DAY 7 – (24 June 2016) – Is this the way to Colorado?


After breakfast, our day starts with the shuttle coach to Emeryville. We back track the road that we took into San Francisco two days ago.
We sit around the station at Emeryville sipping coffee and waiting for Amtrak to come up with the “California Zephyr”.



Before Amtrak, the California Zephyr (the CZ, or "Silver Lady") was a passenger train operated by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q), Denver & Rio Grande Western (D&RGW) and Western Pacific railroads, all which dubbed it "the most talked about train in America" on March 19, 1949, with the first departure the following day. It was scheduled to pass through the most spectacular scenery on its route in the daylight. The original train ceased operation in 1970, though the D&RGW continued to operate its own passenger service, the Rio Grande Zephyr, between Salt Lake City and Denver using the original equipment until 1983. Since 1983 the California Zephyr name has been applied to the Amtrak service, which operates daily and is a hybrid of the route of the original Zephyr and its former rival, the City of San Francisco. Way back it offered the Vista-Dome – a second floor viewing deck. I found this old advert about it.



This is today's equivalent:



At 2438 miles it’s Amtrak’s longest route running from Emeryville in the west through Sacramento, Reno, Salt lake City, Denver, Omaha to Chicago

Eventually we depart about ten minutes late and the track re-traces our steps back towards Sacramento. We pass by the disused McClellen Air Force Base now utilised by the local university where they operate a nuclear reactor!



We pull through Roseville with its delightful station.



The train now has to pick its way carefully through the complexities of Southern Pacific's rail yards.

Auburn near Paloma was the start of the famous Gold Rush. The precious metal was discovered at Sutter Mill in 1849 and the huge influx of prospectors change the face of this area forever. The Auburn courthouse has witnessed many hangings on its front steps as lawlessness was severely dealt with.



We carry on through the American River valley and Blue Canyon, so called because of the haze caused by the many sawmills that once existed here.



Portal Lake at Blue Canyon – the granite is almost white giving an impression of snow on the ground:



We climb to Emigrant Gap at 4,700 feet, up a gradient of 2.42% - the steepest on any American railroad. The train crosses Interstate 80. Pioneers used to lower wagons by ropes into the beautiful Bear Valley after travelling through the gap. How times have changed. In winter these days this becomes a popular skiing resort. Snowfall can average 34 feet in these parts!



On through Soda Springs and Mount Judah we view Donner Lake where in 1847 some Illinois settlers travelling to California became trapped by a blizzard. Help was sent but in the intervening time the trapped people had resorted to cannibalism in order to survive!



We descend Donner Pass and arrive at Truckee. We’ve visited here before two years ago on a Lake Tahoe trip and soon we are recognising shops and restaurants and the local saloon. Chaplin filmed his “Gold Rush” movie here in Main Street, all those years ago.



We cross the California / Nevada state line and move on through Verdi where wooden water flumes feed the hydro – electric power station.

Next is Reno – “The biggest little city in the world”. Reno is famous for its casinos and as the birthplace of Caesars Entertainment Corporation. It is the county seat of Washoe County, located in the north-western part of the state. The city sits in a high desert at the foot of the Sierra Nevada and its downtown area (along with Sparks) occupies a valley informally known as the Truckee Meadows. The Reno Arch has a history that goes way back before the Strip, and even legalized gambling - the first arch in Reno was built in 1899. Here’s a night time shot of the arch:



Not far from here was the area where they used to make “Bonanza”. You can still visit the Ponderosa ranch.



Sparks is next with its old wooden station and canopy. The town has become a major distribution centre since the introduction of tax free warehousing scheme.



As our train passes Winnemucca, named after an Indian chief, and Elko – an Indian word meaning “White Woman” the sun starts to set. The train makes a long service stop here. We head for the Diner car for our last meal of the day – chicken breast tenders for me and Mac n’ Cheese for Darrin.





Some will have a good night’s sleep – some won’t!

INDEX: http://DIBB.in/11466192

Can't get enough of this trip report. Looks such a great journey

Thanks for keeping it coming, I'm really enjoying it.

Thanks guys. Plenty more to come.

Geoff. A nice report. Your comments about Emigrant Gap and the lowering of wagons makes you realise how tough those early pioneers had it. And not so long ago in the bigger picture really.
I remember many years ago seeing the pictures of the trains with those observation pods on the top.
A nice start to the trip east.

Lovely day

Great day
Who got the lower bunk

Lovely day... nice to see all the old buildings still there...

Thanks for sharing.

It must be lovely to see all that beautiful scenery.

We bet Darren was the one who slept better, poor you, Geoff.

We are old enough to remember watching Bonanza each week, Love it

Lesley and Melvin

I totally understand your lack of sleep, We travelled on Amtrak 2011 New York to Fort Lauderdale & I had the top bunk!