1999
NRHS and R&LHS National Convention
in
Sacramento, California
from
June
21, to June 26, 1999
Hosted
by
the Central Coast Chapter, NRHS
and
the Pacific Coast Chapter, R&LHS
It is an honor for the Central Coast Chapter, NRHS and the Pacific Coast Chapter, R&LHS to be able to host a joint NRHS and R&LHS National Convention as part of California’s Sesquicentennial Celebration (the 150th anniversary of statehood). Railroads have played a major role in the growth of the state and will continue to play a major role in the future. We invite you to join us in this celebration of California’s railroad heritage.
Cordially,
Jon Porter, President
Central Coast Chapter, NRHS
William F. Howes, Jr., President
R&LHS
Sun. June 20 Registration Room opens at noon
Sun. June 20 Railfair
Mon. June 21 Buses leave late afternoon for the
Mount Shasta Scenic Excursion
Mon. June 21 Railfair
Tue. June 22 Franklin Canyon Special Excursion
Tue. June 22 Mount Shasta Scenic Excursion
Tue. June 22 Railfair
Wed. June 23 City of Tehama Excursion
Wed. June 23 Western Railway Museum
Wed. June 23 Meet the Officers Reception
Wed. June 23 Night Photo Shoot
Wed. June 23 Railfair
Thu. June 24 The West Coast Excursion
Thu. June 24 Railfair
Fri. June 25 The "Last Train to Clarksburg" Excursion
Fri. June 25 NRHS and R&LHS Business Meetings
Fri. June 25 Seminars
Fri. June 25 Railroadiana Show
Fri. June 25 Joint Annual Banquet
Fri. June 25 Railfair
Sat. June 26 Feather River Express Excursion
Sat. June 26 Yolo Shortline Photographer’s Special Excursion
Sat. June 26 San Francisco Trolley Excursion
Sat. June 26 Railroadiana Show
Sat. June 26 Railfair
Sun. June 27 R&LHS Annual Meeting
Sun. June 27 Railfair
Sun. June 27 Registration Room closes at noon
Convention Headquarters and Hotels
Because of the size of the hotels in downtown Sacramento, we are using seven hotels for the convention. The Holiday Inn, located two blocks from Railfair, is the Convention Headquarters. The other six hotels are in one of two areas: near the Holiday Inn or in the Richards Blvd. area. The Richards Blvd. hotels are about a mile north of the Holiday Inn. A shuttle bus will run frequently between the Richards Blvd. hotels and the Holiday Inn. The hotels in the Holiday Inn area are: Holiday Inn Capital Plaza (300 J Street), Vagabond Inn (909 3rd Street), and the River Boat Delta King (1000 Front St.). The River Boat Delta King is two blocks from the Holiday Inn. Because of Railfair, we cannot run a shuttle bus between Holiday Inn and the River Boat Delta King. The Richards Blvd. hotels are: Governor’s Inn (210 Richards Blvd.), Hawthorn Suites (321 Bercut Dr.), La Quinta Inn (200 Jibboom St.), and the Best Western Sandman (236 Jibboom St.). Transportation for all ticketed events will be supplied from both the Holiday Inn and the Richards Blvd. hotels.
Everyone attending the Convention must register. For those who have not pre-registered, the registration fee is $25 per family.
After checking in at your hotel, you must check in at the convention Registration Desk located in the Holiday Inn. The Registration Desk opens at noon on Sunday, June 20th. At the Registration Desk you will be given your Convention packet.
As this booklet is being printed, we are finalizing the events. The Convention Guide, in the packet you will receive when you check into the convention, contains all the details for each event. If by chance there are last-minute changes that do not make the Convention Guide, they will be posted in the registration room. Registration and ticket sales to non pre-registered NRHS and R&LHS members begins March 15, 1999.
Trains operated by the Union Pacific Railroad, Yolo Shortline, Western Railway Museum, and the McCloud Railway, along with the historic trolleys at the Western Railway Museum and in San Francisco, are being operated with Heritage equipment as described in Title-III of the Americans with Disabilities Act, and there are no facilities for assisting the physically challenged with boarding or alighting. All passengers must be physically able to board and alight from the train with a minimum of help.
Trains operated using Amtrak equipment have facilities for aiding the physically challenged in boarding and alighting from trains at the Amtrak stations. There are no facilities for handling the physically challenged at potential photo stop locations. Unless they can alight and board the train with a minimum of help, they must remain on the train at photostops.
The Central Coast Chapter, Inc., National Railway Historical Society (CC-NRHS) and the Pacific Coast Chapter, Railway & Locomotive Historical Society (PC-R&LHS) and all cooperating agents act only in the capacity of agents for passenger matters pertaining to rail transportation and associated bus transportation for these trips and as such shall not be held liable for any death, personal injury, damage, loss, accident, delays, change of itinerary, or trip cancellation (except for refund of ticket price) resulting from slides, floods, fires, earthquakes or other acts of nature. We also are not responsible for delays or cancellations (except for refund of ticket price) due to work stoppages, line blockage, sabotage, or lack of equipment availability. CC-NRHS and PC-R&LHS and cooperating agents are not responsible for the quality or content of food served by Amtrak personnel on trips using Amtrak equipment.
Each passenger and volunteer from CC-NRHS and/or PC-R&LHS must sign a liability release form before boarding the train on any trip operated with Union Pacific equipment and operated by the Union Pacific Railroad.
Central Coast Chapter, Inc., National Railway Historical Society and Pacific Coast Chapter, Railway & Locomotive Historical Society are Section 503c not-for-profit organizations. All planning and operations work associated with this Convention is performed by unpaid volunteers.
Smoking is not permitted aboard buses, or on trains operated by any of the railroads participating in this Convention. Alcoholic beverages of any kind may not be brought on board any train or bus.
After February 1, 1999, registration fees are not refundable. Ticket order changes must be requested in writing and postmarked by May 20, 1999. There is a $15.00 handling charge for any ticket order changes.
If a trip is canceled, a refund check will be sent to those who paid by personal check or money order. For those who paid by credit card, a credit will be posted to the credit card account.
Before May 20, 1999, tickets can only be purchased by NRHS and R&LHS members for their immediate family (spouse/significant other and children) and for other NRHS and R&LHS members who have already registered. After May 20, 1999 tickets will also be sold to the general public. The general public will be able to purchase event tickets, if any are available, at a local retail location.
Event tickets must be ordered using the Event Registration Form. Ticket orders not using the Event Registration Form will be returned unprocessed. The Event Registration form is supplied with the Registration Booklet, and can be submitted by mail or fax. Please fill out all the information on the form. All NRHS or R&LHS members for whom you are purchasing tickets for must be listed on the registration form. No e-mail reservations will be accepted. Payment can be made by: Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover Card, money orders, or personal check. Make money orders and personal checks payable to Central Coast Railway Club. Do not send cash.
The completed form can be either mailed to:
Registration
1999 NRHS and R&LHS National Convention
P.O. Box 8289
San Jose, CA 95155-8289
or faxed to: (408) 225-4288.
For events that have multiple ticket prices, there is a statement to check for each ticket price where there is an available lower-price ticket. If you check this statement, we will substitute tickets from the next lower price range if the tickets with the requested ticket price are sold out. Check all the statements in the different lower-price ranges until the last acceptable ticket price is selected. We will substitute the highest price ticket that is available in the selected range for a sold-out requested ticket. If you pay by check, the price difference will be refunded to you. Credit cards will only be charged for the actual total ticket order amount. If a box is not checked, or a ticket in the range specified is not available, you will be contacted by telephone or e-mail to make alternative arrangements.
We will not mail the event tickets to you, although we will mail a confirmation to you. The event tickets will be in your Convention packet that you pick up when you check in at the registration desk. The Convention packets for those joining the Convention in McCloud will be available at the boarding point before train departure.
By Rail ... Sacramento is served by the following Amtrak trains: Coast Starlight, California Zephyr, Capitol, and the San Joaquin. Amtrak offers a 10% discount to AAA and NARP members or a 15% discount for people over 62 years of age.
The Holiday Inn and the Vagabond Inn are about two blocks from the Amtrak station. All hotels are a short cab ride from the Amtrak station.
By Air ... We will not provide a shuttle between the airport and the hotels. The following hotels provide a complimentary shuttle from the Sacramento airport for their guests: Vagabond Inn Old Town (6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.), Governor’s Inn (6:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.), La Quinta Inn (5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.) and the Best Western Sandman (9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.). The Yolobus operates between the airport and downtown Sacramento on a fixed schedule, the cost is $1.00. For further information, call Yolobus at (916) 371-2877. SuperShuttle Sacramento operates between the airport and the hotels. For cost and further information, call SuperShuttle Sacramento at (800) 258-3826 or (916) 557-8370.
By Car ... To get to the Holiday Inn, Vagabond Inn, and Delta King, take the J Street exit off Interstate 5 (between Interstate 80 and Business 80). Both the Holiday Inn and the Vagabond Inn are visible at the foot of the off ramp. To get to the Delta King, turn right on 3rd street from J Street. Turn right on Capitol Avenue and then right again on Front Street.
The Richards Blvd. area hotels are all within two blocks of Interstate 5. Get to them by taking the Richards Blvd. exit off Interstate 5 (between Interstate 80 and Business 80). For the Governor’s Inn (210 Richards Blvd.), take Richards Blvd. east. For the Hawthorn Suites (321 Bercut Dr.), take Richards Blvd. east and turn left onto Bercut Dr. For the La Quinta Inn (200 Jibboom St.) and the Best Western Sandman (236 Jibboom St.), take Richards Blvd. west and turn left onto Jibboom St.
NOTE: All times are subject to change. The actual times will be on the tickets that you pick up when you check in at the registration desk.
All excursions, except for the McCloud Railway, Yolo Shortline, and Western Railway Museum excursions, leave from the Sacramento Amtrak Station, which is an easy walk from the Holiday Inn. We will supply bus transportation to and from both the Holiday Inn and the Richards Blvd. hotels to the Sacramento Amtrak Station. The buses for the McCloud Railway excursion leave and return to the Holiday Inn and the Richards Blvd. hotels.
On the excursions, we request that passengers wear closed shoes (i.e. no sandals or thongs) as there are many situations where damage to feet in open shoes can occur. This includes both on and off the train. Your cooperation is requested.
Some of the excursions have different priced tickets. The terms that describe the different ticket prices are:
Deluxe Dome - A seat in the dome section of an observation car, with deluxe food service. Passengers from other cars are not permitted in the observation car.
Deluxe Observation - A seat in the lower section of an observation car, with deluxe food service. Passengers from other cars are not permitted in the observation car.
Dome - A seat in the dome section of a dome car.
Coach - A seat in the lower part of a dome car or in a car with all reclining seats.
Economy - A non-reclining chair located at a table.
Railfair
For ten days beginning June 18, 1999, Old Sacramento is the location of one of the largest, most elaborate railroad celebrations in the world. Historic locomotives and cars, special train operations, performances, exhibits, and demonstrations will make this a festive event for the entire family. Railfair ’99 will tell the story of railroading and the ways it has shaped our lives, our economy, and our culture.
The theme of this final Great Railroad Fair of the 20th century is "California Calls You." A hundred years ago, California beckoned to Americans from back East and immigrants from around the globe anxious to start a new life in this land of natural abundance. Today it is a call for a reunion: a retrospective of the glory days of steam and the men and women who built the mightiest railroad network in the world.
Railfair ’99 is also a celebration of railroading’s present and future. On display will be replicas of early locomotives, the oldest operating engines on the continent, examples of some of the largest engines ever built, and the very latest diesel electrics.
Railfair web address: www.csrmf.org/railfair
Ticket Info: Railfair
We have made special arrangements with the California State Railroad Museum to offer the 10-day, 3-day and single-day adult and youth passes at a discounted price. Tickets can not be picked up prior to the Registration Room opening on June 20, 1999.
Railfair adult 10-day pass $45 (normal advance purchase is $60)
Railfair adult 3-day pass $25 (normal advance purchase is $30)
Railfair adult single-day pass $9 (normal advance purchase is $12)
Railfair youth (6-12) 10-day pass $34 (normal advance purchase is $45)
Railfair youth (6-12) 3-day pass $19 (normal advance purchase is $23)
Railfair youth (6-12) single-day pass $7 (normal advance purchase is $9)
Railfair child 5 & under Free
Monday & Tuesday June 21-22, 1999
Mount Shasta Scenic
This trip on the McCloud Railway will be California’s mountain railroading at its best. The McCloud Railway is located 230 miles north of Sacramento, at the base of majestic 14,162-foot high Mount Shasta.
Most of Tuesday will be spent on the McCloud Railway and the rail-road will be ours. The morning operations will use 1925 Alco 2-6-2 No. 25 and 1915 Baldwin 2-8-2 No. 18 double-heading our passenger train up the 4% grade to the switchback at Signal Butte and beyond. The afternoon will be spent on the wooded 15-mile line to the wye at Bartle with one steam engine on the freight train and the other hauling our passenger train. McCloud Railway President Jeff Forbis promises lots of photo stops, many with Mt. Shasta in the background.
This will probably be the most exciting day of railfanning at the Convention. Lunch is included.
Click here for MAP
Trip options: Passengers may elect to drive to McCloud and stay in a McCloud area hotel on their own. We are also offering a package with luxury bus transportation from Sacramento to McCloud, hotel Monday night in Redding (60 miles from McCloud), the train trip, and a box dinner with beverage for the Tuesday ride back to Sacramento. With the package there is a choice of two classes of hotels, deluxe and economy. Each with single and double occupancy rooms. The deluxe hotels are the Best Western Hilltop, Holiday Inn and Grand Manor. The economy hotels are the La Quinta and Comfort Inn. It is up to our discretion on hotel assignments within a class.
Times: For the non-transportation option, meet us in McCloud, California at 8:30 a.m. The train will be at the Depot.
For those taking the transportation option, the McCloud Railway event buses leave from the Holiday Inn and Richards Blvd. hotels at 3 p.m. on June 21. We expect to return by 8:00 p.m. on the 22nd.
McCloud Railway web address: www.mctrain.com
Ticket Info: Mount Shasta Scenic
For those taking the Train Only option, you check into the Convention and pick up your Convention packet in McCloud at the train.
Train Only option - $149 SOLD OUT!
Package with deluxe double occupancy room (price is per person with a two person requirement per room) - $227 SOLD OUT!
Package with deluxe single occupancy room - $274 SOLD OUT!
Package with economy double occupancy room (price is per person with a two person requirement per room) - $214 SOLD OUT!
Package with economy single occupancy room - $248 SOLD OUT!
Franklin Canyon Special
This trip offers 25 rare miles on the BNSF from Port Chicago to Richmond. We leave Sacramento on a train of Amtrak low-level cars and one full-length dome car for this fast trip to Stockton, around the connector at the famous Stockton Tower, then west to Port Chicago and through Franklin Canyon to Richmond over tracks once used by the San Francisco Chief. From the Richmond BNSF yard, we retrace our route back to Sacramento. Power is expected to be push-pull Amtrak diesels. A box lunch is included.
Photo stops are planned as time allows.
Click here for MAP.
Times: Buses leave Convention hotels for the Sacramento Amtrak station at 7:00 a.m. and the train departs at 8:15 a.m. We expect to return at 5:00 p.m.
Ticket info: Franklin Canyon Special
Dome seating - $134 SOLD OUT!
Coach seating - $89
City of Tehama
This is a not-to-be-missed high-speed trip behind mainline steam with no diesel helpers. UP 844 will haul an 18-car train at track speeds of up to 70 mph from Sacramento through the beautiful Sacramento Valley to Tehama and back. It’s railroading as it used to be with a high-horsepower 4-8-4 hauling an 18-car train! We are hoping for some itinerary surprises. Box lunch is included.
Photo stops are planned as time will allow.
Click here for MAP.
Times: Buses leave Convention hotels for the Sacramento Amtrak station at 7:00 a.m. and the train departs at 8:15 a.m. We expect to return at 5:00 p.m.
Ticket info: City of Tehama
Deluxe Dome seating - $219 SOLD OUT!
Deluxe Observation seating - $199 SOLD OUT!
Dome seating - $175 SOLD OUT!
Coach seating - $129 SOLD OUT!
Economy seating - $89 SOLD OUT!
Western Railway Museum
For traction fans, we have an all-day trip to the Western Railway Museum at Rio Vista Junction. This museum has one of the finest collections of historic streetcars and interurbans in the West, including many cars from the Bay Area’s Key System and the Sacramento Northern Railway. We will see many of these cars in operation. In the morning, buses will take us to Dozier, where we will board a train pulled by one of the museum’s vintage diesels. The train will travel south for 6.5 miles along the former Sacramento Northern main line to Rio Vista Junction, where we will disembark for a day of activity at the museum. Electric trains will operate regularly along the electrified portion of the railroad south of the museum, a distance of over four miles. The surrounding countryside has changed very little since the 1940’s when trains operated on the line, providing a re-creation of an historic interurban train. Additional cars will be operating around the loop on the museum grounds, providing numerous photographic opportunities. Other cars will be on display in the museum’s carbarns. This is a rare opportunity to ride and photograph much of the museum’s operating equipment in a single day. A catered lunch will be provided on the museum grounds.
Time: Buses will leave the Convention hotels at 8:30 a.m. and return by 5:00 p.m.
Western Railway Museum web address: www.wrm.org
Ticket info: Western Railway Museum
Western Railway Museum - $79
Meet the NRHS and R&LHS Officers
An informal reception, hosted by the Officers of both the NRHS and R&LHS, will be held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Mark Twain Salon on the River Boat Delta King. For those who need assistance, a special shuttle van will run from the Holiday Inn.
There is no charge for this event, but to help us provide proper space, please indicate the number of people that will attend this function as Event 6 on the ticket order form.
Night Photo Shoot
This should be an interesting night photo session. It will be conducted by noted rail photographer Mike Del Vecchio and take place at the Western Railway Museum. It will feature several pieces of the museum’s historic collection.
Times: Buses leave Convention hotels for the Western Railway Museum station at 8:30 p.m. We expect to return by midnight.
Ticket info: Night Photo Shoot
Night Photo Shoot - $39 SOLD OUT!
The West Coast
We make a fast run down the San Joaquin Valley over the UP before turning west to climb the golden hills up to Altamont Pass. We race across the Livermore Valley and roll down Niles Canyon before passing through East Bay cities to a stop at Oakland’s Jack London Square. This mecca of shops and restaurants may interest you, or you may want to walk a 1/4 mile to the ferry terminal for the scenic ferry ride across San Francisco Bay to the historic San Francisco Ferry Building or the famous Fisherman’s Wharf. There is plenty of time for shopping and lunch at Fisherman’s Wharf, at Pier 39, or at Union Square before catching the ferry back to Jack London Square. Our return to Sacramento is via the "Cal-P" line that skirts San Pablo Bay and the Carquinez Strait before crossing the wide Sacramento River for some 79 mph running to Sacramento. We have a train of Amtrak low-level cars and one full-length dome for this fast trip, powered by an Amtrak diesel. Lunch may be purchased in either Jack London Square or San Francisco. Photo stops are planned as time allows.
Click here for MAP
Times: Buses leave Convention hotels for the Sacramento Amtrak station at 7:00 a.m. and the train departs at 8:15 a.m. We expect to return at 6:30 p.m.
Ticket info: The West Coast
Ticket prices do not include the price of the ferry to San Francisco. You can purchase a round-trip ferry ticket on board the ferry for $8 adults, $5 seniors (65 and over), or $3 children.
Dome seating - $124 SOLD OUT!
Coach seating - $79
The "Last Train to Clarksburg"
This morning we offer a short trip on the ex-Sacramento Northern Holland Branch of the Yolo Shortline Railroad. Our train, consisting of a Yolo Shortline diesel locomotive and heritage equipment, will operate from West Sacramento to Clarksburg and return, a distance of nine miles each way. This will be a rare opportunity to ride this branch, which no longer sees any regular freight and never has seen any scheduled passenger service.
Click here for MAP.
Yolo Shortline web address: www.ysrr.com
Times: Buses will leave Convention hotels at 8:30 a.m., and will return by noon. Train access is only by bus.
Ticket info: The "Last Train to Clarksburg"
The Last Train to Clarksburg - $39
Seminars and Business Meetings
The seminars will be held at the Holiday Inn.. Room designations will be posted
R&LHS Directors Meeting, 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon
Chris Skow - "Western Pacific Railroad: The Final Years," 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. - A conductor’s photo collection taken during his 27 years working on the WP. Includes slides taken while on duty over the entire WP system from Oakland to Salt Lake City, the Highline, branch lines and the Tidewater Southern.
Ted Benson - "Sierra: The Most Photographed Railroad in the World," 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. - Features the camera work of "Three Dudes from Modesto." Guy Dunscomb, Al Rose and Ted Benson. Includes black and white slides of the Sierra Railroad from 1937 to 1997, followed by color photography by Benson from 1967 to 1997.
Richard Steinheimer and Shirley Burman - "Life on a Mountain: Donner Pass and a Town Called Norden," 11:00 a.m. to noon - Show will highlight 14 years of photographing railroad workers and vistors to the Sierra Nevada mountains. Includes the people who worked at Norden for the Southern Pacific Railroad, the construction of the new snow sheds and the tearing up of the original Donner Pass line.
NRHS Board Meeting, 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Kyle Wyatt - "Passenger Travel in the 19th Century: The Golden Era," 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. - An illustrated slide tour of what it was like to travel by train during the 19th Century, from the Victorian splendor of a private car to the gritty mode of riding the rods.
Wendell Huffman - "Three Lives of the Sacramento Valley Rail Road," - 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. - The presentation will focus on California’s first railroad, the SVRR, first in the context of the California Gold Rush and the anticipated Transcontinental Railroad; secondly, as a rival of the Central Pacific Railroad for the commerce of the Comstock; and thirdly, as an "autonomous" SP property.
NRHS Membership Meeting, 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Eric Jacobsen and Arthur Lloyd - "Operation Lifesaver: Its National and California Focus," 3:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. - They will discuss what OLS is doing nationally and in California to increase public awareness about safety around railroad property. Topics will include the two biggest concerns, trespassing and grade crossing collisions.
David Pfeiffer - "How to Research a Railroad Topic through the National Archives," 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. - David Pfeiffer is an archivist in the Civilian Records Section of the National Archives. As part of his presentation, he will go step-by-step through an example subject, the Southern Pacific Railroad in California, so you can become familiar with the process.
Friday and Saturday June 25-26, 1999
Railroadiana Show
Vendors with railroadiana for sale will be in the Grand Ballroom of the Holiday Inn from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.on both days. Admission is free for Convention registrants who are wearing their badges.
Additional information, including a printable Table Reservation Form is available on the Railroadiana Show page.
Joint Annual Banquet
The NRHS and R&LHS Joint Annual Banquet will be held at the Sacramento Convention Center at 7 p.m., preceeded by a social hour with a cash bar at 6 p.m. The cash bar will remain open during the banquet.
All entries include :
Vintner’s Salad
Chocolate Pyramid dessert.
The choices of entrees are:
Champagne Chicken (boneless chicken breast with creamy champagne sauce, sprinkled with confetti vegetables, and served with couscous and seasonal vegetables)
Sliced Tenderloin (generous portion of choice tenderloins of beef with a Cabernet sauce, served with whipped garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables)
Vegetarian Plate (mushroom pillow with a champagne sauce and seasonal vegetables).
The guest speaker for the banquet is Jim Larson, recently retired Amtrak Assistant Vice President-Operations, who will speak on Amtrak’s operating agreements with the railroads.
Reserving a place at a table: In the Convention Registration Room a seating chart will be posted where you can reserve a chair at a specific table.
Getting there: Shuttle buses to the Sacramento Convention Center from both the Holiday Inn and the Richards Blvd. hotels will run at regular intervals from 5:45 p.m. until the end of the banquet. Those staying at the Riverboat Delta King, must walk to the Holiday Inn to get a shuttle bus.
Ticket info: Joint Annual Banquet
Champagne Chicken - $35 SOLD OUT!
Sliced Tenderloin - $35 SOLD OUT!
Vegetarian Plate - $35 SOLD OUT!
Feather River Express
Another must-do trip to the Keddie Wye, this time behind UP 3985, the world’s largest operating steam locomotive, assisted by the famous three-unit E-9 diesel set. This is one of the top ten trips in North America for spectacular scenery with 45 miles of steady 1% grade, many tunnels and rails that seldom stop turning as they follow the Feather River toward its head waters in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. The much photographed Keddie Wye is located partly on bridges in a narrow canyon. A box lunch is provided.
Photo stops are planned as time allows.
Click here for MAP
Times: Buses leave Convention hotels for the Sacramento Amtrak station at 6:30 a.m. and the train departs at 7:45 a.m. We expect to return at 8:30 p.m.
Ticket info: Feather River Express
Deluxe Dome seating - $239 SOLD OUT!
Deluxe Observation seating - $209 SOLD OUT!
Dome seating - $189 SOLD OUT!
Coach seating - $159 SOLD OUT!
Economy seating - $125 SOLD OUT!
Yolo Shortline Photographer’s Special
Today we offer a unique experience on the Yolo Shortline Railroad. Not only will we ride the entire railroad on a diesel-powered train, we will also observe and photograph a steam-powered freight train using former Southern Pacific 0-6-0 no. 1233. Our trip will be covering the Woodland branch and run on 15 miles on former Sacramento Northern trackage. The steam-powered freight train will run right behind us, and we will make several stops to photograph both trains. In West Sacramento, we will be bused to the north end of the Holland Branch, where both trains will continue their trips to Clarksburg, on the Holland Branch, another nine miles. (Unfortunately, Yolo Shortline is not permitted to carry passengers on the UP-owned portion of trackage in West Sacramento.) Our passenger train will take us back to West Sacramento. Lunch will be provided at a near by restaurant with the following choices: Garlic Steak Sandwich, Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich, and a Spaghetti & Ravioli Plate.
Click here for MAP.
Times: Buses leave Convention hotels at 8:00 a.m., and are scheduled to return at 5:00 p.m. Train access is only by bus.
Yolo Shortline web address: www.ysrr.com
Ticket info: Yolo Shortline Photographer’s Special
Yolo Shortline Photographer’s Special - Garlic Steak Sandwich - $89
Yolo Shortline Photographer’s Special - Grilled Chicken Breast Sandwich - $89
Yolo Shortline Photographer’s Special - Spaghetti and Ravioli Plate - $89
San Francisco Historic Trolley Car Trip
The trip begins by leaving the Sacramento Amtrak Station on a regularly scheduled Amtrak Capitol to Richmond. At Richmond we transfer to BART for a ride to the Embarcadero station in San Francisco. After exiting the station, we board the historic trolley cars for a 3.5-hour charter ending at the Geneva Car House. After a tour of the facility, we hop on BART and take it to the West Pittsburg station at the end of one of the new lines. Buses will be waiting there to take us back to Sacramento. There will be a box lunch served.
Times: Buses leave Convention hotels for the Sacramento Amtrak station at 7:45 a.m. and the train departs at 8:45 a.m. We expect to return at 6:00 p.m.
MUNI web address: www.ci.sf.ca.us/muni
Market Street Railway web address: www.streetcar.org
Ticket info: San Francisco Historic Trolley Car Trip
San Francisco Historic Trolley Car Trip - $89
R&LHS Membership Meeting
The annual R&LHS Membership Meeting will be held at 8:00 AM in the Mark Twain Salon in the Riverboat Delta King.
Other Things to do In Sacramento
In addition to the Convention events, there are other things to see and do in Sacramento. Here are a few of them.
Shopping - The Downtown Plaza shopping mall is located next to the Holiday Inn.
Gray Line Sacramento - 2600 North Ave., Sacramento, CA 95838 - (800) 356-9838 - www.graylinetours.com - Provides day and half- day tours. They have tours of Sacramento, Napa Valley, and the Gold Country.
State Capitol - Located on 10th Street between N and L streets. - (916) 324-0333 - Tours are offered daily.
Old Governor’s Mansion - 16th and H Streets - (916) 323-3047 - Former home of the governors of California. Tours are offered daily.
Sutter’s Fort State Historic Park - 2701 L Street - (916) 445-4422 - Fort built by John Sutter, founder of Sacramento. Tours are offered daily.
Crocker Art Museum - 216 O Street between 2nd and 3rd streets - (916) 264-5423.
Towe Ford Museum - 2200 Front Street, Sacramento CA 95818 - (916) 442-6802 - www.classicar.com/museums/toweford/toweford.htm - "The world’s most complete antique Ford museum."
Have questions not answered on this Web Page?
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main page at: www.goldenstaterails.com
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email us at: info@goldenstaterails.com
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Write us at:
1999 NRHS and R&LHS National Convention
P.O. Box 8289
San Jose, CA 95155-8289
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Fax us at: (408) 225-4288
This page is maintained by Dennis Hanley, and was last updated on 6/10/1999. Your comments are welcome.