STREETCAR MIKE'S MYSTERY TRIPS
DAVIS & SACRAMENTO
on SEPTEMBER 27, 2025

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Page created September 27, 2025. Last updated September 27, 2025.
Š2025 Michael Strauch. All rights reserved.

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A three day trip to the center of California begins with a visit to Davis to see the Saturday only Farmers Market Shuttle, a free Unitrans service connecting Memorial Union Transit Center (free garage parking Saturdays) with downtown Davis and Central Park, home to the Market. A double decker runs the route, sometimes it's a vintage London bus, but today it was Alexander Dennis 8185. I took a ride on the upper deck, grabbing the front seat after a family with little children vacating them. Got pictures of the M and O bus lines on B St. from upstairs. After the ride, I found a place near the park to hang out near B and Fifth Sts. for more 8185 shots as well as Yolobus and a fire engine on Fifth.

After leaving the park, I took a drive to check out a couple of stores. Returning to Russell Ave., I caught the double decker as it deadheaded from the transit center.

Using the Yolobus live map linked to their website, I saw that Orion VII (OG) 729 was operating route 42B counterclockwise through Davis and West Sacramento. Got photos on Fifth Street after Poleline Rd., then caught up with and preceded the bus to Cabaldon Pkwy. and West Capital Ave., where the route turns to cross the Tower Bridge.

Then I parked at the Tower Bridge Garage to walk into Old Sacramento and pick up my will call ticket for the Sacramento Southern excursion train operated by the California State Railroad Museum. It operates from the Central Pacific Passenger Terminal south along tracks between the Sacramento River and Interstate 5 to a point called Baths. The train then reverses direction, sometimes doing a runaround of the engine (Granite Rock no. 10) to pull it back to old town. Sometimes the train backs down the line so that the engine leads returning. The latter deal happened on the final round trip. I waited for the pull in. No. 10 was detached from the cars and reversed on the stationary turntable outside the museum to back into the storage shed. CSRM diesel switching engine no. 2 came out and brought the observation car into the shed. The other cars were left outside. Before leaving Old Sacramento, I got photos of two Yolobus coaches heading westbound, approaching and then crossing Tower Bridge.

The meal is catfish and chips, served at the Railroad Fish & Chips restaurant next to the station. After checking into my motel, I took a trip to The Cave collectibles store, selling toys, clothing, and music on CDs and LPs.

Nikon D5600 and Samsung Galaxy A16 5G cameras yielded 271 photos.