Story
and photographs copyright 2008
by Richard Elgenson
RailNews
Network
As usual, the Operation Red Block Peer
Support group and Union Pacific Employee's Club were present.
The vintage cars were in attendance too. I was scavaging for
parts for the Universal Atomic IV engine on my sailboat which is a
flathead design and based on early gasoline engines.
Two credit unions had booths.
Being a '57 model myself, I had to show this Chevy.
The first thing I noticed on my way into the event was a strange odor
which turned out to be the petting zoo. Kid's ID is another
annual event attendee.
The food was from Baby Roos Catering from Orange CA and was
very good.
The locomotive and remote simulator was available too. You had to
sign up to work the simulator.
Above left, the locomotive simulator. Above right and below, the
remote simulator. Not shown is the actual remote control
unit. To the right of the laptop computer is a joystick control.
A high rail truck was ready for inspection. Below right is a view
of a working train from the UP 4141.
It dawned on me that one of the guys working the Mini Train is actually
Rod McClure, President of the Western Pacific Railroad Museum and the
Feather River Rail Society. He works as a locomotive engineer out
of Sparks, Nevada on former Southern Pacific lines in the Sierra Nevada
and out to Winnemucca and Elko Nevada. I had seen Rod at the
WPRRM in late May. Thhhhhhhat's all folks.
