Railroad Historians on Cal Zephyr

[Guest_Jim]

It's been 8-10 years since I've ridden the California Zephyr..I recall a historian

that boarded the train in Reno and rode to Roseville (?) and narrated the ride

and lectured on some historical stuff enroute. Is that still done?

Thanks

Jim

 

[domefoamer]

Yes, we had them on my round-trip at the end of April, riding and narrating from Truckee to Sacramento. On the westbound, the fellow was reading from a script that, he said, allowed "strictly no ad-libbing", but coming back on 6, another guide gave considerably more detail about the Donner Pass tunnels, etc. Or perhaps I just heard the spiel better the second time, since some Superliners had audio difficulties. Both guides gave extensive plugs to the Cal. State Railway Museum in Sacramento, which I belive supplies the guides. It makes we wonder why the Colorado Railroad Museum in Golden hasn't done something similar. There are so many great stories to tell about the old Moffat Road.

Once a year ago, I was on No. 6 coming into the Tunnel District. The lounge attendant hadn't brought any videos (!), and a passenger volunteered a VHS he was carrying. It was an American Experience documentary on the Transcontinental Railroad. Folks in the lounge seemed quite interested in this epic story while we slipped out of the Rockies. It sure beat a deafening rerun of The Incredibles that I experienced last month at the same location. Yes, it's a fine movie, but I'd already seen it twice. On the train, I want to see train movies, that's it! (actually I want to see the full moon gleaming off Budd steel from a Vista-Dome, but...)

 

[GG-1]

(actually I want to see the full moon gleaming off Budd steel from a Vista-Dome, but...)

Aloha

So would I :lol:

 

[Guest_Jim]

Thanks for the info. I seem to recall when riding on 6 going through Colorado that there was a guide of some sort doing some talking..I believe he was a former engineer. Can't remember where he got on, however but it was very informative.

<sigh> I need to make another trip out there

Jim

 

[Steve4031]

I took two in one school year. I rode Chicago to Grand Junction and back on a long weekend, and later, flew to Oakland, and returned to Chicago on 6. Both were great trips.

 

[domefoamer]

Once again, the Sierra guide seemed to be a regular feature, supported by the museum. It's a shame there's not something similar on the Front Range segment of the CZ, which has an equal amount of history. The Moffat Road and its wintertime struggles up The Giant's Ladder, the tunnel fire that killed 4 Denver firefighters, and two locomotive wrecks into canyons in both ends of the 20th Century. Despite these heroic aspects, the line has never seen a passenger fatality.

If I was retired, I can think of few better ways to spend a day than delivering this story on the train. catch the westbound in the morning, lay over in Fraser, and catch the eastbound home. That's a suggestion to any of you in the area who have time on your hands!

Lastly, on the topic of train tour guides, I traceled with the best I can ever recall on a recent ride over the Cumbres & Toltec. He was vastly knowledgable, but as enthusiastic as a rookie. They can add a lot to your ride...