It’s March 26 and we’re back in Sacramento, CA for the second time this year. This time, its for the Spring board meeting of the Association of Railway Museums. The highlight of the afternoon is a tour of the former Southern Pacific Sacramento shops—the future site of the new Railroad Technology Museum. This major development is slated to preserve the three remaining massive buildings of the shop complex—the boiler shop, the erecting shop and the blacksmith shop. It will also preserve the turntable. Total project cost—some $30 million US!
Its hard to describe the size of the these buildings. Dating back to 1867, they were started as construction of the transcontinental railroad was underway. The shops grew to become the West’s largest industrial complex—comprising some 240 acres of land. Work continued at the complex right until 1999, when Union Pacific had acquired Southern Pacific and phased out work at the site.
The California State Railroad Museum has been storing equipment at the site for some years, and now is able to use the buildings as their restoration shop as well as for covered storage for machinery and rolling stock.. Their major project recently was to build and install a new transfer table at the site where one existed for years, connecting the boiler shop and the erecting shop. Now they can move rolling stock into the huge erecting shop building once again.
March 27 was the board’s all day meeting, and it was productive. ARM is moving forward and will build and grow the services and support it offers railway museums. Planning for the balance of 2004 was completed as well as a review of the 2004 Annual Conference which will be held in Ogden, Utah in the fall.
March 28 was a spare day before I was to fly home, so it was decided that a ride on Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor to San Jose and back was in order. I headed to the Sacramento station around 0645 to find the Coast Starlight in the station. It was headed by an unusual motive power consist—Union Pacific SD70MAC #5008 and Amtrak P42 #120. The train, with baggage car and 11 SuperLiners pulled out at 0655 for points south to Los Angeles.
I picked up a round trip ticket Sacramento—San Jose (cost $38) and headed for platform 4 where I boarded Capitol #727 at 0730. Our consist was Amtrak B32-8 #507 with three California cars and one Superliner coach / snack car. We pulled out right on time at 0740. The California cars are bright and comfortable, with a smooth ride. We were on time all the way. At Oakland, as we passed the Amtrak maintenance facility, I noted the UP 5008—must have replaced it with something else on the Starlight here.
I thought no more of it until after arriving at San Jose (early at 1050) - there was a large crowd waiting to go somewhere. At 1100 in rolls the Coast Starlight, now headed by Amtrak B32-8 #500 and P42 #120—how on earth did we pass it and I not see it? Somehow, the Starlight took an hour longer then we did to travel from Sacramento to San Jose! It will remain one of those mysteries of railroading!
At San Jose I go for a good walk, it is sunny and warm as California is meant to be. I had hoped to ride the streetcars here, but they were not operating. Watched some of the light rail activity and enjoyed some lunch outdoors—very pleasant, then headed back to the station. Cal Train is not operating weekends right now, but there was lots of equipment around. I
boarded Capitol #734 (the same consist I rode south on) and headed back to Sacramento. It was a repeat—comfortable and on time—and with a very good passenger load.
My second Capitol Experience this year is a repeat success. Amtrak has a good formula on the Capitol corridor.
