LEFT: In a classic scene that would soon disappear, SP GP9 No. 3760 leads the Placerville Turn past the wigwag crossing signal at White Rock on January 21, 1987. MARK ACUNA PHOTO BELOW LEFT: White Rock Road has become a busy thoroughfare, so reactivating the crossing required the classic wigwag to be upgraded to modern flashing lights and gates in 2012. This part of the line features expansive views of the Sacramento Valley and Pacific Coast Range mountains 70 miles away.
and many other restaurants and shops along nearby East Bidwell Street. The U.S. 50 overpass adjacent to the station has high, accessible embankments on both sides of the track that you can easily climb for elevated shots of the train in the station with the namesake Hampton Inn, Highway 50, and the Sacramento Valley in the distance as props. There are also many swallow nests under the underpass, so you might have a flock of them vociferously flying circles around you.
eventually donated it to P&SVRR in 2009.
Passenger cars currently include the
first of the railroad’s four flat cars to be modified for passenger service, which has bench seating and shade over half the car and unobstructed standing room on the other half, and Cotton Belt bay window caboose No. 48, which was restored mostly by the Fernley Preservation Society. P&SVRR has added a walkway that allows passengers to walk between both cars. The train is stored on the north leg of
the wye at Folsom Junction on the west end of the line, so on operating weekends, the train first makes a five-mile trip eastward through the city of Folsom to Hampton Station on Saturday morning. The line generally faces southeast as the grade climbs towards the mountains, and the engine is on the east end of the train, so the morning light works well for
most locations. There are no runarounds on the P&SVRR, making the return move on Sunday afternoon a shove, so the afternoon light can also work at many spots, but the engine won’t be leading. The run through town requires flagging across 12 unprotected crossings, and the ones near major intersections require the train to stop and wait for the proper traffic signal phase before proceeding. With ten m.p.h. train speeds, this provides plenty of time to chase and capture the train in an urban environment. The paved Humbug Willow Creek trail follows most of this part of the line closely, so it’s even possible to chase and photograph the train by bicycle! Hampton Station is located on the edge
of Folsom’s newer suburban shopping center developments, with Starbucks and In-N-Out Burger just steps away
Immediately east of Hampton Station, however, the scenery changes drastically since there has been no housing or commercial development south of U.S. 50 (yet), making for a rural setting with grassy, rolling hills and expansive vistas of the Sacramento Valley. On clear days, you can easily see downtown Sacramento 30 miles away and even Mount Diablo and the mountains of the Pacific Coast Range 70 miles away. Placerville Road is immediately adjacent to the line from Hampton Station to White Rock, and train speeds are still ten m.p.h., so chases are leisurely. The track goes through several cuts that allow you to get a few feet above the train, and several gentle curves afford broadside views of the entire train. This part of the line runs northwest to southeast, and the front of the train is well-lit almost all day, so it is possible to chase the train through town in the morning light and shoot the first run of the day against the expansive Sacramento Valley to the west, take a ride during the midday sun, and then shoot again in the afternoon against the towering foothills to the east. Occasional evening specials afford many opportunities for sunset, twilight, and night photos. So, grab your camera, come out, and
take a ride on the new Placerville & Sacramento Valley Railroad. Make sure to say hello; chances are I’ll be your conductor or engineer.
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