I took some time off from the tables on my recent getaway to Reno, and headed up to Portola California, where this great museum is. For a price, you can drive one of their locomotives!
This was formerly a Western Pacific facility back in the day, now it sits adjacent to the Union Pacific's (The railroad that bought out the WP in the early 80s) small yard in the city.
The biggest diesel to ever roam the UP's rails, the DD-40-X.
Nothing running today beats the beautiful art deco style of the original EMD F units. This one was ordered to lead the original California Zephyr.
Not many EMD switchers left in field service on the big railroads these days.
The WP was unique in that it never ran six axle diesels.
This was the paint scheme for the Southern Pacific - Santa Fe merger that never came to be, now well faded from the original "Kodak" colors of course.
I don't walk so well, so I could only scratch the surface here. For 8 bucks you get to wander around and crawl on or in anything on the grounds. Not a bad deal at all!
If your ever in the Reno area, it's about an hour drive north, and a nice complement to the Reno Car museum, and both can easily bee seen in one day.
