadand they’re scary.
TO contributor “Boiling Man “ lives far enough up where there are no services for the homeless, (and apparently few or no homeless) and he’s gotten some of the best pictures by far from the ones I’ve seen of the interesting/historical areas of Donner. In any event, scenery is beautiful higher up, but be prepared to enjoy that, and if you’re lucky, a train or two. Or, as is more likely, none.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/18 17:29 by Auburnrail.

Auburnrail Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Barstool Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Seaboard....You will be lucky to see four to
> six
> > freights a day on donner plus two amtraks and
> 4-6
> > freights is a wide estimation as you could
> starve
> > to death waiting for something to happen...but
> > good luck....
>
>
> What he said. I live close to the descending (#1)
> track in the Auburn foothills and hear 2-3 trains
> per 24 hrs.....if that.
> If you go along the right of way up above Colfax
> you will also run into impromptu homeless camps
> complete with the ever present pit bulls. I’ve
> stumbled on a few up there coming around a bend on
> a frontage roadand they’re scary.
> TO contributor “Boiling Man “ lives far enough
> up where there are no services for the homeless,
> (and apparently few or no homeless) and he’s
> gotten some of the best pictures by far from the
> ones I’ve seen of the interesting/historical
> areas of Donner. In any event, scenery is
> beautiful higher up, but be prepared to enjoy
> that, and if you’re lucky, a train or two. Or,
> as is more likely, none.

I concur with all said here with my experience there too. Wasn't there projected to be up to 30 trains a day over Donner back in the post-merger pre Reno trench days? That was a long time ago.

In May last year, I spent a few days in Reno. Although I didn't spend a lot of time hanging out by the tracks, the railroad seemed busier than 4 - 6 freights per day. I'd estimate 6 - 10. Maybe traffic declined since then? Four - six is what I remember attempting a day of railfanning in Truckee in 2008.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/21/18 17:40 by RuleG.

> locations some have posted photos of on TO

If you pick a few pics, we can tell you where
they are. 80-90% of TO pics on Donner are in
the same few areas. Once you know where they are,
you don't need a guide -- just a map.

Good lord! Donner sounds dreadful! I moved up here 36yrs ago....
What was I THINKING?!!
SR

Google maps is a useful resource.
- Eric B.

Google Maps would be helpful, however I need advice from knowledgeable railfans as how to get into some of better locations. I need to know the best ways to get access to popular spots such as Emigrant Gap, Norden, Shed 10, Truckee, etc. from I-80.

I plan to do a LOT of research, make copies of maps, etc. however I know from past experience that getting advice from railfans who how to get into good locations is far more helpful.

Also, is driving on service roads parallel to the tracks still OK?

PM me.
SR

I’m sure Boiling Man and others will give detailed and easy to read instructions for how to get to Norden and Shed 10. One of my favorite locations is in downtown Truckee. If you take the downtown exit from east bound 80, take a right at the round-a-bout and park in the area next to the tracks, before you dip down and go under the railroad bridge. There is a paved trail across the street from the tracks/parking area. Make a 100 Yard hike up the hill and grab a seat on the smooth rocks at the top of the hill. You’ll have a terrific view of the double track heading east into Truckee, all of downtown, and the old SP signal bridge that still stands, protecting the crossover.

Posted from iPhone

Barstool Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Seaboard....You will be lucky to see four to six
> freights a day on donner plus two amtraks and 4-6
> freights is a wide estimation as you could starve
> to death waiting for something to happen...but
> good luck....


Starve to death on Donner Pass???? Not if you have tastey friends in your party. Get it?

NYC6001 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Barstool Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Seaboard....You will be lucky to see four to
> six
> > freights a day on donner plus two amtraks and
> 4-6
> > freights is a wide estimation as you could
> starve
> > to death waiting for something to happen...but
> > good luck....
>
>
> Starve to death on Donner Pass???? Not if you have
> tastey friends in your party. Get it?

Whole new meaning to having your friends for dinner...

Posted from Android

zfan Wrote:
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> I concur with all said here with my experience
> there too. Wasn't there projected to be up to 30
> trains a day over Donner back in the post-merger
> pre Reno trench days? That was a long time ago.

Original projections were for 36-42 daily trains through Reno back in the mid-'90s during the merger hearings, then UP had its meltdown for almost 3 years and a lot of the business went away, including most of the BNSF trackage rights trains. UP also lost a lot of the marine container business that would now be running on Donner, including APL, Maersk and several other lines. So figure around 14-16 trains a day through Reno/Donner for the average, depending on the day of the week. That's not much more than what the SP was running via Donner back before the merger in 1996.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/22/18 16:36 by SPSF.

seaboardc30-7 Wrote:
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> Is there a "Railfan's Guide to Donner Pass"
> available for the first-time visitor?
>
> Thanks in advance

Hopefully, BoilingMan's PM can get you started.

I ran into a railfan (who has become a good friend) about 11 years ago while waiting for the UP 1983 leading the MRORV to show up in Roseville. We did a few trips together, and he showed me the beaten paths, like Newcastle, Alta, Dutch Flat, Colfax (several spots), Gold Run, Yuba Flat, Soda Springs, Truckee and others. I bought an Altamont Press Timetable around that time, and it allowed me to organize all these locations (milepost #, where the locations are relative to each other, and so forth) in my mind for subsequent visits.

Other "veteran" Donner foamers I've run into were inspired by people like Richard Steinheimer and Dick Dorn, where they would go find the inspiring locations on their own after seeing the wonderful photos in books and magazines.

Some locations can be seen from I-80 (Shed10, Cisco, the abandoned tunnel near Troy). I figured out how to get to those locations on my own, and even if you can't brag to others since they've already been there, the sense of accomplishment from doing it yourself gives you an emotional high. A handful of locations were spotted by riding Amtrak #6 and #5, for example west portal of Tunnel 41 ("The Big Hole") because I heard the horns then saw a crossing with a regular sedan stopped there ("if he can get there, so can I").

Train count has been low recently, so hopefully, you are a chasing railfan, instead of a wait-at-one-location railfan. Trains don't go faster then 30 mph through most of Donner, so chasing on I-80 is not difficult, even for the first timer, if you prepare yourself ahead of time by studying a map and marking trackside locations near freeway exits.

Finding your way around Donner by trial & error is actually an interesting (and “doable”) proccess. Discovering places you’ve already been to in books is part of the fun. I wrote a short piece about the subject and TRAINS bought it last year- I’m told it will publish this Fall:
“Shooting in Stein’s Shadow”
SR

USGS maps help quite a bit. Yes, its trial and error. Takes patience to hunt around to find roads. From a geological stand point, it looks the same from the Chinese days. Railroading-wise, well Photo Bob is right, its all crap. Every year a little more of the SP disappears. With a 4W you can get into Stanford Curve and up to Andover and (hike up to Shed 47) and Troy. Eder road is gated off along Donner Lake. Never did find the road that wasn't blocked off to Cisco. The tunnel area between Clipper Gate and Applegate is all via foot from Applegate road. That's the tougher stuff. Not impossible.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/18 10:22 by WAF.

One thing I've noticed while staying trackside in Truckee the last couple years during my trips there is that there are more trains run during the overnight hours than daytime, usually fleeted manifests.

Desmond Praetzel, "4451 Puff"

seaboardc30-7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Google Maps would be helpful, however I need
> advice from knowledgeable railfans as how to get
> into some of better locations. I need to know the
> best ways to get access to popular spots such as
> Emigrant Gap, Norden, Shed 10, Truckee, etc. from
> I-80.
>
> I plan to do a LOT of research, make copies of
> maps, etc. however I know from past experience
> that getting advice from railfans who how to get
> into good locations is far more helpful.
>
> Also, is driving on service roads parallel to the
> tracks still OK?

No driving the service roads.. typical UP no-no