Precision. Precision Railroading is in full effect throughout the Roseville Service Unit. In order to better the company's operating ratio, Union Pacific has elected to run fewer and longer... (more)

Pride of the Sierras. The Union Pacific J.R. Davis Yard in Roseville, California is the headquarters for Sierra Rail Operations. Every day, trains coming in and out of Northern California c... (more)

There is no easy route through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Trains coming to and from Northern California must contend with some of the most hostile and scenic trackage anywhere in the country. H... (more)

Oroville was once an important rail hub for both the Sacramento Northern and Western Pacific Railroads. As time moved on and railroads merged into the modern Class 1 giants, the strategic importan... (more)

"Highball the 1995." On a clear spring afternoon, Union Pacific 1995 (the Chicago & Northwestern heritage unit) rockets westbound out of Truckee while Amtrak's California Zephyr p... (more)

On a late July evening in Northern California, Union Pacific 3002 drags an 814' rock train through the Feather River Canyon at Pulga. The fifteen hopper cars were loaded with ballast just twenty m... (more)

Fired Up! The crew of the Redding Night Local had just arrived at the Amtrak Station. After gathering paperwork and icing down the coolers, it was time to get rolling. The UP 1089, one of t... (more)

Delta Fire Aftermath. On September 5th, 2018, the Delta Fire ignited along Interstate 5, approximately two miles north of Lakehead, California. The fire grew rapidly, closing Interstate 5 a... (more)

In November of 2009, Union Pacific instituted a major change to operations in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Numerous tunnels along the Donner Pass Route were retrofitted in order to fit double stac... (more)

"In Enemy Territory" The J.R. Davis Yard in Roseville, California is the stronghold of the Union Pacific Railroad. As one of the largest classification yards in the west, dozens ... (more)

By the late 1950's, the Western Pacific Railroad had a problem. Their original mainline route east of Oroville, California was about to go under water. With the construction of the Oroville Dam, t... (more)

Deep in the Northern Sierra Nevada Mountains lies the Williams Loop. Located along the Union Pacific Canyon Subdivision, the engineered loop allows trains to descend the rugged mountain topography... (more)

For as long as I can remember, the MOGRV (previously known as the MRORV) was a "junk train". It had relatively low priority and was usually comprised of a mishmash of boxcars, gondolas a... (more)

PG&E's Hydroelectric infrastructure often dominates the scenery of the Feather River Canyon. Producing some of the cleanest energy in the country, PG&E's dams, powerhouses, tunnels and conduits ca... (more)

The Chicago & North Western Transportation Company (CNW) operated for over 130 years. Based in Chicago, this Class 1 Railroad primarily served the heart of the Midwest, including the states of Iow... (more)