Friday, Mar. 27, 2009
John Spevak: Zephyr climbs the Sierra
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ReprintIn last week's column I began the story of my ride on the California Zephyr, from Sacramento to Reno. At the point I left off, I had boarded the train, found a seat in a passenger car, and headed for the observation car.
The observation car was my favorite place on the train, with extra large windows and clear Plexiglas that curved along the top of the car, enabling passengers to look up as well as out at the world around them.
In this car were several tables, where people were playing cards or spreading out snacks. There were also comfortable chairs facing out toward the landscape, including a few that swiveled 360 degrees, so a person could look out either side of the train. Downstairs in this car was the snack bar, which I soon visited to get a cup of coffee and a sweet roll.
Before long we started to climb, passing green fields and trees beginning to blossom. As the grade increased, so did the number of tall pines. In Roseville and Colfax, long-time stops along the Union Pacific, the Zephyr dropped off and picked up passengers.
Before the days of refrigeration Roseville had the largest ice house in the country, where ice was made and used on freight cars to keep fruits and vegetables cool. Colfax was named after Schuyler Colfax, who served as vice president under Ulysses S. Grant.
It seemed to me that all the passengers on the train were enjoying themselves, including many couples of all ages, families with small children, and a troop of Boy Scouts. Kids especially enjoyed the freedom to stand up and walk around.
As the train started the steeper grade into the high country of the Sierras, I made my way to the dining car for lunch. I hadn't been in a dining car for 50 years, so I thought it was worth a visit. The tables were set with white cloths and silverware. Because I was traveling alone, the waiter seated me with two other passengers, Roy and Charles, two men around my age wearing what looked like uniforms.
Roy and Charles were both retired and served as volunteers with the California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. Roy had worked as an engineer for 40 years. Charles, as Roy said, "just liked to ride trains."
They said I could be a volunteer, too, and learn how to work a hand car or serve as a brake man at the museum, which provided many school children with opportunities to learn about trains. I considered the possibility. When our waiter came we all ordered cheeseburgers, which at $7.50 each were not cheap but not exorbitant. I enjoyed the food and the conversation.
As we approached Emigrant Gap, the train paralleled Interstate 80. I took pleasure in watching the cars, knowing that I was not a driver worried about the conditions of the road.
The ride between Emigrant Gap and Truckee is the best part of trip, especially in the winter. The best place to sit for this part of the trip is the observation car, on the left side of an eastbound train. The train slows down as it climbs and turns, and passengers see extraordinary vistas. On this trip there was snow everywhere, several feet deep, and I was reminded of holiday songs which talk about "winter wonderlands" and "marshmallow worlds."
The docents on the P.A. system talked about the challenges of avalanches. In 1952 the westbound City of San Francisco was caught in an avalanche at Yuba Gap, and 226 passengers were stranded for four days before they were rescued.
Through the years the railroad built "snow sheds," through which trains would travel to protect them and the tracks from the snow. At one point there were 37 miles of wooden snow sheds along this route. Unfortunately, many caught on fire from the sparks of trains passing through. Today there are still a few show sheds, about two miles of them, all built out of concrete.
The best views on the trip, for me, were those of Donner Lake, just before Truckee. The train tracks are about 300 feet above the lake, and the train slows to 30 miles an hour to accommodate the height, the grade, and the curve of the track. Looking down at the clear blue water, frozen at the edges, surrounded by snow and pines, was a visual treat.
The Zephyr made its third and last stop between Sacramento and Reno at Truckee. The rest of the trip paralleled the Truckee River. The train traveled past Boca, a very small town at 4,900 feet elevation, which is famous for having the lowest recorded temperature in the 48 contiguous states: 45 degrees below zero in 1937. The train also passed through Verdi, NV, where the first train robbery occurred in 1870.
Five hours after leaving Sacramento, the California Zephyr pulled into Reno. After a brief stop there, it would be headed east through Salt Lake City, Denver, and Omaha toward its final destination of Chicago. As much as a longer train ride had appealed to me, I was glad to be getting off. Five hours was just about right.
The train station in Reno is conveniently located in the downtown area, not far from the convention center and right next to Harrah's. My daughter-in --law Karen was able to connect with me relatively easily and pick me up.
Reflecting on the trip, I couldn't help but admire all the workers who participated in building this section of the transcontinental railroad in the 1860s--Hispanic, Anglo, African-American, and especially the Chinese, who were the bulk of the construction workforce. I also appreciated the civil engineers who designed the right of way, over and through rocky terrain.
For me the ride on the California Zephyr was better than a trip to an amusement park. I could relive old memories of train rides past and experience new adventures through the hills and mountains of California.
Comments on the writings of John Spevak, a regular Enterprise columnist, are encouraged and can be sent via email to spevak@telis.org.