Western Railroad Discussion > UP 5376 East Through Truckee, CA (Donner Pass)

I spent the past five days up near the summit of Donner Pass, and I took the opportunity to get track-side a few times while there. While I got skunked on trains at a number of the locations I checked out, I did gain a good sense for shots that I'd like to get when I'm up there next. (Provided that the UP and weather will deliver!) Furthermore, it was nice to be out in the fine Sierra summer weather.

Having spent part of the morning of the 17th scouting out areas around Truckee to shoot an eastbound with no trains, I returned on the morning of the 18th after hearing an eastbound making it's way up the hill near my cabin south of Soda Springs. There isn't much tangent track of any length on UP's Roseville Sub over Donner Pass, so I elected to take in the mile and a quarter of straight track running through downtown Truckee to grab some shots and a video of UP 5376 leading an eastbound manifest downgrade on the east slope of Donner Pass. (Am I mistaken, or is Tunnel 41 at just shy of 2 miles the longest tangent between Roseville and Reno/Sparks on the Roseville Sub?) I'm not sure which train this was, so someone on here with more knowledge might fill in the blank. (As BLE692 noted below, it was the MRVSP.) Of note...in the background of the second image, the forested hill is the Schallenberger Ridge, which the railroad is carved along and passes through via Tunnels 13 and 42 at Andover. The snow covered peak to the left of this is Mount Lincoln, and on close examination you can make out the top of the Mt Lincoln Quad Chairlift at Sugar Bowl. The snowy peak to the right of the Schallenberger Ridge is Mount Judah, named after railroad engineer Theodore Judah, through which the longest tunnel on the line, Tunnel 41, passes through from the summit of Donner Pass.

I also have some updates on signal bridge replacements that I noted last month. Work is well under way to replace the SP signal bridge west of the Soda Springs grade crossing. I was also up at Troy, and materials are staged to replace that bridge as well. I expect it to be gone by the end of summer. While I didn't notice any construction materials or equipment there, I suspect the bridge on the west side of Norden might not be around long either, as there were multiple signal bridge assemblies staged at the Soda Springs Road grade crossing.

Finally, I'm working on a video of a westbound I shot at Norden, which I'll post in the next day or two.

Cheers,
Sean



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/23/20 06:38 by broken_link.

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That was the MRVSP 17. Looking forward to the next video.

That second still shot is excellent. The perspective on Truckee is right on.

Robert Morris
Dunsmuir, CA
Robert Morris Photography

Thanks for the clarity on the symbol.

It might have been discussed here before, but what happens with these trains in Sparks? That is, how much of this traffic stays in western NV, and how much is picked up for moving further east by the MRVOG and MFRNP?

Thanks in advance,
Sean
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> That was the MRVSP 17. Looking forward to the next
> video.

I am really surprised at all the reefers on this train.  Who is shipping by reefer with UP from California these days??!

Or, are they empty, headed for storage??

Or are the shortlines promoting the service now??

I got a call from Dick Dorn last week. He says the UPRR’s goal is to remove all the old SP signal bridges on The Hill this Summer.
Last chance for photos!
SR

Still afloat off the Baja Coast

The San Joaquin Valley still ships out many products in rail reefers, maybe not as many when UPRR was operating the dedicated train, but there remain some trackside local shippers as well as loads from shortline interchanges in the San Joaquin Valley.  Interesting that what appears to be the former QFRNP is now the MRVSP.  What happens at Sparks?  Do they divide this train up and make separate blocks?

coach Wrote:
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> I am really surprised at all the reefers on this
> train.  Who is shipping by reefer with UP from
> California these days??!
>
> Or, are they empty, headed for storage??
>
> Or are the shortlines promoting the service now??

It's pretty typically to see a good block of reefers on the MFRNP. Since this is the MRVSP I guess they travel on this train as well and are transfered to another train to NP later.

Smaller blocks of reefers originate in the Bay Area as well. I'm guessing most come from the Watsonville area.

Thank you Robert...you and others on this site are excellent (virtual) mentors.

photobob Wrote:
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> That second still shot is excellent. The
> perspective on Truckee is right on.