Setting track guage at Red Hawk

The maintenance of way crew met in Shingle Springs yesterday for its monthly work day. We loaded tools and gauge bars on to two Fairmont A-cars. When the crew left the station at 8 a.m., the El Dorado Western Railroad No. 602 pushed the EDWR No. 603 up the hill to the job site.

With volunteer mechanic and motorman Jereme MacCormack at the controls, the crew soaked in the the last of the cool morning air on the 15-minute transit to the work site. The forecast called for 95- to 100-degree temperatures in the El Dorado County foothills. The track gang took advantage of the cooler morning hours to get the job done.

Once there, we dismounted and prepared to re-set the gauge of the 90-pound rail to standard gauge. Roadmaster Peter Shultze had previously marked three locations on the curve in the day lighted Tunnel No. 1 where the gauge had crept to 58 inches. Peter wanted to pull the outer rail back in to around 57 inches.

The seven-man track gang labored for the next four hours. We scraped the build-up of clay and dirt on to of the ties and dug trenches for the gauge bars. At two locations, pictured and 50 feet further inside the cut, two bars were used to hold the gauge. One bar was used at the third location. The crew will replace the ties at a later date.
 
The railroad is now calling this location Red Hawk since it is adjacent to Exit 40 (Red Hawk Parkway) on eastbound U.S. Highway 50. From our vantage point at the east terminus of the old tunnel, we watched a constant steam of traffic headed up the hill for the weekend. Red Hawk is the turn around point for Sunday train operations from Shingle Springs.

Train rides on the El Dorado Western Railroad

Please come out to support California's newest county-run railroad. As residents and guests of El Dorado County, you have the opportunity to ride the train in 2012. With your support, the El Dorado Western Railroad will continue to operate many years into the future.



The El Dorado Western Railroad No. 602 Fairmont A4D gang car glides through California poppies near Mile Post 138. The county is enjoying a banner crop of poppies and lupins along the right-of-way this year. To enjoy the wildflowers, catch the train at the Shingle Springs Freight Shed on the second and fourth Sundays of the month.

Train rides for 2012

All El Dorado County residents and visitors are encouraged to support the county living history rail program. The railroad is giving train rides on the historic Southern Pacific Placerville Branch rail line, weather permitting, on Sundays from noon to 4 p.m.

We currently alternate between the El Dorado and Shingle Springs. The train operates from the El Dorado Station on the first, third and fifth Sundays of the month. The Shingle Springs Freight Shed will see the train on the second and fourth Sundays.

The suggested donation is $5 for adults and children nine and up. The donation for ages three to eight is $3.

Directions to El Dorado Station
To locate the train station in historic El Dorado, take Pleasant Valley Road (from the east or west) to Oriental Street. Turn north. Keep left at the Wye. Continue to the end of the road and left to the station.

Directions to Shingle Springs Freight Shed

The address is 4241 Mother Lode Dr, Shingle Springs, California, 95682. Take Highway 50 to the Ponderosa exit

(Exit 37). Proceed east on Mother Lode Drive about one-half mile to the Shingle Springs train station. Watch for the caboose and diesel locomotive. The railroad tracks and station are on the south side of the freeway.

Thank you for a successful first year

The El Dorado Western Railroad extends a hearty thank you to our guests and riders. Since the railroad opened for weekly passenger runs on July 17, it has enjoyed a consistent and loyal following by a dedicated group of riders. It's interesting to note that our ticket agent said he is starting recognize familiar faces. Many passengers come out and ride the train each month.

Please come out and support California's newest county-run railroad. As residents and guests of El Dorado County, you have one more opportunity to ride the train in 2011. With your support, the railroad will continue to operate in 2012 and many years into the future. The railroad will run on Sunday, December 18, 2011, from noon to 4 p.m. Trains leave the depot on the hour and half-hour. See the yellow poster for directions to the railroad depot.

As an added bonus, you are all invited to attend The El Dorado Train Rider and Volunteer Appreciation Party at the El Dorado Community Center tomorrow noon to 4:00 p.m. We hope to see you there. This event is for all. You can visit the party, then walk down to the depot and ride the train.

Fairmont car operator and conductor Mark Bruto punches the ticket of a young mother and her daughter.

Mark directs passengers to their seat on the El Dorado Western Railroad No. 602 Fairmont A4D.

Wind chill and train rides

We survived our first weekend with poor weather. Even though the ambient temperate hovered in the mid-40s, the wind cut right through the crew on Saturday. It felt like 32 degrees with the wind chill!

Then rain on Sunday morning almost shut down rail operations. With the right wind, the rain flies right through the open Faimount and Kalamazoo cars. After the crew decided to continue on, the rain passed. Grateful passengers enjoyed a nice ride up to Forni Road.

A cold wind or light rain won't stop the El Dorado Western Railroad from operating. We will continue to run each Sunday through December 18, 2011. Come out and enjoy the fall colors along the right of way. Bring a jacket and enjoy a ride in the cool fall air!.

Trains will run to the west for the coming two Sundays (November 13 and 20, 2011). After boarding at the El Dorado depot, the motorman will guide the two cars across El Dorado Road and past the Cascades onto Greenstone Road. In our opinion, this is the most beautiful section on the old Southern Pacific Placerville Branch rail line.

Trains leave the depot on the hour and half-hour. The first train departs at noon. The last departs at 4 p.m. The suggested donation is $5 for adults and children age 9 and above. The suggested donation is $3 for ages 3 to 8. He worked in the Southern Pacific No. 1094 caboose in 1964 as a young brakeman.

Volunteer motor car operator Davey "Doc" Wiser enjoys a hamburger during a break between trains. Of the four professional railroad crewmen on the project, Doc has the longest tenure. He worked for the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads for 50 years!

The train returns to the depot after a late run on Sunday, November 6, 2011.

Kalamazoo Model 57A speeder

Here's a video of the Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Railroad Speeder No. 4 that I uploaded to YouTube this afternoon.

The Camino, Placerville and Lake Tahoe Speeder No. 4 is one of the most useful artifacts on the El Dorado Western Railroad. Originally purchased by the CP and LT Railroad, which ran from Placerville to Camino, California, today the EDWR uses to shuttle railroad volunteers from the depot in the town of El Dorado to the work site. It frequently pulls a Southern Pacific push car to and from the work site. And since July 2011, the railroad has coupled it to the former Richmond Pacific Railroad Fairmont A-4D gang car on Sunday afternoons.

Railroad operations on the Placerville Branch

The El Dorado Western Railroad has enjoyed growing popularity with the public in the last month. Since the railroad began regular passenger operations on July 17, 2011, it has operated on the historic Southern Pacific Placerville Branch rail line each Sunday afternoon. The cars are often packed to capacity.

The El Dorado Western will offer train rides each Sunday afternoon from noon to 4 p.m. through September 18. Please join the crew for an afternoon of fun on the rails. Watch conductor and motocar operator Davey "Doc" Wiser as he skillfully guides the Fairmont A4D gang car down the tracks.

Along the way Doc will tell stories from his 50-year career with the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. Did you know that he cooked breakfast in our SP caboose No. 1094? Yes, it's true. As the junior brakeman on the Chatsworth local, Doc tells that it was his duty to cook for the train crew.

Join the El Dorado Western on Sundays this summer. Each trainman has a unique story to tell. We'll see you soon.

Davey "Doc" Wiser's railroad story

Conductor Davey "Doc" Wise tells his story as he operates the El Dorado Western Railroad No. 602 Fairmont gang car. Davey recently retired from the Union Pacific Railroad after 40 years service with the Southern Pacific and Union Pacific railroads. He currently volunteers with the El Dorado Western Railroad.

The railroad gave train rides to the public on Sunday, June 17, 2011, on the Southern Pacific Placerville Branch rail line. For this run, crews hitched the railroad's Kalamazoo Model 57 speeder to the Fairmont.

Join us for train rides each Sunday

You are invited to join the El Dorado Western each Sunday this summer through September 18, 2011. The train leaves the depot in the historic town of El Dorado, California on the hour and on the half-hour. The first run departs the depot at noon, with the last run at 4 p.m. Join the El Dorado Western as we re-create an important piece of El Dorado County history.

Video on the El Dorado Western Railroad

The El Dorado Western Railroad gave train rides to the public on Sunday, June 26, 2011. Passengers boarded at the replica freight depot in El Dorado and rode the Fairmont A-4D gang car (ERWR No. 602) or Kalamazoo Model 57 track inspection car (CP&LP No. 4) to Forni Road. The two cars were hitched for the event.

Train rides on the El Dorado Western Railroad No. 602

Experience good old fashion fun on Sunday, June 26 in historic El Dorado, California. Ride on vintage rail cars, run through town in Davey "Doc" Wiser’s authentic Western stagecoach and walk among classic cars on Main Street. And top the day off with a scoop of refreshing ice cream!

The schedule includes: breakfast at the Community Hall from 8 a.m. to noon, craft fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., classic car show from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., train rides and ice cream scoop ($5 donation) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., free stagecoach rides from noon to 4 p.m. ice cream social ($1.50 per scoop) from noon to 4 p.m., music and food.

Proceeds benefit the El Dorado Western Railway Foundation.

Garret Augustus operates the Fairmont speeder on a test run today. The El Dorado Western Railroad has designated the Fairmount A-4D as No. 602. This follows the Trackmobile, which is No. 601.

The A-car is named the "Peabody" after George Peabody, a longtime historian and writer in El Dorado County.

A-car ready for train rides

I heard from Keith Berry that the Fairmont A-car has a fresh coat of paint on it. She'll be looking good for train rides this Sunday in historic El Dorado.

A $5 donation gets you a stagecoach ride, train ride and scoop of ice cream. Come out and support the El Dorado County RR Park on Sunday, June 26.

Work progresses on the Fairmont A-car

Yesterday the Saturday work crew gathered at the shop to continue work on the Fairmont A-4D gang car. Since the A-car, as we affectionately call it, came to the El Dorado Western Railroad in an operable condition, most work is cosmetic in nature. Until April, the car was used on the Richmond Pacific Railroad.

The A-car will be ready to haul passengers on Sunday, June 26, 2011, in the historic town of El Dorado, California. Please see our Facebook events page for details. The railroad will offer train rides from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chef Steven Karoly prepared chili con carne with beans for the crew yesterday. Jeremy McCormack cleared a work bench so he could set up chili, cornbread, chipotle cole slaw, chips, salsa and fixin's for the crew.

The father and son team of Ed and Ben Cunha have handled most of the body work on recent acquisitions. Here Ed grinds away excess metal from the side panel after Ben welded a hole closed.

Ben welds a hole closed on the front panel of the car body. The body of the A-car is almost ready to be primed and painted.

Fairmont A-4D motorcar

The El Dorado Western Railroad recently acquired a Fairmont A-4D gang car from the Richmond Pacific Railroad in Richmond, California. Although we don't know what year the motor car was built, the A-4D series were constructed between 1968 and 1984 by Fairmont Railway Motors in Fairmont, Minnesota.

The crew unloads the motorcar off of the trailer today. The A4 is completely operational and only needs painting and other minor work. The Ford four cylinder engine is rumored to be a Pinto engine.

In a week, the crew has scraped most of the orange paint off of the frame and body. The car will be painted a bright yellow (to match the Trackmobile) once it's ready.