The Mystery of the Modoc Line Railroad history

  Рет қаралды 17,218

Charles Smiley Presents Videos

Charles Smiley Presents Videos

5 ай бұрын

See the entire DVD by adding the DVD to your collection. The DVD description is below.
cspmovies.com/dvd/extreme-sp
See the SP battle back to respectability in the early 90s. The aborted merger with the Santa Fe during the 1980s left both lines greatly weakened and the SP seemed to be the worst victim. Both lines made heroic turn-arounds but this story is how the SP pulled it off. The Extreme part of the title isn’t kidding. The location covered are the toughest places the SP had to grapple with.
We feature many specially created maps and graphical grade profiles to bring greater understanding of these lines.
Lines to the north, Cascade and Shasta, Donner Pass, and rare Modoc Line views. The Modoc Line is another example of a Union Pacific “redundant-reject” in their plans -- once they captured the SP property as their own.
Many choice scenes from hundreds of hours of material to show the great variety of SP power and scenic locations. Some of the material is from early 1970’s film to round out the presentation.
Don’t miss the great snow fighting on the Donner Pass Line. Cabooses and a parade of great SP power!
To Quote a review in Trains magazine, “The locations are well-chosen and the camera-work is “tack-sharp”. The Modoc segment makes extensive use of maps, including grade profiles, and captions….”

Пікірлер: 51
@DK-nv9zu
@DK-nv9zu 5 ай бұрын
My dad had a few jobs in Susanville in the 80s. One time I tagged along with the promise we'd drive up 395 for some train spotting after work. Those SP units did not disappoint; what a show!
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
This line was really special! If you found a train you were in for a good day for sure! Susanville was a cool old town too! I really likes the branch line out there!
@echohunter4199
@echohunter4199 12 күн бұрын
Wow, you lucky hound! I grew up in Klamath Falls and my dad worked for SP/UP and I wish I could’ve done what you did. He did invite me to come ride on a switch engine in the KF yard but I was nervous to go…bad decision on my part. Dad worked on the Modoc a few times when it was briefly in use and he said it was a bit tense but not horrible. If you’re real familiar with the history of the Modoc line, there’s a book called the Modoc Line written by Jack Bowden. Jack was also employed with SP when my dad was and Jack was raised along the Modoc line right of way because his father also worked for SP so the family moved as the job required. Jack (and a friend of his) also wrote a great kook on the Klamath County logging railroad history that I recommend. Sadly, Jack passed away a few years back. I now live in San Antonio, TX since I retired from the Army (Infantryman) and my wife can’t handle the dry and cold climate so, she chose here.
@markxkovacic
@markxkovacic 3 ай бұрын
I have ridden my bike on the abandoned line several times North of Wendel through Snow Storm canyon and on to the Nevada state line past Wendel. In one gully you can still see several cars from a derailment.
@samfuller6273
@samfuller6273 5 ай бұрын
I'm near one of the last SP hires. I never worked in that area. But it makes me sad? I don't if that's exactly right. But I kind of miss the unique places SP went and all of the branches... I work on the UP now ( Locomotive Engineer), but we had a lot of branch lines that are now gone in the LA, San Berndino, and Riverside areas. But I wanted to transfer to Dunsmuir, California. But now it's too late. 8 years to go.
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
Wow, samfuller it sounds like you have seen alot in your career. Yes, many of the iconic SP branch lines are gone now. We always loved the feel of branch lines and tried to capture as many as we could. Check out our SP Hall of Fame DVD if you like Northern California ones. Thanks for watching!
@Mrruneight
@Mrruneight 5 ай бұрын
Another great presentation by Charles Smiley. This is the best footage I've seen of the Modoc Line. Thank You Mr. Smiley for sharing this on You Tube for all to see and enjoy.
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
All the 1990s scenes were shot by Gino Pagliaro. It took a long time to record all those scenes on a low traffic line at that time. Hats off!
@myexpressways4106
@myexpressways4106 5 ай бұрын
That country always stirs something in my soul. Losing the presence of this line leaves a hole in my soul.😢
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
It was a sad day when they closed the Modoc Line. One of the reasons we wanted to go up there and video it before it was gone. They only ran one train a day in each direction, so it was tough to find trains
@juangarcia-co5ve
@juangarcia-co5ve 5 ай бұрын
Memories of SP in my Home town Brownsville Texas I use to love to hear them through my window at home at 3AM when I was young and use to record them on cassettes
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
Wow, magical times juangarcia the SP was a special railroad. Also, there 5 chime horn has an almost haunting sound in the night!
@rustyshackleford2723
@rustyshackleford2723 5 ай бұрын
Bring back the Modoc line!
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
Absolutely, that would be epic! What a special railroad line with wonderful history!
@grantthomas5501
@grantthomas5501 5 ай бұрын
I’m glad someone got some great footage of that abandoned beautiful line
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
We were lucky to sneak it in before they abandoned the line. Thanks for watching!
@LBroderickWestCountyHawkWatch
@LBroderickWestCountyHawkWatch 5 ай бұрын
@ 24:44 hobo, in SP box car, open door, taking in the views.... ❤
@jgalexander510
@jgalexander510 4 ай бұрын
Caught that too! :)
@yrunaked4
@yrunaked4 5 ай бұрын
my favorite years, the dash 2 and dash 7 years. For me, this was the time I cherished most.
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
We agree, what a magic time in railroading! Thanks for supporting our channel!
@docmagame9089
@docmagame9089 5 ай бұрын
I miss those days of no graffiti all over the railcars
@davidmihevc3990
@davidmihevc3990 5 ай бұрын
Me too.
@mikehawk2003
@mikehawk2003 5 ай бұрын
The Lakeview Branch is still in service as the Goose Lake Railroad and yet despite the remoteness of the region it has managed to grow significantly since the SP left.
@echohunter4199
@echohunter4199 12 күн бұрын
That’s saying a lot! Lake County is a pretty sleepy county to say the least. I grew up in Klamath County (the county to the west of Lake County) and I was an Army Recruiter in 1993-95 and I had Lake County as my zone so I was always driving all over the county to talk with people and I always took time to chat with the locals and police chief (Back then it was Chief Bush) and I learned quite a bit about the area. So if Lake County can boost up production in any category, that’s a great thing.
@patricknoveski6409
@patricknoveski6409 2 ай бұрын
I love that part around likely, where the engines have to bite in and fight gravity. Such varieties of power.
@jasongeritz1602
@jasongeritz1602 15 күн бұрын
Lovely narration to complement the beautiful videography, excellent work.
@EllieMaes-Grandad
@EllieMaes-Grandad 5 ай бұрын
Great to watch the impressive power (as a UK viewer). Twenty years ago, I saw the real thing on Tehachapi Pass and when crossing the Texas Panhandle. I gotta get back again . . . !
@trainfanmark
@trainfanmark 3 ай бұрын
The full DVD was my first DVD, and I still enjoy it to this day!
@Greatdome99
@Greatdome99 3 күн бұрын
12:42: That's probably Rob Leachman's BMW in the photo. Great photographer and UC Berkeley professor
@EllieMaes-Grandad
@EllieMaes-Grandad 5 ай бұрын
Love the steady camera work, careful zooming to maintain image framing and impresssive choice of locations. Current stuff has high-definition imagery but a lot to learn otherwise.
@Cjwyo
@Cjwyo 5 ай бұрын
Too cool! I've been all over the US. Lassen and Modoc county are truly beautiful!
@vinceadams9513
@vinceadams9513 4 ай бұрын
Wow this is great. I lived in Standish, between Sville and Wendel, off and on from '86 to 2016. In the 90s we watched many SPs going from Flanigan to Alturas while ranching. Sadly, I also watched them tear out the tracks from Wendel to Alturas. Only good thing was it makes a great enduro bike ride and or the horses. Rails to Trails was trying to do something around 2008ish i think, but I'm not sure what happened. The country and scenery from Karlo to Horse Lake is unlike anywhere in the USA.
@michaelgallagher2663
@michaelgallagher2663 5 ай бұрын
Excellent!
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
Many thanks! We appreciate the kind words.
@RailWayBandit
@RailWayBandit 5 ай бұрын
Wow! Great video!
@EllieMaes-Grandad
@EllieMaes-Grandad 5 ай бұрын
Thank you for making this freely available (and all the other superb stuff too).
@charlessmileyvideo
@charlessmileyvideo 5 ай бұрын
You are welcome glad you are enjoying the videos
@dinopulizzi8481
@dinopulizzi8481 5 ай бұрын
A wonderful video !
@TigerDominic-uh1dv
@TigerDominic-uh1dv 5 ай бұрын
I enjoyed this Journey and I ❤Ed the Scenery, Thanks 😊
@rustyshackleford9040
@rustyshackleford9040 2 ай бұрын
Just FYI, I visited a very dedicated modelers HO version of the Modoc a few years before covid... and most divisions of that HO scale model occupy more square feet than my current housing solution does 😮
@samfuller6273
@samfuller6273 5 ай бұрын
Beautiful part of California
@juangarcia-co5ve
@juangarcia-co5ve 5 ай бұрын
I loved the different sounds of horns they use to have like musical instruments but other Railroad company's try to copy SP but SP will always be the best with the way they had the lights were going round and round it look like they were dizzy but I will miss SP in everything it did for the Railroad and will never forget when I went to Mexico crossing on a bridge kind of scared looking at the river when the Train was rocking on the bridge it felt like it was going to derail
@Greatdome99
@Greatdome99 3 күн бұрын
Let us not forget the Japanese internment camp at Tulelake in Modoc County during WW2, where 18,000 Japanese-Americans were housed.
@wellgoiano
@wellgoiano 5 ай бұрын
And the trucks was updated from 6 for 8 wheels!!!
@wellgoiano
@wellgoiano 5 ай бұрын
Probably many from this SD40 T2 was regauged for metric gauge and came to Brazil sold for brazilian companies just like VLi and ALL!!!!
@camauedd8042
@camauedd8042 5 ай бұрын
I was there for the last 6 months....
@danmathers141
@danmathers141 5 ай бұрын
I'm curious why Eastern direction flows to the left in this video.
@scotabot7826
@scotabot7826 5 ай бұрын
Depends on which side of the track you're filming from.
@michlo3393
@michlo3393 4 ай бұрын
@@scotabot7826 I think he's talking about the grade chart around 10 minutes into the video. It is a bit odd.
@SPNGLovato18
@SPNGLovato18 4 ай бұрын
I think when I was reading the Modoc line book by Jack Bowden and another author, they referred southbound trains as westbound which confused me a lot.
@asherpate8
@asherpate8 4 ай бұрын
What year were any of them filmed?
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