Official Ribbon Cutting and "Inaugural" Train

On Veterans Day, November 11, 2005, the Klamath County Chamber of Commerce held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the Modoc Northern Railroad at the wye at Texum, a mile south of Union Pacific's Klamath Falls yard.  The ceremony was attended by several dignitaries, including members of the Board of Directors of the Chamber of Commerce, principals of the railroad, representatives of the local government, and customers and potential customers of the railroad as well as local news media.  Modoc Northern's General Superintendent, Don Blansett, whom I had the pleasure of meeting the previous week, had called me this morning to extend a gracious invitation for me to join the festivities.  I was truly honored to accept.

The "inaugural" train consisted of Modoc Northern Railroad's General Electric B30-7 #7780 and B23-7 #1011, caboose #01480 (all resplendent in a new green, yellow and brown paint job), two borrowed passenger coaches and Union Pacific's C40-8 #9212.  It arrived on the north leg of the wye after coming from UP's Klamath Falls yard and paused short of the Tingley Lane grade crossing to pose for pictures and stand by for the ribbon cutting.  This marked the first trip that the Modoc Northern's locomotives were to make on the railroad.

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After the ribbon was cut, the train eased across Tingley lane and stopped clear of the crossing to board the guests.

Modoc Northern, continued on next page