I plan on ridng this route next month - anything new & interesting along this route? Also, what is the area around Rancho Cordova like (i.e. safety for pedestrians /railfans).
Thx
MP
I have riden the route to Folsom. In Folson, you can walk over to a turntable that the city has put up and read a little information about it. And just beyond that, the old SP depot is there with a few cars and a caboose. They also have a wigwag there. On days the museum operates, the wigwag operates every ten minutes I believe. As for along the route itself, there really isn’t much there. It does follow UP’s Rancho Cordova branch for a while so you might get lucky and see a few switching moves (I didn’t see any due to trackwork). Also buy a $5 all day pass. It’s worth it. As for safety, I am not sure because I only got off in Folsom.
Here’s a link to three pics that I took.
http://bnsfc44.rrpicturearchives.net/archivethumbs.aspx?id=30543
Last summer, I raised similar questions on railroad.net. After my trip, I reported my answers on the same thread: http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=43377&highlight=
Or search there for Sacramento.
Reflecting on your specific question about the route to Folsom, I would say (from a two-day experience) that a few stations downtown have problems with loiterers. From Power Inn Road east, I thought the neighborhoods were safer. Watch the schedules, as service is halved east of Sunrise! You then have single track, side of the road, shades of the Liberty Bell Limited. I was surprised to find an upscale outlet center (shopping mall) with rest rooms and restaurants at Stop #16, Iron Point Road. Of course, Folsom has tourist eateries also. As a generalization: The route to I-80 has stations with almost no nearby food or rest rooms. On the Folsom Line, Power Inn Road has lodging (a new Comfort Inn?) and fast food. Enjoy your trip!