Western Railroad Discussion > The Richmond (CA) Hump

There was an earllier discussion asking about the "Hump Yards" near Richmond, CA. I was not able to identify Rosevile as still having a hump, but i did manage to generate quite a response to my reply. In any case, here is a photo of the ex-SP Hump at Richmond, CA. The tracks are now leased by the Richmond Pacific RR. Taken May 2015, the RPRC switches tank cars over the old hump, but no actual humping takes place. More like flat switching.A tree has taken over the remnants of the old hump house.

MDO previously posted a history of this hump, as he was there when it was built (if I remember correctly).

​Gary



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/24/16 22:03 by SN711.

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>More like flat switching.A tree has taken over the remnants of the old hump house.

The crews stopped using the hump in the mid to late 1980s. It seems the tanks of propane cars were so high up in the air that the presence detector on the bull switch coudn't "see" one unless one of its trucks were in the loop. One day it allowed the power switch to be thrown under the middle of one, derailing it. The result was to extend the detector's loop, and this made it too time consuming to use the hump for switching cars.

>MDO previously posted a history of this hump, as he was there when it was built (if I remember correctly).

The hump (there was another one in a similar sized yard in the City of Industry) predates MDO's tenure as W Div Sup't by at least a decade or two.

Richmond, Industry, and Strang all had 'pint-size gravity yards'. Strang still humping. Industry has been pretty well taken over by intermodal, and the 'hump' [which was below grade level] has been leveled. The Crest building is gone, along with the "P. K. Baumhefner Memorial Exhaust Fan" - Eh, Zephyr?

https://goo.gl/maps/53q7EnNiLdp

 



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/25/16 01:03 by JGFuller.

Well, it's sad to hear that the City of Industry memorial exhaust fan and custom SPRR logo are but a piece of our memories now!  The bigger question for you Jack, did you switch the rips last night?!?!?!?

Zephyr

I do recall one afternoon at the Crest, when Bro. Irvine brought a list of the rips - which hadn't been switched ... recently. Industry was in its normal chaotic state, and ... truth to tell ... I took one look at the list, tossed it into the trash can, and said, "Well, we aren't gonna get that done tonight!" Mike departed, to try again another day.

What is the story behind the "P. K. Baumhefner Memorial Exhaust Fan"?

The Crest building at Industry was a space about 20x20 feet, and contained a desk for the Asst Trainmaster, the Hump control console, a rest room, chairs for crews waiting for their next move ... and many, many ash trays. This was the "smoking or non-smoking" seat reservation era, and there were no non-smoking seats at the Crest. PKB was Terminal Supt., and in recognition of the deplorable atmospheric conditions, especially on cold winter nights, had an exhaust fan installed - with a commemorative name plate! Prior to that, the only defense was propping open the office door - which worked some discomfort to the crews. The ATM's situtation [behind whose desk was the door] was somewhat mitigated by the presence of a baseboard heater on the wall under the desk!

It's been over 40 years, so the details may not be 100% correct. But what a place to work!!

Thanks