Nostalgia & History > SP 4211 by Cal Poly

Art started classes at Cal Poly in 1950.  It was the perfect campus for a railroad enthusiaist.  SP ran right by the buildings.  He left Poly just shy of enough credits to graduate.  He wanted to go railroading and started his career as a switchman around 1953  eventually becoming an engineer.  Railroaders say you got a good smooth ride when Art was in that right seat.  Art Laidlaw photo.  1950.

Chris



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/15 07:31 by engine3420.

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I'm going to assume this is Cal Poly SLO because the SP runs within sight of Cal Poly Pomona also. I used to get blocked by the SP almost every morning while attending Cal Poly Pomona where the tracks cross Temple and Valley Blvd.-BMT



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/02/15 14:17 by UPNW2-1083.

I had a class in the Cal Poly SLO Admin Building back in 1958.  Class started at 9 AM and usually "paused" around 9:30 when a westbound freight would be starting the climb up to Cuesta Pass.  I wasn't an active railfan at the time, but I remember that train as usually having four engines up front (I didn't know terms like "on the point" in those days) and two or three helpers on the rear end.  I vaguely recall one day when there were five diesels on the front and no helpers.  Apparently this was a scheduled train, because it brought the class to a halt at about the same time every day.

Alum from class of 2004 here. The business bldg I attended had a handful of classes that looked out over the tracks if you could turn around and stare out the window. I remember fondly having to "use the restroom" whenever I heard the diesels throttle up from the foothill rd grade crossing.

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