Nostalgia & History > An Ode to Simple Pleasures

I posted this photo yesterday in twropr's Dwarf Signals thread, but it brought up a point I'd like to expand;  Simple Pleasures.

This is a late 70's shot of the SP Coast Line's Elwood Local working industries in Santa Barbara.  If you look way down the track, about half way between the box car and the headlight of Amtrak #11 in the SB station, you can just make out the dot of green light from a pot signal.  As the Elwood moved about, it would keep tripping that signal.
I took this nearly 40 years ago, but to this day I can still remember being amused by that signal lighting, going dark, and lighting again....
Our shared hobby is full of these subtle details.

Simple Pleasures 

SR Bush
Dutch Flat

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Here's another:
After having staked out a good photo spot and settled in to wait out what ever traffic might come my way, I've always derived a bit of pleasure from all the odd sounds that empty track makes,  Even w/o a train in sight- it's alive!
SR

Please feel invited to add to this list..

Santa Barbara? Industries? Where are the dinosaurs?

Out

Track talking,  yep, I remember that.  When I worked at the station I would go outside when I got bored and in the heat of the day you could hear the track pop and groan expanding from the heat.  And, the hotter it got the more the smell of  the creosote.

Yes (Insert Defensive Tone Here), SB had industries.   The biggest by far was ag (Sunkist, mostly), lumber, drywall (Goleta), sand & gravel (SB & Goleta), and I-don't-know-what-else. (ask Nudge?)  Beets were always passing through on the way to Santa Maria.   Pretty much all gone now- just unit tank trains (suntan oil).
SR 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/04/15 13:58 by BoilingMan.

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Only worked the "Ghost" 3 times. When we got the job for SLO crews on a mileage run off, I made sure I was there to make sure everything was okay. Tony Emanuel took the job on a 3 day hold down and I went back to SLO. (He had worked the Lompoc job as a hogger for years).  Sadly, he was killed in a week later along with the conductor when some kids let some LPG cars go on the Ventura Branch and they met in a cut.

Yes it was simple pleasure's back then but once and awhile reality would rear his ugly head and bring us back. Keep the Coast pics coming., Thanks,

Nudge