To Shiny Rails

Update: Some PB&JRR switches are already being installed at BCWRR.

The last remaining track and right-of-way of the PB&J Railroad was pulled up today and donated to our good friends at the Bitter Creek Western Railroad. The 7.5″ Nipomo branch of the PB&J was the only 7.5″ gauge track on the system. Everything else was G scale and has been abandoned as well. Only mementos lay around these days, and a ton of photos. Very fond memories. We’ve already begun our enjoyment of various railroading opportunities throughout Colorado. PB&J website.

The San Luis Obispo Railroad Museum (SLORRM) joined up with the SLO Art After Dark program to exhibit painters, photographers, and videographers of railroad-themed works. And there was a slideshow there of my photos. Fabulously successful event for the Museum! That’s my slideshow running in the upper-right portion of the photo. Here’s the SLORRM webpage.

There have been lots of changes along the PB&J right-of-way over the past year or so. The largest change is the back yard. The entire back yard has been taken over by a deck (see the photos of Lynn’s retirement party). The other major occurence was the removal of the large oak tree that was right in the middle of Fosterville. This necessitated the removal of the entire railroad. So, we’re pretty much starting over. When Papa Bill got started a couple weeks ago, there was NOTHING but a few concrete bridge supports and the wall around the mission area. Everything had been take out to raw ground. Some other changes to note… A new puppy, Sandy, a labradoodle, brought a dog run to the driveway. The run is directly behind the bench. That actually opened up the area nicely. The hot tub is gone from the concrete area lower right. This’ll be a new seating area. Note how the two bridges will soon lead to a 30-degree crossover/diamond in the foreground. There will be a balloon track on the rock patio that connects one side of the diamond to the other making the basic layout a circle eight.

More photos: http://jf2.com/pbjrr/140802.html

Finally!… Matteo got to run trains with Papa Bill. The poor kid was nearly beside himself waiting for the railroad to get cleaned up, equipment to get
fixed up, batteries to charge, and everything else Papa Bill has been doing to reinvigorate the railroad this past week.

But, today; it was train-running day!

Photos: http://jf2.com/pbjrr/120115.html

All the photos: http://jf2.com/pbjrr/110715.html

I road with Dad down to LA’s Union Station today. He connected with the Southwest Chief for points east, and I returned to SLO on the Surfliner. Here are some photos I took at the Old Plaza Firehouse near Union Station and during my return trip: http://jf2.com/110515