Date: 01/27/05
Nostalgic PLA Equipment Move Part 7 - Black Widows Under Rainbows
Author: espeeboy
Well, there were at least three sets of different rainbows trackside on the PLA/Black Widow chase that soggy yet somehow half sunny Saturday 20 days ago. Got a bad shot of the first one at CP Carter in Newark. Missed a golden shot of the second one at CP Cherry at Newark. Sorta rebounded on this one and nailed it a few minutes later down the road - not perfect though. Finally missed the third chance at catching a 'bow at Sunol later in the day. This should have come out nice in good storm light except the second PLA Museum move train coming out of the canyon ended up stopping just a few hundred feet short of us. Some reason due to some steam engine mechanical parts smoking up or something.

Here is the rebound second shot of the Newark/Fremont. We all missed seeing it until it was too late at CP Cherry probably no thanks to too much foaming at the mouth at the PLA train passing.

I don't care what the Manly Men say, rainbows kick @$$! Since this is now Ahnold country, does that make me a Girly Man?


The first bad shot of one at soggy Carter (Dumbarton wye). It had originally been a double rainbow...

Back to the main less colorful focus of our chase.

Almost time for the train to roll off the Coast Line. Was only a short 19 mile trip on the former SP line but theres more ex-SP action ahead on the old SP Centerville Line.

Overcast rostershot.

This would prove to be the best seat (or platform) in the area for viewing rainbows. Wonder if the PLA rear hack crew guys got any good rainbow shots?

Coming to a stop rounding the curve at CP Cherry at a red hold signal of course to the delight of a few railfans waiting here. A northbound Amtrak Capitol had also come off the coastline from the south leaving San Jose with the "Espee P42" pushing. It was crossing over ahead from the southern main to the northern main after their station stop at Fremont/Centerville.

How about a "rear-end rostershot" of Mr. Rostershots (Tony Madieros) doing what he loves best...
... balancing on ribbon rail while shooting video! Madieros kids, don't try this at home.

Some sun was coming out when Lou got the green to proceed east on the Centerville line to Niles Junction and the Canyon. Widows just look so classy don't they?

Again at CP Cherry passing under one of UP's many monsterous over-engineered cantelevered signal bridges that are recently springing up all over the Bay Area.

There's the good sun angle on the caboose as it passes through CP Cherry. Yup, we're all missing the rainbow shot - except for Evan.

Thought this was an appropriate closing shot for part seven - railfans soft over rainbows. I must admit, it is nice to shoot both ends of a train. We youingin' railfans of the modern F.R.E.D. era don't quite get the feeling of how it used to be in shooting both the headend power and the rear caboose of one train!

Looks like the PLA guys on the SSW hack were going a little soft over the rainbow too.

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