Get ready to experience one of the most exciting two day rail adventures in the West! Our trip is scheduled to traverse the rugged Feather River Canyon, the remote and majestic Highline Route, and Southern Pacific’s famous Shasta Daylight Route during daylight hours.
Starting in Sacramento, the train will pass through Oroville heading up the “Oroville Line Relocation” route. Leaving Oroville we pass through 5 tunnels and over the North Fork Bridge, the longest reinforced concrete railroad bridge in America, bringing us into the impressive rocky chasm of the Feather River Canyon. At this point we will be traversing a route mostly carved out of solid granite cliffs. Once in the canyon the train proceeds through Rich Bar and the Serpentine Canyon, running along dams, high rock shelves, and trestles.
Eventually, we arrive at the famous “Keddie Wye”, and head North onto Burlington Northern’s highline. Our afternoon run over the highline begins by traversing many lakes and creeks, winding through “S” curves as we gain elevation. Mt. Lassen should come into view as we enter the rugged Pitt River Canyon. We then go past Bieber, with its old water tank still standing, followed by Tulelake National Wildlife Reserve as we cross into Oregon and make our way to Klamath Falls.Upon arriving, you will be transferred to local hotels for a comfortable night in Klamath Falls.
Following a continental breakfast, we reboard our chartered Amtrak train and begin the historical journey over Southern Pacific’s famous Shasta Daylight Route. This route provides some of the most spectacular scenery in the West. A snowy Mt. Shasta, the prominent landmark in the area, looms above the train for hours. The train then winds up Black Butte grade crossing bringing us into Mt. Shasta City. As we continue our descent we head into the Sacramento River Canyon rounding the Cantarra Loop and traveling along the river.
Watch for Castle Crag in the distance, a beautiful example of the power of glacial activity which helped form the spires. The train crosses over Lake Shasta moving towards Redding and the impressive Redding Trestle. This is where the start of the line relocation due to the building of Shasta Dam and Lake in the 1940's took the railroad away from the Sacramento River and on a new line with ten tunnels and three major bridges. On a clear day you can see Mt. Lassen off to the East. As we come into the Sacramento Valley and cross the American River one final time, the train will bring us back into the Sacramento station ending a fabulous “once in a lifetime” rail adventure. |
