Travel the Feather River Canyon by Train
Have you ever wanted to relive a little bit of history?
This is your chance to join Trains & Travel for an unforgettable experience of riding a private charter train up the scenic Feather River and take part in the fun of the 32nd annual Portola Railroad Days.
The special charted train trip starts in Emeryville and will stop to pick up passengers in Martinez, Davis, Sacramento, and Oroville. Departing eastbound from the Bay Area, the train runs on the former Southern Pacific Route along the water’s edge of San Francisco Bay, which has breathtaking views of the Golden Gate Bridge. After the last pick-up in Oroville, the rail line starts the climb in the High Sierra, running around Lake Oroville. At one point, you will travel over Lake Oroville on the West Branch and then through a series of tunnels under Big Bend Mountain. Once the train reaches the lower region of the Feather River Canyon, you will travel 91 miles through three different areas in the rugged Feather River Canyon. Several PG&E hydro dams and powerhouses can be seen from the train. You will pass through a total of 32 tunnels as the train journeys from Emeryville to Portola. You will cross the Pulga and Tobin stacked bridges.
Six miles west of Quincy begins a stretch of railroad tracks called the Seven Wonders of the Railroad World. Between Keddie and Portola, you will travel over six of these wonders.
The first is referred to as the “Keddie Wye.” It is the only railroad wye in the world with two legs on bridges and a closing track in a tunnel. The next is the Keddie yard. Here, two trains passing each other in opposite directions are moving eastward. East of Quincy is the “Williams Loop”; the railroad track makes a continuous one-mile loop to gain altitude. The track crosses over itself to gain the required elevation. Long trains cross over themselves. You will cross the Clio Trestle, a breathtaking structure at 172 feet in height and 1,005 feet long.
You may choose to ride the train one-way or round trip. This route is basically a freight-only line now and seldom sees a passenger train. Due to costs, it is very possible that this will be the last year that Trains and Travel will offer this specific train trip. The company provides several classes of tickets and lengths of trips to meet varying budgets.
On the second day of the trip, you can spend at the Portola Railroad Days, starting with the Golden Spike Parade. The passenger train will depart Portola at 2:00 pm for the 40-mile journey down the Feather River Canyon to Keddie, where it will turn around on the famous Keddie Wye and Spanish Creek Bridge.
On day three, you board the train for a return trip down the Feather River Canyon and back to the Bay Area.
For more complete details on pricing, departure times, meals, lodging, and transfers, please visit Train & Travel’s website. Train & Travel also offers other excursions worldwide.
For more details on the Portola Railroad Festival, please visit their website. The Feather River Rail Society was founded in 1983 to preserve the memories and significant equipment from the Western Pacific Railroad’s 100-year history.
The Western Pacific Railroad Museum now has one of the best collections of early diesel locomotives in the U.S. Train rides in cabooses and vista flat cars are available on weekends during the summer. With special arrangements, you can even drive a locomotive. The Railroad Museum can be reached at 530-832-4131 or www.WPLives.org
