Track Warrants
"The Electronic Internet Newsletter of Western Railroading"P.O. Box 720301
San Jose, CA 95172
USA
Issue No. 19
February 23, 1995
CalTrain 2008 leads a Capitol Train toward San Jose.
Photo by: Ken Rattenne
Where to begin? This month was one of the busiest months in railroad news ever. Derailments and accidents seemed an everyday occurrence. I have tons of wire copy I have not been able to look at. I have not had the time. I had to make a decision. While I was busy with school FLIMSIES came out on a very timely basis and scooped me. Of course we were all scooped by the real press. This was big Ògeneral news.Ó I canÕt begin to compete as a part time, spare time volunteer with the pros. This issue can almost be called the what-else-happened-in-Railroading issue.
Steve
PS-To those of you who suggested I use ÒBCCÓ to send mail. A lot of my readers are on CompuServe. It bounces mail sent that way.
Feb10--All rail and highway traffic into and out of Portland OR was severed Thursday by flooding, mudslides, and washouts caused by heavy rains. BN expects to be out of service at Portland for about a week. Flooding was reported yesterday in the vicinity of Hoyt St. Yard near Portland Union Station, and 2 feet of water over the track at Lake Yard. Wednesday night UP was blocked by a large slide near Multmomah Falls OR which also severed Interstate highway 84. Thursday morning a mudslide hit the UP APSEX 04 near Dodson OR, derailing 4 cars and knocking two of them into the Columbia River.
At 9:15 p.m. Thursday SP reported one foot of water over its main track between Clackamas and Oregon City OR; that increased to four feet Friday and SP expects to be out of service there until Sunday at the earliest. SP is also flooded at East Portland. SP is detouring the LABRF, PTLAF, LAPCX, and PTPCX on Willamette & Pacific between Albany and Willsburg Jct. OR. As of 5 p.m. Friday an LABRF was passing Amity OR on the west side line pulled by SP 9781 and SSW 9625. Only four-axle units are allowed, there's a lot of 10 mph slow orders, and there's no sidings long enough for meets. They were planning to run a PTPCX/PTLAF out of Brooklyn Yard about 10:30 p.m. Friday, on arrival of the LABRF.
In Washington state, BN has 11 mudslides between Vancouver WA and Everett WA and expects to be out of service between Vancouver and Tacoma for several days. Between Seattle and Everett WA there were six mudslides; BN hopes to get that segment open by this morning and resume traffic between Seattle and Spokane. A mudslide near Bonners Ferry ID was expected to be cleared by 6 p.m. Friday but now there's some kind of problem near Whitefish MT. Between Vancouver and Wishram WA there are washouts at mp 35.1, 35.4 and 81.4; they expect to use 350 cars of riprap to repair that line and it'll take several days. The BN Palouse Sub has several washouts between Oakesdale WA and Moscow ID, and residents are damaging the WI&M Sub by driving on it between Harvard and Princeton because it's the only access. The UP Spokane Subdivision is closed.
Palouse River RR is shut down between Colfax WA and Moscow ID; there are six washouts between Pullman WA and Moscow. Blue Mountain RR is flooded at Walla Walla, Dayton, and Waitsburg WA.
In Idaho, Camas Prairie's Grangeville Sub is out of service with slides, washouts, and severe damage to several bridges. The Orofino line has some damage but remains open.
Montana Rail Link had a derailment Friday morning at Heron MT, 40 miles east of Sandpoint ID, when the 01-021-03 derailed its locomotives (don't know how many) and four flat cars. The expect to reopen the line about 9 a.m. Sunday.
All Amtrak service in the northwest has been suspended at least through Sunday; the Empire Builder is operating only east of Whitefish MT, the Pioneer is operating only east of Ogden UT, and the Coast Starlight is operating only south of Eugene OR.
An Evergreen doublestack train, which normally would have gone to the northwest, is going to detour from Chicago to Oakland on SP, leaving Chicago today as the CHOAT-10.
Shortlines in Oregon as of 4 p.m. Thursday: W&P had several slides on the Toledo Branch and had not run for 2 days, but expected to run Friday. Willamette Valley RR had serious problems on its Mill City line and there was a large slide north of Lebanon burying about 1000 feet of track. Port of Tillamook Bay RR was shut down due to several slides. Central Oregon & Pacific still had two major slides left to clear on its Coos Bay line but expected to have it open by Friday. The Siskiyou line was operating with no problems.
Bill Farmer
Feb17--Talgo will run from Los Angeles to San Luis Obispo departing L.A. at 07:00. Amtrak West will operate a Talgo special demo trip co-sponsored by San Luis Obispo Council of Governments. Seating is limited to 225 seats. The excursion will use #776 to ferry passengers from San Luis Obispo to Santa Barbara, where they will board Talgo for the return. Special tickets are available only from San Luis Obispo station, on a first-come first-served no- reservation basis, for a non-refundable one-way fare of $23.00. A separate coupon will be issued in conjunction with the ticket which will serve as a boarding pass for Talgo at Santa Barbara. Talgo will depart Santa Barbara at approximately 10:00 and arrive San Luis Obispo about 13:00. Equipment then displayed for S.L.O. Mardi Gras.
24Feb96 Static display San Joaquin Corridor
Emeryville 08:00-09:45
Stockton 12:00-12:45
Fresno 15:30-16:15
Equipment to lay over in Bakersfield
25Feb96 Static display San Joaquin Corridor
Bakersfield 08:00-09:45
Hanford 11:00-12:00
Merced 13:45-14:30
Equipment lay over in Oakland
Revenue service on the following trains:
26Feb96 714
27Feb96 713
28Feb96 714
29Feb96 713
01Mar96 714
02Mar96 713
03Mar96 714
04Mar96 713
05Mar96 714
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After its arrival in Oakland on Sunday, Feb18, the Talgo Train deadheaded from Oakland to San Jose on Tuesday, Feb 20 in preparation for the Feb 21 run on the Peninsula Commute line. Following Amtrak #723, the train was seen rolling through San Leandro eastbound on SP's Hayward Line on Feb 20 at 15:20, with F40's 263 and 293.
Fred Holmes
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2-21-96 #715 at Pinole 5:52 PM: *802* and 4 Horizon cars.
Eric Blasko
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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 9--At 12:30 PM, Amtrak #11 was departing Oakland (very late) with two 800's for power. About an hour and a half later, the equipment from the previous day's #14 (annulled at Roseville due to flooding in Oregon), came through Pinole with the 802 on the point (presumably two 800's for power).
Other sightings:
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Just came upon Track Warrants on the net (just started surfing a week ago). Have a regional&shortline tidbit from the Santa Fe Southern for you:
"Former ATSF Bar-Lounge 1370, Acoma, purchased by the SFS last year, is expected on the property sometime in March. The car has been in private hands for some twenty years and has had to undergo required maintenance, including replacement of its wheel sets, before being moved across the country to its new owner.
"During 1996 the SFS will host nineteen visits by cars of the American Orient Express. Some of the movements will be complete trains of AOE equipment while others will consist of a few cars set out from regular Amtrak movements. In addition, Santa Fe has become somewhat of a Mecca to private car owners, not surprising given the SFS's committment to the tourist/passenger trade and its close-to-downtown terminus. Expect to see many individual and group movements to and from The City Different."
Got this when I called the SFS today to find out what's up (I'm the editor of the "New Mexico Railroader", the "organ" of the Railroad Club of New Mexico).
Also:
"Land and Buildings For Sale - Albuquerque, Feb 6, 1996. The property in and around the Santa Fe's former shop facilities is for sale. It is described on the signs as 25 acres including the two large (Depression-era) shop buildings, transfer table, and an assortment of smaller structures."
At any rate, liked the 'zine and plan on reading it as often as you're able to put it out. The RRCNM is a quasi-historical group and "NMR" is a snail-mail pub; I'm constantly scanning the net/newsgroups for NM-related info.
Blaine Bachman
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As I had suspected while watching the wreck on the video on the evening news, the wreck DID occur at Georgetown Junction! The ex-B&O Metropolitan Sub was double track ABS train order territory when I came back to the bay area in 1987 but it has since been made BI-DIRECTIONAL CTC account more MARC service (like the mid-day and reverse commuter trains operated by CSX). CSX runs 15-25 freight trains a day over the line, about half during daylight, and it is a helper district for coal and grain trains.
MATT VUREK
Feb7--I have tried several times to find where M-K is having the cars painted at Benicia. The new BART C-2 cars were done there first, and I searched all over the Industrial Park - checked every building that looked large enough to do the work. Even plotted to follow any truck I saw hauling a BART car in that direction, but I was never in the right place at the right time. I suspect it's at part of the old Berwin Railcar repair shop near the grain dock (opposite Martinez), but the buildings are always closed up and you can't see inside.
Last of new BART C-2 cars should be delivered next week, then M-K plant closes. Cars up to 2573 are in service. Concord Yard is assigned over 20 of them. AEG should move into M-K plant by April and begin rebuilding the first 200 A and B cars. Colma Station opens Feb. 24. Baypoint/W Pittsburg Station should open in the Fall. Entire Pleasanton extension should also open in the Fall.
Flanges forever!
Don Jewell
Feb2--Both railroads (ATSF and SP) and the highway (I-15) through Cajon Pass CA reopened about 11 p.m. Monday, an hour after explosives experts blew two holes in the derailed tank car which had been leaking Butyl Acrylate and threatening to explode since Sunday. The explosion was shown on television news and appeared to be only a small poof with no fire. It did not damage the newly-rebuilt track.
A hazmat team from the chemical company had been monitoring the car with a remote infrared temperature-sensing device, which indicated that the temperature of the car had decreased from the 102 degrees F they measured on Sunday. They expected the product would solidify, and indeed when they opened the car they found about 100 gallons of remaining, in a molasses-like state.
Effective immediately all westbound trains traversing the pass will be required to operate with 2-way ETDs, giving the engineer the capability of dumping the air at the rear of the train by radio control. Helper engines are being stationed at Summit to be placed on the rear of any train that does not have a functional 2-way ETD.
Amtrak #4 which went to San Bernardino, back to Los Angeles, and then detoured via Mojave is presently running about 12 hours late. Amtrak #3 this morning (Monday) will detour via Mojave, and probably #36 later today. Amtrak is planning to run #4 on its regular route Tuesday evening.
If you see an Amtrak train running with the consist reversed, that's because there is no mainline wye at Mojave; instead of using the branchline wye they are running the power around to the other end.
When the line reopened, Santa Fe had six westbound intermodal trains parked on line waiting to move.
BTW, I'm saying "Santa Fe" instead of "BNSF" because an employee told me the official merger of the railroads has been postponed from the Jan. 1 target date for technical legal reasons. The parent corporations merged in 1995.
Bill Farmer
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I caught a 3TT727 empty with BNSF 9718 and BNSF 9717 on Monday afternoon (2/12) here in Lincoln. It is a definite improvement over the existing MAC scheme, but does NOT go far enough. I have no way to post photos, so I will describe as best I can. The number on the long hood is gone. Instead, there is a 'BNSF' in Santa Fe style lettering centered front to read on the long hood in the tan band (the numbers were further back than this). The lettering is of course dark green, but I believe it has a thin red outline to it. The numbers replace the BN logo on the side of the cab, and they are the same size and style as SF numbers. What's even more cool is that the numberboards have SF style numbers, which even SF locos don't have. My guess is that there won't be too many of these. There are 62 to be delivered this year, and I don't know how many they'll get after that. I DO know that Krebs wants to cut back on new power a bit, so I doubt the options will be taken for additional MACs. In all probability, BNSF will NOT get around to figuring out its corporate image (i.e. paint scheme) until the SD70MAC order is complete, which should happen early next year, again depending on the options. At present, BNSF has something on the order of about 320 MACs on property of a 350 unit original order (with options as high as 460 or so).
Jim Gilley via Harry Wong
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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 9--Finally, also on Friday 2/9, an eastbound Santa Fe was going in the hole at Christie at 5:20 PM with:
5032-5348-BN5028-BNSF8261 !! 5348 had no lettering. He met a westbound led by 913-SP8296-234.
On either Sat. or Sun., a Santa Fe eastbound was sitting in the yard at Richmond at 11 PM with BNSF8260-BNSF8261-SP140!! There have been many SP units running around on the Santa Fe lately, including 262,226,147 and 8123.
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On Thursday 2/8 I observed the UFIX coal train that is bound for the HL&P power plant at Thompson's going through Saginaw,TX(Northwest suburb of Fort Worth, TX). The lead unit was 9712 with BNSF on the side of the locomotive in the cream stripe at about the center of the long hood. This is the first one that I have observed.
Jerry Storrs Jr. via Leonard Ruback
Steve, hope to see you at Winterrail...anyway, at least for this week, Ex-SP 4313 Now Cal, Northern 202, usually on the Willits Turn is working the Fairfield (local0 Turn out of Napa Jct. to Susuin and the SP Connection, it has worked the job by itself, buy has also worked in company with a GP-l5. Anyway sincer SP has written off all SD-9, this gives a daylight view of a SD-9 in action, It leaves Napa Jct. at 8:30am and usually works two trips over the hill before tying up back at THE JCT. AT 6PM. ENGINE WORKS UP CRESTON, A TWO % GRADE UP Jamesion Canyon between Cordelia and Napa Jct. Last SaturdAY THE SD-9 HAULED TWO LOADS AND 75 empty 89 ft. pipe flats. The REAR healper was GP-l5 l07. Healpers are COMMON on most trains over the Hill. This engine will probably join its three sisters on the Willits turn, (which often doubles Ridgewood Summit between Redwood Vallley and Willits). Call for further details 707-864-6799, also P & W and the Willamatte and Pacific, and other shortlines suffered major damage in he Oregon flood.
Mike Pechner. 2/12/96
Feb7--MUNI is trying out a simplified paint style on Flyer trolley coach 5305. It's very plain - an all white body with a narrow (about 6") orange stripe under the windows around the front to the Muni "worm" emblem about 1/3 of the way back, then the red stripe starts and goes around the rear of the coach. I guess they are trying to save money. It hasn't been adopted yet, but later this year they will order new trolley and diesel coaches. So a decision will be coming soon. I sure hope they don't pick this one because it is so plain and except for the color stripe it looks like most every other Calif. system (SAMTRANS, ACTransit. Santa Rosa, LAMetro, etc).
Muni's Boeing LRV fleet is barely hanging on. Present schedules require 90 cars on the street during AM rush hour. Most mornings only about 75 make it out of the yard.
Don Jewell
On Sunday, February 11, 1995, I spotted two high nosed GP-9s on the Texas North Orient. The units are still painted in ex-South Orient colors, but "South" has been spray painted out to allow "Texas North" to be substituted. The units were orignally exDRG&W units. They serve the original KCM&O line from Maryneal to Sweetwater, TX. The old KCM&O line north of Sweetwater to Crowell is set for abandonment. The track has not been traveled on for some time and retired boxcars which were used for equipment storage have now been removed.
An ex-Army switcher #1865 was observed in Abilene, TX on the same day. It is used to switch the old Wichita Valley RR line, formerly BN. Reports are the railroad went by Lone Star Switching, however, reporting marks of GSC (I believe this is right) were posed on a sign next to the locomotive. If any one knows more of this operation, I would be interested. Last summer they still had an ex-SP unit painted white in R&L lettering, ex-Kiamichi geep and a CSX rebuilt GP-16 which had been painted in a "Southern" green with a yellow stripe. These units appear to be off the line now and could not be located. Information on their whereabouts would be helpful.
Cary F. Poole
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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 9---A lineup for the Cal-P at 1:30 PM included the 261 West, the 9804 West, and the 9806 West.
Tuesday Feb.13 Westbound SP Pinole around 1 PM: 8600-SOO6053
Eric Blasko
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I saw the OALBT thru Pinole today at 14:50 with SP8600 and SOO 6053.
Eric Blasko
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I have received an unconfirmed report that service on SP's Vasona Branch has been suspended due to a non-SP rail accident at the end of the branch at Permanente in the Kaiser Cement plant's yard trackage in Cupertino, California. Reportedly, a few days ago, Kaiser's ex-SP EMD NW2E ran out of control out of the steep yard and into the runaway track where it and the cars it was switching promptly piled up. The Kaiser locomotive engineer is reportedly in critical condition and the NW2E was DE-stroyed. The SP "Permanente Local" has not run since. It normally runs M/W/F on duty at Newhall yard in San Jose at 13:00. The only other business on the line is the Del Monte cannery in San Jose (served by the San Jose switcher) and a lumberyard in Campbell.
Matt Vurek
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Re the contract with Granite Const to relocate the West Oakland Yard. As of last Sat. 2/10 Granite as already located several construction trailers in and adjacent to the wye - 3 are in a fenced area in the middle of the wye almost under the BART aerial structure. A new spur has been built coming of the port lead near the wash rack which passes under BART an stub ends alongside 7th St at another trailer. Track panels and other materials will probably be unloaded here. There are already some pre-assembled switches in the area.
Looks like this contract includes demolition of the 3 historic brick buildings that at one time were going to Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Jct.
Don Jewell
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Reno,1-10-96,13:15 RG5409---filthy, SP6844---filthy, EMD7017---very clean, UP B2402---clean these first 2 units were so dirty you could barely make out the #'s standing trackside!!
(Unknown sender)
Feb9-- For whatever it's worth I just thought I would pass along a sighting of UP's United Way SD40-2 #3300. It was seen on Thursday, 2/8 in the yard at Pocatello, Idaho lashed in between a UP C40-8 and an ex-SP tunnel motor stenciled over for Helm Leasing. The units made up the power for an eastbound mixed freight that left Pocatello sometime in the afternoon. UP's United Way SD40-2 #3300
(Unknown sender)
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Feb7--GRAIN GOING TO SP: Union Pacific has begun grading a new connection to the Southern Pacific Railroad at MP 32.7 at the TS/SP Crossing (Butchertown) in Modesto. A second connection will be made at Lathrop with the SP to allow Tidewater Southern Subdivision grain trains to use the SP between Lathrop and Modesto. Later this will allow other TS trains to move via SP and eliminate the one mile of street running on 9th Street. The City of Modesto has been working with both SP and UP (previously WP) to come to an agreement about removing the tracks since 1951.
Feb8--In the process of building a connection to the Southern Pacific, the UP will place a pair of switches to the SP to eliminate the crossing. Though the purpose of the move to SP trackage rights is to eliminate streetrunning through Modesto, some streetrunning will remain to access the interchange with the M&ET. Butchertown Flyer.
Feb20-- Work is progressing fast on the TS/SP Butchertown connection in Modesto. Today I noted the contractor was laying the first section of track for the new connection. Should essentially be in place by this weekend.
Rob Carlson (courtesy of Altamont Press)
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While in Nampa over the weekend, I was able to see all three of the SP MK locomotives. Numbers 501-503. Also on hand was MKCX #9902, last reported to be working on the UP. I later saw 501-503 sitting at the Boise Locomotive facility.
Probably due to the UP's need for moving freight out of Portland, there was an unusually large amount of motive power at Nampa.
Jim Burrill
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FRIDAY FEBRUARY 9--An eastbound UP (the OANP I think) departed Oakland at 10:45 AM with *6936* and 3333! Garth chased it to Stockton, where he saw 2 trains with solid CNW power (all EMD) during the 3 hours he waited for the 6936 to show up.
Eric Blasko
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Feb4--Someone took the Tidewater Southern power from the Modesto motor spur for a joy ride on 2/4! This or these individuals ran the engine and caboose back and forth on the Motor Spur, spilling the caboose and damaging the bumper. No other details, though the GSTST took the caboose back to Stockton for repairs, appeared to have step damage and some on the one side... Two GSTST trains called on 2/5/96, operating about 2 hours apart, tying up the morning commute in Modesto. The return of the grain train combined the power of both trains... returning with six units with LMS 714 wide cab on the lead. (the rest of the consist 9284/9536/5007/6005/6352) 5 empty cars and the ex-CRIP now UP caboose 25833 damaged by the joy rider(s)!
John Orr, Rob Carlson courtesy of Altamont Press
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Feb 3-Here is the list of CN units leased to the UP late last year:
CN 005000 THOJCT IL 12 16 0800 U J GTW CN 005008 GRAJCT IA 02 04 0544 U A GCCL01 CN 005017 ITASCA WI 01 23 1600 U J CN CN 005030 EIGHTENST KS 02 05 1600 U A FWKS04 CN 005032 PALESTINE TX 02 05 1209 U A SANL04 CN 005038 PROVISO IL 02 04 1612 U A SSCH02 CN 005046 SIMONDS NE 02 05 2059 U P NPCB04 CN 005048 GLEPARK KS 01 14 1720 U J BN CN 005054 CHICAGO IL 02 05 1900 U A NLCH04 CN 005064 GRADY AR 02 05 1928 U P NLLI05 CN 005080 NANGLETON TX 02 05 2035 U P GEBV04 CN 005082 STLOUIS MO 02 04 1030 L A KCCH03 PROVISO IL CN 005105 WBIGSANDY TX 02 05 2124 L P CHFW04 CN 005129 HOUSTON TX 02 04 2026 L H OI PROVISO IL CN 005139 PROVISO IL 02 03 1308 L A NPPR01 PEORIA IL CN 005179 NEWORLEAN LA 01 24 0240 U J NS PROVISO IL CN 005207 JUNLAND MO 02 05 2112 U P CHLI03 CN 005214 CHAJCT MO 02 05 2104 L P NLSM04 CN 005216 COUBLUFFS IA 02 04 1715 U A NPCB31 CN 005217 SANANTONI TX 02 05 0040 U A EOGS04 CN 005220 PROVISO IL 02 04 1319 U H OI CN 005222 PROVISO IL 02 05 1335 U H OI CN 005224 CHICAGO IL 02 04 1336 L A NLCH03 PROVISO IL CN 009304 DUPO IL 02 05 0900 U P STME01 CN 009306 NPLTWEST NE 02 05 0130 U A DULA03 CN 009309 KCMDIESL MO 02 02 0220 U H OI CN 009313 YARCENTER IL 01 20 0200 U J CN CN 009316 PALESTINE TX 02 05 1209 U A SANL04 CN 009317 WICHITA KS 02 05 0700 U A XTPW04
Those wishing to communicate via amatuer Radio while attending Winterail in Stockton the weekend of March 9, I recommend the following 2 meter and 440 channels. This repeater is just north of Stockton at Walnut Grove and has good ht coverage and the two repeaters are commonly linked.
443.4500 (PL tone 107.2) 147.3900 (PL tone 146.2) At my table at Winterail, I will be using two channels on simplex: 146.490 (PL tone 162.2) "Known as Railfan Channel 2" 443.800 (PL tone 100.0) "NorCal Talkaround channel" (Wendel's repeater is not up to parr at the present time and may not provide sufficent coverage to Stockton.) Some additional frequencies that are good to know for NorCal area: Frequency Repeater PL 147.5400 Railfan 1 162.2 (Simplex) 443.8000 Mt Diablo 100.0 145.3300 Mt Diablo 100.0 446.5000 Railfan 3 162.2 (Simplex) 443.7500 Modesto 107.2 (receive PL 179) 441.2750 Delux 100.0 These channels link through about 3/4's of California and is open for railfans: 442.6750 Mt Bullion 107.2 440.6000 Mt Hamilton 107.2 442.9500 Grass Valley 107.2 443.1250 Tehachapi 107.2 -------- Bakersfield 107.2 (Sorry, I lost the frequency!)
BAD NEWS....The following addresses have had problems with transmission and are being deleted: gprivett@YKnet.YK.CA, 951231125242_81529844@emout06.mail.aol.com
To subscribe send an E-mail to Stevesln@aimnet.com and say, "sign me up."
This document was last updated Feb 23, 1996.