Nostalgia & History > Blue and Yellow Oldies But Goodies

A few more shots from the archives of Bernard Levine. These are from a fan trip that ran in February (I think) 1966 from Pasadena to Barstow and return. Power was the Santa Fe 2650 and 2651, and the two most popular places to be were the 599 (second car on the train) and the observation car 1509.

#1 Coming up the hill from Cajon to Sullivan’s Curve.

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#2-3-4 Alray

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#5 Barstow

#6 Victorville

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The photos at Alray are great - all heavyweight cars. Where's the time machine?

Loren

Thanks for the photos, particularly the one(s) of the ATSF 1509.

John,

That was a great trip! First of the OEM trips that I took. The following year was behind two PAs as I remember. I only wish I had been equipped with a 35mm camera those years. Thanks to those who were!

Kevin

This excursion was on February 5, 1966, run by the Orange Empire Trolley Museum (I was on the train).

I know that the ATSF had handful of passenger equipped GP-7 locomotives, but I'm surprised to see them in these southern California shots. After the demise of the local to San Bernardino I would have thought that this power would have departed the scene for points east where it might still be needed.

Were these two locomotives habitual creatures of the LA area and did they have a usual assignment that kept them in the area?

john1082 Wrote:

>I know that the ATSF had handful of passenger equipped GP-7 locomotives, but I'm surprised to see them in these southern California shots. After the demise of the local to San Bernardino I would have thought that this power would have departed the scene for points east where it might still be needed.

>Were these two locomotives habitual creatures of the LA area and did they have a usual assignment that kept them in the area?


Here is what the Orange Empire Trolley Musuem's hand-out given to excursion riders stated about the locomotives:

"Our locomotives for the day, 2650 and 2651, are of local historical interest. They were the first GP-7's received by the Santa Fe, being built by EMD, October 1950, with builder's numbers #12196-12197. AT&SF 2650-2654 were ordered with steam boilers for passenger train operation, and placed in service between San Bernardino and Los Angeles, replacing steam power on the San Berdoo Locals. After these trains were discontinued, the locos entered general pool freight service, and as larger power has become available, they have joined local switching service in the L.A. area."

Wasn't this the Cushenbury trip?
I was on that one.
I remember the cars having no A/C and spitting watermelon seeds from the 1509.
Thanks for a boyhood memory.
Tom Helliwell

No. Barstow was the turn around point.

My first railfan trip also. I do believe that we had a phot runby at Sullivan's Curve. A couple of GP-7's were also used on at least two other excursions after that. In late 1966, I think, we had a couple of them on the trip on the Venta spur and the Fallbrook spur. Also, two were used on a trip (March 1967 or so?) that took many people to the Orange Show in San Berdoo and then later some of the cars out to the end of the Redlands loop.

Steve Gillings

90mac Wrote:

>Wasn't this the Cushenbury trip? I was on that one.
I remember the cars having no A/C and spitting watermelon seeds from the 1509.


Pacific Railroad Society ran an excursion to Cushenbury (which they called the "Cushonbury Caravan") on June 12, 1966 but the motive power was Santa Fe passenger F-units in an A-B-B-A arrangement.

Car 1509 was indeed part of that train consist.

SGillings wrote:

>My first railfan trip also. I do believe that we had a phot runby at Sullivan's Curve.


According to the hand-out given to excursion riders, the photo runbys were just east of Cajon station (see first photo), at the Alray tunnels (see second, third and fourth photos), at West Victorville (see sixth photo), at Frost and at "East of Summit." However, Orange Empire's 1967 trip over Cajon Pass to Barstow did have a photo runby at Sullivan's Curve.


>A couple of GP-7's were also used on at least two other
excursions after that. In late 1966, I think, we
had a couple of them on the trip on the Venta spur
and the Fallbrook spur.


GP-7s Nos. 2651 and 2654 were used on Orange Empire's
November 5, 1966 excursion to the Venta spur and Fallbrook.


>Also, two were used on a trip (March 1967 or so?) that took many people to the Orange Show in San Berdoo and then later some of the cars out to the end of the Redlands loop.


This Orange Empire trip on the Redlands loop on March 11, 1967 was pulled by GP-9s, one of which was No. 728. The other engine was also a 700-class GP-9 but I don't have its full number.

"Pacific Railroad Society ran an excursion to Cushenbury (which they called the "Cushonbury Caravan") on June 12, 1966 but the motive power was Santa Fe passenger F-units in an A-B-B-A arrangement".

"Car 1509 was indeed part of that train consist".

OK, thanks I was on that one.
Tom

Thanks

JohnSweetser Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> john1082 Wrote:
>
> >I know that the ATSF had handful of passenger
> equipped GP-7 locomotives, but I'm surprised to
> see them in these southern California shots. After
> the demise of the local to San Bernardino I would
> have thought that this power would have departed
> the scene for points east where it might still be
> needed.
>
> >Were these two locomotives habitual creatures of
> the LA area and did they have a usual assignment
> that kept them in the area?
>
>
> Here is what the Orange Empire Trolley Musuem's
> hand-out given to excursion riders stated about
> the locomotives:
>
> "Our locomotives for the day, 2650 and 2651, are
> of local historical interest. They were the first
> GP-7's received by the Santa Fe, being built by
> EMD, October 1950, with builder's numbers
> #12196-12197. AT&SF 2650-2654 were ordered with
> steam boilers for passenger train operation, and
> placed in service between San Bernardino and Los
> Angeles, replacing steam power on the San Berdoo
> Locals. After these trains were discontinued, the
> locos entered general pool freight service, and as
> larger power has become available, they have
> joined local switching service in the L.A. area."

> >A couple of GP-7's were also used on at least two
> other
> excursions after that. In late 1966, I think, we
> had a couple of them on the trip on the Venta
> spur
> and the Fallbrook spur.
>
>
> GP-7s Nos. 2651 and 2654 were used on Orange
> Empire's
> November 5, 1966 excursion to the Venta spur and
> Fallbrook.

The boiler-equipped Geeps were also commonly used on the trains from Williams north to Grand Canyon and south to Phoenix. In fact, for some reason I seem to recall that Ed von Nordeck was able to have the 2651 and 2654 sent from Arizona specifically for the Fallbrook trip.

Ed von Nordeck. Now there is a name I haven't heard in a long, long time.

SP6190 wrote:

>Ed von Nordeck. Now there is a name I haven't heard in a long, long time.


Ed Von Nordeck has made numerous posts under his own name on the Altamont Press discussion board, the most recent being on January 6. On Trainorders, I believe he has posted under a pseudonym; I don't know if he has done so lately.