Passenger Trains > NorCal News - NASCAR Special Train

For those of you in Northern California below is a link to the official Sonoma Raceway page announcing the NASCAR special train.

http://www.racesonoma.com/media/news/nascar-express.html

Guessing the cars won't be single level silver with a red stripe along the roof line..

I assume that this stretch of track once had regular passenger service. Can you CA experts tell us what is the history of this line in a FEW Trainorder words

I do not believe that enough spare Amtrak California (california Cars) exist for this Sears Point Race train.
I am GUESSING this may be Caltrain cars from the SF Peninsula (SF to SJ== Peninsula Corridor JPB).
That is where Amtrak will likely find enough speare equipment stock for this.
The Capitol Corridor already runs one train on the day before thanksgiving with Caltrain commute cars so why not this train as well??
Will it be the Tri-level Baby Bullet commute cars or the traditional Gallery Cars of 1985 vintage on this NASCAR Race Train ???
Time will tell.
----Daniel



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/13 16:52 by daniel3197.

daniel3197 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do not believe that enough spare Amtrak
> California (california Cars) exist for this Sears
> Point Race train.
> I am GUESSING this may be Caltrain cars from the
> SF Peninsula (SF to SJ== Peninsula Corridor JPB).
> That is where Amtrak will likely find enough
> speare equipment stock for this.
> The Capitol Corridor already runs one train on the
> day before thanksgiving with Caltrain commute cars
> so why not this train as well??
> Will it be the Tri-level Baby Bullet commute cars
> or the traditional Gallery Cars of 1985 vintage on
> this NASCAR Race Train ???
> Time will tell.
> ----Daniel

Why would there not be enough equipment on the weekend? Half the number of trains run during this time. The day before Thanksgiving is the busiest WEEKDAY of the year where ever available car is needed. Two Amtrak California trainsets are being coupled together for this one day move.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 04/30/13 17:09 by HoggerMatt.

Matt's right. I believe this is just wishful thinking.




daniel3197 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I do not believe that enough spare Amtrak
> California (california Cars) exist for this Sears
> Point Race train.
> I am GUESSING this may be Caltrain cars from the
> SF Peninsula (SF to SJ== Peninsula Corridor JPB).
> That is where Amtrak will likely find enough
> speare equipment stock for this.
> The Capitol Corridor already runs one train on the
> day before thanksgiving with Caltrain commute cars
> so why not this train as well??
> Will it be the Tri-level Baby Bullet commute cars
> or the traditional Gallery Cars of 1985 vintage on
> this NASCAR Race Train ???
> Time will tell.
> ----Daniel

Hello,

What would be the track speed of this train on the NWP and California Northern?

CFNR and NWP are both 25mph.

stone23 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I assume that this stretch of track once had
> regular passenger service. Can you CA experts tell
> us what is the history of this line in a FEW
> Trainorder words


Any regular passenger service on the route was long, long ago, before the lifetime of
the vast majority of members here. Even the trips of the American Orient Express to Napa
over the California Northern trackage were equipment moves only, without passengers. As
for the NWP, the Schellville line has been a freight-only route since the 1930s when the
last Sonoma Branch train was discontinued.

-------------------------------------------------------
> stone23 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I assume that this stretch of track once had
> > regular passenger service. Can you CA experts
> tell
> > us what is the history of this line in a FEW
> > Trainorder words
>
>
> Any regular passenger service on the route was
> long, long ago, before the lifetime of
> the vast majority of members here. Even the trips
> of the American Orient Express to Napa
> over the California Northern trackage were
> equipment moves only, without passengers. As
> for the NWP, the Schellville line has been a
> freight-only route since the 1930s when the
> last Sonoma Branch train was discontinued.

Thanks for the explanation. I guess I just missed that train as the US Army in its infinite wisdom sent me to CA in 1943

I am just enjoying the irony of this. A TRAIN so race CAR fans can avoid this hassles of driving!

Amtkrd4man Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Guessing the cars won't be single level silver
> with a red stripe along the roof line..

Nor pulled by two SD7s :)

I will taking this train and will write a story about it.

Chris

I have better things to do with $200 than to ride that train on trackage that I've
already ridden...though it was in cabooses and SD9s and not air-conditioned coaches!

I would not take it even were I a NASCAR fan, because from home, I would
have to drive past Sears Point to Sacramento before the train trip, and drive past Sears
Point back home afterwards. The train serves only those fans from the Sacramento area,
and those for whom Sacramento is convenient.

With the traffic anywhere near Sears Point Raceway as horrific as it is on NASCAR Race Day,
I'm not going to chase it, either.

Even at the presumed leisurely pace of the NASCAR special on normally local-freight-only track, it should be faster after the races than the usual "furlongs per fortnight" crawl of cars leaving a ball game, auto race or big rock concert.

Running a passenger train on the NWP that's needed & people will actually utilize? For once, that truly is a "smart" idea. (*grabbing jacket, fleeing for the door*)...It would be cool to get in some "rare mileage", but not being much of a NASCAR fan, I'll save a few bucks & get some rare photo's of the trainset passing Schellville depot & Wingo bridge instead.

4451Puff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> . . . I'll save a few bucks & get some rare
> photo's of the trainset passing Schellville depot
> & Wingo bridge instead.

Of course. Spending money? That could potentially mess up one's karma.

Mudrock Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I will taking this train and will write a story
> about it.
>
> Chris

We can hardly wait. Be still my beating heart.

Traffic after a race at Infineon / Sanoma Raceway is horrific. The local highways are not designed to handle it. I would take the train just to avoid having to sit in line for over an hour just to leave the grounds. Trying to go East across the northern tip of the bay is a clogged journey as well. I'm excited to take a 25mph train to the race, and avoid the insane traffic

To all the folks who are going to ride the NASCAR special (both racefans and rare-mileage collectors). You are now authorized to generate howls of derisive laughter as you pass the post race traffic jam. If the cars are close enough, friendly waves to the gridlocked drivers are also permitted. I'm not sure what sort of refreshments are available on the train, but whether it's Miller Time, or the This Bud's for you (or even if there's Anchor Steam Beer on a diesel-powered train), enjoy!