The Preamble Express
(above) After Doyle McCormick overhauled the 4449, he ran it east in 1975 as the "Preamble Express to join with the Freedom Train proper. Here we see her on June 23rd. That gap in the mountains to the west (directly above 4449's stack) is Donner Pass, but I don't remember the snowshed number that the train is exiting. The wife and I camped-out all night at Spring Garden so that I could bag this shot. Note the MW trucks at the other end of the shed - a track gang was cleaning up some cars that had derailed inside a couple of days before. The foreman disgustedly told me that most of the ties that he replaced had date nails from 1926, and would barely hold a spike. (below) Donner lake in the background. id3393 id3395
