Drawing of the Day-February 28, 2016 Santa Fe FP45 #98 from Orange Empire Railway Museum

I just drew Santa Fe FP45 #98 that is restored at the Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, CA. Santa Fe FP45 #98 is part of the Orange Empire Museum's "Run One" Program where you can get the chance to become a train engineer.

Growing Up Around Southern Pacific in Davis, California

I grew up along the Southern Pacific in Davis.  Many days as we drove to down along Second street, a Southern Pacific train would be heading through town.
I often saw their Hydra-Cushion box cars parked in our wide spot along the tracks.  Cars destined for the West Valley line that headed north at our venerable station would get picked up by the local.
As the trains passed by, I would wave to the engineers and conductors.  As the trains rolled onward, towards the Sierra or Oakland, I began to realize that railroads truly connected America.

Amtrak North Carolina-A Great Example of State Sponsored Amtrak Service

State sponsored Amtrak programs such as Amtrak North Carolina provide key additional connections for Amtrak passengers in many regions of our country.  The North Carolina Department of Transportation sponsors the popular Amtrak North Carolina Carolinian and Piedmont services.
States such as California, New York, North Carolina, Virginia, and many others support services in addition to the core Amtrak service.  There is truly a call for more and more states to sponsor Amtrak services, as commuting by rail grows in both practicality and popularity.  As more states sponsor Amtrak, more services become available and we all win. 

Amtrak and Its Local Trains

Amtrak and the California Department of Transportation offer commuter service on the Capitol Corridor between Auburn and San Jose.  These trains operate through my hometown of Davis. Recently, I took a trip to Raleigh to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Amtrak Carolinian.  The Amtrak Carolinian is sponsored by Amtrak and the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

Through such partnerships, Amtrak offers many such trains that extend its services for commuters and communities.

Truckee, California- A Great Place To Visit On Amtrak

As we passed through Truckee, California on the Eastbound Amtrak California Zephyr, I discovered the Truckee Railroad Museum adjacent to the Truckee Amtrak Depot. I am always grateful to see cabooses not only saved but put to a great use.

Truckee is a great town to visit nestled in the Sierra.  Truckee is located next to Donner Lake and countless water sports and Squaw Valley and many other ski resorts in the winter.

Riding the California Zephyr

Some of my first train rides were aboard the California Zephyr at William Land Park in Sacramento.  Here I am with my brother, sister and dad on a Saturday morning in 1979.

Below, I am in the lounge car of the Amtrak California Zephyr as I head to Amtrak Train Days.  Thirty-five years later, I am the same person, always eager to hear the whistle blow and to see the scenery pass by as I ride a train.

Freight and Passenger Railroads Compose Our Rail Network

Our freight railroads connect our industries, manufacturing, ports and consumers.  They provide a critical artery for commerce.

Our freight railroads also provide key corridors for Amtrak.  Freight railroads provide critical maintenance to infrastructure for our rail system to operate effectively.

As a Union Pacific intermodal train passes my vantage at the Davis, California Amtrak Station, I prepare for the arrival of the Amtrak California Zephyr.  Our railroads working together truly make America's great rail network possible.

Santa Fe's Chicago to California Connection

Santa Fe connected the Midwest with the Southwest and California.  It was known for its excellent service, its quality trains and its well-maintained right-of-way.

Santa Fe provided a key link between the agriculture of California and markets in Chicago. Its true, straight mainline provided a direct connect between Los Angeles and California's Central Valley to Kansas City and Chicago. 

Amtrak California Zephyr At Donner Lake

The Sierra Nevada Mountains truly are spectacular.  I enjoy the journey through the Sierras aboard the Amtrak California Zephyr lounge car, as I am able to relax and witness the scenic beauty.  Here our California Zephyr passes by Donner Lake, known throughout northern California for its beauty and for recreational water sports.
All seasons in the Sierra are truly beautiful.  Here our train is traveling in fall.  We witness the change in color in the cottonwood trees, which beautifully accent the evergreen.  Amtrak truly is my favorite way to explore America.

The Santa Fe Super Chief-One of America's Most Beautiful Trains

The Santa Fe Super Chief is truly one of America's most beautiful trains and is well loved and remembered as the flagship of the Santa Fe.  The Super Chief operated between Chicago and Los Angeles.  Not only was its brightly painted silver and red consist truly beautiful, but the Super Chief operated across some of America's most breathtaking landscapes as it traversed the Southwest.  Today's Amtrak Southwest Chief proudly stands upon the shoulders of this train.

My Hometown Amtrak Station Davis, CA

My local Amtrak Station in Davis, CA was completed by Southern Pacific in 1913, the same year Grand Central Terminal was completed in New York. I have boarded the Amtrak Coast Starlight and California Zephyr as well as Amtrak California Capitol Corridor trains many times at my hometown station.

In this picture, I am about to board the Amtrak California Zephyr for Amtrak Train Days in Galesburg, IL.  It truly is a great tribute to our uniformed military personnel that Amtrak welcomes them to the head of the ticket line, as stated in the poster above my shoulder.

Crossing Cajon Pass on the Amtrak Southwest Chief

In 2010, my mom and I had driven down to Los Angeles on a trip to visit with Athearn.  We spent the night in San Bernadino and had a great view of the BNSF yards.  Early the next morning, we took a trip up the mountain to watch BNSF and Union Pacific cross Cajon Pass.  It was a great experience.
A few weeks ago, I was able to cross Cajon pass on the Amtrak Southwest Chief.  It was one thing to view Cajon Pass from afar in 2010.  Crossing the mountain on Amtrak was a whole new experience altogether.  I watched freight trains on their first and last legs of their trek across America from my Amtrak window.  It truly was being a part of the action.  I will never forget this experience aboard the Amtrak Southwest Chief.

Driving West Across Nebraska to California

A summer rain fell towards the I-29 interchange at Omaha.  Mom and I headed west towards California.  Railroads always seemed to pull us to the East Coast, but life always seemed to pull us back to California.  As the rain fell, I thought of Nebraska Ahead.
The southward hook of freeway towards Lincoln and the hope that the rain would clear up or at least maintain a light pace.  The clouds did not look ominous.  Beyond lay North Platte and Union Pacific's massive hub that brings trains from all corners of the West.
I thought of California, still several days away and the West that we had to cross.  The wide open prairies that roll away from I-80 and ease into distant mountains of Wyoming, leading into the salt flats and open deserts of Utah and Nevada.  Again, we headed west.