As a former meatball the mention of Donner Pass gives 3:00 me the chills. Use to deliver fresh pork from Waterloo, Iowa to Safeway Distribution site in Sacramento, California. 40,000 pounds going down 49 miles of steep grades. Plus. No jake brake. 1987 International COE EAGLE..
Oh man, yeah, gotta be in the right gear for sure! The train wheels were just picking up grease from the flange greasers and they were hot enough to burn it off. I don’t think the brakes were really too much of an issue.
Hi George, Another wonderful video. The scenery on the Donner Pass was spectacularly The railroad must have to change the brake pads on the cars frequently if the brakes are burning while decending the mountain. What an adventure you had to get back home. Thanks.
George, I wish I could do this 1 time in my life, but there are many reason why I cant, but your videos get me close to that, So thank you so much for them!! Your the coolest!! Take care!
My wife and I rode the California Zephyr from Sacramento to Chicago for our 50th wedding anniversary trip. What a beautiful train ride. Thank you, George. Waldo has got nothing on you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year.
Very cool - I rode the Zephyr many decades ago from Denver to Sacramento - when I was maybe 10 - all the stops on the route are still burned into my brain from memories of that one trip - I hadn’t spent much time in the West, and they all sounded very exotic to me somehow - Elko, Winnemucca Sparks, Reno, Truckee, Colfax…I swear we stopped in Ogden back then instead of SLC, but maybe I’m misremembering.
Hi, George. I enjoyed the video. All the reels I'm seeing from Truckee make me think you really dodged a bullet. I know you rode well ahead of the snows though. Beautiful scenery!🎉
@@bradbarbee528 had I known I'd be rolling through there I would have spent a couple days fishing the Truckee and visiting friends. Oh well, a reason to go back!
I thoroughly enjoyed following your trip to Stockton via Donner Pass because my dear late wife and I have made a few visits to the area (Reno, Truckee, Lake Tahoe etc) in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. I’ve got some found memories of the railroad scenery SW of Truckee overlooking Donner Lake in Dec 2005 covered with snow and the rail line clinging to the cliff face. Had a great meal on one trip at Dingus Magee's Road house near Bowman on the I80.
Another great video George. You sure bring back memories of all the container trains I checked while passing through Windsor Ontario, going to Detroit Michigan. From the retired CP Rail Bull. Be safe out there.
Hello George from Prescott Arizona another frantic video thanks so very much for sharing it with us happy holidays and always enjoy your adventures and also always ride safe
Hey George, that "crack" you saw on 267 is an expansion joint - it allows the concrete to expand and contract with the weather so the bridge doesn't rip itself apart. Pretty jarring example though, I must admit 😅
@@jameschristiansson3137 After reading your comment, I did some Googling myself, and the only examples close to that I could find were all in California. I'm guessing it likely has to do with earthquakes, because I vaguely rememberhearing they played a part in the 1994 Northridge highway collapse (But don't quote me on that, I was ~10 years old at the time).
Yes! I popped onto TH-cam and there was a new JOTC video. Evening made! Something to enjoy along with the TG leftovers. Beautiful ride, as always - glad you ended up making it to, well, wherever you were heading....or weren't heading....or whatever. Your music choices are always clutch, but that Cleveland Park was a particularly solid choice of soundtrack.
Always great to see a video from you George. Hope all is well with you and Terri. I love in videos, your commentary, history on places and things you pass, pointing out major highways (RROP or OPRR) to help us know where you are geographically. Thank you for your videos, giving us watching it an idea of what the freedom feels like. Im findiing it's been harder since we have bought a house and my wife cannot travel nurse any longer. I wanna be out exploring, seeing new things and experiences. Prob all prt of my mid life crisis, i just rolled overvmy speedometer to 50. Seems like a lot of your most recent videos have had some small bit of shift storm or a shitshow! Lol
In my dreams I ride the rails to California, down through Pueblo, La Junta, and Raton. Those dreams are based on the rides I took as a Kid on The Chief, Denver-LA section. Too young to be a hobo, I would stand for hours at the very back of the train, in the vestibule, where there was only a pantograph gate seperating me from the rails playing out behind us as we sped through NM and AZ at 90 mph. There was the noise you hear now, George, and a curious smell on the ties which is long gone. Back then, you couldn't flush in the station!
Great video George even though you didn’t get where you wanted to go. I do love these videos when you go through a mountain pass and you see a good length of the train snaking its way through the pass, as it gives me a better idea how long the train is. George do you wear noise protections when your going along as it does seem very noisy at times. Till next time take care and stay c safe.🏴
Thanks for the kind words. I do wear ear buds some of the time. Since the noise builds gradually it doesn't seem that loud on the train. The squealing of the flanges and slipping of the wheels on curves definitely gets old.
Surprises are good - love Nevada - did that run Reno ta Roseville ton of times short hop ta Sac from Roseville - would take the y in Sac and head to Oakland - in Oakland would catch a freight to LA - Love the scenery the Sierra shows ya except for the Trees - camped in Truckee bunch of times - had a camp close to Donner Pass - if ya ever get the chance if ya do not mind hop from Oakland to LA - remarkable ride - head down the main street in Oakland and onwards towards Big Sur and Santa Barbara - get ta see the Ocean then ya turn right towards the penitentiary on ya way ta LA - Love ya videos and the ton of memories it provides me with - Love the Desert Lines - Ride Hard but Ride Safe so ya can Keep On Keeping On with posting ya Videos -
That sounds like a cool ride. I’ve stayed along highway 101 near Rincon beach and enjoyed all the trains running past. I’ve wondered what it would be like to make that run. I guess I’ll have to put it on the list;)
@@Jumpingoffthecliff that would be Remarkable - love that run - Appreciate ya and the memories ya bring back to me mind with videos of catch-outs long pass - want ya ta Keep On Keeping On with what ya do so Ride Hard but Ride Safe - Much Much Love and Respect to ya -
What fun! Thanks for the adventure. At 21:50 you said you may have been spotted by passing trains. Is there a specific reason not to sit behind the boxes infront of you, to provide some cover?
What a treat, I am so glad you finally made it thru Donner Pass. Now you need to go thru the Pass during the winter - they have already gotten over five feet on some of the ski slopes so looks like another snowy winter. The wheels smoking surprised me - did they have any helpers up or down on your trip do you know? It didn't look like the train stopped, and the trailers are likely empty on a trip west so maybe they don't need helpers, but I think when the cars are heavy they need helps up and down the Pass.
Nice ride and scenery. Albeit a few squealing wheels here and there. Hope you had ear protection. Why face front? Isn't easier to be seen and colder as well? Most ride the back of IM eh? BTW...Truckee is a beautiful quaint little town from what I witnessed on your video. Happy weekend ❄🚂
That's a good question I get a lot. I much prefer riding dirty faced even though it's a little bit colder. I'm not sure it's that much different in terms of getting seen. It depends which way people are looking when the train goes by. You have absolutely zero warning of approaching crossings, workers, etc. when riding clean faced. When you're stretched out there isn't a huge difference in the wind you feel. When riding clean faced there is a significant draft up between the container and the car that isn't as pronounced on the other end, so really it's mainly when you're sitting up that you notice the breeze. The huge advantage though comes from being able to see what's coming as opposed to what suddenly goes past, especially when shooting video. You can also duck before a crossing or a passing train if you see them coming. So, I tend to prefer to ride dirty faced unless it's going to be a mostly nighttime ride or I don't have time to be picky.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Thanks for the clear informative answer George. Makes sense. The last couple of videos did have engines come your way while filming and I thought..Did they see him? But I guess they could have see you clean face if you were sticking your head out...lol. Stay safe 😊
hey! you were in nevada. did you say hello to my brothers when you were out there???!! haha they want me to move out there but i like my seasons so HECK NO!
It depends on how far I have to go and whether I have spare funds. I've discovered that if I keep checking prices I can sometimes get a roomette for a few hundred bucks lower than normal. Since meals are included I'll bite if I'm going to be buying on board more than 24 hours. Otherwise, I just ride coach. Surprisingly, the coach seats bother my back, even though, there's tons of leg room. All in all, I probably ride coach 70% of the time.
Yes I do, but even with earbuds it's hard to hear at track speed. It has saved me a time or two though. I'll be able to tell one of those stories next summer when the statute of limitations have expired, LOL.
Oh *that* Donner pass. Glad you didn't have any...unexpected layovers...there. :D Do you wear any kind of hearing protection? Those brakes were tooth-achingly bad to listen to, which means it had to be way worse to hear it on the trip...
It really wasn't windy, but yes, generally it is a little more comfortable riding clean faced. However, I much prefer to see what is coming as opposed to what just went past so I typically ride dirty faced.
Pretty much like when you drive for a bit with your parking brake partially on. This time though, a lot of that smoke was from grease burning off the flanges when the hot wheels went through the flange greasers.
Thanks for another great video George. 🚆🔀 I feel so bad cause the last time I left a comment, I said that I liked (and still do) your vids better than Shoestring's (Mark's) vids. Even though he got me hooked on rail vids. So very sad. Way too young.😥
![CAMPปลิ้น | รวม Highlight 2024! PART [1/2]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6hnvNnvYloU/mqdefault.jpg)
George, you’re still the coolest old guy I know. Another great job.
Gotta be the best train hop video of Donner pass. Thanks for taking us with!
As a former meatball the mention of Donner Pass gives 3:00 me the chills. Use to deliver fresh pork from Waterloo, Iowa to Safeway Distribution site in Sacramento, California. 40,000 pounds going down 49 miles of steep grades. Plus. No jake brake. 1987 International COE EAGLE..
Oh man, yeah, gotta be in the right gear for sure! The train wheels were just picking up grease from the flange greasers and they were hot enough to burn it off. I don’t think the brakes were really too much of an issue.
Glad to see you got through Donner pass without having to eat anyone.
Haha, or get eaten;)
Thanks George! As always: 👍👍👍👍
wow why wouldanybody go across the ocean for such majesty when its here you did it again sport
Thank you George for your videos stay safe
Hi George, Another wonderful video. The scenery on the Donner Pass was spectacularly The railroad must have to change the brake pads on the cars frequently if the brakes are burning while decending the mountain. What an adventure you had to get back home. Thanks.
You're realy still doing the thing man. Im flabbergasted!
Ride on man
I bet that was a cold trip. Thanks for the ride. Enjoyed it
Awesome ride this trip. Some of the most spectacular scenery so far.
Looking forward to the return trip.
Stay warm.
thanks for the vid sir, gorgeous - and man, those flanges were screamin' up top there, nothing like mountain railroading
The closed captioning is a nice addition to your videos. Thanks George!
George, I wish I could do this 1 time in my life, but there are many reason why I cant, but your videos get me close to that, So thank you so much for them!! Your the coolest!! Take care!
And as always,
I was entertained
My wife and I rode the California Zephyr from Sacramento to Chicago for our 50th wedding anniversary trip. What a beautiful train ride. Thank you, George. Waldo has got nothing on you. Have a wonderful Christmas and a great New Year.
Wow! What a cool trip for your anniversary. We're a couple weeks out from our 50th!
🎉Congratulations George and Wife.🎉 Happy 50th.🎉
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Congrats!
Very cool - I rode the Zephyr many decades ago from Denver to Sacramento - when I was maybe 10 - all the stops on the route are still burned into my brain from memories of that one trip - I hadn’t spent much time in the West, and they all sounded very exotic to me somehow - Elko, Winnemucca Sparks, Reno, Truckee, Colfax…I swear we stopped in Ogden back then instead of SLC, but maybe I’m misremembering.
Great Video.
I never grow tired of your vlogs, my man!
Happy hopping! 👍🇳🇱
Sparks -- best name ever for an American railroad town!
Needles -- not bad either.
Great video George. Thanks so much! Hope you have/had great holidays.
John in VT
You got stones bro!
Hi, George. I enjoyed the video. All the reels I'm seeing from Truckee make me think you really dodged a bullet. I know you rode well ahead of the snows though. Beautiful scenery!🎉
It might be neat to see the rotary plows in action!
such a beautiful route to ride. i feel like I say that with every video, but seriously, those mountains are amazing.
Nice video G Man. We lived in Reno for a few years, was fun seeing the train side perspective. Thanks for sharing. Safe travels!
@@bradbarbee528 had I known I'd be rolling through there I would have spent a couple days fishing the Truckee and visiting friends. Oh well, a reason to go back!
Beautiful video. Really enjoy your "Train Riding" music.
Right on George . Next to easy rider and stobe your videos are the closest to freedom that there is. Cary the torch for us all brother.
I mean it
That slack action will really wake a guy up sometimes lol Thanks for the video!
Excellent video George!
Like the video George. Thank You.
You’re welcome Myrna!
I thoroughly enjoyed following your trip to Stockton via Donner Pass because my dear late wife and I have made a few visits to the area (Reno, Truckee, Lake Tahoe etc) in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. I’ve got some found memories of the railroad scenery SW of Truckee overlooking Donner Lake in Dec 2005 covered with snow and the rail line clinging to the cliff face. Had a great meal on one trip at Dingus Magee's Road house near Bowman on the I80.
Sounds fantastic. Sorry about your wife's passing. That must be hard.
I sure enjoyed that tag-along, thanks.
Another great video George. You sure bring back memories of all the container trains I checked while passing through Windsor Ontario, going to Detroit Michigan. From the retired CP Rail Bull. Be safe out there.
I’m guessing that gets exciting once in awhile!
What a great… trip not exactly how you planned it but still beautiful scenery. Can’t wait for the next one.
The Sierra's are definitely pretty, but what an engineering challenge!
Hello George from Prescott Arizona another frantic video thanks so very much for sharing it with us happy holidays and always enjoy your adventures and also always ride safe
Really nice scenery !
Great video, George beautiful scenery. We are about the same age. I don't see how you do it. Be safe, brother. ☮️
Thanks George was awesome video on the ride
Hey George, that "crack" you saw on 267 is an expansion joint - it allows the concrete to expand and contract with the weather so the bridge doesn't rip itself apart. Pretty jarring example though, I must admit 😅
9:15 Thanks, I Googled some images and there are other examples that look jagged and worrisome but right you are !
@@jameschristiansson3137 After reading your comment, I did some Googling myself, and the only examples close to that I could find were all in California. I'm guessing it likely has to do with earthquakes, because I vaguely rememberhearing they played a part in the 1994 Northridge highway collapse (But don't quote me on that, I was ~10 years old at the time).
Excellent scenery God bless you, donner pass I bet it was cold
that's some pretty scenery.
Another fantastic video!!!!!! Thank You
Yes! I popped onto TH-cam and there was a new JOTC video. Evening made! Something to enjoy along with the TG leftovers. Beautiful ride, as always - glad you ended up making it to, well, wherever you were heading....or weren't heading....or whatever.
Your music choices are always clutch, but that Cleveland Park was a particularly solid choice of soundtrack.
Thanks Ben. Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Thank you George for filming this trip. Great scenery. Northern California is beautiful country. Hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Peace my friend.
Thanks Dave. I hope you had a great Thanksgiving!
Yet another excellent video George you never know where your going to end up you stay safe
👍👍👍👍👍
Always great to see a video from you George. Hope all is well with you and Terri. I love in videos, your commentary, history on places and things you pass, pointing out major highways (RROP or OPRR) to help us know where you are geographically. Thank you for your videos, giving us watching it an idea of what the freedom feels like. Im findiing it's been harder since we have bought a house and my wife cannot travel nurse any longer. I wanna be out exploring, seeing new things and experiences. Prob all prt of my mid life crisis, i just rolled overvmy speedometer to 50. Seems like a lot of your most recent videos have had some small bit of shift storm or a shitshow! Lol
There's always some extra excitement, LOL. Here's hoping you get some wandering in!
In my dreams I ride the rails to California, down through Pueblo, La Junta, and Raton. Those dreams are based on the rides I took as a Kid on The Chief, Denver-LA section. Too young to be a hobo, I would stand for hours at the very back of the train, in the vestibule, where there was only a pantograph gate seperating me from the rails playing out behind us as we sped through NM and AZ at 90 mph. There was the noise you hear now, George, and a curious smell on the ties which is long gone. Back then, you couldn't flush in the station!
That sounds awesome!
Great scenery, and thanx for the ride George!!!
Always a pleasure catching one of your videos on a lazy monday !! thanks for taking us along 🚂💨💨💨
Hey, George.......Been waiting for this video! Absolutely beautiful scenery!
A great video, thanks for sharing this 😊😊
////beautiful views
gotta luv that background music! ty :)
Hope you had a wonderful.Thanksgiving! Be safe.
George you're lucky you took that hop a few weeks ago as right now it is really cold in the midwest and even the south.
Nice footage great scenes thanks for taking us along
Glad you weren't riding near Buffalo 😮 they got buried still digging out 3 days later 😢
beautiful route that I will hop one day..ride safe George
It's definitely worth a ride!
Donner? Party of one? Your table is ready…💀
😊
Two thumbs up!!!
9:18 That looks super dangerous
Hi George!
Great video George even though you didn’t get where you wanted to go. I do love these videos when you go through a mountain pass and you see a good length of the train snaking its way through the pass, as it gives me a better idea how long the train is.
George do you wear noise protections when your going along as it does seem very noisy at times.
Till next time take care and stay c safe.🏴
Thanks for the kind words. I do wear ear buds some of the time. Since the noise builds gradually it doesn't seem that loud on the train. The squealing of the flanges and slipping of the wheels on curves definitely gets old.
Surprises are good - love Nevada - did that run Reno ta Roseville ton of times short hop ta Sac from Roseville - would take the y in Sac and head to Oakland - in Oakland would catch a freight to LA - Love the scenery the Sierra shows ya except for the Trees - camped in Truckee bunch of times - had a camp close to Donner Pass - if ya ever get the chance if ya do not mind hop from Oakland to LA - remarkable ride - head down the main street in Oakland and onwards towards Big Sur and Santa Barbara - get ta see the Ocean then ya turn right towards the penitentiary on ya way ta LA - Love ya videos and the ton of memories it provides me with - Love the Desert Lines - Ride Hard but Ride Safe so ya can Keep On Keeping On with posting ya Videos -
That sounds like a cool ride. I’ve stayed along highway 101 near Rincon beach and enjoyed all the trains running past. I’ve wondered what it would be like to make that run. I guess I’ll have to put it on the list;)
@@Jumpingoffthecliff that would be Remarkable - love that run - Appreciate ya and the memories ya bring back to me mind with videos of catch-outs long pass - want ya ta Keep On Keeping On with what ya do so Ride Hard but Ride Safe - Much Much Love and Respect to ya -
4:27 oh no
Yeah, that was close. That's pretty much standard procedure for all the railroads to inspect padding trains.
What fun! Thanks for the adventure.
At 21:50 you said you may have been spotted by passing trains. Is there a specific reason not to sit behind the boxes infront of you, to provide some cover?
Yes, i like to see what's coning toward me. It makes it much easier to shoot video. When the tracks are straight, you can also see the trains coming:)
What a treat, I am so glad you finally made it thru Donner Pass. Now you need to go thru the Pass during the winter - they have already gotten over five feet on some of the ski slopes so looks like another snowy winter. The wheels smoking surprised me - did they have any helpers up or down on your trip do you know? It didn't look like the train stopped, and the trailers are likely empty on a trip west so maybe they don't need helpers, but I think when the cars are heavy they need helps up and down the Pass.
No helpers on this one, at least that I was aware of. I have had helpers crossing the Cascades on the route from Portland to K-Falls though.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff I believe if they had helpers they would have dropped off at Roseville, but you indicated they didn't stop there.
I was scared they would inspect the smoking car and see you.
Nice ride and scenery. Albeit a few squealing wheels here and there. Hope you had ear protection. Why face front? Isn't easier to be seen and colder as well? Most ride the back of IM eh? BTW...Truckee is a beautiful quaint little town from what I witnessed on your video. Happy weekend ❄🚂
That's a good question I get a lot. I much prefer riding dirty faced even though it's a little bit colder. I'm not sure it's that much different in terms of getting seen. It depends which way people are looking when the train goes by. You have absolutely zero warning of approaching crossings, workers, etc. when riding clean faced. When you're stretched out there isn't a huge difference in the wind you feel. When riding clean faced there is a significant draft up between the container and the car that isn't as pronounced on the other end, so really it's mainly when you're sitting up that you notice the breeze. The huge advantage though comes from being able to see what's coming as opposed to what suddenly goes past, especially when shooting video. You can also duck before a crossing or a passing train if you see them coming. So, I tend to prefer to ride dirty faced unless it's going to be a mostly nighttime ride or I don't have time to be picky.
@@Jumpingoffthecliff Thanks for the clear informative answer George. Makes sense. The last couple of videos did have engines come your way while filming and I thought..Did they see him? But I guess they could have see you clean face if you were sticking your head out...lol. Stay safe 😊
Remind us what yer ol' lady thinkss about this mess! 😂
hey! you were in nevada. did you say hello to my brothers when you were out there???!! haha they want me to move out there but i like my seasons so HECK NO!
Beautiful countryside, thanks George. When you travel Amtrak overnight do you travel economy or get a compartment, just curious , thanks
It depends on how far I have to go and whether I have spare funds. I've discovered that if I keep checking prices I can sometimes get a roomette for a few hundred bucks lower than normal. Since meals are included I'll bite if I'm going to be buying on board more than 24 hours. Otherwise, I just ride coach. Surprisingly, the coach seats bother my back, even though, there's tons of leg room. All in all, I probably ride coach 70% of the time.
@ thanks George, interesting breakdown and information.
Didn't Stobe do a video where he stayed in that Nugget hotel/casino for a night? Thanks for the good work.
I think so. If I get a chance I'll look for that video.
Too bad Amtrak didn't take the old SP line through Siskiyou Summit and connect in Eugene. I know the track speed is pretty slow on this route.
Imagine if your brakes smoked in a 18 wheeler going down Donner Pass.
I saw a guys brakes smoking like crazy coming down I-70 into Denver. I stayed back and watched just in case, but he managed to keep it drivable.
What's your thoughts on hopping a glass train out of Lapel, Indiana headed towards Anderson Indiana?
Honestly, I didn’t even know there was such a thing as a glass train. I guess anything with a place to ride would work!
That is such an incredible stretch of railroad. Curious how many hours it took from Reno to Stockton? Great video!
I'd guess seven hours +/- an hour.
Happy holidays to you and your family George,Are you going back to Wichita for xmas!
Thanks Larry and best wishes to you and yours for a fantastic holiday season! I hope Santa is good to you!
Does being a big guy help in the cold? I think I'm too skinny to survive some of the trips you've taken.
Haha, I'm thinking a little body fat is probably a good thing but proper clothing and gear is probably the key to comfort!
Did you not have your radio with you ? So you could listen to any chatter that you had been seen? 👌🇬🇧😎🇺🇸🤘
Yes I do, but even with earbuds it's hard to hear at track speed. It has saved me a time or two though. I'll be able to tell one of those stories next summer when the statute of limitations have expired, LOL.
Great video George ! The hotel you zoomed in on ( The Nugget) was that the one Stobe and Wingman stayed in for a night ?
I'm not sure Chris but I do vaguely remember that. I might have to use that as an excuse to back and watch a few stone videos!
Oh *that* Donner pass. Glad you didn't have any...unexpected layovers...there. :D Do you wear any kind of hearing protection? Those brakes were tooth-achingly bad to listen to, which means it had to be way worse to hear it on the trip...
wouldn't you be warmer on the other end of the car out of the wind?
It really wasn't windy, but yes, generally it is a little more comfortable riding clean faced. However, I much prefer to see what is coming as opposed to what just went past so I typically ride dirty faced.
Thanks, ride safe!
Oh god, what does the stench of smoking train brakes smell like?
Pretty much like when you drive for a bit with your parking brake partially on. This time though, a lot of that smoke was from grease burning off the flanges when the hot wheels went through the flange greasers.
SO GEORGE , THIS DOING " WOO" IS NEW..LOL
SAFE RIDE..
AND THANKS FOR VIDEO.
STILL HATE YOU AND JEALOUS...LOL
==DRIFTER==
Haha. Hope you're doing well.
Another interesting 🛤️🚂📽️Mr. Cliff
Thanks for another great video George. 🚆🔀 I feel so bad cause the last time I left a comment, I said that I liked (and still do) your vids better than Shoestring's (Mark's) vids. Even though he got me hooked on rail vids. So very sad. Way too young.😥