Finally an opportunity to contribute to this forum . . .
This is a westbound (special movement of some sort) of the Western Pacific's California Zephyr on the lower leg of the loop at JAMES, CA.
As Hudson states it appears to be going backwards but the additional dome observation on the other end is confusing.
And yes - looking at the dry grass its high summer season or possibly early fall.
The tracks make two passings underneath State Highway 70 to avoid the newly constructed Oroville Dam of the 1960’s.
It's got the makings, as one poster states, of being two CZ consists but its lacking the 3 extra dome coaches and another set of power.
3 coach domes up front was their trademark.
Behind the train and out of the picture is a tunnel and the siding at James clearly visible on the upper loop and a popular photo location.
This would be 20 miles east of Oroville, CA and she’s coming off what the UP calls the Canyon Subdivision today. (ie. Feather River Canyon).
James is close to the massive Paradise, CA forest fire sight and the entire Father River Canyon has been a victim of torrential mud slides ever since
as there is little vegetation to hold rock and soils during a major storm, but that was always a challenge in the canyon.
This picture is pretty rare. I grew up in California
and never heard of this consist. Often fan trips were made up
of older museum owned coaches combined with spare CZ coaches,
while foreign passenger cars like the UP’s in this scene were probably
tied to high season traffic or this special move.
-Kyle-