Nostalgia & History > ATSF Ultra Turn 10-86

A late Ultra Turn being operated by a patch crew in 10-86

1. Leaving Exeter, CA Porterville Sub.
2. Just north of Exeter RR west.
3. At Fane north of SH 198

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA

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4. Approaching Hilmaid, CA where the VE tracks cross the ATSF Porterville Sub.
5. Between Hilmaid and Cutler, CA near the Paramount Orange packing house.
6. What we expected then.

Don Bowen
Saint Helena, CA

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Something about a lone GP-30 on a local, really cool! Thanks for tossing in a shot of the waycar, also...

Lance

Very nice, Don!

As you were witness too, this train really took off west of Hillmaid. Catching up with it after a photo was not an easy task.

John Ford

Don, glad you were there, Santa Fe, orange trees and palms are hard
to beat.

Out

Nice shots, Don. I didn't get to see the valley locals that much when I was living in Fresno, but it was always nice when I did.

Jim B

Nice series, Don.

~Ryan

Great bunch. A little dust in shot five shows how they used to move pretty fast along those valley branches.
JB

callum_out Wrote:
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> Don, glad you were there. Santa Fe, orange trees
> and palms are hard to beat.
>
> Out

And, don't forget NO graffiti on the freight cars!

Topfuel Wrote:
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> callum_out Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Don, glad you were there. Santa Fe, orange
> trees
> > and palms are hard to beat.
> >
> > Out
>
> And, don't forget NO graffiti on the freight cars!


Oh there was graffiti, but it was RAILROAD graffiti!

A "30" just doing it's job - working.

Super series Don, thanks for sharing. Love the waycar shot and I agree, palm trees and orange groves are hard to beat.

Kent in CArmel Valley

Great photos Don of a very nice looking train. We would see some of those branch lines on family drives but rarely a train that I remember. But I do remember the Santa Fe engines all lined up at the Bakersfield roundhouse and the red cabooses. Brings back memories.

Nathan

Really great shots Don

I chased the what I thought was a 909 or a 919 train out of Famoso one evening and thought I could set up at White River to get a shot of the train crossing the bridge but it out paced me and I only saw the caboose ! That day the train then went switching the Sunkist spur just south of Porterville.

I stayed overnight in Porterville and after checking into the Paul Bunyan Motel heard GP35 IIRC was 2925 with a nice Leslie 3 chime !

Jay

As I remember the Sunkist was off a wye and ended almost across the road and
perpendicular to the SP at Strathmore. Been a while.

Out

I think that was the Strathmore Spur north of Porterville. It was still there in 1992 the last time I was in Porterville.

I also saw a train spot a hopper car on one leg of the wye just north of the Porterville Depot in about 1985.


Jay

Jay, yah I remember the siding South of Porterville, just didn't remember
it as the "Sunkist". I've seen one posted picture down there, GP-30's shoving
ballast up the spur.

Out