# Watch On The Wasatch



## WhoozOn1st (Jun 27, 2010)

Day 1 of the Salt Lake City Safari 2010 had its inauspicious aspects - 3 bus rides, for starters - but overall went well and was pretty fun.

Bus ride one was Gold Coast Transit (nee SCAT) 6A from La Casa de Whooz to OXN and bus ride two, OXN-BFD. Ambus 4615's driver told us right off the bat that the vehicle's wheelchair lift wasn't working, making Amtrak 0-for-3 on Alice Ambus lifts. No big deal; Alice's wheelchair was fed into the undercarriage baggage maw and we clambered aboard. Luckily grabbing the first set of seats after it was vacated, the new laptop was cranked up to check out the connection situation on this bus labeled as wi-fi equipped. Our driver noticed right away, and asked if the wi-fi was working. It was too soon to tell, as I was just booting up, and the driver volunteered that sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. On this day it doesn't - I mean didn't. It was the first time I'd tried wi-fi with the new rig, and some tinkering around got me connected to the Amtrak system, but there was no internet access after several tries. Oh well, but kind of a drag cuz I'd been looking forward to starting this trip report from the bus.

Our arrival at Bakersfield was about 20 minutes early. We'd forgotten the sandwiches Alice made for consumption aboard the train, and with no eateries nearby it was gonna be a cafe car lunch.

San Joaquin 715 departed on time and I headed to the cafe car. Finally getting to the head of the long line, the available sandwich of choice was the Texas BBQ roast beef (rubbery bun, good meat and sauce). A sign near the counter said to ask for a receipt, and if there's a red star on it the order is FREE. No such luck this time, though.

The San Joaquin route is mostly straight shot fast running, and the ride was thoroughly enjoyable. Some have said SJ rides are nice if you like looking at farmland, which in fact Team Whooz does like. Fun to watch and discuss the various crops parading past the windows, including far more corn than I recall seeing in the past, as well as miles and miles of almond, pistachio, walnut, and stone fruit orchards/groves.

Though it was noted in announcements during departure from Bakersfield that there were no smoke stops on the route, in practice there were three: Corcoran (arrived 4 minutes early), Fresno (heavy passenger load coming aboard), and Merced (engineer change at crew base).

Arriving at Stockton more or less on time, Amtrak reached 0-for-4 in Alice Ambus lifts. The lift was tried (see photos), but ultimately unsucessfully. After it wouldn't work to get Alice and wheelchair aboard, it also wouldn't work to be restowed. Once again the wheelchair rode with the baggage, and the the mucking around with the balky contraption resulted in a 30-minute-late Sacramento arrival.

Amtrak Unlimited member tp49 (Tom) greeted us at SAC. Knew him from AU weekly chat, but this was the first time I had the pleasure of meeting him in person. He joined Team Whooz as we checked into the Vagabond hotel across the street from the station and dumped our bags, then led the way to dinner at the nearby Pyramid Alehouse. Following fine food and conversation in an al fresco setting - with light rail trains passing nearby - tp49 escorted us back to the hotel before heading home, which he said is also close by in downtown Sacramento. Good meeting you, and thanks, Tom!

In a couple hours we'll be on our way to Salt Lake City aboard the California Zephyr - H-room sleeper - and even now I'm getting all fezzed - I mean jazzed - in anticipation of that great ride over the Sierras.

Photos:

Watch On The Wasatch, Day 1

Video:

Ambus Window Water Wonderland (Condensation buildup between window panes on Ambus 3715 from Stockton to Sacramento on 6-26-10 made for an entertaining ride. It was like watching one of those old oil-and-water wave machine toys!)


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## WhoozOn1st (Jun 30, 2010)

Day 2 of Salt Lake City Safari 2010 got underway on a sweltering Sacramento summer morning with a short roll & stroll down the block and across the street from the hotel to the downtown Amtrak depot. Quik-Trak didn't recognize our California Zephyr reservation - though later ones showed up - and after attempts with credit and AGR cards (no barcode printout to try) our tickets were acquired from the agent. Boarding went smoothly, with competent and enthusiastic assistance from Francine, our sleeping car attendant. We later learned she was making her first solo run since completing training. Alice asked Francine about how she got the gig, and while I don't recall the numbers exactly, Francine was one of a very few to make the grade out of a pretty huge pool of applicants; not an unusual thing in these recessionary times, I suppose.

Departing on time, we headed almost immediately for first come, first served lunch in the dining car, the conductor lifting our tickets on the way. We enjoyed conversation with a lady from Portland, OR, who although she's a seasoned rail rider has never been east of Denver. Alice had some kinda meat and rice goulash, while I wolfed down a by-now standard veggie burger, taking a break from face stuffing at Roseville to grab a few shots of the Union Pacific yards as the Zephyr rolled through.

Early in the run over the Sierras the Safari was struck by fairly serious misfortune. Shooting photos out the back from the last coach, over the course of several moments the 3-month-old camera turned from a fine photography tool into a hunk of high-priced junk. One moment it was clicking away with abandon, the next moment blank white fields when trying to shoot outward, and hideous horizontal bands of lines when shooting inward in the coach. Clearly the photosensor was (and is) shot. All attempts to remedy the condition were for naught - not the sort of thing that can be repaired by the typical consumer.

After stewing and fuming for awhile I decided that although the camera situation sucks out loud I'm not gonna let it ruin the Safari, and the remainder of the trip's photo aspect will be accomplished using Alice's camera, which is a major pain to use but better than nothing.

The trails and rails presentation during the Sierras crossing was done by a guy whooz voice and delivery could hardly have been more annoying. I'm perhaps spoiled when it comes to this, as I once enjoyed a superb version and additional commentary by the head guy of the California State Railroad Museum.

At dinner we at long last got to try the buffalo meatloaf, which Alice also ordered. Oh man, it's great! Alice liked it too, though she filled up quickly and I got to down about half of her serving as well. While I generally abhor gluttony I was more than willing to make an exception in this case.

Overall the run went smoothly, with the train hitting stops early once out of the mountains. After dark we cranked up a DVD player and watched a few episodes of the HBO series "Curb Your Enthusiasm" before grabbing several hours of shuteye prior to (early) arrival at Salt Lake City. Camera disaster aside, a fine Day 2 for Team Whooz.

Photos (very few):

Watch On The Wasatch, Day 2

EDIT: Shoulda noted earlier that the dining car staff was quite efficient, accurate, pleasant, and helpful. It was a pleasure to be served in such excellent fashion by this train's team.


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## Bob Dylan (Jun 30, 2010)

Oh the horror! Have to use someone elses non-pro camera!The inhumanity of it all! :lol: Glad yall got to try the Buffalo Meatloaf, what I had on the EB last summer was a tad spicey but Ive read they altered the recipe a little for old geezers like me! As always looking forwards to the continuing saga of the rail Riot tour of Mormon land, watch out for the young female cantidates and dont take any literature from earnest looking teams of young men dressed in black and white riding bikes!  Seriuously, hope the rest of the trip goes great, I thought the other pics looked pretty good, have always enjoyed Alice's posts and pics, so perhaps the stress level might be bearable if you grin enough!


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## Long Train Runnin' (Jun 30, 2010)

Sorry to hear your camera died I guess you took to many pictures of me in SAN :lol: glad to hear you had a good experience on the CZ.


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## tp49 (Jun 30, 2010)

It was nice to meet both you and Alice as well. I enjoyed it. Glad you guys escaped town before we really baked thanks to the high heat. Hope the camera is still covered by warranty.


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## GG-1 (Jul 1, 2010)

tp49 said:


> Hope the camera is still covered by warranty.


Aloha

Think maybe the camera could not handle the clear air :lol:


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 1, 2010)

tp49 said:


> Glad you guys escaped town before we really baked thanks to the high heat. Hope the camera is still covered by warranty.


Not much in the way of cool weather here - 99 Wednesday - so not so much an escape as a frying pan/fire deal. Camera's well within warranty; fat lotta good that does at the moment. Alice's camera is better than passable picwise, but as a pocket job is hard to handle and has some severe limitations. Today relocation, return rental car, and resume Watch On The Wasatch.


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## Ispolkom (Jul 1, 2010)

Great trip report. Mrs. Ispolkom and I also enjoyed the Pyramid Alehouse when we had a layover in Sacramento.


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 2, 2010)

A brief update before hitting the (light) rails around Salt Lake City...

On arrival at SLC (Day 3), and after watching the Zephyr's departure, there was time to kill before catching the bus to the airport to pick up our rental car. We strolled around the vicinity, watched several UP freights pass, a couple FrontRunner trainsets arrive to be spotted for the morning's commutes, and enjoyed the early morning t-shirt weather. Of course the caveat to those temperatures at that hour is that the heat's gonna be on as the day progresses.

The 550 airport bus was pretty packed for its first run of the day, and along the way we got a first taste of a current feature of SLC traffic: road construction. It's almost everywhere you go right now, with attendant lane closures, congestion, and general hassle. The guy helping us with the Hyundai Accent noted during the walkaround inspection that rental companies have been dealing with a lot of construction-related damage - stuff like dings, cracked windshields, and pierced oilpans due to thrown rocks and miscellaneous debris.

Driving north toward Ogden we bought some supplies for a picnic lunch at the Hill Aerospace Museum, on the edge of Hill AFB just south of Ogden proper, and after several hours there headed for the old Union Pacific/Northern Pacific depot in downtown Ogden. The 1924 depot houses the John M. Browning Firearms Museum, the Browning-Kimball Classic Car Museum, and - the main attraction for Team Whooz - the Utah State Railroad Museum.

Though it was by then too late in the day for paid museum admission to be worthwhile, there's a nice array of equipment on outdoor display; so we enjoyed poking around the various locomotives and rolling stock adjacent to the depot and watching some FrontRunner rush hour operations at the nearby Ogden (outer) terminus before checking in at the hotel and calling it a day.

Photos:

Watch On The Wasatch, Day 3


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## Rob_C (Jul 2, 2010)

Thanks for the museum report!


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 3, 2010)

Rob_C said:


> Thanks for the museum report!


It ain't over yet. On Day 4 of the Salt Lake City Safari 2010 we returned early, paid admission, and did the inside part. Stay tuned!


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## Railroad Bill (Jul 3, 2010)

Enjoying your interesting trip report. We took the Front Runner from SLC to Ogden last year and spent the afternoon in the depot museums. A nice docent tour, lots of neat firearms and classic automobiles all under one roof. But of course our group spent much time outside with all the rolling stock in the yards. A nice little deli just a block from the station provided some tasty sandwiches as we toured downtown Ogden's shops. Looking forward to future reports.


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 4, 2010)

A little incident...

Earlier this year, during one of the Razing Arizona forays, I saw for the first time somebody drive around lowered gates at a grade crossing. Slow-moving BNSF freight approaching, and about a quarter mile away, but still. What happened last night was scarier.

Salt Lake City Safari 2010 headquarters is currently a hotel that's cut off from direct access to downtown SLC for a projected 18 months while a bridge is demolished and rebuilt to accommodate TRAX light rail extension to the airport. Using the hotel's courtesy shuttle for the first time to get to Salt Lake Central Station (Amtrak, FrontRunner, TRAX, city buses, Greyhound) the other day, we found that the detour to that station is a short, walkable one, and that the Old GreekTown light rail station is closer still.

Returning via light rail from 3rd of July fireworks at Sandy Civic Center (south end of the line), at Old GreekTown we left the light rail in a light rain and commenced the roll & stroll to the hotel. The route is bisected by a grade crossing of two FrontRunner tracks and two UP tracks. As we neared the crossing the lights and bells kicked in, the gates came down, and shortly a northbound UP manifest freight proceeded across at low speed.

Waiting with about five other pedestrians, we all noticed that the train was slowing and hoped it wouldn't stop - we were getting wet - but it did, so we waited. And waited. And waited some more. One guy produced a bottle of rum and offered it around; all declined. A couple nearest the tracks - the woman seemed several cards short of a full deck, if you know what I mean - began discussing the possibility of going under or over the train as an alternative to continuing to wait in the rain.

Could hardly believe my ears, but talk is cheap, so I said nothing. Then they started moving toward the sitting train to actually do it. Enough. Summoning what I hoped was a good ordering-people-around voice I told them not to do what they were about to do, very dangerous, and gave reasons. Others chimed in as well with various additional reasons for not trying to cross the train. When short deck woman began whining about catching cold in the rain I pointed out a nearby tree to stand under (it was still warm, and the rain was light), but the couple eventually decided to give up (as did a number of drivers and even a city bus) and return the way they had come.

Sheesh!!

More waiting had me going through my wallet to see if I had sufficient cab fare on me for a ride around the train to the hotel - it was late. Before pursuing that option we heard the brakes come off, two horn blasts, and the freight was back underway.

Glad we were there to head off foolish and dangerous behavior, and it was something of a shock to see how little inconvenience was required to get some people to consider, then actually begin to act upon, such a potentially tragic course of action.


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## amtrakwolverine (Jul 4, 2010)

That poor camera was worked to death. YOU CAMERA MURDERER :lol:


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 10, 2010)

The Watch On The Wasatch/Salt Lake City Safari 2010 has concluded, there remains much to show and tell, and we'll get to that - the ongoing trip report is a work in progress. And speaking of progress, Team Whooz has about a week to not really relax before embarking on the Pacific Northwest Incursion. This imminent adventure will include the On Track On Line Pacific Northwest RailFest 2010, as well as other fun activities I had to agree to in order to talk Executive Assistant Alice out of doing the Frontier Days train (UP steam, Denver-Cheyenne) again this year.

Avid readers of this Salt Lake City Safari Saga - both of you - will recall that my new camera bit the dust early on, just as the eastbound California Zephyr began its climb over the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Alice's camera performed admirably in the breach, as further posts will show.

On return to La Casa de Whooz, one of the first orders of business was pursuing warranty service for the dead camera. Required riggamarole was duly initiated, the camera has been shipped (UPS, $17.60) to El Paso, TX, and we'll see how things go.

Knew from the outset that there was no way the camera would be available for the Pacific Northwest Incursion: 7-10 days from receipt for replacement/repair turnaround - plus return shipping time - so resurrected the old camera. Nothing wrong with it, just wanted an upgrade.

Made a few tweaks to the old camera's settings, then Team Whooz went railfanning to see how they work, and the results are gratuitously foisted upon the unsuspecting masses:

Amtrak, Metrolink, UP at Moorpark, CA

I think you'll agree, Valued Reader, not too shabby for a 7-year-old digicam.

More actual trip reporting on tap, possibly to include citing maritime law regarding drawbridge and shipping rights of way.


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## Rob_C (Jul 10, 2010)

Interesting, looks like a seven car Surfliner. Where are they getting all the equipment to run them that long?!

Rob


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## amtrakwolverine (Jul 10, 2010)

Rob_C said:


> Interesting, looks like a seven car Surfliner. Where are they getting all the equipment to run them that long?!
> 
> Rob


They add a Superliner to the train. Lately the Superliners has been painted in Surfliner colors.


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 11, 2010)

amtrakwolverine said:


> Rob_C said:
> 
> 
> > Interesting, looks like a seven car Surfliner. Where are they getting all the equipment to run them that long?!
> ...


If memory serves and I have it right (not sure things), the Superliner coaches receiving Surfliner colors are wrecks bought by CalTrans (aka Amtrak California, not different animal Caltrain), which then paid Amtrak to refurb 'em. Can't speak to the ones sporting Amtrak paint, though perhaps at least some are also refurbs that just haven't been to the paint shop yet.


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## AlanB (Jul 11, 2010)

WhoozOn1st said:


> amtrakwolverine said:
> 
> 
> > Rob_C said:
> ...


You're partially right Patrick. They were wrecked cars and California did pay to fix them and in return gets exclusive use of them for 10 years I believe; might be less. But Amtrak still owns the cars and eventually will get them back.


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 14, 2010)

On Day 4 of Salt Lake City Safari 2010 Team Whooz hit the Hyundai early for a return to Ogden Union Station, the Utah State Railroad Museum, the outdoor Eccles Rail Center (Eccles is a name encountered often around SLC and Ogden), and the equipment sitting around outside that's not really on display but is fun to explore. The setting sun on the previous afternoon/evening had made some photo angles on the outdoor trains virtually impossible, so there was that reason to go back too.

After extensively re-exploring the outside stuff on one side of the station we paid admission and enjoyed a leisurely walk-through of the state museum, including an interesting and amusing railway story offered up by the docent on duty. We had learned that a couple historic pieces at the roofed Eccles center - a UP Railway Post Office and a WW II-vintage Army hospital car - could be toured by appointment, so we inquired about that. "By appointment" turned out to mean just ask, and the docent was happy to take us aboard and show us around those cars, which are both in fine condition - inside and out - and provided excellent windows into their specialized niches in railroad history.

Next on the agenda was a FrontRunner commuter train to SLC. We purchased round trip tickets from a platform machine at the "Intermodal Hub" adjacent to Ogden Union Station and its museums, boarded our train, and devoured the lunch of peanut butter & jelly sandwiches we'd prepared earlier. FrontRunner crew were also having lunch aboard, between runs, and chatting among themselves. Much as I woulda liked to talk with 'em, I'm not one to bug guys on their breaks.

Good ride to Salt Lake Central Station, where we transferred to TRAX light rail. The round trip FrontRunner tickets were good for "all modes," so were essentially day passes - no more transit tickets to buy.

The main reason for the run from Ogden - aside from joyriding FrontRunners - was to attend a minor league baseball game between the Salt Lake Bees (triple-A affiliate of the Anaheim Angels) and the Reno Aces (Arizona Diamondbacks triple-A team). That wasn't 'til later, though, and grabbing an early train in gave us plenty of time to leave the light rail at Temple Square in downtown SLC to do some heavy-duty historical touristing around the Mormon inner sanctum. While I don't much cotton to religion in general I do appreciate the historical aspects, and the case of SLC and the Mormons features concrete links with our first transcontinental railroad.

Upon finishing up at Temple Square we rolled & strolled over to the TRAX stop at City Center for a Sandy train to the Ballpark stop, which is a couple blocks from the Bees' Spring Mobile Park. It was a Kraft Singles Tuesday, so Team Whooz had bought a package of that processed American cheeselike food substance in order to turn in the wrapper at the ballpark box office and get a twofer deal on game tickets ($11 vs. $22 for buying a $2.89 semi-dairy product and getting to keep it to eat).

Though we had to leave the game early to ride TRAX back to the last FrontRunner to Ogden, the score when we left turned out to be final (kept listening on a transistor radio): Aces 5, Bees 3.

Yet another fine day!

Photos:

Watch On The Wasatch, Day 4


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## Tony (Jul 14, 2010)

Just came through SLC last night. Interestingly enough there's a Utah trainset being used on the Twin Cities commuter line, we saw them last week as we headed out to Chicgao from Fargo.

I wonder how long Minnesota is going to lease them for?


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 14, 2010)

Tony said:


> Just came through SLC last night. Interestingly enough there's a Utah trainset being used on the Twin Cities commuter line, we saw them last week as we headed out to Chicgao from Fargo.
> I wonder how long Minnesota is going to lease them for?


Hazarding a guess, perhaps currently-surplus FrontRunner equipment that's leased out will be needed by UTA in 2015 for use on FrontRunner South, SLC-Provo.


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## AlanB (Jul 14, 2010)

WhoozOn1st said:


> Tony said:
> 
> 
> > Just came through SLC last night. Interestingly enough there's a Utah trainset being used on the Twin Cities commuter line, we saw them last week as we headed out to Chicgao from Fargo.
> ...


Precisely; they'll be recalling most if not all of the equipment when FrontRunner South is ready to roll.


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## WhoozOn1st (Jul 17, 2010)

Y'know, I'll bet you thought "Salt Lake City Safari 2010" was just another one of those not-so-clever trip titles you've come to dread (I assume). Not so fast, Valued Reader! Day 5 found Team Whooz getting in some serious safari action by venturing off the beaten path - in a vehicle only marginally adequate for ANY path - and into the woolly wilds of northern Utah's panhandle to keep an appointment with history at the Golden Spike National Historic Site in the Promontory Mountains.

Yes, it's location where on May 10, 1869, America's first transcontinental railroad ceremonially (and ceremoniously) first tied together the disparate regions of our vigorously expanding nation with ribbons of steel (okay, in those days it was iron).

Though it is said that one picture is worth a thousand words, vice versa doesn't usually hold true, and I think we can all agree that rather than slog through a thousand (or more) words of vacuous verbosity from the likes of me it would be better for all concerned if we just cut to the chase:

Photos:

Watch On The Wasatch: Promontory

Now this doesn't mean, Valued Reader, that you get entirely off the hook just by looking at the pictures. Oh no! Nobody gets off that easy, because the SmugMug album is sequenced and comprehensively captioned to present a hopefully-passable narrative. So the thousand or so words (not per picture, lucky for you) are there instead of here, that's all.

In addition to the still photos admirably captured by Executive Assistant Alice's camera after my new one (and it WAS new, not a refurb) tragically passed away at the tender age of 3 months - an apparent victim of the brutal Sierra Nevada summer - some videos were made as well.

Replicas of the two Gold Spike locomotives - Central Pacific 4-4-0 No. 60, the woodburner Jupiter, and coal-fired Union Pacific 4-4-0 No. 119 - operate daily.

Video:

Jupiter Gets Underway At Promontory, UT

Jupiter Runs By At Promontory, UT

UP No. 119 Run-by At Promontory, UT

UP No. 119 Backs At Promontory, UT (best one)

The Jupiter vids are plagued by a bluish tint, the cause of which remains a mystery, but are eminently watchable nonetheless.

It's quite rare for me to feel overwhelmed by anything, and not sure I'd recognize the symptoms. However, the day at Promontory likely came close, and the entire time I experienced a transcendent sensation of being at one with history as I walked the ground, and lost myself in the landscape, where it was made.


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## Ryan (Jul 17, 2010)

WhoozOn1st said:


> The Jupiter vids are plagued by a bluish tint, the cause of which remains a mystery, but are eminently watchable nonetheless.


The white balance setting on your camera controls this. I downloaded the videos and changed the white point, which make it look a little better.
Here they are if you're interested:

http://stavely.org/ryan/files/Jupiter1.m4v

http://stavely.org/ryan/files/Jupiter2.m4v

I also used iMove to add in a little image stabilization if you like these better:

http://stavely.org/ryan/files/Jupiter1Stab.m4v

http://stavely.org/ryan/files/Jupiter2Stab.m4v


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## Alice (Jul 17, 2010)

Ryan said:


> WhoozOn1st said:
> 
> 
> > The Jupiter vids are plagued by a bluish tint, the cause of which remains a mystery, but are eminently watchable nonetheless.
> ...


Ryan, thanks for this info (including editing software). Whooz was using my camera because his died. I like it because it fits in my pocket and has automatic, semi-auto, and manual controls. He dislikes it because it is hard to hold and it is too easy to accidentally get to those non-auto settings. I also have trouble holding the camera steady. A tripod works well, of course, but I haven't found one yet to carry on a train. I'll be looking at after-the-fact image stabilization like you used.

We had been wondering what turned those videos (and several others Whooz didn't post) blue, and now I know just where it happened. I don't think Whooz is going to use my camera again, but this info tells me what I need to do to prevent that particular error if he should.

So thanks again!


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