Nostalgia & History > The last run of SP 11

Several days ago JDW3460 posted a question on what he remembers as the last San Joaquin Daylight. 
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4205662
His description of the consist is nothing I'd ever heard before, as I didn't think SP had any Daylight or Lark/Cascade two tone gray painted equipment left by 1971.

Regardless, something did happen on the last southbound run of SP11, the Cascade.  By 1971, the Cascade was tri-weekly, running south on Thursday, April 29, 1971.  I headed over to Albany from school at Oregon State University in Corvallis to catch the last train.  And more than just the "last train", as the new NRPC timetable for the "new" train 11 did not stop in Albany, so this was the last southbound train service from Albany.  The stop, like Redding, California's (my home town) was reinstated by November.

Photo 1 - Perhaps the last time this happened: a baggageman pulled the cart down the platform for baggage exchange as 11 approached.

Photo 2 - The Cascade arrives at the Albany station behind two SDP45s, led by 3208 and 3205.

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Part 1 of 2



Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 01/19/17 22:37 by mcfflyer.

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Okay, and here's where it got really interesting.  First, why two SDP45s?  Normally 11-12 ran with one SDP45 and and FP7.  But trailing the SP consist was one reason why.

Photo 3 - Behind the last SP coach, was Burlington coach, Silver Shaft.
Photo 4 - Next came GN Big Sky Blue coach 1123
Photo 5 - Next came another Burlington coach, Silver Halter

I must have run out of film at this point as the train really accelerated, but there were cars of GN, NP, and Burlington ancestry following the last SP11.  Where were they going?  Oakland?  Los Angeles?  I have no idea, and have never seen any other photos of this last southbound.  Perhaps a train like this is what the original poster was remembering. 

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Part 2 of 2



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/17 10:39 by mcfflyer.

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must be sending cars to Oakland or LAX for Amtrak startup

Great images.  Love the SP motorfreight box trucks.

The_Chief_Way Wrote:
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> must be sending cars to Oakland or LAX for Amtrak
> startup
For the Amtrak COSF



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/20/17 08:10 by WAF.

Fabulous M5 horn on the 3208. Had forgotten that one had been so equipped so early on.

Thanks for this great coverage, Lee, and for your passenger car focus as well! It's good to see passenger train coverage where the passenger train itself is more than the smudgy disappearing thing, trailing off behind the locomotive photos!

~ BZ

Notch16 Wrote:
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> Thanks for this great coverage, Lee, and for your
> passenger car focus as well! It's good to see
> passenger train coverage where the passenger train
> itself is more than the smudgy disappearing thing,
> trailing off behind the locomotive photos!
>
> ~ BZ

Agree.  Thank you.  BSB