Nostalgia & History > Yreka Western #19 in 1962

Here's some shots I took back in 1962 of the Yreka Western special train called the "Yreka Jaycee's Fair Excursion Train". I believe it ran during the Siskiyou County Fair in the summer of 1962. I really don't remember going up there but I believe I was on one of my Dunsmuir trips and heard about it and grabbed a Greyhound up to Yreka. I hitched a ride with some local foamers and gave chase. In the shot showing the station there is another locomotive and I believe it was the #25. The train started at the lumber mill which was located to the south of the depot where the third shot is taken. The cars were brought up from the Bay Area for this train. 

Robert Morris Photography

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Amazing!
Bob

And whatever is the opposite of amazing today, Yreka lost a real attraction, perfect ride length, great scenery.
Thanks for the look back sir, excellent shots of how busy it used to be around the station.

Out

Second engine in photo 2 is YW #18.

Boy, your pictures that day are sure better than mine.  I rode the excursion.  Didn't it run for a couple days?

Ed



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/26/16 21:52 by Auburn_Ed.

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Kind of ironic that one of the only pieces of equipment left in Yreka today is one of those ex-SP Economy baggage cars, just like the one in the photo.

Great photos as always Bob.

Martin

Regarding photo #1, there is an EMD switcher in the engine house.  I didn't think that YW had an EMD that early (1962).  When I was there in 1971, I found a pair of Alco switchers.  What diesels did YW roster, and when?

Heres the diesel in Photo # 1 taken the same day. The number boards show #602.

Robert Morris Photography

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I've often wondered when the Lumber Mills were abandoned or torn down. I did notice the large empty space near the fairgrounds and kinda put it together that at one time the YW would have switched those mills, but have never seen any info on the mills or even a map of the area showing the Mills. Last time I drove through there the ROW could be seen at the mill sites. As they say it 'must-have-been-something'.

photobob Wrote:
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.... The train
> started at the lumber mill which was located to
> the south of the depot where the third shot is
> taken. ..

The mill at the South end of the line (past the station) was still running in the early 2000s though only for
selected cuts and not shipping by rail. I believe that was the last anything doing timber products in Yreka
proper.

Out

And, the 602 was nee Bamberrger (spelling?) in Utah. wag216

A diesel with marker lights. I havn't seen many of those.

Ed

lynnpowell Wrote:
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> Regarding photo #1, there is an EMD switcher in
> the engine house.  I didn't think that YW had an
> EMD that early (1962).  When I was there in 1971,
> I found a pair of Alco switchers.  What diesels
> did YW roster, and when?
YW #602 is former Bamberger Railroad engine (Utah).

Thanks for posting the photos, Bob.

To answer the question asked a couple posts ago about the YW diesels, they fell out (chronologically) as follows:

602- EMD SW-8.  Purchased 1958 from Bamberger.  To Oregom, Pacific & Eastern 1978.
603- Alco S-1.  Purchased 1963 fron Northern Pacific Terminnal.  Sold to Port of Tacoma 1970.
604- Alco S-1.  Purchased 1963 fron Northern Pacific Terminnal.  Sold to Port of Tacoma 1974.
1171- Alco S-4.  Purchased from Chrome Crankshaft 1972.  Never operated, scrapped out in Yreka in middle 1980s.
1172- Alco S-4.  Purchased from Chrome Crankshaft 1972.  To Pend Orielle Valley 1979.
20- EMD SW-8.  Purchased from Chrome Crankshaft 1978.  Scrapped 2011.
21- EMD SW-8.  Purchased from Chrome Crankshaft 1978.  Still on railroad.
244- Alco MRS-1.  Purchased from Northern Nevada Railroad 2002ish.  Scrapped 2011.
439- EMD SD-9.  Arrived on YW around early to middle 2000s.  Sold 2007ish to Modoc Northern, but never left Yreka.  Shipped to Western Rail around 2011.

Jeff Moore
Elko, NV