Date: 02/03/05
Nostalgic PLA Equipment Move Part 9 - Hearst Happenings
Author: espeeboy

After the PLA train arrived at Hearst Siding on UP's Oakland Sub (halfway between Sunol and Pleasanton), the black widow/WP Geep light power made a run-around and shove move for us railfans. Sun came out a many times but also went away a few times with some light drizzle here and there. This actually entertained us there at Hearst for a good hour all while the Niles Canyon Railway crew was slowing but steadily plucking its PLA members' cars from UP track to museum track. Made for an interesting operation, kind of like model railroading.

After running around their museum train on the main from the east end of Hearst to the west end, the three unit power set pulled the museum train back clear of the interchange stub track and handed things over to the museum crew. Finally, Engineer Lou and crew switched ends to make the SP5623 black widow as the lead unit for the short light power move west to Shinn in Fremont to pick up the three PLA steam locmotives. We'll pick up the steam towing action in parts 10 and 11.
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Caught in the run-around move, SP5623 is leading for the first time of the day. Light power is heading back to the west end of Hearst to shove the rear of the train into the Museum interchange stub track.


Uncoupling the front three units from the train. A time when the sun took a you-know-what on us. Man those are some pretty spooky looking trees.


Same shot but zoomed in a little more and redone after I stomped out that distracting trackside weed in the previous photo - no joke, this was not a photoshop job.


Perhaps my favorite shot of the day with railfans in the way. Seen in the shot are PLA member George Childs, Jesus "josiahrr" Peña and son Josiah, Richard Barnes Jr (who drove up with father Barnes Senior 5+ hours from Oxnard, CA) Harry "tracktime" Wong and Keith Ode.


The view of the PLA trian at Hearst with the black widows and WP Geep missing...


Starting to make the move back around the train at West Hearst after a getting the signal to proceed east on the main...


Close-up.


The landmark Hearst rockcut cast its shadows on the light power.




Back on the West end, this random wig-wag loving dude walked up and finally discovered what that vibrating sensation was in his pocket ;)  (That is our very own "Bondo" Dan Furtado)  Lotta Trainorders.com member railfan vehicles parked along the road.


Shot of the power coming out on the caboose end of the train in order to make the shove move into the short Museum stub siding at Hearst.


I had something sprout up in front of my shot too... My foot just wasn't big enough to stomp this one out, and I don't think Photoshop could save it either... ;)  (Dan Furtado photo)


Some more sun on the west end of Hearst.


Shoving back in to Hearst siding via the Museum stub interchange.


Dead Baldwin OTR101 shoves across Pleasanton Sunol Road on the NCRY Museum - UP interchange track.


"Stop, in the name of love!"


Restored NW-2 SP1423 serves as the point unit to pull the museum hospital train equipment back to the Museum yard.


View of the interchange track recently put in by the museum and UP last year...


Ready to see some vintage SP diesel locomotives race on their own mainline through the Canyon? Didn't exactly happen but would be nice.


Last shot of this ninth series. Light power with SP5623 as the point unit is finally about to depart Hearst for the westward move to Shinn. Well known East Bay foaming buddies Richard Silagi and Ben Wang succumb to force of the dark side due to the overpowering forces of Black Widow.


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