Steam & Excursion > What Better Way Could You Spend A Sunday During 1941?

By early 1941 when this photo was taken, the era of railfan excursions was only a few years old but was starting to grow strong. Railroads quickly saw these usually Sunday only events as way to both bring some extra cash to the bottom line but also to get new folks from out of their area to experience the scenery these host railroads had to offer.  The hope was that these Sunday visitors would go home and tell their family and friends about the railroad and those folks would return.

In this fine view we are at the end of the day on one of these railfan excursion on the Northwestern Pacific in early 1941.  NWP #23 and #109 have just returned to the yard at Tiburon after a day on the scenic NWP north of San Francisco.  The passengers have gotten off to catch just a few more photos before catching their connections (many by ferry) back home.

#23 has been cleaned and polished for her role that day as the star of the show.  The passengers as well have dolled up for the trip.  Men in suits and dies and women in dresses and heels.  Such was the railfan attire of the day.

In less than a year the country would be at war and these trips would stop until hostilities were over.  Just think how the lives of the people in this photo (especially the young men) would change because of that war.  For now let's just enjoy watching them at peace and having fun on a Sunday afternoon.

Martin



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/16 03:07 by LoggerHogger.

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I'm pretty sure the location is Sausalito,not Tiburon.Great photo. 

I will never forget how I, as a kid, spent Sunday, Dec.7, 1941, after I heard on my grandmother's rbig Philco radio that the Japanese had bombed the Phillipines, where my mother had a cousin who was a geologist there. He was later murdered in the Bataan Death March...

Bill Deaver
Tehachapi, CA

MojaveBill Wrote:
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> I will never forget how I, as a kid, spent Sunday,
> Dec.7, 1941, after I heard on my grandmother's
> rbig Philco radio that the Japanese had bombed the
> Phillipines, where my mother had a cousin who was
> a geologist there. He was later murdered in the
> Bataan Death March...

Phillipines were bombed on Dec 8 1941....the day after Pearl Harbor

Across the international date line in the Phillapines was December 8. December 7 in Hawaii so he is correct.

Looks like Tiburon to me.

I feel certain nobody can ID individuals in this photo, but the guy standing at the right margin looks like he could be my Dad.  I think his SP seniority date was in 1941.  AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA