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Photo ID: 114321
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Switch 9
Placer County, CA
17
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Roseville Amtrak
The Northern Sky brings up the rear of the westbound California Zephyr just past Switch 9 on Main 1.
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Photo ID: 114320
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Switch 9
Placer County, CA
18
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Roseville Amtrak
At Switch 9, the Roseville Sub passes underneath I-80 and, when going west, goes from a single track main back to two main tracks. Here, the westbound Zephyr emerges from under I-80 on Main 1.
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Photo ID: 114319
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Norden
Norden, CA
16
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Roseville Union Pacific
The original Central Pacific line over Donner Pass saw its first train run on June 18, 1868. For 125 years, trains ran over the Donner Pass Summit, passing through a 1,659-foot tunnel. In 1925, Southern Pacific added a second track to Donner Pass. Between Shed 47 and Norden, SP bored Tunnel 41 (known as "The Big Hole"), a 10,322-foot tunnel, at a much lower elevation than Main 1 over the top. However, SP used both mains until 1993. Then, SP removed 6.7 miles of Main 1 over the summit out of service to reduce operating costs. The rails were removed when SP shut down Main 1 in 1993. In this shot at Norden, the original Main 1 split from the new grade to run the 6.7 miles over the summit. The shed in the distance was Main 1, and a shot section of track still exists out of the shed. The manifest here is on Main 2, headed for "the Big Hole".
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Photo ID: 114318
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Norden
Norden, CA
15
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Roseville Union Pacific
An eastbound UP manifest is climbing the west slope of Donner Pass on Main 1. It is approaching the control point at Norden, which is protected by a snowshed.
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Photo ID: 114317
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Norden
Norden, CA
18
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Roseville Amtrak
This dome car, the Northern Sky, was originally built by American Car & Foundry (ACF) in 1955 as Union Pacific #5003. The car was generally on UP's City of Los Angeles until 1973 when it used on Amtrak on the original Auto Train. In 1992, it was acquired and rebuilt in the current scheme.
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Photo ID: 114316
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Norden
Norden, CA
19
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Roseville Amtrak, Union Pacific
UP 5727 leads the westbound Zephyr out of the Norden snow shed on Donner Pass. Donner Pass averages around 30 feet (9.1 meters) of snow each winter. Several control points are built within snow sheds to help protect the switches from the snow so crews do not have to dig the switches out.
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Photo ID: 114315
Date Shot
Photo By
Sunday, September 6, 2026 Kevin Morgan
Location
Times Viewed
Shed 47 to Norden
Norden, CA
17
(Add a Comment)
Subdivision
Railroad
Roseville Amtrak, Union Pacific
The westbound Zephyr has just exited from Tunnel 47 (known as "The Big Hole") on Donner Pass and is continuing west on Main 1. UP 5727 was added to the train in Denver due to a mechanical issue.
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