On June 27th, 1986, the Southern Pacific's westbound Tracy Roadswitcher approaches the Hammett Road overpass north of the small town of Salida, in California's Central Valley. This train worked from Tracy to Modesto and Turlock, and Espee's iconic GP9s (in this instance, 3772 and 3441) were typical power for this train. (The best time to railfan the Valley is in February, when the trees in the almond groves, such as the one in the foreground, are covered with colorful blooms!)