California Poppies and the emerald green grass sways in the breeze on a warm Winter morning on Altamont Pass, where a detouring Coast Starlight rumbles East uphill over the Greenville Trestle.

Each spring the UP often deadheads passenger equipment to Omaha that has been stored for the winter in Oakland. The Omaha winters are tough on paint because the paint and the metal react to cold d... (more)

Detouring "Coast Starlight" with iconic windmills above.

Southbound "Coast Starlight" detouring over Altamont Pass on a beautiful spring morning.

The 844 is eastbound approaching the summit of Altamont Pass on the former Western Pacific during its visit to California last year.

Windmills dot the rolling brown hills of Altamont Pass, and six times a day a white, purple, and blue passenger train breaks up the Mars-like scene. ACE 08 runs away from the windmills, that provi... (more)

A detouring IG2OA crests the 1 percent of Altamont Pass, and starts its slow decent towards the East Bay, and eventually Oakland. I began my chase here of Miss Katy, and ended it just six miles do... (more)

The vibrant and colorful trainset of ACE 02 contrasts nicely against the emerald green hills of Altamont Pass, as it heads East towards Stockton.

A lone rebuilt F40PH provides the power for the second Eastbound six car scoot of the day, as it heads toward Tracy, and eventually Stockton.

An ACE train passes over the Greenville bridge as they head west downgrade for the town of Livermore.

This day's LW51 local from Stockton to Milpitas had a couple of visitors in its power consist. The train is seen crossing the former WP bridge at the west end of Altamont Pass.

A loner GEVO coasts through the rolling hills of Altamont Pass, heading East while a small herd of moo-cows pay no attention to the 84 car stack train screaming by in dynamics.

UP on Mars! Mars must be working with new windpower technology, and transporting iPods and TV's across the planet! Actually, a lone GEVO rolls East through the dry hillsides of Altamont Pas... (more)

An eastbound intermodal runs through Altamont pass as the California poppies start to bloom and the hills turn green.

Two of UP's finest 5400 series ES44AC's lead a shorty MRVSJ through the lush green hills of Altamont Pass.