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Nostalgia & History > Good morning Amtrak in RenoDate: 05/25/18 12:38 Good morning Amtrak in Reno Author: Copy19 When I returned to Reno in 1968 from the Navy the railroad scene had changed from my college days there. The Southern Pacific Fs on freight were gone and SD45s ruled the Hill. Solid trains of ice-cooled PFE cars had vanished and were replaced by mechanical reefers and TOFC. But the fall perishable rush was clearly a shadow of what I used to see.
SP wanted to discontinue the Streamliner City of San Francisco. It was a train I never saw due to its o’dark thirty times it was scheduled through Reno. I covered the public hearing on the train at Reno City Hall for the Nevada State Journal. I recall the witnesses who pleaded to save the "vital" transportation link being cross-examined by the SP attorney who answered his repeated question of when they last rode the train stammering over their answers from "years ago" to "during the war." As a railfan it was very disheartening. The last time I saw the legendary Overland Limited in Reno I was shocked. It was a single PA unit and one car. The one bright spot for me was the westbound mail train, No. 21, that always put on a noisy and smoky show early every evening as it departed behind a set of brutish gray, red-nosed Alco PAs with a heavy train of head-end equipment and a rider coach on the upgrade out of town. So I greeted Amtrak with a sense of just in time rescue. The "new" rainbow Amtrak San Francisco Zephyr made daylight appearances in both directions and I soon began gathering pictures of it on the Hill and in Reno and Sparks. It wasn't until I saw the trains from inside the industry that my views began to change. UP President John Kenefick once told me he was very happy that UP managed to dodge most of the Amtrak routes in 1971. He was also very pleased about unloading Omaha's Union Station on the city. As I had great respect for him I was surprised by his comments, but in time I understood. So let's take a look at Amtrak's first year in Reno during my innocent years. The first photo is the San Francisco Zephyr's F units making a show of departing the old SP Reno station eastbound on Nov. 27, 1971. That's the Wells Avenue overpass in the distance. The second shot is the eastbound Zephyr approaching the Mayberry Lane grade crossing on the then bucolic western outskirts of Reno on Dec. 4, 1971. Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 05/25/18 15:08 by Copy19. Date: 05/25/18 13:03 Re: Good morning Amtrak in Reno Author: WAF John, 102 and 101 times in 1968 were 952p east and 525a west
Date: 05/25/18 17:12 Re: Good morning Amtrak in Reno Author: tomstp Amazing to see the two rear units pouring out the smoke and the leader , none. Run 8 I guess with maybe a dead leader??
Date: 05/26/18 05:23 Re: Good morning Amtrak in Reno Author: UP951West I hope you'll share more photos like these . Really like the going away F- unit shot ... now that's a real diesel action shot !!
Date: 05/26/18 14:43 Re: Good morning Amtrak in Reno Author: GN599 tomstp Wrote:
------------------------------------------------------- > Amazing to see the two rear units pouring out the > smoke and the leader , none. Run 8 I guess with > maybe a dead leader?? Or maybe just isolated for some quiet time until the needed it. |