Thanks for that trip. My dad worked for Western Pacific. Before the Oroville Dam was built (1958?) I made a couple of trips back and forth on the California Zephyr through the Feather River Canyon from a little RR town in the Sierras called Keddie to Stockton in the Central Valley of California. FF to the 80's. Along with a lot of friends we took a Amtrak gamblers special from Oakland to Reno for a few nights stay there. That took us over the famous Donner Summit into downtown Reno and back. Stunning to say the least. The train was a party in itself from start to finish. Disneyland California Adventure has an original Dome Car on display from the California Zephyr.
Speaking of the Feather River Canyon, my wife and I went to Portola, CA, and got to drive a couple of the Museums locomotives for an hour each. What a thrill, and a "must do" for a railroad buff!