Nostalgia & History > A Few From Around Sparks

I thought I might place a few photos from Sparks, NV into the TO photo archive. These were all taken during October 1985.

This first view was taken just west of Sparks yard, pictured is SP 7456 and 9083, the rebuilt meets the un-rebuilt.

---

Espee 7456 pictured here, same location as above - 10-1985

---

A power consist at rest near the fuel rack at Sparks, NV - 10-1985. It was common during this time that most train's power was pulled of and sent to the fuel rack for service.

---

This view was taken from the McCarran overpass on the east end of Sparks yard. The locomotive coupled to the SP 7364 was SP 3204 - 10-1985.

---

Ah yes, a "Cadilac" one of my favorites, works the westend of Sparks yard - 10-1985.

Jim - Lawton, NV MP 235.5

---

Great photos Jim. Sparks has never been the same since it went from SP to UP.

Sam Reeves
—
http://www.samreevesphoto.com

samreeves Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great photos Jim. Sparks has never been the same
> since it went from SP to UP.
>
> Sam Reeves
> —
> http://www.samreevesphoto.com

Sam,

Thanks. I got to tell you, I miss "My Favorite Railroad - SP" Seems I got a button that says that from a Roseville open house I went too.

Yep, Sparks will never be the same. But, it's still a very good place to get roster shots, and watch the action.

Jim

Heres Sparks in 1959. I dont have any shots around there of the era yours shows. I was too busy partying in the mid-80's.

---

I took my first cab ride about two years later in a very similar F-unit in the very place.

Cool...

Missed out hireing out as a fireman by one day at Sparks in 1960. Of course, I would have been 62c and cutoff when fireman were eliminated several years later.

I was in Sparks and Reno on last Thursday. The foreground location of Photo Bob's photograph is now part of the UP intermadal facility at Sparks. Lots of orange Schnider trailers on the ground. Almost solid trains of Schnider highway equipment headed east for each of the last two days.

Both tracks are complete in the trench with ballast, not yet completely regulated as of Thursday noon.

Nice work on the part of both photographers.
mdo

mdo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I was in Sparks and Reno on last Thursday. The
> foreground location of Photo Bob's photograph is
> now part of the UP intermadal facility at Sparks.
> Lots of orange Schnider trailers on the ground.
> Almost solid trains of Schnider highway equipment
> headed east for each of the last two days.

Well, on that day I hauled into the ramp 8 of 24 Yellow freight trailers turned over to the railroad that day for a repositioning move east. The next days eastbound Z had a nice peppering of Yellow Freight 28 ft trailers manifested.

Jim

photobob Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Heres Sparks in 1959. I dont have any shots around there of the era yours shows. I was too busy partying in the mid-80's.


Is that large brick building to the left the steam era backshop? A friend and I drove from Phoenix to Oakland for a job interview and stopped at Sparks and rummaged around in that building among piles of DS sheets and other records piled haphazardly and unsecured. To my ever lasting regret we took nothing.

Bob Knoll

Yes, what is left of the backshops. The Nugget restrauant was made from the bricks of the roundhouse and was called "The Roundhouse". Great steaks

FGS Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This view was taken from the McCarran overpass on
> the east end of Sparks yard. The locomotive
> coupled to the SP 7364 was SP 3204 - 10-1985.


Geez, just four years of work after SAC GRIP rebuild sure did take it's toll on this soldier!