Also the WP Railroad Museum in Portola. The museum has a program were you can run a train yourself.
Outside of freight trains, other rail places.
The California State Railroad Museum in Sacramento. It is well worth the visit.
https://youtu.be/UQz2icnSvtA
The Western Railway Museum between Rio Vista and Fairfield on CA 12.
https://youtu.be/s0lEJlpwV-k
San Francisco Muni. Both the E and F routes historical equipment. And of course the cable cars.
https://youtu.be/Q5xA944gG1c
Enjoy.
Thanks to everyone for all your suggestions. Looking like to spend the last two days of my trip leaving Redding on us44 /89 down to Portrola to visit the museum and on to Truckee , stay the night and over Donner to Scaremento and home to the UK via S/Francisco. Looking forward to it although it's not 'till the fall you have all made it so much easier to plan .Mandave24
If you do visit Donner Pass, best check the maps beforehand. East from Rocklin to Colfax the two tracks are separate-- sometimes together but usually not. So if you're driving, and you get off I-80 at Applegate, you'll want to know which track is which.
At Rocklin 38.7997N 121.2314W the traditional eastward track crosses above the westward, so trains often run left hand east to Tunnel 26, 38.9891N 120.9446W where the traditional-westward track crosses above the eastward.
Additional complication: full-height doublestack container trains aren't allowed thru the eastward-track tunnels 22 to 32, so they use the westward track, which has no tunnels. An eastward stack train on the eastward track thru Auburn will cross over at 38.9434N 121.0443W to the other main, then probably back again at 39.0790N 120.96676W.
Thanks everyone, lot to think about but a combination of Donner and Canyon with a visit to the Portola museum looks to fit the bill.daveman
Sounds like the guy in the OP has limited time and he probably does not want to spend his time on a very limited-access, infrequently running operation just to see nothing. The skunk railbus is off in the woods in the hollers away from most roads (esp CA-20) most of the time and is hardly heavy haul freight.
(My better half grew up in Willits and I was there the night of the FRA "death sentence" caused by NWP/NCRA's lack of compliance and aloof attitude.)
Well sure, unless you want to see railroads built in the worst possible geology for a railroad. :) Plus, Willits has some rusting equipment. AAAAND, some of the Trackage to the north is interesting to see as it rusts away even if there are no trains on it. :) Why can't the OP ride the Skunk train though? I'm not sure why that distinction is made.
Did the OP say he only wanted to see assents? I know he said hard working, but...
If that's the case,
BNSF runs trains up to the Keddie Wye.
I'll be honest, I live in Roseville, and chat every week with Roseville shop personell. I'd not heard that they were only sending westbounds over the Canyon sub. Is there a source for that? I do know that in general they prefer Donner.
You are not gonna see much on the California Western (Skunk train) unless you are on it. Wasting your time trying to find anything on NWP (beyond how not to run a railroad).... timz's answer makes sense for what you want to do.
YoHo: Where not to? Answer: Willits to Eureka
Not many trains run east up the Feather River, so you won't see much hard work there. Trains east out of Roseville are climbing 1.5% maximum to Colfax, then the steepest part of the grade is above Gold Run-- you can drive to Alta 39.2068N 120.8114W to see them on the 2.3%.
One hard-work place on Donner is the summit tunnel-- about 1.95 miles of 1.47% climbing westward. You can drive to the west end.
Donner Pass - Former Southern Pacific east of Sacramento- Union Pacific
Feather River Canyon and Inside Gateway- Former Western Pacific north of Sacramento- Union Pacifc, Burlington Northern Santa Fe
Union Pacific - Former Southern Pacific north of Redding
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Looking to spend time in northern California in the fall of 2018 (from the UK) where can i see some Hard working freight in the mountains in that area.Staying in the Redding/Sacremento area but don't mind travelling ? Thanks .daveman.
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