9/05 Update ....Becky and I really appreciate Sierra Pacific's offer to give us one of their larger and fully operational diesel locomotives for our private steam, electric Grand Scale railroad park at our home. Mark, George and Red Emmerson have been friends for a long time and co-sponser Cancer Society pig roast, steam train ride fund raisers at our home. We declined their magnanimous offer due to space limitations.

Engineer Lonnie & Curtis the Conductor

Our story begins with an American Cancer Society fund raiser Sierra Pacific put on at our place .... They roasted the pig & we gave train rides on our park sized steam locomotive. George Emmerson of S.P. (one very fine person I might add) said .. "how would you like to ride on a real train .... I jumped at it ... set it uo to take several friends that have helped me on our locomotive.

8/6/99 Dave Moeller & Mel Nethery came by our house at 4:30 am .... we traveled in our dually crewcab 1 ton pickup (deer proof!) to Susanville which is about 2 hrs away. Randy got us squared away with a cup of coffee as we waited for Lonnie the Engineer. When Lonnie arrived at 7 am he first called in back East for a couple blocks for the trip ... (like filling a flight plan) We went out to the engine house ... met Curtis the Conductor. Both these gentlemen are first class & put up with us like they actually enjoyed our company .... hee-hee! We got to watch & ride in a real engine and see a REAL railroad at work ... moving empties around, moving full flat cars into position ..... Curtis had a lot of switching to do.
Lonnie & Curtis make regular runs to Wendel with these very long & very tall freight cars with a big center support down the middle loaded with finished wood from the Susanville Mill that then connects with Union Pacific (I think) which takes it to the East Coast & world wide. Following is a bunch of pics I took along the way .... hope you enjoy them. Will be adding them one or two at a time as time permits
Doc Hemp

Here is a shot of me (doc Hemp) and Dave Moeller

a shot of Mel Nethery up front and Dave Moeller behind
Lonnie the Engineer
Dave and Curtis
Curtis pulling the cars apart with his bare hands!
Curtis waiting to make the switch
Mel Nethery at the window
A shot down the tracks .. above and below

An old abandoned oil tanker that was used for water storage
Extra cars stored for the main line to use
The ghost town of Wendel CA .. these 4 photos



Feed store along our route out of Susanville CA
Another shot of the water tower in Wendel

1. See Me & Dave Moeller Run 2 Full Sized Diesels
   At Portola Railroad Museum and get our Engineer Certificates!
2. Go Back to Train Page
3. Our Pig Roast Page
4. Our New Email! dochemp@shasta.com