Steam & Excursion > This Steam Crew Is Enjoying Their Brief Time In The Spotlight!

Most crews assigned to the daily task of operating steam motive power did so in relative obscurity.  Sure they would enjoy a brief wave from time to time from a passing car or maybe a boy on a bike at a crossing, but that would usually be the only attention they would receive from the public.  All that would change for a few lucky crews in 1937 when the first railfan excursions began in the West.

It was October 1937 and the second such excursion was being run on the narrow gauge Pacific Coast Ry out of San Louis Obisbo, California.  This was no ordinary day on the narrow gauge as we see here.  The crew has all come dressed in their finest attire and their locomotive #106 has received quite a bit of spit and polish for day's activities.

Most of the many railfans that have come to ride the little narrow gauge train have brought cameras to record the day's event.  The crew was determined to not disappoint them and the trip was a success as a result of all their their hard work.

Tomorrow it would be back to work for everyone involved, but for the crew of #106, their jobs would never be the same again.

Martin



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 08/25/16 03:33 by LoggerHogger.

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Really neat picture (as usual).   I study it and try to determine each person's position.  Let me take a stab based on "uniform":

Left to Right    Engineer, Superintendent (arranged the trip),  Fireman (center of pilot), Assistant Supt, Conductor.

Note the reporting marks on the box car in the background, right off the nearest interchange.

Out

You would not see them standing on the rail now days......

Great photograph given it was taken in 1937--superb contrast, texture, grain, details.  Looks like it was taken yesterday!