Steam & Excursion > On Any Friday Afternoon This Was The Most Anticipated Train!

Not all freight trains matched the performance potential of the steam power assigned to them.  However, some short trains were given big power simply due to the importance of the contents they carried.

To the loggers who lived out on the remote logging camps that were located on logging railroads many miles from the main mill and town, the weekly supply train was of vital importance to them.  Here is one such train and her crucial cargo.

The date is Friday June 1, 1945 and railfan Phillip Johnson has caught the Fruit Growers Supply train approaching Camp Bunyan above Halls Flat off the Western Pacific with the weekly supply train.  This train kept the camp stocked in the much needed food that was vital to keeping the loggers working to cut and deliver the logs to the mill.  Also on board would be mail and other provisions for the residents of the remote logging camps.

Power for this short but important train is FGS #105 a 90-ton Baldwin Mike built in 1920 for the English Lumber Co. of McMurry, WA and later sold to the FGS predecessor, Red River Lumber Co. of Westwood, CA.

While some of the loggers would be heading into Westwood on the Western Pacific's "Whiskey Special" train for the weekend, this little supply train would make certain the camp was well supplied for when they returned to the woods Monday morning.

Martin



Edited 7 time(s). Last edit at 08/23/16 05:24 by LoggerHogger.

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Fascinating. The caboose and the car in front of it certainly look unique.
Thanks for posting this.
Bob

refarkas Wrote:
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> Fascinating. The caboose and the car in front of
> it certainly look unique.
> Thanks for posting this.
> Bob

I agree!  Martin, do you happen to have any other photos of this train - especially that last car and caboose?

Thanks!

Lee Hower - Sacramento

That was such a first class operation, all photos much appreciated.

Out

The 105 is bearing class lights as well as a number plate in the center of the smokebox. But what is up above? Looks like an SP style number board but I cannot read it.

Zooming in on the number board, it appears to lack numbers.   That car before the caboose is fascinating.  Any chance it could be some kind of logger fabricated reefer?  I'm sure the loggers had meat in their meals, and maybe it needed to be cooled enroute?