ABOVE: The chase continues between Cooperstown and Warnerville. You are most likely to enjoy the company of grazing free- range cows on the grassy green hills since few others travel the old dirt roads in Gold Rush country.


RIGHT: In the afternoon, thunderstorms will often gather over the Sierra Nevada. Luckily, the train usually stays clear of these storms as it heads back into the valley. Here SERA No. 52 crests a gentle grade at Warnerville on March 18, 2014.


served a four-course meal along the way. The train will take you into the foothills from Oakdale to Warnerville and back. This is a great way to enjoy a nice dinner while railfanning. How could life get any better than that? A note to consider since railfans travel


on their stomachs: Only ten minutes away from Fassler is Cover’s Apple Ranch, which is home to “mile high” apple pie and possibly the best apple turnovers you will ever taste.


42 DECEMBER 2015 • RAILFAN.COM


The Woodland Division


If you cannot make it all the way out to Oakdale but still want to see the Sierra Northern Railway in action, you’re in luck. Sierra Northern operates between West Sacramento and Woodland on the weekdays. The train will start off servicing the Port of West Sacramento. From there, it will make the slow journey to Woodland, usually in the early afternoon. The highlight of this line (known


as the Woodland Branch) is the large wooden trestle just east of Woodland. Sierra Northern has plans to retire this structure due to age and deterioration. The current plan involves possibly building new track between Woodland and Davis via the Conway Ranch. This would in turn retire the entire line between Woodland and West Sacramento. There is no firm timetable for the completion of this project. While not quite as varied and


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