The Western Pacific was the weakest link in the opertations. They never were committed, lacked the drive of both the D&RG, and CB&Q. In fact they were drug into by the D&RG. The inability to gain access to San Franciso left you on a bus to Oakland. They never had the motive power to be on time. Leaving east bound trains as much as 2 hours behind and taking a train over headin west they also were able to lose time.
If the Western Pacific had taken the time to negotiate access with the SP via the Dunbarton Cut off at Niles the service would have been complete. They were the weakest link in the chain.
Interesting vid. I shot video of Amtrak's detoured California Zephyr passing through the Feather River Canyon and I also shot video of the "Feather River Express" passenger private car train passing through Pulga and the Feather River Canyon.
Simply beautiful. As the train emerges from the tunnel, that next-to-last car (lettered "Pennsylvania"), was part of the railroads' Transcontinental Sleeper Service. The California Zephyr operated from Oakland to Chicago, but that sleeper continued on all the way to New York City, over a connection via the Pennsylvania Railroad.
Thank you for sharing this video. Seeing this makes me emotional, as my family was a WP (Western Pacific) family, as was pretty near all my friends' families. WP families could ride the Zephyr for free. The area in the video is so familiar to me, as we must have traveled between Oroville and Portola 1,000's of times it seems, through the Feather River Canyon.
I was on this train in 1967 I was 9 years old and I still remember how beautiful and
wonderfull this train was they make them the same today
Michael60585 8 months ago
I was on this train in 1967 I was 9 years old and I still remember how beautiful and
wonderfull this train was
Michael60585 8 months ago
A classic, no matter how you look at it!
joetylerdale 10 months ago
The Western Pacific was the weakest link in the opertations. They never were committed, lacked the drive of both the D&RG, and CB&Q. In fact they were drug into by the D&RG. The inability to gain access to San Franciso left you on a bus to Oakland. They never had the motive power to be on time. Leaving east bound trains as much as 2 hours behind and taking a train over headin west they also were able to lose time.
consanna 1 year ago
@cons Having direct connect to San Francisco would be far longer and more expensive than taking a bus.
pdwman 1 year ago
@pdwman
If the Western Pacific had taken the time to negotiate access with the SP via the Dunbarton Cut off at Niles the service would have been complete. They were the weakest link in the chain.
consanna 1 year ago
Interesting vid. I shot video of Amtrak's detoured California Zephyr passing through the Feather River Canyon and I also shot video of the "Feather River Express" passenger private car train passing through Pulga and the Feather River Canyon.
CoastStarlight11 2 years ago
awesome video btw did anyone see the tv program on the zephyr last week
trainboy32 2 years ago
Love it!
IamMagPie 2 years ago
Simply beautiful. As the train emerges from the tunnel, that next-to-last car (lettered "Pennsylvania"), was part of the railroads' Transcontinental Sleeper Service. The California Zephyr operated from Oakland to Chicago, but that sleeper continued on all the way to New York City, over a connection via the Pennsylvania Railroad.
atsf1920 2 years ago
beautiful!!
AMOGLES99 3 years ago
Thank you for sharing this video. Seeing this makes me emotional, as my family was a WP (Western Pacific) family, as was pretty near all my friends' families. WP families could ride the Zephyr for free. The area in the video is so familiar to me, as we must have traveled between Oroville and Portola 1,000's of times it seems, through the Feather River Canyon.
gabbydeb 3 years ago 2
great clip
rusteelee 3 years ago
The CZ ended March 22, 1970, not 1969.
NewsLaughs 3 years ago 3
Pardon my French but, God, thats a beautiful f*ckin train!
OmahaTom 3 years ago 4