Nostalgia & History > Sacramento "Pullman Shed?"

The first image below, taken by an unknown photographer some time after SP acquired RDC #10 and before the end of steam, shows an open structure that stood between the Sacramento, CA shops and the station platforms at the west end. Was this a "Pullman shed" where passenger cars were parked to shade them from the blazing valley sun, a running repair shed, or something else?

At the east end of the depot, the same photographer recorded 2-8-0 #2769 moving a reefer block through the depot. I assume the gentleman at left is a herder and that's his shanty behind him, but if anyone knows different, please let me know.

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Evan, I can't answer any of your questions, but thanks for sharing these gems from Sacramento SP history!

Lee Hower

Great pics. Looks like a Herders Shanty for the the east end of the passenger tracks.


Nudge

Anyone know why the 2-8-0 is pulling a freight
thru the depot instead of the usual (?) tracks?

Pullman sheds were just that. A place for Pullman sleeping cars that would be added to or removed from trains en route to sit out of the sun and keep the cars cooler in the heat of the day. Recall that many heavyweight Pullman cars of the era used ice as the cooling system. Sitting out of the sun was the right way.

On the SP, Fresno also had a Pullman shed. Still standing, just railroad west of the former station.

The Yosemite Valley Railroad had one at El Portal (a good size one to model).

Pullman sheds were popular in the Central Valley of California.
The Central Valley is the raisin capital of the world for a reason!

Setout Pullmans at Bakersfield?

Fresno still has a Pullman shed just north of the old SP depot. Wonderful memories in the late 50's of seeing cars parked there. A majority of the cars were SP business cars.

I shot SD7 5326 in pumpkin livery sticking its nose out of that shed on 4/15/60. It was coupled to a PA or PB. Scanner is down so I can't post the photo.

timz Wrote:
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> Setout Pullmans at Bakersfield?


Well, this being Sacramento, not Bakersfield, there certainly would be reason for such a shed. Thinking of just two trains, the West Coast and the Oakland -Sacramento locals, not to mention business cars that would be stationed there. I'm not aware of Sacramento having setout cars on the long distance trains, except for perhaps head end business. I would think the Sacramento Daylight sat outside overnight, perhaps on a station track. AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

The structure was known on official SP documents as a "cooling shed." It's main purpose originally was for the overnight housing of McKeen Cars and Pullman cars that operated out of Sacramento. When this structure was conceived, Sacramento was envisioned to have much more Pullman interchange traffic on trains like the Beaver, West Coast, and Overland Limited. There is a wonderful photograph in the CSRM collection of the demonstration run of UP's M-10000 parked in the cooling shed next to McKeen 45 and trailer ready for the run to Placerville. A rare view indeed!

Scott Inman
Sacramento, CA