Getting close to railroad operations.

Those wer great shots. Be happy you were able get those because here in NYC you can't get even that close in most places.

Irv

Thank you!!

Thank you for these great shots!

I live relatively close to Richmond and you've inspired me to go down there with my camera. Please post any other pictures of the Richmond yard you might have.

Al

Remote control

Great shots.   The California Northern GP-15 has a row of lights on the cab roof that are characteristic of remote control operation.  That is where switching is done by a one-man crew on the ground with a control box in front of him and on a strap around his neck;  the lights are part of the operation (and no one is actually in the cab).  This area could be an interesting explore!

More data

Lance Mindheim reminds me that Bill Kaufmann wrote a good article on the Richmond Pacific for Kalmbach's "Model Railroad Planning 2010."  The prototype article is followed by a discussion of five trackplans based on the railroad.

Richmond Pacific

You were on the wrong side of the bay for the San Francisco Bay Railroad, which is a very small railroad in San Francisco. It's what is left of San Francisco's State Belt RR.

The Richmond Pacific Railroad (former Parr Terminal) serves a number of industries in the Richmond area and connects with both the BNSF and UP (which also operate on their own tracks in the area). As Joe noted, the article in MRP was very complete. The track plans include one from Rick Mugele, a BNSF engineer who works in the area, as well as N and HO layouts ranging in size from about 30 square feet to a single garage bay.

Steve Cox has a number of RPR entries in his railroad blog.

SFBR

 Greetings Byron,  I only read the sign.  I didn't study the incorporation documents.  What I don't really understand is the compelling need to establish one's expertise.  I'm not an expert, just a guy building  trying to build a model railroad who does a bit of rail fanning when the opportunity presents itself.

Well, I could be the one who

Well, I could be the one who is wrong. Nothing I've seen indicates that there's been a merger or acquisition (and neither of the railroad's websites mention the other), so the sign is puzzling. But it must mean something's changed.

More Photos fom the Richmond Pacific Railroad

Another shot through the chainlink fence.  And a couple from a string of gondolas.  It seems that a major customer is a steel shredding operation.  It's around the corner from where the gondolas were parked.

SFBR / Richmond yard

Got curious. Found some fairly bitter comments from an employee of another railroad on a forum elsewhere which made me wonder if maybe the SFBR fairly recently has taken over a customer (a Honda port facility:  http://www.honda.com/newsandviews/article.aspx?id=5238) in that area, and that is the reason for the newish sign at the yard (looks like it is a banner tied over an older sign).

Found this thing:  http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2263059 about a change of operators for the yard in june 2010.

So yes - it looks like a fairly new development.

Smile,
Stein

Three more from the SFBR