Western Railroad Discussion > KM #9010 on the mainline for longest outing since restoration

The Pacific Locomotive Association held its annuaal July 4th Picnic and Special train for nesarly 400 guests today on the Niles Canyon Railway.  The excursion train covered the entire operating portion of the NCRY from Sunol to Niles and the Mountain Div. from Sunol eastward to the Castlewood Country Club.The passenger train, a push-pull operation featured ex-SP G-9, 5623 and Ex-SP 5472, SD-9E both in vintage scarlet and gray. But the big surprise of the day was Howard Wise imaculate restored Kraus Maffei 9010. it eas alredy in the Siding at Sunol with the excusion train occupying the main line in front of the Sunol Depot.  The 9010 with ex-SP caboose 1101 and invited guest made a round trip to Hearst Jct. in the afternoon while attendees had lunch at the Sunol picnic area. The 9010, on its longest outing since being restored by Howard Wise and his crew ran eastward on the Mountain Div. while the excursion train remained at the Depot. First image:  9010 awaits on Sunol Siding with passenger special ready to depart Sunol Station for eastward trip. Image 2:  #5623 eases by Ex-SP KM.  Image 3:  Inside showing the complex of gauges and switches on the engineers side.

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Image 4:  On the move with a view from Cab looking eastward towards siding switch.   Image 5: KM rolls by #5623 at Sunol Station.  Image 6:  KM roundds the curve where the shoofly connected WP and SP when latter gave up there Niles canyon route.  Note concrete tie section up ahead with IUP mainline on the right.

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Imager #7.  Howard  Wise in red at left discusses today operating instructions with his restoration crew at the Sunol Dept. #8. KM nears Hearst Siding and the connection with Union Pacific on the eastbound trip. SD-9E, #5472 brings up rear of push-pull excursion train as it passes 9010. Text and Photos by Mike Pechner. Copyright, 2025, "All Rights reserved."  THIS IMAGE IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST.   Many thanks to Doug Debbs, Parker Pringle, Chris Campi and Steaman for the extra comments and videos and stills.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/25 20:12 by weather.

Thanks for the coverage Mike, but the #5623 and #5472 were not in scarlet and grey - but the much more appropriate Black Widow scheme.   TomE

Very nice. Did you record any videos? 

Pedro Rezende
Vespasiano MG,
https://youtube.com/c/minasgeraisrailways1

Exellent coverage of the KM!

Mike6640-2 Wrote:
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> Exellent coverage of the KM!               Agreed!

weather Wrote:
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> Imager #7.  Howard  Wise in red at left
> discusses today operating instructions with his
> restoration crew at the Sunol Dept. #8. KM nears
> Hearst Siding and the connection with Union
> Pacific on the eastbound trip. SD-9E, #5472 brings
> up rear of push-pull excursion train as it passes
> 9010. Text and Photos by Mike Pechner. Copyright,
> 2025, "All Rights reserved."

Nice coverage. But,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,where is "Imager #7"?

What a great day on the NCRY. Love the photos inside the cab. Incredible restoration job. 

Image #1: Brakeman Garon Michaelis in foreground, facing west. SP 9010 and caboose SP 1101 on Sunol passing track.

Image #2: Just visible on the left side: Serving area for Niles Canyon Railway's members, family, & friends July 4th picnic. I'm in the red shirt (technically I was the picnic chairperson) looking at something. Commissary volunteers are busy making tomato salad vinaigrette, slicing Toma cheese, preparing melon salad, getting corn on the cob ready to cook, keeping the potato salad cold, slicing zucchini, making lemonade & iced tea & iced water, icing down sodas and beer, and getting the trailer BBQ charcoal fires ready to grill zucchini, beef tri-tip, mild Sicilian sausage, and chicken. We served 330+ people yesterday! Weather was perfect: Clear skies with a light westerly breeze from the ocean (lots of fog streaming in rhough the Golden Gate), which kept peak temperature down to 71 degrees. 

- Doug Debs
Niles Canyon Railway volunteer

Mike, I hope you don't mind me tagging a few photos on your thread rather then start a new one.

Chris

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Thanks for the coverage of a monster machine.

JBWX

Wow!!

Can anypne ex[lain the gauges and switches on the control stand? Also would these units mu with conventional units?

Thanks.

Sam

Trainhand Wrote:
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> Can anypne ex[lain the gauges and switches on the
> control stand? Also would these units mu with
> conventional units?

Yes, it will MU with conventional units.  We have had it MU'd with both of our Geeps and our SD9.  The unit has MU control for both point potential and field loop dynamic brakes.

The control desk gauge panel includes the standard air brake gauges plus a speedometer and a hydrodynamic brake pressue gauge for each transmission .  The switches are for headlights, number lights, class lights, gyrolights red and white) and a couple specific to the Voith transmission. 

The gauges on the back panel are for various temperature sensors on the engines and transmissions plus tachometers, ammeter and hour meters.  The back panel switches are breakers for all the locomotive circuits and isolation switches plus some llighting controls.

Howard



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/25 21:21 by sp5623.

If Mercedes had made locomotives, this is what it would look and sound like. Beautiful

In the red cap, Howard talks over todays run with his crew.

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Of coursde and I don't know what i was thinking when I wrote  "scarlet and gray."

Steamman Wrote:
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> Thanks for the coverage Mike, but the #5623 and
> #5472 were not in scarlet and grey - but the much
> more appropriate Black Widow scheme.   TomE

To each their own :) I love the Black Widow scheme too, but I prefer the Scarlet & Grey myself :)