Chapter 1605
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Temporal Mission:
Past Timeline:
November 26 1963
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Young Allison was surprised when Cameron slowed and turned onto Placerita Canyon Road. She knew exactly where they were headed and what they would pass by.
"I think we're going to visit the 'Oak of the Golden Dream'." Young Allison said.
Cameron looked over and smiled.
"It is a very old tree." Cameron said. "It's approximately four to five hundred years old."
Young Allison was aware its age isn't what made it famous. She did think it was quite impressive though. It made her wonder about the age of some of the ones in Chatsworth Park and the surrounding area. She spotted quite a few of them on the movie ranches, both north and south of Santa Susana Pass Road. Cameron pointed out the Midway Oaks when they were in the area where Tiny was at during the filming. It wasn't too far from where Cameron did her stunt to help out the stunt girl who was feeling ill.
When she thought about it, she wanted to see the two movies they each might have been in when they returned to the time period they left from. She knew both of those productions would show what they experienced when they were there. Theoretically, if she viewed either one of the two productions before, Cameron would have been the one who did the stunt all along. If the females in the stagecoach were shown for the other production, it would be Cameron and her. She knew they would be in the background, but it was still kind of exciting to think she was on screen decades ago. It only went to show whatever they did in the past, would be what occurred in the future as they knew it.
Young Allison needed to refocus. She knew the story surrounding the tree where they were headed.
"It was where gold was first found in California." Young Allison said. "It didn't start the Gold Rush. The Gold Rush didn't happen for a few more years. I don't think word got around when it happened. It wasn't like it did later on in 1848."
Cameron wasn't sure why it didn't start the Gold Rush. It probably had something to do with the government at the time. News traveled a little slower with the government which briefly controlled California from 1821 to 1848. Spain controlled the area for several hundred years previously. There were various groups of migrants who traveled through the area several thousand years earlier. None of them were native to the location. They all came from elsewhere. The evidence seemed to indicate it was through Asia. One group often replaced another. She wasn't quite sure why it was an emotional issue to some, rather than a factual issue.
"California wasn't under United States control in 1842 when gold was first found." Cameron said. "A man from the San Gabriel Mission decided to take a siesta under the tree because it offered a lot of shade. He noted there were some wild onions near the tree's trunk. He pulled them up and noticed the bright specs clinging to the roots. He quickly realized it was gold."
Young Allison thought about the oil fields they passed through on the way there.
"I'm pretty sure the real 'Gold' in California was the 'Black Gold' first discovered about five miles from here on the other side of the hill in the Newhall area. It wasn't much later either." Young Allison said. "I don't know the actual figures, but I'm pretty sure oil has produced more wealth in California than gold ever did. At the end of the day, gold is still a rock. It does have good electrical conductivity though. I guess there is a practical usage for it other than an imaginary one. Somehow gold has value, just because everyone thinks it does. In reality, it's no more valuable than paper with green ink on it, which everyone believes has value as well. At the end of the day, it's still paper with green ink on it."
Cameron drove the Galaxie to the location of where the 'Oak of the Golden Dream' was located. It was right off of Placerita Canyon Road.
Young Allison took a moment to look the tree over.
"I can't really say it looks any better now than it does in modern times." Young Allison said. "I'm actually surprised it's been able to make it through all of the wildfires which have occurred over the years. We don't need to stop. I'm not going to look for any wild onions. I know what will be valuable in the future."
Young Allison reached down and touched her Browning Hi-Power.
Cameron continued east on Placerita Canyon Road. She reached an intersection with Sand Canyon Road. She could turn either left or right. If she turned right, it would eventually put her on Little Tujunga Canyon Road. Little Tujunga Canyon Road would pass very near another Nike Base. It was LA-94. It consisted of a control site as well as a launch site. It was often referred to as the Newhall site. They wouldn't be going in it's direction at this time.
Young Allison looked at the intersection. She knew Cameron was going to turn left. She did see her pause and look to the right for a time before she made the turn. There was no cross traffic to cause her to pause.
She was aware in more modern times, there was a game show filmed just on the southeast side of where they were currently at. It consisted of various obstacles the contestants needed to complete within a given amount of time. There were various devices and methods to knock them off of the obstacles as they attempted to complete it. Some of the people really got wiped out trying to complete the course.
Cameron drove north on Sand Canyon Road. There was a railroad bridge which crossed over the road in a few minutes. There was a driveway which led into a parking lot on the east side of the street before it. Cameron pulled into it and turned off the engine.
Young Allison was a little confused. It looked like they were in a church parking lot to her.
Cameron looked over at Young Allison.
"Follow me." Cameron said.
Young Allison got out and followed behind her. They passed by the church buildings to the north side of the property. They entered through a gap in the dirt embankment and small hill in back of it. The railroad tracks were right there. She wondered if there was a train coming.
Cameron walked close to the tracks and then pointed in an easterly direction.
Young Allison was a little surprised to see a tunnel. It was clearly a railroad tunnel. There were no tracks in it. The tracks were just to the north of it and ran around the side of hill it was on.
"During one of the track alignments, five tunnels along this route were abandoned or 'daylighted'. This is one of them." Cameron said. "It was why Tunnel 25 was renumbered to Tunnel 20."
Young Allison could see there was a house on top of the small hill which the abandoned tunnel ran through. It appeared they blocked the tunnel off part way inside.
"I think the landowner up above uses it for storage." Young Allison said.
Cameron was aware of what the other side of the tunnel looked like.
"You're absolutely correct." Cameron said. "On the other side of the tunnel, there's a giant set of doors which can be opened and closed. This side here is blocked off."
Young Allison thought the homeowner got some serious storage space with an abandoned railroad tunnel underneath his home. She wasn't quite sure what it would have been like if the home was constructed there when the tunnel was active. There really wasn't too much earth between the tunnel and the location of the home.
Cameron looked over to the west.
"I heard an air horn." Cameron said. "I don't know if a train went by here earlier, or if one is headed in this direction."
Young Allison looked at the block signal she could see. It currently was blank. She looked over to the west and then back at the block signal. It now had a green light on it.
"It looks like it's coming this way." Young Allison said.
In a few minutes, Young Allison could hear the air horn herself. It wasn't long until they could see the headlight come around a curve. The oscillating headlight moved back and forth, while the headlight shined brightly ahead.
She could see the lead locomotive had a high short nose. It appeared to be an EMD unit. It most likely would be a GP9 or an SD9.
Cameron wanted to assist Young Allison with a visual identification of the locomotive from the front of it, rather than from the top or the side. There were several distinct characteristics to the locomotive approaching.
"Can you see the short ladders on each side of the front of the nose?" Cameron asked.
Young Allison hadn't noticed them at first, but now she could clearly see them.
"I do." Young Allison said.
Cameron wanted to point out what the significance was.
"I can tell just by looking at the front of it, it's an SD9. It has two ladders on the high short hood. The classification lights are located at the edges of the high short hood. If the classification lights were located directly in the center over the number boards, it would be an SD7. SD7 units don't make it out much on the mainline. GP9 units have grab irons instead of ladders. The frame is also much thinner."
The locomotives were much closer now.
Young Allison could feel the ground begin to vibrate. It was about the same time she could hear the rumble from the locomotives.
She could see there were six locomotives on the point. The train was actually working upgrade at this point. It was another mixed merchandise train. It wasn't long before the bay window caboose went by. They could actually see the conductor sitting in the bay window. They waved at him. He waved back.
Cameron and Young Allison returned back to the Galaxie.
"Would you like to drive for a while?" Cameron asked.
Young Allison was ready for some more wheel time.
"I'd like to." Young Allison said.
Cameron handed Young Allison the keys.
Young Allison climbed into the driver's seat and buckled in. She checked the mirrors and everything looked good. She knew it would be because Cameron and her were the same size. She depressed the clutch and moved the shifter into neutral. She pumped the gas twice and turned the key. The 427 roared to life. She quickly checked over the gauges. The temperature gauge quickly returned to the cooler range. Everything looked good. She looked around her and saw it was clear. She put it into first gear and let out the clutch.
"Make a right when we exit the parking lot onto Sand Canyon Road." Cameron said.
She exited the parking lot and turned north onto Sand Canyon Road. She went underneath the railroad bridge. It was very low clearance compared to other bridges. They crossed over another bridge which went over the Santa Clara River. There wasn't much water in it at all. She drove until she reached Soledad Canyon Road. It was all within a half mile distance. She could continue north on Sand Canyon Road and it would reconnect with Route 6. It was also referred to as Sierra Highway in this area.
She knew the 14 Freeway would eventually be built right along the area where they currently sat. Route 6 was further to the north. The 14 Freeway would parallel Soledad Canyon Road through this segment for just a little more than three miles. Soledad Canyon Road would continue to follow the Santa Clara River. The 14 Freeway would take its own path when it was constructed, it went through the mountains instead of through the canyons. It was to cut down on distance, rather than follow the easiest path. Modern machinery made it possible.
Young Allison went east on Soledad Canyon Road. There was no traffic in front of her, in back of her, or in the oncoming lane. She dropped it from fourth gear back into second gear. She opened it up a little bit. The big FE roared to life. She felt herself pushed back in the seat slightly. It was clear the engine was running well.
Cameron smiled when Young Allison got on the accelerator. She didn't push it in third or fourth gear.
"Take the cut off for Lang." Cameron said. "It's just up ahead a short distance."
Young Allison spotted the turnoff. It was clearly marked. She downshifted into third, and then into second as she slowed. The road they were currently on was very narrow. She slowed and downshifted into first. She could see they needed to cross back over the river.
"It looks like we drive through the river bed over some type of flat bridge." Young Allison said.
Cameron didn't think it would be a problem. The small amount of water in the river would go through the small opening underneath the flat bridge.
"It's nothing to worry about. Water will only flow over the top of it in a heavy downpour." Cameron said. "Continue towards the east once we cross the bridge."
Young Allison spotted a small railroad station up ahead. There was a sign on it. It seemed like an out of the way location to her to have one.
"I can see the Lang station." Young Allison said.
Cameron pointed at a concrete and stone marker near the railroad tracks.
"This is where the Golden Spike was driven on September 5th 1876." Cameron said. "It was driven in by one of the Big Four. Another one of the Big Four assisted with driving the Golden Spike for the Transcontinental Route in 1869."
Like To
Many go through daily life
Without a hint or a clue
They think they know it all
They can't remember what is true
From their minds and mouths
It is garbage they spew
They often bite off
More than they can chew
Some like to stir things up
It boils into a witches' brew
When it all falls apart
They don't want to pay the tab due
When others start to question things
They get angry and rue
They try to sluff it off
Maybe even blame it on their guru
It always falls on the back
Of a dedicated group or few
Many feel the same
As something they'd like to do
Nobody