Western Railroad Discussion > Knear Meet at Knapp (Donner)

I heard their horn and launched the drone to catch #6 at Tunnel 1, the Knapp Tunnel, just RR west of Blue Canon.  I was no sooner in the air and had a short WB freight come up behind me- hey, maybe a meet?
Not quite.  They passed one another just out of sight around the corner.
This Zephyr set has been in rotation for a couple weeks now with these two units in the new Phase VII colors.  I've taken to calling them Woodpeckers.
SR

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Kneat shots, really knice...

S_W

Posted from Android

Don’t patronize me…

Knapp tunnel— so short that you cannot take a Knap in it! Haha
Nice, SR — we had a good run— lots of foam along the ROW to catch our engines!

Thanks…. Wait- that was you?! You’re on The Hill?!
SR

I really like this set of images, they show how the railroad fits into the terrain, gradually lifting itself out of the American River canyon.
That was Theodore Judah's big contribution to the Pacific Railroad: by taking his route instead of just following the obvious canyons you could rise up enough to get over the summit at Norden.
"Outside the box' thinking ca. 1860 eh?

Please don’t discount Mr Strong’s contributions. Strong, the pharmacist here in Dutch Flat, was a surveyor too. He took Judah up The Hill on a months long horseback trip to “show him around”. The trick was a route that passed through the notch at Emigrant Gap, flipping from the American River watershed to the Yuba.
Bingo.
They returned to Strong’s Drug (gone now, but across the street from today’s museum) and drew up papers for their proposed railroad. The birthplace of what became the CPRR was Strong’s Drugstore in Dutch Flat.
From there they set out to find investors…
SR

If that is the first tunnel west of the Blue Canyon grade crossing, I thought there was a set out track there. Has that been removed?
Good to see your drone up again.
Regards, Jim Evans

The set out is still there, but it’s a bit further east. Slightly closer to the Blue Cañon grade crossing than the tunnel.
SR

BTW: UP removed the last of the old SP buildings at Blue Cañon last year. Scorched earth now.

Thanks, second glance reveals a lot of dead trees.
Regards, Jim Evans

Nah, just oaks that haven’t come out of winter hibernation yet- it’s still early spring.
SR

Sad.  A really long time ago my buddy and I stopped at Blue Canon on our way to Reno.  Maybe in the 70's.   Purchase a couple of expired beers.  Listened to an old bartender discuss the town's history.  Quite colorful.