Nostalgia & History > Amtrak early rainbow era, SP f units, Reno bound? snow, mountains

Here is a video of an Amtrak train with SP F units leading. I have no info as to date or location, I am taking a guess enroute to Reno. The quality isn't the best, the film wasn't stored correctly.  KCRW287

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Yes, COSF circa winter of 71-72

Where is it at 2:15 - 2:25?

Great reminder of how those trains looked back in the day and the pace scene a reminder of the old SP on Donner. Interesting stuff.
t4p.

+ yep, heading to Reno. The scene at Yuba Gap and the steel bridge on the Truckee river indicate heading to Reno.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/20 09:38 by TCnR.

timz Wrote:
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> Where is it at 2:15 - 2:25?

I'm guessing the west side of Truckee around the concrete underpass, but I don't know the old road very well. That billboard should jog somebodies memory. Could be Boca as well, but I wasn't there.

+edit east/west oops.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/12/20 16:25 by TCnR.

TCnR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> timz Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Where is it at 2:15 - 2:25?
>
> I'm guessing the east side of Truckee but I don't
> know the old road very well. That billboard should
> jog somebodies memory. Could be Boca as well, but
> I wasn't there.

Certainly around the Truckee area.

Consist:
- two dead head SP bag dorms
- bag-dorm
- three coaches
- NP dining car
- SP dome
- 11 BR slpr
- 10-6 slpr

Dorms going to the east coast via Beach Grove

Judging by the specific make-up of the consist and the time of year, I believe this actually might be the return trip (eastbound, on it's way back to Chicago) of the very first Amtrak-operated westbound run of the San Francisco Zephyr, which would place this recording on May, 4th 1971. I'm 99.9% certain of this. Great video! Thanks for sharing! And yes, this is filmed eastbound over Donner Pass... looks like it's all shot between Colfax and Reno.

Tom Loftus
Omaha, NE



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/20 03:22 by OmahaTom.

OmahaTom Wrote:
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> Judging by the specific make-up of the consist and
> the time of year, I believe this actually might be
> the return trip (eastbound, on it's way back to
> Chicago) of the very first Amtrak-operated
> westbound run of the San Francisco Zephyr, which
> would place this recording on May, 4th 1971. I'm
> 99.9% certain of this. Great video! Thanks for
> sharing! And yes, this is filmed eastbound over
> Donner Pass... looks like it's all shot between
> Colfax and Reno.

Way. way. way too much snow on the ground for May. Second, SP Budd Baggage -dorms where used in the consist of the COSF and Sunset consists through out 1971



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/13/20 08:30 by WAF.

Yeah, Yuba Pass (starting at 1:40) probably
hasn't looked like that in any May, ever.

Isn't the SP dome in Amtrak colors already?

MILW16 Wrote:
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> Isn't the SP dome in Amtrak colors already?
No, wouldn't happen until August, 1972.