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Portola California Railroad Day
Brief History:
Portola is located in the northeastern part of California in the Sierra Mountains. It once housed a large Western Pacific railroad repair faculty and train crews were changed here. This area was also home to a number of logging mills that transformed raw lumber into building materials that were shipped out to all over the country.
This small mountain town is part of the California Feather River Canyon area, which was made famous by the Western Pacific Railroad. The Western Pacific operated between San Francisco and Oakland California and Salt Lake City Utah. Western Pacific Railroad pulled the third leg of the California Zephyr, that ran between Chicago and San Francisco. From Salt Lake City the Western Pacific would take the Zephyr across Utah and to the Serra Mountains and the scenic Feather River Canyon.
The Western Pacific Railroad today is gone being absorbed into the Union Pacific Railroad in the late 1980’s. However the Western Pacific Railroad lives on in Portola. Portola houses one of the finest Train Museums of Western Pacific Heritage. There is a loop of track that runs around the museum where the round house used to stand, where you ride on vintage equipment of the Western Pacific.
The Layout:
The portable train layout was built by my friend John his brother Joe and nephew Shaun. It represents the Western Pacific pulling the California Zephyr over Williams Loop, the train would cross over its self here to make elevation. The layout is powered by batteries with a Lionel TMCC Hand Held Control. John his brother Joe and nephew Shaun, took first place in the parade. There are picture of the layout, the parade, and a Great Museum of Western Pacific Trains.
Enjoy I Did! Gerry
P.S. The South Eastern Wisconsin Hi-Railers are invited to Portola Railroad Days 2012. We well have to think about it. That would be a long weekend.
Brief History:
Portola is located in the northeastern part of California in the Sierra Mountains. It once housed a large Western Pacific railroad repair faculty and train crews were changed here. This area was also home to a number of logging mills that transformed raw lumber into building materials that were shipped out to all over the country.
This small mountain town is part of the California Feather River Canyon area, which was made famous by the Western Pacific Railroad. The Western Pacific operated between San Francisco and Oakland California and Salt Lake City Utah. Western Pacific Railroad pulled the third leg of the California Zephyr, that ran between Chicago and San Francisco. From Salt Lake City the Western Pacific would take the Zephyr across Utah and to the Serra Mountains and the scenic Feather River Canyon.
The Western Pacific Railroad today is gone being absorbed into the Union Pacific Railroad in the late 1980’s. However the Western Pacific Railroad lives on in Portola. Portola houses one of the finest Train Museums of Western Pacific Heritage. There is a loop of track that runs around the museum where the round house used to stand, where you ride on vintage equipment of the Western Pacific.
The Layout:
The portable train layout was built by my friend John his brother Joe and nephew Shaun. It represents the Western Pacific pulling the California Zephyr over Williams Loop, the train would cross over its self here to make elevation. The layout is powered by batteries with a Lionel TMCC Hand Held Control. John his brother Joe and nephew Shaun, took first place in the parade. There are picture of the layout, the parade, and a Great Museum of Western Pacific Trains.
Enjoy I Did! Gerry
P.S. The South Eastern Wisconsin Hi-Railers are invited to Portola Railroad Days 2012. We well have to think about it. That would be a long weekend.
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