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The Union Pacific Railroad "Rocklin Rocket" is a turn train that originates weekday mornings in the J.R. Davis yard, located in Roseville, CA, and works various industries on the Valley Subdivision, all the way to South Oroville, where it reverses direction, and heads home to Roseville. You'll find this train working every weekday, and occasionally on Saturday, as traffic warrants. Weekday mornings, the train is called out of J.R. Davis yard at 08:00, and usually leaves the yard between 08:45 and 09:00, with normally the first stop at Sierra Pacific Industries, about 5 miles north - Railroad timetable east - of Lincoln. After Lincoln, the Rocket normally highballs to South Oroville, where is works Georgia Pacific, and works other industries on the way back to Roseville, including Sierra Silica Products, Oroville Flexible Packaging, and other Oroville area industries, along with a occasional stop in Ostrum, west of Marysville.
Photo: It's exactly 09:07 in the morning, Tuesday, April 28, 2027 and U.P. #9926 leads the "Rocklin Rocket" east, at M.P. 109.4, and the "Industrial Blvd." spur that leads to Lancaster-Burns Construction, who mostly receives incoming cars of loaded plywood. Today's "Rocket" is leaving Roseville yard on time, dispite having to wait for the MHKRV to enter the yard. "Rocklin Rocket" is called weekdays at 08:00 and originates at J.R. Davis yard in Roseville, CA. "Industrial Blvd." spur is best accessed when the train is heading west, back toward the Roseville yard, so it's usually the last stop before the "Rocket" ties up in the yard for the night.
Photo: "Rocklin Rocket" highballs east up the Valley Subdivision to Sierra Pacific Industries, which will likely be the first stop and this Tuesday turn. "Rocklin Rocket" operates weekdays and if traffic warrants, occasionally on Saturday.
Photo: I'm on the Roseville Parkway overpass which looks down into L.B. Construction, at the single spur track that feeds this industry. The forklift is busy unloading plywood and these cars will be picked up late in the afternoon, as the last stop before the "Rocklin Rocket" enters the yard. "Rocklin Rocket" works L.B. Construction once or twice a week.
Photo: It's a little before 09:00 in the morning, Wednesday, April 15, 2026 and U.P. #9926, a EMD SD59MX leads the "Rocklin Rocket" east, at M.P. 110.0, just east of the Andorra hold signal and the Roseville, CA yard. It's a short train today, but I imagine she'll be stopping in a few minutes at Sierra Pacific Industries, located east of Lincoln, to pick up some loads. The primary products hauled by the Rocklin Rocket are construction and building materials, lumber and wood products, along with various manufacturing and industrial materials, including sand, gravel and chemicals. The train always sports two units, and the train cars when leaving Roseville usually number between four to twenty, with about the same number of cars being hauled back to Roseville at the end of the day. Today, we're watching the "Rocklin Rocket" working Sierra Pacific Industries, located three miles east - Railroad timetable - of Lincoln, CA. It's Thursday, April 09, 2026... all aboard!
Photo: The west end of Sierra Pacific Industries sports an interesting track arrangement at the spur that comes off the main line. This west end spur is at milepost 118.0, but curiously, it isn't marked on the signal.
Photo: Sierra Pacific Industries is a industrial modern operation, and the entrance to the plant is closely monitored by a security officer, who keeps an eye on the main entrance. It's private property, so you need a reason and permission from the guard to enter.
Photo: I'm outside the properly, but able to take photos of the railroad operation on a lazy Sunday afternoon, where only a few employees, along with the security guard are at work.
Photo: It's 09:14 in the morning, Thursday, April 09, 2026 as #9914 leads the "Rocklin Rocket" across Sierra Pacific Industries' private crossing at M.P. 118.2. The train is slowing down, as when the rear end clears the east spur track the train will stop, and the crew will begin their day's work at Sierra Pacific.
Photo: The train has reached the spur at the east end of Sierra Pacific Industries, and is backing in to spot empty finished lumber cars. Note the hand-thrown switch, which is carefully locked and aligned with the main line after use.
Photo: Look at this... #9914 sports "Rocklin Rocket" lettered on her hood, in the same style that U.P. #4014, "Big Boy" has on the smokebox. I suppose it's only fitting, as later in the day, U.P. #4014 - "Big Boy" - will be passing by on the way to delight the crowds during two days of public display in Roseville.
Photo: After dropping off the empties, it's time to pick up a few loads, as the conductor radios the engineer.
Photo: The conductor has thrown another switch to pick up a different set of loaded cars on a parallel track. This is quite a large operation and a steady, 5-day-a-week customer for the railroad.
Photo: The last load has been picked up and it's time to pack things up and head east toward Oroville.
Photo: The last thing the conductor does is re-attach the FRED to the rear of the train. When that task is complete, he'll step aside, radio the engineer, and the engineer will back the train to pick him up. That complete, the train will highball east, toward the next stop, possibly at Ostrum. Today, I didn't follow the "Rocket" any further, as I was setting up show at M.P. 121.04 to catch X4014, "Big Boy" later in the day.
Photo: It's 11:25 in the morning, and "Rocklin Rocket" crosses Chamberlain Road at M.P. 121.0 as she rolls east toward Oroville. After working Georgia Pacific and other industries, she'll turn around on the wye and work her way back to J.R. Davis yard, in Roseville. The whole thing will happen again tomorrow, as it does practically every weekday morning.
Photo: "Rocklin Rocket" gathers speed, as it heads east at M.P. 121.04, about a half mile west of the west switch at Brock. Weekday mornings, you can almost set your watch by the Rocklin Rocket, and their predictable schedule makes for a great, leisurely day of railfanning Union Pacific's Valley Subdivision. It's interesting to note the official Union Pacific Railroad train symbol for the "Rocket" is LRR62, but thankfully, everyone, including railfans and railroaders alike refer to this train as the "Rocklin Rocket!" Local railroading at it's best... "Rocklin Rocket," serving Placer, Yuba, Butte Counties and especially Sierra Pacific Industries, located in Lincoln, CA.. Sierra Pacific Industries Copyright(c) 2026 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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