Steam & Excursion > The Rear Of This Train May Be More Impressive Than The Front!

We can be fortunate that certain photographers were not satisfied with telling the story of steam railroading through only 3/4 wedge shots of the front of the train as it approached.  If they had not stayed to shoot the helpers in action in the rear of the train, we would have lost much of the story of steam railroading.

One such intrepid railfan was on hand at Cajon Pass in 1941 as the Santa Fe was in full steam service.  On this sunny afternoon we see AT&SF 2-10-2 #3838 action as rear end helper on a heavy freight manifest.  Her crew has the big Sante Fe type at full power as it leans into the train to keep it moving over the summit.

Maybe it is the freshly shopped locomotive or the newly minted boxcar coupled to it's pilot, or maybe just the column of smoke shooting to the heavens that makes this scene special.  Who knows, but it is beautiful!

Martin



Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 02/08/16 05:33 by LoggerHogger.

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That's a refrigerator car.

I like the 1890 side door caboose!   And, I will be that the conductor and brakemen inside are quite happy to be be BEHIND the big 2-10-2.

This is indeed an impressive photo.

The 2-10-2 is a Santa Fe type and a 2-10-0 is a Decapod type.

millerdc Wrote:
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> The 2-10-2 is a Santa Fe type and a 2-10-0 is a
> Decapod type.

How right you are.  See what happens before my first coffee of the morning.

Martin

Beautiful.  This what railroading looks like on my S gauge layout, where none of the equipment is weathered!  Great photo and highly unusual to see such pristine equipment in action without it being arranged for a railroad publicity shot.

Southern Pacific called their 2-10-2s "Decapods"!

Ed

Fantastic image!

Steve Mitchell
yardgoatimages.com 

As a practice and per a pattern of location, the pusher almost always works at full power and the head end controls the speed by picking cars away from or putting weight of more cars on the pusher until the needle of the air gauge moves in the pusher's cab.I love all these morning messages and thanks you every day.

And, the only time you will see those white painted rods .  They will get dirty and lose their color quickly.

"...certain photographers"  So, who was it?

We do not know who this photographer was.

Martin

Auburn_Ed Wrote:
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> Southern Pacific called their 2-10-2s "Decapods"!
>
> Ed

SP would have called their 2-10-2's Hudsons before they'd  refer to them as "Santa Fe Types".

Auburn_Ed Wrote:
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> Southern Pacific called their 2-10-2s "Decapods"!
>
> Ed

Thought they called them Deck's.

Martin:

Thanks for the great photo. Contrast in a new freight car and what looks to be an old crummy. I can't make out any end steps or platforms on that crummy. Old side door?

John

I remember my uncle telling me the story of what happened on Raton Pass when the helper was behind the caboose....no one was killed when the 3800 popped the caboose out of the train, but soon after the helpers were cut in front of the waycar.

I've always loved seeing the old boxcars with SYSTEM MAPS painted on the sides.  I just love that.  Showed pride in their routes.

I'm a little confused when Auburn-Ed stated that S.P. listed their 2-10-2's as Decapods when S.P. classified them as F-1 through F-6. I thought the "F" stands for Santa Fe and the one classification for the 2-10-0 was D-1 which I thought stands for Decapod. 

Cupolau Wrote:
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> I'm a little confused when Auburn-Ed stated that
> S.P. listed their 2-10-2's as Decapods when S.P.
> classified them as F-1 through F-6. I thought the
> "F" stands for Santa Fe and the one classification
> for the 2-10-0 was D-1 which I thought stands for
> Decapod. 

First, the operating crews referred to the 2-10-2 locomotives as "Decapods", or "Decs", on the SP, no matter WHAT the Mechanical Dept, classified them as. Second, I can not believe ANYBODY on the SP would formally classify ANY of their steam locomotives after the "Santa Fe"!