It is a rare thing today to hear of anything that has lasted over 100 years.

And it is all the more a shame when that century plus comes to an end.

So it will be this Sunday, May 10th as Amtrak's California Zephyr trains will make their last stops in Sparks.

Depending on who gathers the figures and counts the passengers, the number of people using Sparks as a station to board the train at the venerable Central Pacific station (moved there from Wadsworth in 1904) dropped below the minimum required to maintain Sparks as a passenger stop.

At times, it may be easily forgotten, but Sparks owes a great deal to the Southern Pacific Railroad. When it was modernizing in the early 20th century, the large open space was ideal for the location of a new railroad yard maintenance facility. Moving operations west from Wadsworth was a big step up for Washoe County. Named for then state governor John Sparks, this sleepy spot became a prosperous community with new jobs and new families.

For me, Sunday will bring to an end a family connection. My great grandfather, Christopher Cameron Walker was the steam locomotive fireman on the first westbound passenger train to stop at the new division point of Sparks on June 19, 1904. He went on to a long and happy career with the Southern Pacific, retiring in the fall of 1951. At that time, he was number one in seniority on the Salt Lake Division between Sparks and Carlin. His last assignment took him east as the diesel locomotive engineer of train number 102, the City of San Francisco and west as the steam locomotive engineer of train number 23, the Gold Coast.

Thanks to him (and friends at the Espee yard) I went for my first ride in a diesel locomotive in Sparks in 1963. As short of a trip as it was, it started an interest that continues to this day. As a railway museum volunteer, I have experienced many different railroad roles including a steam locomotive fireman and engineer. And it has led to charter of a number of private railroad cars for many memorable trips to Sparks with friends, family and clients.

In years past, Sparks was the place where passenger and freight trains changed operating crews (engineers, fireman, conductors and trainmen). The Union Pacific still does but Amtrak moved it's crew base to the new Reno station several years ago. Not making the stop will save a few minutes on the Zephyr's trip between Oakland and Chicago.

With the construction of the new Amtrak station in Reno, people will still be able to travel by train to and from the Biggest Little City. And they'll be able to step off and enjoy some of the fresh air as well. Somehow, it just won't be the same downtown in the concrete trench as it used to be in the sunshine in front of the classic wooden train station.

According to the Amtrak schedule, train number 6, the "California Zephyr" is to depart Sparks at 4:16 pm on Sunday. With it will go a little piece of Nevada history along the Overland route.