Nostalgia & History > Three from the Pepper Ave. overpass

The Pepper Ave. overpass located at the East end of first Southern Pacific and then Union Pacific's massive West Colton yard has always been a Great place to view trains!

1)On a cruddy, super hazy day back in January of 1987, SP SD40T-2 "snoot" 8327 leads 3 engines that are painted up in the SPSF merger scheme (7565, 7319, 7561) and a pair of gray and red locomotives around the yard on an Eastbound APL double stack train. In the background, a Cotton Belt/SSW GP40-2 leads a trio of General Electric B30-7's, the middle one which is painted in the SPSF scheme and was only one of two of this type of engine so painted.
Three SP engines painted up for the failed Southern Pacific, Santa Fe merger in one train also ties the most that I have ever seen on an SP train.

2)A great trio of local power is heading out the East end of the yard and will soon run around the balloon track and change directions, becoming a Westbound Hauler.
A pair of GP38-2's, with the 4834 leading (which still has a L-shaped engineer's window) and 4824 trailing, sandwich low-nose GP-9 #3708 in December of 1986.
In the background in this scene are another set of Hauler power consisting of a trio of SD39's with a SDP45. Also a SD35 and on another track a SD-7 that are bringing out "trim" cuts and a set of road power behind that.

3)SP SD45R #7399 painted up in this experimental scheme leads a light set of power out the East end to tack onto one of the trains in the yard behind it in January of 1982. There were only 2 engines painted this way (SD40R 7342 being the other one) and while I didn't mind it on this pair of engines, had the whole fleet been painted this way, I think that it may have been a little much:}
The third engine is the UP 3725 which has one of the safety slogan plagues still mounted on the side walkway stanchions.
This scene also has some interesting "stuff" in the background which included a set of 5 road engines in the pocket track, led by a SD45 with Roman style nose initials.
A nice quartet of six-axle GE's which have to be on one of their last trips with a cut of Cotton Belt and Rock Island hoppers coupled up behind them.
Behind that is a pair of SD35's that were assigned to Colton for years to move cuts of cars around the yard.

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Beautiful old SP photos from the better days.

Gary

What would a stack train be doing inside the yard like that? Did they used to make a fill or setout there?

Great shots. I especially like that clean painted SD45 in the third photo, that's classy!! Those were the good old days before the UP ruined everything.

I'm an optimist but there is no doubt that as far as subjects for photography goes, those were better days.

Look how CLEAN the engines were. Even the big GE's - close to the end of their life on SP, they were washed and just look great. That sort of pride (and budget to support it) are harder to find these days.

Thanks for sharing! This is the Espee this east coast guy always admired in photographs!

~RGDave

Amazing shots of when times were good. I too was surprised to see the units so clean.
Brian Stevens

Cool stuff, John! Just off hand... I wonder, between both RRs, how many stockholder $$$ were spent in vain on that aborted Kodachrome scheme? Some pretty smart people (I thought) sure got caught by surprise...

Lance

Great bunch, the SP as I like to remember it.
JB

And those great photos had to be Kodachromes, right?

LOVE IT! Bring back the 80s!!!!

jkchubbes Wrote:
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> What would a stack train be doing inside the yard
> like that? Did they used to make a fill or setout
> there?

That's the 901 (or is it the 902) by-pass rail, so technically it's not part of the yard.

Great shots, John. Sure do miss those days now.

Gary

I know it today as the 116 lead and is very much part of the yard controlled by the herder.

BCHellman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jkchubbes Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What would a stack train be doing inside the
> yard
> > like that? Did they used to make a fill or
> setout
> > there?
>
> That's the 901 (or is it the 902) by-pass rail, so
> technically it's not part of the yard.

Posted from Android

jkchubbes Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I know it today as the 116 lead and is very much
> part of the yard controlled by the herder.
>


My memory isn't what it used to be, but in the 70s I remember it as the 901 and was used by through freights if the main was plugged (and yes, lite power to the departure yard). Since this is a stack train I'm assuming this is what is occurring and is not working the yard.

Do they still have herders at West Colton?

Yea in the form of a yardman at a computer controlling the air operated switches.

Posted from Android

Three Aces John, thanks for sharing. Two flares, a snoot and a T-motor = A GREAT QUARTET !

Kent in CArmel Valley

:)

jkchubbes Wrote:
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> What would a stack train be doing inside the yard
> like that? Did they used to make a fill or setout
> there?

Back then it was called "going the south side". Usually happened when several trains were going to converge on West Colton at the same time. Train is coming out the old "600" lead.

"901" was the track next to the main line.


Allen

In the last photo, what is the plaque on the side of the UP unit?

BCHellman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jkchubbes Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > What would a stack train be doing inside the
> yard
> > like that? Did they used to make a fill or
> setout
> > there?
>
> That's the 901 (or is it the 902) by-pass rail, so
> technically it's not part of the yard.

Now 116 I think