Happy 20th Birthday 4chan. I traveled to Fremont, CA to meet up with some dear friends and family and found out that the the Niles Canyon Railway was doing a steam excursion to commemorate the Bronco Billy Film Festival where they were showcasing silent-era films that were shot in Bay Area at the turn of the century so I booked a last-minute ride aboard it.Will dump my album and go over some history of the railroad and its equipment below.
We start out with McCloud River Railroad Fire Car #1711. Built in 1914 originally as a box car, it was converted in 1941 to a water car of use in fighting fires.Fun Fact, the McCloud River Railroad only stopped running in 2010
Our locomotive, Clover Valley Lumber Company #4. Built in 1924, this locomotive saw 30 years of service hauling lumber in Loyalton, California after which it was turned into a stationary boiler in the Reno area. In 1973, it was acquired by the Pacific Locomotive Association and ran for close to a decade on the Castro Point Railroad as an excursion locomotive before that was shut down in the late 80s and moved to its current home on the Niles Canyon Railway.
Coupling the locomotive to the train
If you're wondering why they would go all the effort to bring a water car, I talked to the to one of the conductors and apparently the quality of the water in the Fremont/Niles area is extremely poor and the chemicals they put in the water to turn the frogs gay also has a tendency to clog the values in locomotives, so they filled the tanker with water from up in Sunol and brought it down to act as an impromptu tender.
Timestamp as proof :P
This is cool, I should see if something like this is done in my area. I've never seen a steam locomotive running from close range.
>>1952993Where do you live roughly? I might be able to do some research on heritage railways in your area.
>>1952992>Leaves his fingerprints exposed on 4chanHey Steven.
>>1953064Who in the Hell is Steven lol
The building on the right is one of two freight depots in Niles, which now houses the Tri-City Society of Model Engineers. The other freight depot in another part of town saw use as an office for maintenance crews all the way until the dissolution of the Southern Pacific Railroad and was subsequently abandoned after Union Pacific tore up the tracks.
Passing Amtrak train on an adjacent track
Rad to see this. I lived in Niles, and the canyon, for many years. It’s like full immersion in the world of trains both current and historical. ACE, freights, NCRY, the depots, the modelers. Fuck. My last place was adjacent to the tracks and the gate to the Secret Sidewalk. Got to know the patrolman and had free rein of the place. Every Fremont kid’s dream.
>>1955698DON'T DEFLECT, STEVEN. WE CAUGHT YOUR ANTI-SEMITIC ASS, RED HANDED
>>1956543How do you reach the Secret Sidewalk anyway? Is it safe to go in?
>>1958419Just jump the gate with all the schizo warning signs at the end of Old Canyon Rd, or walk the tracks from the Clarke Drive crossing if you’re a puss (which is ok haha). https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/secret-sidewalk
One more thing…look into riding the ACE train, it goes daily from Stockton to San Jose with lots of stops in between. It goes thru the whole canyon, with some amazing views and tunnels. You can even just catch it in Pleasanton and bail in Fremont.
>>1958419Yeah just follow the tracks it's nbd, toughest part is getting back down if it's muddy
>>1952991>tfw I live in FremontThis is concerning. I thought our water was from hetch hetchy?
What's in Sunol besides the railway?
>>1960403Calaveras rd
A Mallet Tank Engine, that's dope. How long can it go before it needs to take on more water?
>>1952986Beautiful train
guess i'll give it a bump
>>1952986Niles Canyon is a nice place. I miss when they had Southern Pacific 2472. Love espee, simple as
>>1962615Niles Canyon is great, although it’s a little short of a line. Less than nine miles.I’m hoping that they eventually run the tracks all the way to Pleasanton. Maybe even extend to the fairgrounds during the Alameda County Fair. There’s already a station literally right there for the ACE trains
>>1955700The Charger is the ugliest locomotive perhaps ever.
>>1965729I wouldn't call it ugly but it's the most forgettable, throwaway design of any diesel. No one gave a fuck, no one wanted to be remotely bold
