WHEEL CLICKS 4411111171=- 2717

TRAIN STATION TO CONNECT RAIL LINE WITH LAX Los Angeles County transportation officials on June 26

approved a new train station designed to allow a rail connection with Los Angeles International Airport, capping decades of discussion and complaints over one of Southern California's most infamous planning problems.

In a unanimous vote, the county's Metropolitan Transportation Authority board of directors agreed to proceed with planning a $200-million light-rail station a mile and a half east of LAX' s central terminal area. The station would connect the north-south Crenshaw Line, now being built, and some trains from the east-west Green Line to a proposed monorail-like system that would link travelers to a consolidated car-rental facility, a planned ground transportation hub and the heart of LAX.

The added station, at 96th Street and Aviation Boulevard, would be less than a half-mile north of another planned Crenshaw Line stop at Century and Aviation boulevards. "This is a historic day for our city, because we're finally on the way to bringing rail to LAX," said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, vice chair of the Metro board. "We'll be able to fix a mistake of our past.- Travelers, urban planners and politicians have long bemoaned L.A. 's lack of a direct rail connection to the nation's third-busiest airport — a service available in many large cities. Passengers and airport employees who take rail to the airport must exit at the Metro Green Line's Aviation/LAX station south of the airport and transfer to shuttle buses.

Officials say the new station will speed up airport access and could include check-in counters, flight information boards and currency exchange locations. The board also asked for a review of baggage check facilities at similar airport transportation hubs in other cities to determine whether that service could be added. In an early Metro concept sketch, the station is depicted as a glass, multi-story building with covered rail platforms and a passenger drop-off area.

The 96th Street Station still must go through a final design process, environmental review and cost analysis. Additions such as ticketing areas and concessions would increase the $200-million cost. About $330 million in funding for the project is included in Measure R, a half cent transportation sales tax that county voters approved five years ago.

Bryan Pennington, Metro's executive director of engineering and construction, said the decision of June 26 shouldn't delay the scheduled 2019 opening of the Crenshaw Line, even though the added station may take longer to complete.

Los Angeles World Airports, the city agency that operates LAX, expects to finalize and approve design for the people-mover system in December. [Info. from Los Angeles Times]

CALTRAIN NEWS by MIKE GONDRON I'm not always a big fan of social media, but on June 28, it

came in handy to help arrest a woman in Mountain View who assaulted two Caltrain conductors, sending one to the hospital with a concussion and injury to her mouth.

The confrontation started aboard Train No. 444 and escalated at the San Antonio station when conductors attempted to put the assailant off the train. The assailant, who appeared drunk, then began hitting the conductors with what looked to be aback pack. A passenger took a video of the attack and posted it on Twitter where it was re-twitted numerous times, eventually reaching over 100,000 people. At the same time, the San Mateo County sheriff's office put out a tweet, asking that anyone with information on the attack come forward. The response was overwhelming and the assailant was arrested and charged with felony assault.

As they do every year, Caltrain ran special trains from San Francisco, following the city's Fourth of July fireworks display along the waterfront. This year three specials were run. The first left at 11:15 p.m., ran express to San Carlos , then made all local stops to San Jose. The other two trains left at 11:30 p.m. and 12:01 a.m., making all local stops to San Jose.

On August 5 and 6, Caltrain will run a special train, following the Beyonce/JayZ concerts at AT&T Park in San Francisco. The train will depart 25 minutes after the concerts end and will make all local stops to San Jose.

On June 18, a trespasser was struck and killed by Train No. 134 just south of Rengstorff Avenue in Mountain View. The incident delayed trains in bOth directions for over an hour. The fatality was the fourth of the year for Caltrain, a relatively low number for this far into the year. In all of 2013, there were 13 fatalities along the Caltrain tracks, and 12 in 2012.

At its June meeting, the Caltrain Board of Directors adopted a Fiscal Year 2015 operating budget that is fully balanced. The balanced budget means that there will be no service cuts or fare increases in the coming year.

The budget depends on one-time-only funds to achieve balance. The most significant source of one-time-only funds is the record setting farebox revenue, resulting from the historic growth in ridership. Fares are expected to cover $75 million of the projected operating revenue of $125.7 million. Surplus farebox revenue from Fiscal Years 2013 and 2014, coupled with member agency contributions and Mamie from shuttles, parking, grants and other sources make up the remaining income sources.

The Caltrain Board has not yet adopted its $109.1 million capital budget which covers the costs of federal and legal mandates, the Caltrain Modernization Project, and basic day-to-day maintenance.

Page 2

WHEEL CLICKS AUGUST 2014 VOLUME 78, NO. 5

EDITOR DICK FINLEY TECHNICAL EDITOR CHARLES VARNES MAILER JOHN STALLKAMP

Opinions expressed in unsigned articles are those of the editorial board, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the Society, its

officers or directors. Opinions in signed articles are those of the

author only. All rights reserved. ISSN: 0043-4744.

Published monthly by PACIFIC RAILROAD SOCIETY, INC. The

Society is a California chartered , nonprofit organization of those who

share an interest in railroad operations, travel and history. Address

and telephone are the same as for Pacific Railroad Museum.

PARTICIPATING MEMBER $45.00 per year

SUSTAINING MEMBER $60.00 per year

CORPORATE MEMBER $110.00 per year

LIFE MEMBER $500.00

PACIFIC RAILROAD MUSEUM is operated by Pacific Railroad Society

at 210 W. Bonita Ave. , San Dimas, CA 91773. Telephone: (909)

394-0616. Museum e-mail: PRSTrainman@aol.com Open Mondays:

12-5 p.m.; Wednesdays: 12-5 p.m.; Saturdays: 10 a.m.-4 p.m.

MUSEUM CURATOR DAVID HOUSH

EXCURSION DIRECTOR MARTI ANN DRAPER

WEBMASTER RUSSELL HOMAN INTERNET Home Page: http://www. pacificrailroadsociety.org

Pacific Railroad Society, Inc. is a non-profit 501 (e)(3) social

organization staffed by volunteers. The Society supports rail car

preservation and restoration; railroad excursions; a museum which

preserves and displays railroad literature, photos, artifacts and a

resource library; railroad related education; social events;; and

publications. The public is welcome to participate in the Society's

events, operations, and facilities. The Society is funded by

membership, donations, grants, and fundraising activities.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF PACIFIC RAILROAD SOCIETY, INC.

PRESIDENT VIRGINIA GRUPP

VICE-PRESIDENT WILL WALTERS

SECRETARY RICK REYES

TREASURER RICHARD WEIGLE

DIRECTOR (2012-2015) DAVID ABBOTT

DIRECTOR (2014-2017) STEVE CRISE

DIRECTOR (2012-2015) MARTI ANN DRAPER

DIRECTOR (2013-2016) ANDY NOVAK

DIRECTOR (2014-2017) ED SAALIG

PRS MEMBER MEETINGS August 1 PRS Board Meeting, 7:30 p.m.. Valencia Room Friday Joslyn Center, 210 W. Chapel Ave.. Alhambra August 2, 9, PRM Open Saturday, 10:00 a.m. — 4:00 p.m. 16, 23, 30 210 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773 August 2, 9, Saunders Yard Open Saturday, 8:30 a.m. — ? 16, 23, 30 Noakes St. & Herbert Ave., Commerce August 4, 11, PRM Open Monday, 12:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. 18, 25 210 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 01773 August 6, 13, PRM Open Wednesday, 12:00 a.m. — 5:00 p.m. 20, 27 210 W. Bonita Ave., San Dimas, CA 91773 August 8 PRS Membership Meeting, 7:30 p.m. Alh. Rm. Friday Joslyn Center, 210 W. Chapel Ave., Alhambra August 27 September Wheel Clicks Mailing, 10:00 a.m. Wednesday 1240 Dominion Ave., Pasadena. 626-794-0783

PROGRAM by Russ DAVIES

August night, Chicago! We haven't had a dedicated "Traction Night" in a few years. Harvey Laner attended the recent Chicago-based, CERA (Central Electric Railfans Association) 75th Anniversary meeting. While there he not only made a Presentation to THEM, but also shot video of all the Chicago area rail related attractions for US. On th9s evening we'll see footage of two trolley museum operations, PCCs in revenue service, and a comprehensive update of Chicagoland transit! Be there, and bring digital briefs!

`CENTURY CRUNCH' TO SHUT ROAD FOR 2 DAYS One of the two major roadways serving Los Angeles

International Airport was to be closed for more than two days in July to allow for the demolition of a defunct railroad bridge, making way for a new light-rail line to the airport. Century Boulevard will be closed for 57 consecutive hohrs at its intersection with Aviation Boulevard just east of LAX, Mayor Eric Garcetti and transit officials said June 23at a press conference.

Keeping in line with other major transportation shutdowns in L.A., mostly along the 405 Freeway, the project already has a moniker, "Century Crunch," and its own hashtag on social media, #centurycrunch. About 90,000 vehicles pass under the current bridge that sits in the corridor between the 405 Freeway and the airport. The weekend demolition project — which will begin at 9 p.m., Friday, July 25, and wrap up by 6 a.m., Monday, July 28 — will pave the way for the Crenshaw light rail line that will connect the Metro Green and Expo lines in 2019.

The former freight train bridge, which is too narrow to accommodate the two-way Crenshaw line, is located near the future site of the elevated Aviation/Century light rail station, which passengers will be able to use to transfer to airport terminals via a planned automated people mover, or tram.

"World-class cities have world-class airports — but world-class cities also have world-class transit," Garcetti told a battalion of TV news cameras. "We're here today not just because of the coming down of a bridge, we are here because rail is coming to South Los Angeles ."

Garcetti praised the collaboration between the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority , the Los Angeles Department of Transportation and Los Angeles World Airports,

WHEEL CLICKS AUGUST 2014 Page 3

which runs LAX. The mayor was confident that traffic during the Century closure would "not become an emergency," citing the dreaded "Carmageddon" debacle that the city was able to avoid when it closed down a section of the 405 Freeway in 2011 for the Sepulveda Pass Improvements Project.

Still, officials encouraged residents to avoid the area, if possible, during the road closure. A detour will route traffic north of the bridge to Manchester Avenue before dropping back down to Century Boulevard on either side of Aviation Boulevard. About a third of the cars that pass under the soon-to-be-demolished bridge are headed to and from LAX, said LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey.

The Crenshaw/LAX light rail has sparked controversybecause the $2 billion , 8.5-mile line will not actually reach LAX. It will begin at the corner of Exposition and Crenshaw boulevards in the West Adams neighborhood of Los Angeles and proceed south along Crenshaw into Inglewood before kinking southwest across the 405 Freeway. The line will stop near LAX at the Aviation/Century station, almost two miles east of the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX>

LAWA plans to build a transportation hub between the planned Aviation/Century light rail station and the airport. The transport hub will have a car rental facility and connect passengers with the airport terminals via a tramway. LAWA is expected to finalize construction plans by the end of the year, officials said. [Info. from Daily Breeze]

L.A. ADDED TO BULLET TRAIN TIMETABLE Funding by the California State Legislature opens the way for

a segment from Burbank to Palmdale. In a strategic shift to secure new funding for California's bullet train project, state officials intend to accelerate their plans to build a Los Angeles County section of the $68-billion system.

High-speed rail officials said they want to start a segment between Burbank and Palmdale in the next several years as they continue working on a 130-mile stretch of the line in the Central Valley. The revised approach could be formally adopted by the rail board as early as next month. The move addresses a central political challenge faced by the project: criticism over starting construction in the rural Central Valley and delaying benefits for Southern California and Bay Area urban areas for more than a decade.

Opponents and some supporters have attacked the Central Valley plan as a "train to nowhere," even as the region is growing quickly. High-speed train service in northern Los Angeles County could help relieve traffic congestion in a key corridor. A Palmdale to Burbank bullet train trip could take 14 minutes to 16 minutes. By contrast, existing Metrolink rail service follows a winding route built in the 1870s and takes 90 minutes — which still can be faster than driving in rush hour.

"It is a huge game-changer,"aid Richard Katz, a former state Assembly leader and current member of the Metrolink board. "The visibility will make it real and people can see where their tax dollars are being spent."

Voters approved a $9-billion bond measure in 2008 and the Obama administration has provided grants of $3.2 billion, but that is a fraction of the construction cost for the Los Angeles to

San Francisco line. Last month, as part of a new state budget, the Legislature provided about $250 million this fiscal year for the project from fees that companies pay for producing greenhouse gases, as well as 25% of future income from the levy.

Although this could still fall short of the money required to complete the project on schedule, it has put the endeavor on stronger financial footing. But significant uncertainties remain. They include the state's ability to secure all of the additional construction funding, avoid costly construction delays, weather, a growing number of legal challenges and to operate the line without taxpayer subsidies.

Starting construction in Southern California requires a significant number of government actions, including selecting an exact route, completing environmental reviews and a massive amount of technical and design work, and choosing a contractor.

Unlike the flat Central Valley , where the state hopes to begin heavy construction this summer, the San Gabriel Mountains north of Los Angeles will be a world-class engineering challenge. Involving extremely rugged terrain and a seismically active area that includes the San Andreas fault. Preliminary plans for the Los Angeles County section includes tunnels up to 8 miles long.

The rail authority has focused on a roughly 40-mile route following the Antelope Valley , which goes over Soledad Pass at an elevation of 3,225 feet. But Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, whose district includes most of the area, has asked the rail agency to consider a direct route from Burbank to Palmdale under the mountain range, requiring a tunnel about 15 miles long , according to his staff. The authority has agreed to consider the request.

Bullet train planners always expected to place a station in the San Fernando Valley, and Burbank was the most likely choice. Ultimately, the bullet train track would connect Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to the Transbay Terminal Transportation hub in central San Francisco. But by stopping construction in Burbank, at least initially, the authority would postpone the more difficult political and engineering task of reaching the heart of Los Angeles.

Sen. Kevin de Lean (D-Los Angeles ), the newly elected leader of the upper house, was a key force in speeding up bullet train construction in Los Angeles County. He had been critical of beginning the project in the Central Valley. "It's egregious," he said in a recent interview. "It's locomotive malpractice." [Info. from Los Angeles Times]

FLY AWAY EXPANDS BUS SERVICE TO LAX The FlyAway bus to LAX will soon begin serving Santa

Monica and Hollywood for $8 each way. FlyAway buses currently serve Union Station in downtown Los Angeles, Van Nuys, Westwood and the La Brea stop on the Expo Line. The idea is to give fliers the option of public transit and relieve congestion at the airport.

Santa Monica service will pick up passengers on Main Street north of Pico Boulevard at Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. It is scheduled to begin July 15. In Hollywood, passengers will be picked up on the eastern side of Vine Street half a block from Hollywood Boulevard. The new service is expected to start in mid-September. This bus also will stop at the La Brea Station of the Expo Line. Info: (866) 435-9529, www.bit.ly/TbeZro.

Page 4 WHEEL CLICKS AUGUST 2014

DISNEY HALL PRIORITY IN SUBWAY DEAL The builders of a subway that will run alongside Walt Disney

Concert Hall and the Colburn School of Music are promising to deploy a triple helping of the most advanced noise-suppression measures, which is to make sure the rumble of trains under 2nd Street won't mar audiences' musical experience or intrude on the sound quality of recordings made in the venues.

An agreement between Disney Hall's landlord, the Music Center, and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority went into effect this week, formally committing Metro to procedures to ensure that trains running through perhaps the most sensitive stretch of its 1.9-mile, $1-billion downtown Regional Cennector Project won't add audible vibrations.

The agreement sets out a process for what will happen if those preventive measures fail — with a Music Center lawsuit to collect damages as the worst-case scenario. But Metro and Music Center officials say they're confident that the precautions will allow subways to run silent and run deep (135 feet below street level) in a way that won't impinge upon Disney Hall's acclaimed acoustics. "These are wonderful L.A. places, and we're not going to do anything to undermine them,"said Art Leahy, Metro's chief executive, reiterating a promise he first made more than a year ago, when Disney Hall architect Frank Gehry and others said the result of initial sound tests were worrisome.

The subway, expected to begin running in 2020, will be too deep for the typical screeches and rumbling sounds to register in the concert venues. Instead, the threat is vibrations created when metal train wheels pass over metal tracks. Strong vibrations could send energy waves through the ground and into the concert venues, emerging as a low-frequency rumble in the halls.

Bryan Pennington, Metro's chief of engineering and construction, said that the transportation agency will make sure that three proven noise-reduction techniques will be pushed to their "ultimate capacities." He said that two of the main lines of defense are rubber padding beneath the railroad beds that support the subway tracks, and rubber insulation installed in metal fasteners that connect tracks to the railroad bed. Additionally, he said, the concrete slabs into which tracks are laid will be stiffened as much as possible — another way of making sure vibrations from the tracks won't travel.

Gehry and Yasuhisa Toyota, Disney Hall's acoustician, could not be reached July 1. Deborah Borda, president of Disney Hall's primary tenant, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, responded in a written statement: "We are pleased that the MTA is working towards preserving our city's great treasure, and trust that they will remain absolutely committed to the protection of this acoustical gem. It is imperative we remain vigilant."

Pennington said the new agreement's noise abatement goals are now codified in Metro's contracts with the subway's designers and builders — construction companies Skanska, based in Sweden, and Traylor Bros. of Evansville, Ind., and the Hatch Mott MacDonald engineering and design firm. [Info. from Los Angeles Times]

STATE AND AMTRAK CANCEL TRAIN BIDS Amtrak and the California High-Speed Rail Authority have

canceled a joint agreement to bid on high-speed trains that was

billed as a way to save money and lure train manufacturing to the United States. The agencies said on June 20 that their needs are too different and that manufacturers are not yet ready to build trains that can run on both Amtrak's 100-year old rail lines and the high-speed corridors planned for California's system.

The joint proposal announced in January called for bids by mid-May on up to 28 train sets with 400-450 seats each for Amtrak and 15 train sets with a minimum of 450 seats for high-speed rail. The number of cars per train would be up to bidders. [Info. from Pasadena Star-News]

PASSENGER TRAIN UPDATES by CHARLES VARNES AMTRAK

Amtrak is moving to acquire new trainsets to supplement and eventually replace its aging Acela Express equipment currently operating on the heavily-traveled Northeast Corridor (NEC).

In a request for Proposals (RFP), Amtrak is seeking up to 28 next-generation high-speed trainsets capable of meeting or exceeding current Acela trip-times on the existing NEC infrastructure. The new equipment is intended to have 40 percent more seats per train than current trainsets.

Amtrak's Acela Express ridership is up 7 percent over last year and trains are often sold out, especially during peak periods. On 25 occasions so far in FY 2014, the number of daily trips on Acela topped 14,000. That's compared to five times in FY 2013 and is an indication of the value placed on the convenience and comfort of high-speed rail.

Current manufactures of high-speed rail equipment, defined as manufacturers with equipment in commercial operation at speeds of at least 160 m.p.h. will be eligible to submit bids.

New Single-Level Equipment Being Tested Single-level baggage car 61000 is now in field testing and will

be used on all 15 long-distance routes across the Amtrak national system. The updated design provides for improved reliability and maintenance, and better baggage loading/unloading procedures. Also, the new built-in luggage racks can secure unboxed bicycles to support the growing demand by passengers to bring their bikes onboard an expanding number of routes.

The field testing program has several elements, including compatibility tests to ensure the baggage car couples cleanly with, and can operate through a curve without interference with, numerous types of Amtrak cars and locomotives. In addition, there are tests for speed , stability, braking, noise, interaction of the wheel sets with the rail as well as actually baggage handling.

Field testing will continue through October with the baggage car traveling on the Northeast Corridor and on routes to Chicago, New Orleans and Miami. The expectation is that new baggage cars will begin revenue service by the end of 2014.

The baggage cars are part of a larger order for 130 single-level long-distance passenger cars being built by CAF USA of Elmira, N.Y. All four car types will modernize the Amtrak fleet, improve reliability and maintenance, upgrade passenger amenities , travel at speeds up to 125 mph and replace equipment built as far back as the 1940s and 1950s. The diner, sleeper and bag-dorm cars will be used on eastern long-distance routes with the first units of each expected to begin field testing this summer.

Historical Route On-Time Performance The May 2014 historical on-time performance percentages for

selected routes were: Route

WHEEL CLICKS

May April 2014 2014

Last 12 months

Sunset Limited 46.2% 76.9% 62.8% Texas Eagle 41.9% 55.0% 41.9% Heartland Flyer 27.4% 50.0% 60.3% Southwest Chief 61.3% 75.0% 69.2% California Zephyr 17.7% 36.7% 39.7% Empire Builder 26.4% 21.0% 21.8% Coast Starlight 88.7% 75.0% 79.1% City of New Orleans 83.9% 66.7% 63.7% Pacific Surfliner 74.4% 82.0% 78.2% San Joaquin Note' 61.2% 72.8% 75.3% Capitol Corridor 96.2% 96.2% 95.4% Amtrak Cascades Note 2 74.2% 73.6% 70.4% Illinois Service Note 3 65.5% 63.5% 56.5% Missouri River Runner 71.0% 69.3% 80.5% Hiawatha 92.5% 93.7% 83.4% Michigan Services Note 4 44.2% 44.7% 36.9% Acela Express 80.3% 80.5% 74.2% Northeast Regional 78.5% 80.7% 74.6% Notes. Combined multiple route performance percentages. 1. Bakersfield-Oakland; Bakersfield-Sacramento 2. Vancouver, B.C.-Seattle; Seattle-Eugene, Ore. 3. Chicago-Quincy.; Chicago-St. Louis; Mo.; Chicago-

Carbondale 4. Chicago-Pontiac, Chicago-Port Huron; Chicago-Grand

Rapids LONG DISTANCE TRAINS

Texas Eagle Texas Eagle Trains 21/421 and 22/422 Track Work Affects Service between Dallas, Fort Worth and San Antonio0

Effective July 4 - September 3, 2014 Track improvements being performed by Union Pacific Railroad and BNSF Railway, will affect trains 21/421 and 22/422 on the dates indicated below.

Trains 21/421: July 4 through September 3, 2014 (except July 6 and 13, 2014) Bus service between Fort Worth and San Antonio

On July 4 through September 3, 2014 (except July 6 and 13 -see details below), Trains 21/421will terminate in Fort Worth. At Fort Worth, all passengers will detrain and board an Amtrak bus that will make stops at Cleburne, McGregor, Temple, Austin, San Marcos and San Antonio. At San Antonio, Train 421 passengers will board the train destined for Los Angeles and intermediate stations.

Trains 21/421: July 6 and July 13, 2014 Bus Service between Dallas and San Antonio

On Sunday, July 6 and Sunday, July 13, 2014, Trains 21/421 will terminate in Dallas, where all passengers will detrain and board an Amtrak bus that will make stops at Fort Worth, Cleburne, McGregor, Temple, Austin, San Marcos and San Antonio. At San Antonio , Train 421passengers will board the train destined for Los Angeles and intermediate stations.

Trains 22/422: July 5 through September 3, 2014 (except July 6 and 13, 2014)

AUGUST 2014 Page 5

Bus Service between San Antonio and Fort Worth On July 5 through September 3 (except July 6 and 13 - see details below), Train 422 will terminate in San Antonio. At San Antonio, all passengers aboard Trains 22/422 will board an Amtrak bus, which will make stops at San Marcos, Austin, Taylor, Temple, McGregor, Cleburne and Fort Worth. At Fort Worth, Train 22/422 passengers will board the train destined for Chicago and intermediate stations.

Trains 22/422: July 6 and July 13, 2014 Bus Service between San Antonio and Dallas

On Sunday, July 6 and Sunday, July 13, 2014, Train 422 will terminate in San Antonio. At San Antonio, all passengers aboard Trains 22/422 will board an Amtrak bus that will make stops at San Marcos, Austin, Taylor, Temple, McGregor, Cleburne, Fort Worth and Dallas. At Dallas, Train 22/422 passengers will board the train destined for Chicago and intermediate stations.

[Info. from Ken Ruben, Ed Von Nordeck]

THE RETURN HOME OF UP BIG BOY by BRIAN BLACK

On April 28, 2014, the Union Pacific Railroad commenced the move that would move Big Boy 4014 from the Rail Giants Museum at the LA County Fairgrounds in Pomona to the Union Pacific steam shop located at Cheyenne, Wyoming. There, the locomotive will be restored to operating condition and will be operated as part of the UP's steam program. Hopefully, the steam crew will have her ready to go in 2019.

The ferry train to Cheyenne consisted of SD-70M 4014 in the lead, the steam engine, another SD-70M 4884, several tool and support cars, and six empty flat cars for additional braking power. It was necessary to have a locomotive on the head end with operative brakes, since the brakes on the 4014 are mostly inoperative.

4014 was one of 25 engines of the big Boy class built in 1941 and 1945. The locomotive is 133 feet long, including the tender, weighs 1,189,500 pounds in working order. This weight includes 28 tons of coal and 24,000 gallons of water.

The last stand for the Big Boys was on the Cheyenne to Laramie district over Sherman Hill. Their last revenue runs were made in July of 1959. By then, the onslaught GP-9's and gas turbine engines from EMD and Alco-GE respectively drove even these steam giants to the scrap line. Out of the 25 Big Boys, 8 were spared the scrappers torch for display. The rest were cut up.

On May 7th, the deadhead train operated from Rock Springs, Wyoming to Laramie. We had previously promised our 12 year old grandson Dylan, that if he kept his grades up, we would take him out of school for a day to chase the move. Needless to say, number one steam fan Dylan upheld his end of the bargain!

We left home early in the morning of the 7th, drove west until we met the train at Wamsutter, Wyoming. The water in my eyes was not entirely due to the Wyoming wind as Dylan and I observed history being made. As a boy growing up in Utah, I had the good fortune to see one of the last Big Boys in operation out of Ogden. By this late date, the Big Boy territory was mostly between Rawlins and Cheyenne. This one happened to somehow stray out to Ogden. We were fishing in Weber Canyon, and had

Page 6 WHEEL CLICKS AUGUST 2014

no idea a 4000 was coming east at us. The sound and fury of that monster working up the Wasatch grade past us can only be imagined by later generations. It was the biggest and the bast doing exactly what it was designed to do; hauling a long and heavy freight, and doing it fast!

Since the deadhead train was only going about 20-25 miles an hour, it made it easy to take a picture, get ahead, and set up at the next location. This was a lot easier than trying to keep up with the 844 or the 3985 as they cruised along 60 plus.

Our first setup was on the grade between Wamsutter and Creston. 4014 seemed to be easily rolling along , with the only sound the soft clanking of the rods as a background to the howl of the eternal Wyoming wind.

The next photo setup was at Riner. Here the train made an unscheduled stop to let several trains by in both directions. The crew had the courtesy to stop where a few people were waiting, instead of pulling all the way down to the signal. Hadsell Road was the next stop, where the train rolled by at its usual sedate pace of 25 miles per hour.

A service stop was scheduled at Rawlins, where a large crowd was waiting. They looked to be mostly local people. Among the crowd was Jim Wrinn, the editor of Trains Magazine. A brief conversation with him revealed that he and a cameraman were making a DVD that will cover the entire move from Pomona to Cheyenne.

Pilot crews were changed, and the 4014 was thoroughly inspected and the crank pins greased. A cOnversation with Ed Dickens, the UP steam boss, revealed that all bearings were running cool, and no major problems had cropped up. When the train departed, it ran a short distance, and the air brakes went into emergency. After about 20 minutes, repairs were made to an air hose, and the special continued eastward.

Dylan and I made stops to take video at the east end of Sinclair and the bridge over the North Platte River at Fort Steele. At the Arch Road crossing , a few miles west of Hanna, we setup to take some still images. At this point, it was beginning to rain. We made one more stop for video at the highway overpass, and by now, it was really raining. There were severe thunderstorm watches and warnings all over the area.

Our original plan was to capture the scheduled service stop at Medicine Bow. However by now, the weather was really miserable. The temperature was about 38 degrees, and the wind was blowing the rain horizontally. Plus, I had to get Dylan home at a decent hour since he had school the next day. Therefore, we made the decision to break off the chase at the last photo spot. it was, the drive home featured rain, wind, sleet, pea soup fog west of Laramie and most of the way between Laramie and Cheyenne , more rain and fog south of Cheyenne, and a hail storm north of Denver that was bad enough to where I had to stop on the side of Interstate 25 for a few minutes until the worst of it passed.

All in all, a very rewarding day for both Dylan and me. We are all looking forward to the day the big girl operates under her own steam, and handles a tonnage train over Sherman Hill.

On the weekend of May 17-18, the city of Cheyenne and the Cheyenne Depot Museum sponsored an open house at the museum and the Union Pacific steam shop. As part of this, the steam shop was open to the public. Our son-in-law Chris,

grandson Dylan, and I took advantage of this. 4014 is now in the old machine shop, where its restoration will

take place. It sits alongside the 4-8-4 844, which is awaiting maintenance of its own. A large crowd inspected both engines, along with other equipment that is stored in the old roundhouse. Among the engines stored in the old roundhouse is Challenger class 4-6-6-4 3985.

Conversations with members of the steam crew revealed what the plans are for all three engines: 844 will be the first to be worked on. Plans were to do a full 15 year/1472 day inspection, which would keep her out of service for some time. Under Federal regulations, this is not due until 2019. The revised plan is now to renew some flues, superheater units, and renew some staybolt caps and get her back into service, hopefully by mid-summer 2014.

4014 will be next. This will be a monumental job, even though preliminary inspection of the boiler interior revealed tool marks from a previous servicing. Therefore, there should be no expensive surprises on the boiler itself. The goal is to have her ready to operate in 2019, in time for the 150th anniversary of the Golden Spike driving at Promontory, Utah.

Then it will be the 3985's turn. It needs a lot of work on the boiler, running gear, and other things. However, this will be at the time 844 is due for its 15 yr/1472 day inspection, so things may change.

Question: Will the Union Pacific re-number 4014 because there is a diesel unit on the roster with the same number ? 844 was re-numbered to 8444 because there was a GP-30 class diesel numbered 844, at that time.

Answer: No. The SD-70M diesel 4014 will get a new number. Not the Big Boy.

All of these scenarios are like anything in railroading; subject to change. Stay tuned!

NEW REGIONAL HUB OPENS IN BURBANK Passengers at Bob Hope Airport can now fly in and out of

Burbank via the first transportation hub in Southern California to serve trains, buses, cars and bikes. The $112 million Regional Intermodal Transportation Center opened June 27 in what transportation officials hope will be a national model for airports encouraging travelers to leave their cars at home.

The 520,000-square-foot center at Hollywood Way and Empire Avenue was also built to withstand a major earthquake while serving as an emergency "nerve center." Officials also announced the pending design of a $7-million pedestrian overpass to the Bob Hope Airport train station.

"This is a great day," said Diane DuBois, chair of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority board, during a morning grand opening attended by an estimated 250 officials, contractors and community members. "We're really excited that Bob Hope Airport is the first — the first, but not the last — of L.A. 's great airports on final approach to create a multilevel regional transportation hub with links to the city."

The opening of the three-story concrete and corrugated steel rail, bus, car and bike hub comes a day after MTA officials approved a $200 million train station a half-mile from LAX that won't open for nearly a decade. With pending rail and bus links throughout the San Fernando Valley and Greater Los Angeles,

WHEEL CLICKS AUGUST 2014 Page 7

transportation officials dubbed Bob Hope the airport of the future, capable of helping end a 60-year focus on car travel.

Its Empire Avenue railroad station will sone serve 10 daily Amtrak trains and 31 daily Metrolink runs to Ventura County. Another Metrolink station, being built to the north on Hollywood Way, will open in January to receive an additional 30 daily trains from the Antelope Valley. "This is another step forward, making it accessible for all of our people," said Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, an MTA board member who in the 1970s had pushed for public ownership of the airport.

The Regional lntermodal Transportation Center proved too much of a tongue twister for the dozen local and state officials at a grand opening celebrated with classic hot rods, live music and the cutting of cake decorated in its industrial likeness. They simple dubbed it RITC — or -ritsee.-

The new center includes more than 1,000 parking spaces and 11 car rental companies, four times the airport's former volume. The Consolidated Rental Car Facility opens July 15. It provides a circle for city buses whose passengers once got off at distant Hollywood Way, storage for bicycles and the airport's Metrolink and Amtrak station that opened two years ago just across Empire Avenue. And it features an 1,100-foot elevated walkway that shuttles passengers along a covered moving sidewalk to the front of the Bob Hope Airport Terminal.

The Burbaitk-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, a joint agency that runs the airport, funded the $112-million transit center through airport revenues, passenger and customer charges, federal grants and authority money. Considerable support also came through the car rental companies.

The MTA announced $3.5 million in funds toward the pedestrian bridge to help rail passengers who now carry their bags across busy Empire Avenue. With a request for proposal pending, the Empire pedestrian bridge may be completed in two or three years, airport officials said.

Meanwhile, officials heralded a transit center built to withstand an 8 magnitude earthquake, which could serve as a regional command center for emergency operations. In the event of such a cataclysmic temblor, Bob Hope Airport could serve as the center for flying in, storing and distributing emergency supplies. [Info. from Pasadena Star-News]

SPECIAL TEAMS TO FIGHT OIL TRAIN FIRES A pair of experts with decades of firefighting experience are

encouraging local and state government leaders to consider establishing SWAT-like response teams for fires involving oil trains. A series of derailments of trains loaded with crude oil in the past year has exposed numerous safety vulnerabilities, including the integrity of the rail cars, the condition of the tracks and the way the trains are operated.

The incidents also revealed a yawning gap in emergency response. Most fire departments across the country are not trained or equipped to fight the enormous fires seen in recent derailments. "Emergency response is the most difficult part," said Bob Andrews, founder and president of the San Antonio-based Bob Andrews Group. Andrews has the firefighting experience and knowledge of the rail industry.

"Groups representing firefighters, fire chiefs and emergency management agencies have testified in Congress in recent months that derailments such as those ibn Quebec, Alabama and North Dakota are beyond their response capabilities. -There's only so much training you can do," said Sam Goldwater, Andrews' business partner, "Our first responders are pretty much maxed out." Andrews and Goldwater said they've received a favorable response so far from the state and federal officials they've approached. Several states have expressed interest in their plan, which they said would be paid for with a mix of public and private funds.

Andrews and Goldwater say that airports and refineries have their own firefighting teams with special expertise and equipment. And, that's precisely what's demanded by the rise in crude oil shipments by rail. "You need the airport idea," Goldwater said , "but you need it for the 1,400 miles between North Dakota and the Delaware River.

Andrews said that the nation's 783,000 volunteer firefighters are dedicated to their work. But according to the National Volunteer Fire Council, their ranks have declined 13 percent since 1984. -It is not fair for the community, at the local or state level, to create an environment where well-meaning volunteers will feel compelled to commit themselves to conducting highly hazardous operations, that they are neither trained, nor equipped to perform," Andrews said.

In July last year, a 72-car train of Bakken crude oil rolled away and derailed at high speed in the town of Lac-Megantic, Quebec. The inferno killed 47 people and leveled much of the business district. "Volunteer firefighters and emergency response personnel being thrust into catastrophic events without adequate training or resources is a widespread problem that needs to be addressed," wrote the National Transportation Safety Board after a toxic chemical leak from a rail car in November 2012 in Paulsboro, New Jersey.

Tim Burn, a spokesman for the International Association of Fire Fighters, said that a broad-based training program was the bast approach. "It is the duty of government to provide the resources needed for hazmat response," he said, "and this public safety discussion should nbt be driven by profit motive." Goldwater said he and Andrews expected a return on their investment. However, he added, if anyone wanted to make lots of money, 'this is not the thing to do." [Info. from The Oregonian via Caroline Hobson]

LAWSUIT CONTESTS HIGH-SPEED RAIL AIR PLANS A San Rafael-based group that opposes California's high-

speed rail project filed a lawsuit June 23 contesting the state's plan to spend cap-and-trade pollution money on the $68 billion project, arguing that building the bullet train would create more pollution than it would reduce for at least a decade. The Transportation Solutions Defense and Education Fund filed the lawsuit in Fresno County Superior Court against the California Air Resources Board, the state agency responsible for ensuing California meets the emissions reduction targets in its landmark global warming law, A.B. 32. [Info. from Pasadena Star-News]

WHEEL CLICKS AUGUST 2014 Page 8

Members of Union Pacific 's steam crew prepare to inspect and service the 4014 at Wamsutter, Wyoming.

Photo by Dylan Waddell, age 12 (The author's grandson)

The train is ready to leave from the service stop at Wamsutter. The water tank used to service Union Pacific steam locomotives. It now holds the water supply for the town of Wamsutter.

Photo by Brian Black

The pistons have been removed from all four cylinders so no lubrication is necessary. Photo taken at Rawlins, Wyoming.

Photo by Brian Black

Two UP steam crewmen lubricate the crank pins and side rod brasses at Rawlins, Wyoming. Photo by Brian Black

The train clanks gently along at about 25 MPH in a driving rain storm. Arch Road is a few miles west of Hanna, Wyoming.

Photo by Brian Black

Home at Cheyenne, Wyoming at last! The 4014 sits in the UP steam shop next to 4-8-4 844. The 844 is awaiting some new flues and other boiler work A huge job awaits the UP steam crew in restoring the Big Boy!

Photo by Brian Black