Western Railroad Discussion > A Rare Occurence - Portola, CA

I was in Portola, California for work today.  Had 15 minutes or so of free time to check out the 'activity' in the UP trainyard there, which is usually a slight breeze from the southwest.  But much to my surpirse, there was an eastbound grain train parked in the yard.  Unheard of these days in 2021, an actual eastbound move.  I dont know the symbol, but I had to get some aerials of it.  Going over the Portola bridge on the school bus everyday as a kid, the yard was always loaded with westbounds and eastbounds.  Fast forward 30 years, and it's all gone to the west.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/04/21 16:54 by ScottChandler.

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Scott,
Thanks for sharing this very colorful shot.  It's nice to see some cars in the yard these days.

Kent in Carmel Valley

Awesome photo!

Posted from iPhone

Was the train actually moving?  I don't mean to be a smart-ass but could the unit pictured actually be the DPU on a westbound?
I'll shut up and go to my room now.

Awesome photo! But I think these might be the DPU's of a westbound grainer. 

Sorry, Scott,
logic and currant UP practice says that is a West Bound, loaded grainer.
(note the single headlight on the 6960)

DaveL

A nice picture for sure. The train is a westbound loaded Pixley grain parked for a track gang ahead.

I feel like an idiot.  Those are the two back-end DPUs.  :/

ScottChandler Wrote:
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> I feel like an idiot.  Those are the two back-end
> DPUs.  :/

I've been fooled many a time!

Chuck

I'm beginning to feel that these mega-mergers weren't worth it.  WP-DRGW-BN had to hustle to get business to stay alive.  I wonder how things would be if this line was still WP handing off to DRGW?  More hustle?  More trains?

It seems that everything UP touches starts to die a slow death.  Feather River is almost dead.  Donner Pass is nowhere near as busy as it used to be.  I-5 corridor gets what?--6 freights a day??

Bring back the hustle.

When you run off small shippers things happen.

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm beginning to feel that these mega-mergers
> weren't worth it.  WP-DRGW-BN had to hustle to
> get business to stay alive.  I wonder how things
> would be if this line was still WP handing off to
> DRGW?  More hustle?  More trains?
>
> It seems that everything UP touches starts to die
> a slow death.  Feather River is almost dead.
>  Donner Pass is nowhere near as busy as it used
> to be.  I-5 corridor gets what?--6 freights a
> day??
>
> Bring back the hustle.

Yep...I-5 is slower every day.

Adam

Mr-Beechcroft Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> coach Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm beginning to feel that these mega-mergers
> > weren't worth it.  WP-DRGW-BN had to hustle to
> > get business to stay alive.  I wonder how
> things
> > would be if this line was still WP handing off
> to
> > DRGW?  More hustle?  More trains?
> >
> > It seems that everything UP touches starts to
> die
> > a slow death.  Feather River is almost dead.
> >  Donner Pass is nowhere near as busy as it
> used
> > to be.  I-5 corridor gets what?--6 freights a
> > day??
> >
> > Bring back the hustle.
>
> Yep...I-5 is slower every day.
>
> Adam

6 freights a day because they have combined so many trains into non clearing monsters. But they're saving money...

I certainly agree.  The UP is after the big ticket traffic.  I used to think the railroads should fight to raise trucking fees comensurate with their actual costs to our highway system, thus raising trucking prices and sending more traffic to the rails.  Now I think that railroads would hate that because they don't want what trucks haul.

Stan Praisewater


coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm beginning to feel that these mega-mergers
> weren't worth it.  WP-DRGW-BN had to hustle to
> get business to stay alive.  I wonder how things
> would be if this line was still WP handing off to
> DRGW?  More hustle?  More trains?
>
> It seems that everything UP touches starts to die
> a slow death.  Feather River is almost dead.
>  Donner Pass is nowhere near as busy as it used
> to be.  I-5 corridor gets what?--6 freights a
> day??
>
> Bring back the hustle.

It was a lot easier to tell with FREDs and cabooses.

What kind of cars are those yellow ones to the right?  They look like gondolas that were fashioned from old intermodal well cars.

zars Wrote:
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> What kind of cars are those yellow ones to the
> right?  They look like gondolas that were
> fashioned from old intermodal well cars.

They are used to carry used ties that have been removed during a tie replacement project.

zars Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They look like gondolas that were
> fashioned from old intermodal well cars.

They are purpose-built.  Fabricated by JW Bell and finished by RELCO, now a Wabtec company.

Nice pic!!

coach Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

  I-5 corridor gets what?--6 freights a
> day??
>
> Bring back the hustle.

Yep, it's almost as if the UP now has multiple ways to get traffic out of the PNW. . .