Trackmobile on You Tube

Here's a short video of the El Dorado Western Railway No. 601 Trackmobile running on the Placerville Branch in Folsom on Saturday, September 18, 2010. Yours truly in the guy that's playing with his cap at the end of the video.

You Tube video of Folsom Railrest

Here's a short video of the Folsom Rail and Transportation Festival on Saturday, September 18, 2010. The Pacific Gas & Electric No. 35 trolley leads the FEDS Skagit No. 30 gang car and Fairmont A4 and A6 speeders on the return trip from the White Rock Grade Crossing.

PG&E No. 35 trolley car near White Rock Road

PG&E No. 35 trolley car near White Rock Road
Originally uploaded by SeabeeCook

The Pacific Gas & Electric Trolley No. 35 picked up railroad workers near the White Rock Road grade crossing as it prepared to return to Hampton Station on Sunday, September 19, 2010. The El Dorado Western Railway came close to putting its Whiting Trackmobile to work on the Placerville Branch line. Around 2:30 p.m., an official from the Folsom Rail and Transportation Festival stopped by our booth to ask if the Trackmobile was available to recover the trolley as it had stalled on the tracks just north of White Rock Road.

We were told that the trolley's power supply had failed and the vehicle that was going to tow it back, a Regional Transit Unimog hi-rail truck, had jumped the rails. Event organizers thought that the Trackmobile was the ideal recovery vehicle. To effect the recovery, plan was for Keith Berry to drive it south on Old Placerville Road to the site, mount the rails between the Unimog and the trolley and tow it to a point where crews could repair the generator.

In the end, our services weren't needed. But it would've been a photographer's dream to see the El Dorado Western No. 601 Trackmobile towing the PG&E No. 35 back to the northern terminus.

Like EDWR's Trackmobile, the trolley was one of unique artifacts at the Folsom Railfest. It required an alternate source of electricity for the event since the Placerville Branch doesn't have overhead power lines. Normally, the trolley is more at home on the Regional Transit rail lines, where it draws electricity from overhead power line through the trolley pole.

Photographer Philip S. Rose provided some insight into the operation of the trolley in the Village Life newspaper: "To power the vintage rail conveyance, Railfest organizers rented the huge generator being towed behind. (Folsom, El Dorado & Sacramento Historical Railroad Association) member Bob Morrison built a rectifier to convert the AC to DC power for the old streetcar."

The trolley was used throughout the weekend event to give paid rides to the public. The PG&E No. 35 was built in 1913 by the American Car Co. PG&E ran it on its Sacramento City Lines until 1934, when it was retired.

"In 1999, Sacramento Regional Transit purchased a beautifully restored trolley (PG&E 35) from the California Trolley & Railroad Corporation in San Jose," according to the Railway Preservation Resources (RPR Consulting) website page for Sacramento. "The car had been completely rebuilt in the late1980s as part of group of seven immaculately restored trolleys for operation in San Jose. Car 35 is operated on special occasions over a portion of the Light Rail system in the downtown area."

An interesting fact about the trolley is that it carries two road numbers. When restored, the car operated as the San Jose Railroad No. 129. The No. 35 wasn't available and it was renumbered 129, the next available number for the railroad. When Regional Transit purchased the car, a representative told us that the purchase agreement required them maintain the car's No. 129 identity.

Conductor Eric Olds of Folsom, punches a passenger's ticket on an afternoon trolley run on Saturday. Eric is a member of the Folsom, El Dorado & Sacramento Historical Railroad Association. He frequently operates their Skagit No. 30 speeder as the motorman.

How does a railroad refuel the Trackmobile?

Question: How does the El Dorado Western Railway refuel its Whiting Trackmobile?

Answer: The operator dismounts the tracks and drives it to the nearest Chevron station! He then pumps gasoline into the fuel tank, drives back to the tracks and re-mounts.

And yes, the Trackmobile is street legal in California.

Keith Berry pumps gas into the Trackmobile. The gasoline tank holds around 12 gallons topped off.

The El Dorado Western Railway Trackmobile No. 601 is located at the Chevron Station on Placerville Drive in Folsom, California. The Southern Pacific Placerville Branch is located at the base of the rock wall behind Starbucks.

Trackmobile rolls on the Placerville Branch

At 8:45 a.m. this morning, the El Dorado Western Railway mounted the Whiting Trackmobile on the Placerville Branch in Folsom for the first time. With El Dorado Western President Keith Berry at the operator controls, the crew ran it along a one-quarter mile section of the rail to the south of Mile Post 116.

"Well boys, we're on the tracks for the first time," said Keith. The break-in run gave time to evaluate the Trackmobile and make sure no mechanical issues surfaced.

Mark Bruto (kneeling) guides Keith as he mounts the Trackmobile on the tracks as Ed Cunha watches. The process was surprisingly easy. It only took about 5 to 10 minutes.

Ed takes his turn at the controls of the Trackmobile. After Keith's initial 30-minute run, each volunteer took turns learning how to operate the Trackmobile.

Folsom Rail Festival

I stopped by the Folsom Rail Festival on the way home from work this evening. There wasn't a lot of activity. A small gang from the Folsom, El Dorado & Sacramento Historical Railroad Association was making last minute repairs to the Faimont A-6 gang car. And a crew from Regional Transit was getting ready to babysit the Pacific Gas & Electric No. 35 trolley for the night.

Visit the El Dorado Western Railway on Saturday and Sunday. Our booth will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The rail festival is located along Placerville Road in Folsom, ajacient to Starbucks and Hampton Inn. The nearest cross street is East Bidwell. The EDWR Whiting Trackmobile No. 601 will be on hand for viewing.

The FEDS Skagit Speeder No. 30 is ready to offer rides to the public Saturday and Sunday. Built around 1939, Weyerhauser Timber Co. used the speeder to haul track materials and work crews on its 26-mile logging line in Vail, Wash. Two Fairmont speeders (Models A-4 and A-6) are spotted behind the Skagit.

The motorman's station stands empty as the sun sets over Folsom. The trolley was built in 1913 by the American Car Co. PG&E ran it on the Sacramento City Lines until 1934, when it was retired. The car is currently owned and operated by the Sacramento Regional Transit Authority.

A Quick Visit to the Ione Railfair

We found an eclectic collection of speeder cars at the Ione Railfair today. Among the cars present this afternoon was the Weyerhaeuser Vail Speeder No. 30. The trolley is owned and operated by Folsom, El Dorado & Sacramento Historical Railroad Association.

The FEDS operate the Folsom Railroad Museum at 198 Wool Street, Folsom, California.

The annual event is held ajacient to the old Southern Pacific depot and yard at the south end of Ione. The Recreational Railroad Coalition sponsored the railfair for the second year. The depot is also the western terminus of the Amador Foothills Railroad, which runs east for about 11 miles to Martel.

2007 Ione Railfair this Weekend

Keith and I are planning on visiting the 2007 Ione Railfair this Saturday after the workday at the engine house.

Here's the add for the railfair from the DiscoverLiveSteam website:

2007 IONE RAILFAIR & MOW Expo.

May 12-13, 2007

Ione Railyard
339 South Mill Street
Ione, California

Ione is the western terminus of the Amador Foothills Railroad.

Antique "speeders" will be featured along with other, rarely seen and no longer used, mechanical muscles of the nations railroads. See these pieces of railroad history move on the rails of the historic AFRR.

A Skagit car, a track mobile and a Whitcomb locomotive have been invited to participate in displays and/or demonstrations in their natural habitat, the railroad tracks of Amador County.

There is no charge or entry fee to see these historic old machines in action. Owners of rehabilitated speeders will participate in a series of excursions eastbound and return in their privately owned track inspection machines.

A Living History presentation will be made with former employees of the railroad in cooperation with the Amador Historic Society. Railroad history buffs will find this particularly interesting and informative. A special railroad media presentation will be made using video.

The "Hobo Camp" for RV dry camping has been arranged again at trackside. A $10.00 fee will be charged for this unique opportunity. RV parking is available in the "Hobo Camp" to all who wish to live in recreational vehicle civilized comfort in the center of the RailFair for the weekend of the event.

For additional information contact Dave Balestreri, 916-531-7536 or Larry Bowler 916-686-5950.