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I have enjoyed reading this thread lots of good stuff thanks to all. For the steam hay-days and into the late 1970s I have to read books about those eras because I wasn't born or a railfan yet. So, my hay-days started during 1980 when I discovered railfanning. I took a weeks vacation and hit many of the tourist railroads, dragging the kids and wife along. We hit the Virginia and Truckee tourist line at Virginia City, NV and with the purchase of an all day ticket got to ride in the cab of Bob Gray's V&T No. 29 a 2-8-0 consolidation. Next was down to the new Nevada State Railroad Museum, then over the hill to Railtown USA at Jamestown, California and of course we hit the Westside & Cherry Valley. Then on over to Felton, California near Santa Cruz and a ride on the Roaring Camp & Big Trees then up the coast to the California and Western, the "Skunk" train. What fun for dad. Better days are now or soon to be for the Virginia and Truckee, Nevada State Railroad Museum, Roaring Camp and Big Trees and Railtown USA. Still great, the Skunk. Gone but not forgotten the Westside and Cherry Valley. These tourist lines led to then current railfanning. A scanner purchase let me listen to the Norden Operator on Southern Pacific's Donner Pass, he controlled tracks one and two from shed 47 to shed 10 as I remember it. We even got to visit Norden and meet one of the fellows that sat in as operator 5 days a week. Its gone, the Southern Pacific, the Norden operator, track one. The bright side, you can drive down through the snow sheds on track one to the east portal of Tunnel 41 and Shed 47 and still get great photos. "Wabuska" *** was the agent at Southern Pacific's Fernley, Nevada depot. He had the coffee on and was always good for a "line-up." And with coffee came railroad stories and rumors. Great listening when railroaders stopped in on business. Nowadays, *** has past on, the depot is no longer track side. The bright side, the depot was saved and moved to a Main St address in Fernley. My neighbor Bobby D was a hogger on the Southern Pacific, he'd remember me and my hobby with Employee Time Tables and other SP items. His wife was instrumental in Saving the Fernley Depot and getting it a caboose. I got to be friends with Southern Pacific's number 2 hogger out of Sparks, NV - he worked Amtrak's No. 5 and 6. I'd meet him and the crew at Winnemucca, NV's Red Lion Inn for Sunday breakfast sometimes, good stories and rumors. Tom would have me over to his house and share photographs and such. He's past on, and I miss his friendship. Nowadays, there still some fine railroaders to meet like Tom. Heydays, Wendel and Southern Pacific's Modoc line and the Susanville local. Cab ride territory, the beanery at Wendel where you got to listen to railroad stories and rumors. Did I mention form 19s and Cabooses. Nowadays the cabooses are gone, form 19s are history, the Modoc and Susanville's branch are no more. But the Lakeview branch is a shortline and up and running. And just down the road at Sand Pass the steel wheels still roll on rails of steel. Yep, lots of stuff and good people are gone. But, I still get a charge out of watching trains roll by my house. And excited when some special new loco gets committed to a photograph. Its still a fine hobby with many wonderful rails working on the railroad! Jim - Lawton MP 236
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